Saturday, April 27, 7:30 p.m., Orcas Center
— from Laura Kussman for Orcas Center —
Mandy Fer recalls playing with Sean Hayes at Orcas Center as the lead electric guitar player. “I wasn’t there,” Dave McGraw says, “but folks from Doe Bay told me she ‘stole the show’.”
It’s true, Mandy Fer and Dave McGraw can shred. With three albums out and another one currently kicking off, the love of music this PNW based songwriter duo share is palpable. Now with a new band name titled “Sway Wild,” Dave and Mandy excitedly bring their talents to Orcas Center this Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. This show is rescheduled from Valentine’s Day.
Touring internationally since 2010, Dave & Mandy stayed close to their San Juan Island home to record their latest self-produced/recorded release Off-Grid Lo Fi. The album was recorded entirely with solar and wind-powered electricity on a nearly uninhabited, remote, off-grid island in northwest Washington state, “with no computers and no editing, the aim was to capture the emotional edge rather than technical polish,” McGraw said. They ventured into new territory, both geographically and artistically.
The result is a twelve-song album drenched with rich vocal harmonies, poignant songwriting, Fer’s potent electric guitar playing, acoustic guitars, percussion, cello and newly prominent banjo and piano (all played by Fer and McGraw).
Known as a standout electric guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Mandy Fer is unafraid to dominate the stage for an extended guitar solo, defying long-held gender barriers for female-identifying guitarists.
Dave McGraw’s emotional songwriting riffs on natural elements of the world around him. Winning over audiences anywhere from Alaska to Amsterdam, McGraw and Fer perform a heartfelt and dynamic blend of innovative folk, rock, pop, and funk.”
For their next album officially as “Sway Wild,” Dave & Mandy started a Kickstarter campaign. If you would like to donate to their dream and receive early downloads of the new album, vinyl, t-shirts, and various other gifts, visit https://kck.st/2OtDkH8. For more information visit their Facebook: Sway Wild – Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer.
For tickets to this much-anticipated show, go to Orcas Center’s website: www.orcascenter.org/events.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
