Emmy-Winning Actor Jeff Daniels to Share Stage With Son’s Band at Heritage Center
Sep 27, 2017
DUBUQUE, Iowa – Emmy-winning actor and musician Jeff Daniels will perform with special guests the Ben Daniels Band on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. in University of Dubuque’s Heritage Center. The concert is part of the fifth annual Live at Heritage Center Performing Arts Series. Over three decades, this father-son duo has given life to a collection of nearly 400 pointedly funny and poignant songs.
WHAT: Live at Heritage Center Performing Arts Series – Jeff Daniels and the Ben Daniels Band
WHEN: Wednesday, Nov. 1 – 7:30p.m.
WHERE: John and Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque
TICKETS: $35-$40 adults, $31-$35 UD alumni, $15 child/student
Jeff Daniels is perhaps best recognized for his acting roles in The Divergent Series, Steve Jobs, Dumb & Dumber, The Newsroom, and more. However, he has proven over the past 10 years that he is not an actor who sings, but he is rather an accomplished singer/songwriter whose musical talent does not require the support of his acting. What started as a “good idea” to raise funds for The Purple Rose Theater, a not-for-profit professional company Daniels founded in his hometown of Chelsea, Mich., turned into six albums and several United States tours. Most recently, Daniels collaborated with Brian Vander Ark, of The Verve Pipe, for the album Simple Truths. He has shared the stage with artists such as Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Keb’ Mo’. In 2005, Daniels invited the Ben Daniels Band to tour with him.
“In getting ready to go out this past summer with Ben’s band, I didn’t want to do the standard ‘Opener-Headliner’ deal. Instead, I wanted to take what I do on my own, blend it in with what Ben’s band does, and come out with a new show,” said Jeff Daniels. “I love writing songs, I love entertaining people, and I love putting on a show. Happy to say, the show just got better.”
When Ben Daniels decided he was going to be a musician, it was more than a career choice. A natural poet, this young songwriter went to school on Bob Dylan, Robert Johnson, and Jack White, among others. His lyrics speak directly to a younger generation that hears, sees, and thinks about the very things he’s writing. From their opening song to the finale of their set, the Ben Daniels Band cuts through with their originality, musicianship, and a sound that spans Americana, blues, jazz, and rock.
A free CyberCafé Knapp Stage concert from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. featuring Lost Lakes, a Madison-based Americana band, precedes the performance. Lost Lakes is a collaboration between Corey Mathew Hart and Paul Mitch. The two met during a songwriting competition held by a local radio station. The first time they played together, Hart and Mitch clicked musically and personally. The collaboration has grown over the years, developing into a strong songwriting and production team with a focus on well-crafted tunes and tight vocal harmonies. Lost Lakes's self-titled debut record bears witness to their talents and the fact the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.
Tickets for Jeff Daniels and the Ben Daniels Band can be purchased Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Farber Box Office, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque, 2255 Bennett Street; by phone at 563.585.SHOW; or online at www.dbq.edu/heritagecenter.
