Indie Week 2017 Women of Country Music: The Dakota Tavern, presented by M88 Entertainment Group
Presented by M88 Entertainment Group
Wednesday night was good for country music at Indie Week 2017 in Toronto with some very talented women taking the stage at the Dakota Tavern.
The energy in the room was fantastic from the start, with a great crowd coming in early, and support for the Indie Week artists on full display. In one of our favourite rooms in the city, we got to experience some fantastic live country music from Shae Dupuy, Julia Haggarty, and Dani Strong – that’s a pretty great way to spend a Wednesday night.
The mid-week entertainment started with Shae Dupuy on stage, bringing a full band and a full sound with her.
With a set that included Tin Man, Drink About It, a cover of Little Big Town’s Boondocks, a brand new song called Top Shelf Whiskey, and her upcoming single, Liar, Shae showed the Indie Week crowd what she brings to the party.
The energy and enthusiasm from Shae and her band filled the room and did an excellent job of getting things started, which isn’t always easy. But it was clear that the country singer was ready and comfortable on the Dakota Tavern stage.
Stay tuned for more from Shae Dupuy, it sounds like exciting things are coming from her very soon. We’re ready.
Julia Haggarty was next to take the Dakota Tavern stage, giving us our first chance to see the London, Ontario native perform live.
The singer/songwriter did her thing in a strong way on Wednesday, and with the band keeping pace, she put in work. In the live setting Julia showed that she’s got a lot to offer to music fans, starting with a powerful voice that can go for miles.
On songs including Him, Skydive, I Can’t Stand Still, and a track she co-wrote with Jessica Mitchell – Alone In Love, she shared herself with the Indie Week crowd, and they responded with praise and applause.
Julia Haggarty’s set ended with a stripped down version of her song, Anybody Like You, and the opportunity to hear it all scaled back was a great way to finish her time on stage.
Dani Strong followed with her band, doing everything we know she can when she gets up in front of a crowd.
Dani is one of the hardest working indie artists we know, and she has fun doing it. Through laughs, jokes, and sweet stories, she played a set that included Fallout, Mountains, Mrs. Jones, Where The Heck Is Dixieland, Wild One, and more.
We had the chance to see Dani recently at the Rivoli with Johnson Crook, and heard her play Healing, a song she wrote about mental illness, with thoughts of people she knows and cares about in mind. Having that song as well as, my personal favourite, What You Need, in the set was wonderful, and did all of the things that we know music can do when it comes to feelings and depth.
The Indie Week showcase at the Dakota Tavern was further proof that there’s a whole lot of female talent in country music, right here, and ready to play. We hope we get the chance to see all of these women again soon, and to hear new songs and stories.
Check out more photos from Wednesday night, and stay tuned for more Indie Week coverage!
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