With dozens of local acts appearing this month at the Lehigh Valley's premier extravaganza of music and festival food, it's tough to single out just one, but this transplanted singer-songwriter has woven herself into the community so gracefully that you'd think she had lived here all her life.
Dina Hall came to the Valley from New Jersey in 2000, and expanded from covers to originals starting in 2010. Very soon after, she started racking up Lehigh Valley Music Awards, and has performed in all the juicy spots, from ArtsQuest to Mayfair to the legendary Godfrey Daniels coffee house. Though she's opened for the likes of Willie Porter, Karla Bonoff and Joan Osborne at the Mauch Chunk Opera House, Sellersville Theater and Musikfest Cafe, respectively, it's in the intimate listening room atmosphere that she vibes best. “The audience is there to listen to the artist, with no distractions,” she says. “That's the best way to present original music.”
Her appreciation for the listening room has led her to serve behind the scenes and as board president for Godfrey Daniels, where she first learned to really commune with the audience. She also hosts WDIY 88.1's Tuesday night Live From Godfrey Daniels with Dave Fry.
Hall's blend of folk rock and Americana has found a place in the Valley's most beloved musical institutions, appearing at every Musikfest since 2009, at Lyrikplatz as a solo artist and at Liederplatz with a full band (including Andy Killcoyne on guitar, Nick Franclik on bass and Josh Kanusky on drums). She's also thrown her weight behind vital organizations like Turning Point, which benefited by a musical workshop for women's empowerment hosted by Hall earlier this year.
Lend an ear to Dina Hall this Musikfest for a local dose of folk/rock Americana.
