Daring Greatly, a now local North County San Diego rock band transplanted from Calgary, Alberta exemplifies Theodore Roosevelt’s famous phrase fearlessly – this band is composed of devoted enthusiasts of music itself, triumphing the musical arena with purpose. DG, as their large and loyal fan base lovingly refers to them, is a band that’s not afraid of breaking the modern trends in their performances and productions. Far from forced, these talented musicians flow and lean into the Rock n’ Roll vibes of yesteryears skillfully, coming out on “The Other Side,” free from the gravity inside the lines of limitation. These guys do not blend in with other music as their very nature spirals in the spaces that lie in between the various genres that have informed their collective musical prowess. Seemingly transcending time through their throwback-inspired riffs and rhythms, each player divergently showcases their instruments and love of music in the intros, solos, and synchronistic melodies in a way that commands your attention and transports your experience to another frequency. These guys are unreal in concert and continue to grow, rise, and thrive as they hone in on their soulful sound with the best stage presence in the band’s history to date.
Recently, I witnessed the fellas, true to form with mind-blowing energy, at the TERi Campus of Life’s premier Bornemann Theatre – a live entertainment destination supporting artistry and inclusivity while creating an avant-garde community of compassion to enrich the lives of children and adults with disabilities. Amidst almost auric amber and lavender hue house lighting, the subtle build-up of sound rumbled off the stage and through the audience; introduced by a heartbeat on the drums, blood harmonies reminiscent of the vocal legends like CSNY, Daring Greatly was “Born to Fly,” as their first song choice resonates. Having just released an album featuring “The Greatest, so Far,” this noteworthy show blended their musical roots, recent releases, and soon-to-be-released originals. The resulting once-in-a-blue-moon experience of catching this band in a sit-down 200-seat theatre, chosen and dedicated to the venue’s worthy cause, was hypnotic. DG, composed of the Canadian Croome Brothers Trio (Liam and Patrick “Patch” Croome and honorary brother Brayden Tario on drums), now teamed up with San Diegans Jeff Starkey and Brendan Cutrer, have perfected their collective channeling of deep-rooted musical energy and vastness to share with us. The result? All-encompassing heart-awakening vibrational sound, with no lapse in the outpouring of talent from the keys to bass to drums to lead harmonies and poignant electric guitar shreds.
Inspiring a depth of experience in well-calculated sonic layers and uplifting energy; this band delivers a roundness to the sound – smooth on all edges– that grounds you in the peaks and valleys of welcomed intensity. The source of “the magic you cannot see” emanates from the brotherhood at the core of this ensemble, a tangible brotherly love that echoes from the original band’s members through the new additions and into the hearts of all who encounter their music. Beyond the defining nucleus that birthed DG, Oceanside’s new addition, Jeff Starkey on electric guitar brings an unexpected, disarming depth to the band that alludes to guitar masters like Thin Lizzy, Clapton, and Santana. Grounded with some funk by Brendan Cutrer on the bass, the guys are playing with new cohesion and confidence. What makes this band exceptional is that they create and transmit the exact amount of auditory power without breaking the balance of the sound-silence continuum in a way that only brilliant music composers can; they crack the code of melodic crescendos and timed silence, a nuanced experience you can see when performed live.
Raised on Rock and born in the 90’s their blend of musical energy is uniquely expressed with an air of grunge, country, and emotional vibrations that could only come from a band dedicated to enmeshing the entire evolution of “Rock” in their original creations. The song “Circles” exhibits a mash-up of sounds, somehow breaking the rules by mixing up momentum from verse to verse, cycling through various sounds that defy expectations.
“This is not about rebellion
And I don’t mean to dis-respect
But I am a dreamer…
And I know you can be to
Just believe it to be true
All you gotta do is
step outside that circle.”
The rhythmic vibrancy of the drums and the sultry vocals that pervaded the night are staples that you can anticipate in their next major San Diego performance at The Music Box on January 31st with Saint Cecilia, a fantastic band from South America. To make it even more alluring, the bands have partnered with the acclaimed Wonderfront Festival on the “Road to Wonderfront,” offering a sneak peek at the festival happening in May. Other reasons to attend this upcoming event include the release of 5 songs from the new EP and the launch of their 200 limited-edition, already-coveted vinyl records. Patrick “Patch” Croome gave an inspired and grateful shout-out to the “new” boys as he invited us all to come down to The Music Box at the end of the month to get our hands on some of “the best recordings we’ve ever put out.”
As Patch shared and creatively quoted The Grateful Dead, the combination of the atmosphere and talent “forced all of us to return to what it is in the music that moves us in the first place …We used to play for silver, now we play for life.” This band is not only unbelievably talented but also impeccably down-to-earth and authentic. The camaraderie of the players themselves is contagious and travels through the audience, now a deeply connected, grateful community that gathers around DG to be transported back to simpler times when being “moved” by music was good enough – it’s everything. Bringing sexy back through their blend of country with honky-tonk–vibes that are inherently rhythm and blues driven — DG offers an eclectic sound that feels born in another time and place altogether. “Ain’t My Sound,” the newly released single you can hear on all streaming platforms, carries this truth to the masses that the music runs through their blood, and they channel those who dared to be great before them to make it epically current simultaneously.
One of their 2024 releases, “Something Coming On,” is lyrically about love but serendipitously speaks to the trajectory of the band on the verge of something magnificently powerful. As they shared this banger, Patch pulled a lighter out and waved it in the air overhead, a sight and experience that had been missing for decades. This inspired emulation and adaptation with a hundred cell phones waving through the crowd in approval. This song uniquely showcases the soft and sweet harmonies of the brothers before they release Starkey to shred indescribably, giving way to a crescendo that will lift you with its bone-buzzing energy, stealing your heart for the moment. Their music can mysteriously linger and carry your soul forward for days. Grounded in the feeling that only music elicits and the fun that can be had on stage, the evening would not be complete without a family DG hair-throwing, head-banging moment of grandeur. This performance had all the things: Liam smokin’ the keys, unreal vocal harmonies, headbanging, mind-blowing drums, remarkable guitars, and freedom dancing. Even though it was a calmer venue and crowd than the usual venues where you can see DG playing, the evening was still a full-blown rock party – what these burgeoning legends deliver time and time again as full-time musicians.
As the evening came to a close, we shared in the levity of an impromptu comical moment of truth to decide which song to play as the encore. Patch joked, “Ten years of being a group and then we almost break up over what song to play last,” as they ultimately landed on “Love Myself Again.” Without sharing the lyrics of this song or trying to describe how they somehow transverse allusions to Metallica, Clapton’s Cream, and the Allman Brothers Band all in one song, you can imagine by the notable song title that it has the power to supply you with something more than you typically encounter in music. This band, aptly named after Roosevelt’s quote, will never stop delivering all they can in the musical arena, “marred by dust and sweat and blood,” ceaselessly sharing unimaginable effort for the worthy cause of connecting with the world through their music.
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