Ten Years of Daring Greatly in San Diego – a Homecoming Anniversary Show Slated for the Six String Society’s October Dragonfly Festival

As a local music fanatic here in San Diego, I can honestly say that something superb is afoot; The Six String Society is hosting an all-day music festival at one of North County’s debut music venues—The Teri Campus of Life on October 4^th. Among the talented Dragonfly Festival lineup is Daring Greatly, the transplanted rock group from Calgary that also considers San Diego home. Having been local to the SD music scene now for ten years and performing at innumerable Six String Society shows in the past, this highly celebrated group has picked up some exceptional native players and continues to evolve in ways that keep them winning awards and stealing stages. I had the pleasure of connecting with one of the founding members, Brayden Tario, directly, as they just returned from their Canadian Tour recently, and got to interview him as they prepare to perform again at the Dragonfly Festival in just a few weeks.

Backstage360: You’ve just wrapped up a summer tour that took you back to your original home in Calgary. Now you’re returning to your current home of San Diego for this show. Can you talk about what it feels like to bridge those two worlds—the city that shaped your sound and the city that has embraced you? 

Daring Greatly: Yeah, the two cities have shaped our sound and still do to this day. Calgary was huge for us in terms of our country music roots and just getting our feet on the ground. I mean, back in high school, we were big country music fans, especially as hockey players. Country was always playing in the dressing room, at least on my teams. Then coming to San Diego opened us up to a whole different world, jazz, blues, Americana, just so many kinds of artists, and a bigger scene. The U.S. just has more people, more concerts, and we’ve been lucky to be part of that. So it’s like both cities gave us a piece of who we are.

Backstage360: How does the music scene in Calgary, with its unique energy and audience, compare to the scene you’ve built a life and career in here in San Diego? Are there specific things you miss or appreciate about each place’s musical community?

Daring Greatly: Calgary definitely has a tight-knit music community. It doesn’t take long to get to know everybody once you’re there. And then in San Diego, we’re still kind of always meeting new people, figuring out the scene, and it’s constantly expanding. So it feels like here, there’s always someone new to connect with. But that doesn’t take anything away from Calgary; there are super talented musicians up there who we definitely learned a lot from, and we had some great musical experiences there.

Backstage360: Three years ago, you were part of the Dragonfly Festival in Sedona. What are your most vivid memories from that experience, and how has the band grown and evolved creatively in the time since?

Daring Greatly: Well.. there have been some changes since then, with new members joining and the band evolving. That first Dragonfly Festival in Sedona was such a memorable experience for us; it was beautiful, the scenery was stunning, and the energy of the place was just different. We got to play a lot that weekend, including an intimate acoustic set in the theatre and then a full show at the Posse Grounds Pavilion. Both were really special in their own way. It is a little disappointing that we’re not heading back out there this time, because Sedona is such a magical spot, but looking back, it was a big part of our journey and growth.

Backstage360: With Dragonfly Festival’s return, this opportunity to reconnect, celebrate, and soar back into your SD local fan base and music fam, what emotions come to mind? How do you feel this resonates with your journey as a band, especially with your own return to the festival four years later? 

Daring Greatly: There’s A LOT of excitement amongst the fans… I keep getting messages. We wanted to do something special when we came back from tour, and we were actually looking at putting together a big homecoming/10-year celebration ourselves. Then Ken came along and said the timing would be perfect. He really pulled some strings to make this happen for us, and now he’s given us the headlining slot for what feels like the perfect evening. It lines up with nearly 10 years of making the move to California, and while it’s not an official anniversary show, the people who’ve been with us from the beginning will know. It’s wild how fast time flies, and having Ken—who was such an integral part of us breaking into this scene in the first place—bring us back in this way makes it feel full-circle.

Backstage360: The Six String Society is known for creating unique, theatrical music experiences. How does being part of a curated event like the Dragonfly Festival, as opposed to a typical concert, influence your performance and your connection with the audience?

Daring Greatly: What makes the Dragonfly Festival so special is that it’s a full-day experience. Everyone’s there for the whole journey, taking in all these different acts, and that creates a really unique energy. We love that side of it too, getting to meet the other musicians and feel that sense of community. Being on the road so much, we don’t always feel like we’re part of the local scene, but festivals like this really bring us back into it. It’s a reminder of why we love San Diego and why we love being a part of this music family.

Backstage360: The Dragonfly Festival features a diverse lineup of San Diego-based bands. Are there any fellow musicians you’re particularly excited to share the stage with, or any new collaborations you hope to spark at the event?

Daring Greatly: You never really go into these events planning a big collaboration. It’s more like, whatever happens, happens. Of course, it’s always nice to catch up and have conversations with the other bands, but this time we’ll actually be flying in from Canada the same day from another gig and showing up right before our set. So there won’t be much time to plan anything extra. Chances are, we’ll just stick to our guns and focus on putting on the best show we can for the crowd.

Backstage360: Reflecting on your summer tour in Calgary and your preparation for this festival, are there any songs or new material that have been directly inspired by either of these “home” environments? Anything new you might share or things that would entice your local fans to catch you at this performance? 

Daring Greatly: We’ve been working on new material, but I don’t want to spoil anything just yet. For our local fans who’ve seen us a lot, you already know to always expect a few surprises in the set. Let’s just say there might be some fresh songs in the mix. You’ll have to come and find out. 

Backstage360: Many people associate San Diego’s music scene with a laid-back, surf-rock vibe. How do you feel your band’s sound—which blends classic rock, folk, and country—fits into, or perhaps even challenges, that local reputation?

Daring Greatly: I think what makes San Diego so great is the fact that there is no “one” genre. I think it’s definitely a stereotype to call it surf rock around here, but I disagree. I think that San Diego is a hub for all kinds of genres and people to feel welcome, to feel like they can do anything. It’s Americana, it’s Country, around here, it’s all kinds of stuff. So that’s what I love about it, and with our sound and our music, just like our song “Ain’t My Sound,” it’s a play on words that any of these genres could be our sound. We have a lot of diverse inspirations, so it’s a big melting pot of stuff, and that’s why we love San Diego. I think people, when they hear us here, we stick out because we bring all those genres together, and we don’t just stick to one. I think it works in our favour very well.

Backstage360: Now that you’ve completed this tour and are performing at a significant local festival, what’s on the horizon for the band? Can fans expect new music, another tour, or perhaps a creative project that pays homage to both San Diego and Calgary?

Daring Greatly: We’re actually in the studio this week finishing up a new single, and the plan is to have that out by mid-fall. After that, we’ll be following it up with more singles and eventually another album next year. Recording and releasing music independently isn’t easy; it takes a lot of time and resources, but we’re committed to keeping the momentum going. Beyond the music, we’ve got big visions for touring, and the band is ready to hit the road whenever the opportunity comes. It’s rare to have five guys all aligned and ready to go like this, and we’re excited to see where it takes us.

For more information about the upcoming Dragonfly festival, visit:  https://dragonflymusicfestival.com/

For more information about Daring Greatly, check out their website at  https://www.daring-greatly.com/ or read our previous article about them here: Ain’t Thei Sound: Daring Greatly Defies the Genre Divide

Read more about the Dragonfly Festival

By: Meesha De Rumi / Staff Writer / BackStage360