Local Spotlight On…Danielle Howle
The following column will appear in the October 2006 edition of Gaston Alive:
It’s not often that an opening act outshines the headlining act. That’s simply not the job for the opener. Their job is to simply warm the audience up. They are the appetizer, the pre-game show, and the late-night show host monologue all rolled up into one.
I once attended a show where Danielle Howle stole the show. She was the opening act that night, but apparently had not read the rules about how an opening act was to perform. Call it ignorance, but something tells me that Danielle wouldn’t have followed said protocol that night even if she knew better. That’s just how she is.
Her latest release Thank You, Mark (Valley Entertainment), again shows that Danielle doesn’t like to be kept inside a box. Her new release welcomes all forms of American music into the fold including jazz, country, swing, down-home rhythm and blues, and more.
I wouldn’t expect anything less from this South Carolina native. Howle has soaked up every ounce of what this region has to offer musically, yet hasn’t forgotten to add her own personal touch. Ultimately - it’s her vocals here that draw you in.
So, whether you pick up her new CD, or find her playing in your backyard (as an opener or as the headlining act), you can’t go wrong with an evening with Danielle Howle.
