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Dan Mangan’s Kelowna concert will be the perfect Valentine’s date

Sure, it’s a day early, but when asked if his concert would be the perfect date for Valentine’s Day, Dan Mangan didn’t hesitate.

“Probably more so than ever,” said the Vancouver-based musician. “I think that the show and the music has more of a tenderness than ever before.”

“Something that’s really important to me is to try and facilitate an evening where everyone can leave with a full heart, and that wasn’t necessarily my intention before.”

That’s just one of the ways that Mangan and his live show have evolved over recent years, as the 35-year-old says his it's much more focused than it used to be.

“I think the show used to be just an unbridled chasm of crazy, chaotic energy and this is a little bit more on the rails,” he told KelownaNow, “but not in a boring way, in a really exciting way.”

The newfound focus comes after a period where Mangan had to re-emerge into the world as a musician, something that wasn’t always a straight forward task.

After putting out the album Club Meds in 2015 under the moniker Dan Mangan + Blacksmith, he says he wasn’t able to give as much effort into the touring as he would have liked.

Mangan had just become a new parent and the obligations of raising a child, along with the stress and exhaustion that came with it, pulled him away from the music scene.

As his kids started to get a bit older, his focus could slowly shift back towards his craft, but he also found himself asking questions like “am I still writing songs here?”

The answer was obviously yes, as his new album More or Less came out in late 2018, but it was in the process of making it that Mangan realized it was time for a new chapter in his career.

With names like Drew Brown, Joey Waronker, Jason Falkner and Darrel Thorp at his side, Mangan found himself working with the same musical minds that had worked on so many of his favourite records.

“It was a bit of an imposter syndrome at first,” he admitted. “You know, am I going to be outed? Am I of the calibre to be in this kind of community?”

The finished product, his fifth studio album, would suggest that he absolutely is of the calibre and Mangan said creating the album with those musicians ended up being a “beautiful” and “creatively collaborative” experience.

The songs were more earnest and tender and Mangan followed what he describes as “a very natural, organic path” to get to there.

“I think you can go crazy trying to reverse engineer something that you think people will like, and the truth is that I don't f***ing know what people like,” he said.

“But I know what feels good to me, and hopefully whatever seems true and authentic and relevant to me will also feel that way to some other people.”

If his three week tour across Canada has been any indication, his new music feels good to the fans as well because Mangan says the crowds have been incredible at every spot.

He says he was even a little anxious heading into the 19-date cross-Canada tour, wondering if anyone would still care about the new songs, but it’s exceeded his “wildest dreams” so far.

"It’s been just a real affirmation,” Mangan told KelownaNow. “Every night, people seem to be just as excited for the new songs as they are for the old ones.”

And it’s not just him the crowds are falling in love with all over again, as his band of Don Kerr, Michael Brian and Jason Haberman has been a big part of why the show’s been so fun.

It’s a band where everyone can belt out a tune, explains Mangan, leading to plenty of background singing and lots of harmonies, allowing a focus on the songs than ever before.

Music fans in Kelowna will witness that tonight and Mangan says he’s excited to get back to the Okanagan.

“Kelowna has unfailingly been a great place for me to play over the years, so I’m excited,” he said.

Getting to Kelowna might be the trickiest part of Mangan and company’s day, as the band played in Vancouver on Tuesday and has the always tricky Coquihalla Highway in their sights.

It’s nothing their “amazing” bus driver can’t handle, however, as Mangan says he’s safely led the band across Canada in snow storms and temperatures as low as -40°C in the prairies.

Once they do arrive in town, they’ll have a little time to defrost before truly heating things up at the Kelowna Community Theatre.

Whether you’re single, dating or have been happily married for a number of years, there’s only one place you should be on this Valentine’s Day Eve, and that’s singing along with Dan Mangan at the KCT.

There are still just a handful of tickets left, so make sure you don't miss out on a fantastic night of music!



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