It being my first time seeing him play live, I found out Friday night that Danny Michel knows how to put on a great show. Right from the start, as he was singing the opening lines of "Home" accompanied only by his guitar, he reached straight into the audience, pulling us in with his strong eye contact, curious smile, and cool confidence.

All through the show I was impressed with the energy and effort he put into the music and the fun he seemed to have with it, with The Wedding Band (Peter van Althen on drums, and Ian LeFeuvre on bass and backup vocals) enthusiastically backing him.

Like his Starling bandmate Ian LeFeuvre, Danny does really incredible stuff with a guitar and a few electronic accessories. He ended the show with a solo number ("Come Around") which finished with Danny using his guitar and the machine (email me if you know what it's called) to create beautiful, mesmerizing layers of sound, which gracefully faded out as he said goodnight and walked off the stage.

Earlier in the evening, a rock trio opened the show, introducing themselves only as Rob (vocals, guitar), Matt (bass), and Costa (drums, backup vocals).

Click here to see some photos.