About Dan — His Bio

Michigan-based Singer-Songwriter Dan Vaillancourt has been called a virtuosic guitarist, a natural storyteller, an entity all his own and even The Jimi Hendrix of Folk! With his custom acoustic 10-string guitar for accompaniment, Dan weaves stories of life, love, and travel with quirky aplomb creating a unique kind of music called 'Funktified Folk.' In fact, Funktified Folk may be the only label you can hang on this talented young musician who draws his inspiration from observations of the world around him. With a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and World Religion, it’s no surprise that his songs are as rich as the human landscape that influences him.

Drawing on various influences, both musical and otherwise, Dan brings an unparalleled energy to his live performances. This Funktified Folkman, not afraid to improvise or change the arrangement of a song if the mood strikes, combines folk, virtuosic guitar-playing with a dash of beatboxing and vocal horns generously laced with some serious jazz chops for a live experience that no one should miss. He has been compared to artists as diverse as Paul Simon, Preston Reed, Bobby Mcferrin, Leo Kottke, Shawn Mullins, Victor Wooten, Keller Williams, G Love, Joe Henry, Todd Snider and many more...

Dan Vaillancourt is a modern-day troubadour and has taken his one-man show all over the country and has performed over five-hundred shows in over a hundred venues in nearly half of the states in the country, including several legendary venues like Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta and the now-defunct CBGB’s in New York. Vaillancourt loves being on tour, it’s a great opportunity to meet his fans and hone his couch-surfing abilities. Yet despite his accomplishments and musical prowess, Dan remains a truly approachable, down-to-earth Midwestern guy known as much for his homegrown salsa and love of Monty Python as he is for his musical abilities.

Vaillancourt's latest release Melodic Snapshots was met with success across the board. Critics and fans alike showered praise upon the album. In 2006, nation-wide airplay on over 100 stations landed the album an extended stay on the CMJ AAA charts next to the likes of Ben Harper, Wilco, Yellowcard, Van Morrison, Beth Orton, Neko Case, The Darkness, Shawn Mullins, Cat Powers, & Beck. Nationally syndicated radio program Acoustic Cafe, featured Dan Vaillancourt on February's One To Watch segment which features and highlights the best of today's up and coming artists.

Five different songs from Melodic Snapshots were featured on CD compilations distributed across the United States, Australia, and around the world. Dan's music was in good company appearing alongside artists like Corinne Bailey Rae, Beth Orton, Umphrey’s McGee, Donavon Frankenreiter and many more. The five compilations total over 15,000 copies!

Vaillancourt is currently in the studio working on his forthcoming album due out in Summer 2008. Dan is excited to be working on his new record with a slew of talented musicians including former Grammy-nominated guitarist/producer Ric Hordinski. Ric has produced albums for artists such as Over The Rhine, Phil Keaggy, & David Wilcox. An album of live material recorded in 2006 is being released in Summer 2007.

With his energy, innovative guitar style, and unique live concerts, it’s no wonder that Dan Vaillancourt is capturing a growing audience that’s as diverse as his influences. As singer/songwriter Pat Wictor said, “Dan’s big strengths as a performer are his non-stop positive energy and rhythmic virtuosity.” Find out why people all around the country are listening to Dan Vaillancourt and Make It Funktified!