Jeff Daniels Brings the Acoustically Speakin’ ’18 Tour To The Ridgefield Playhouse on August 12

 

With eight solo records under his belt (his latest is Simple Truths) and a tour history that has seen him share the stage with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Joe Ely, Guy Clark, Keb Mo’, and Bruce Hornsby, Jeff Daniels (recently nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work in “The Looming Tower” and “Godless”) has earned a reputation as an accomplished singer-songwriter, one that transcends the actor-turned-musician stereotype. Jeff Daniels brings the Acoustically Speakin’ Summer ‘18 Tour to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Sunday, August 12 at 7:30pm, part of the Doyle Coffin Architecture Singer-Songwriter Series. Jeff will be joined onstage for a portion of his set by the Ben Daniels Band, featuring his son, for a night of music that spans Americana, Blues, jazz, and rock. Make it a great night out with dinner and a show! Visit Bailey’s Backyard (23 Bailey Avenue • Ridgefield) for an early dinner and receive 10% off when you show your ticket! Media partner for this event is 90.7 WFUV.

Jeff Daniels has been playing music for as long as he has been acting. Known for roles in such diverse films as The Martian, Dumb & Dumber, The Squid and The Whale, Terms of Endearment, along with his Golden Globe Award-winning role on the TV show “The Newsroom,” Daniels is a bona fide movie star. But, it was music – one of his first passions back in the ‘70s – that shaped his future.  In 1976, Daniels bought a Guild D-40 from Herb David’s Guitar Studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan, threw it in the back of his old Buick, and moved to New York City. That guitar led to a creative outlet, became a solace, a road into the artist that he didn’t know existed. 

In addition to acting in countless films and plays, Jeff Daniels has authored about 400 songs, played over 300 gigs the past 12 years from Maine to Alaska to California with his preferred venue of choice being clubs and hundred year old opera houses. He claims to “drink from the fountain of youth” by touring with his son’s band (the Ben Daniels Band). In 1991 he founded The Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan for which he has written 15 plays (working on #16), and with great pride and a range that would drive a normal actor straight to Betty Ford, can most recently be seen as Will McAvoy on HBO’s “The Newsroom”, and after 20 long years, with the one and only Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber To.

From their opening song to the finale of their set, the Ben Daniels Band cuts through with a sound that spans Americana, Blues, Jazz, and Rock. 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 J.J. Cale, among others. His lyrics speak directly to a younger generation that hears, sees, and thinks about the very things he’s writing. Throughout the years, BDB had toured the country several times while regularly making the rounds in The Great Lakes State. The son of actor Jeff Daniels, he has quietly monitored what it takes to live life as an artist. Beyond a passed down talent, the Ben Daniels Band believes in hard work, perseverance, and creatively challenging themselves and their audience.

With Tommy Reifel on bass, George Merkel & Josh Silas on guitar, Wesley Fritzemeier on drums and singer/songwriter Amanda Daniels on vocals, BDB’s live show never fails to take over the venue. The Ben Daniels Band has grown to be a formidable group that sounds pleasantly familiar, yet unforgettably unique, with their own views of the blues.

For tickets ($39.50) call or visit the box office, 203-438-5795 or go online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org.  The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.