Daniel Weldon Bio
Instrumentation
Dan Weldon: Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Resonator Guitars, Mandolin, Porchboard
Biography
Weldon has earned the title of journeyman roots musician. Over the years, as both soloist and sideman, he has rocked readily, serenaded sweet and lowdown, and twanged with the toughest.
Weldon possesses a soulful singing voice and a warm stage manner that captivates his audiences. He is a gifted songwriter, that also has the deft ability to give classic tunes fresh and thoughtful treatment. In addition, Weldon plays an astonishing variety of acoustic and electric guitar styles, picks a mean mandolin, and supplies a steady backbeat courtesy of his foot-operated Porchboard.
Weldon was born in the 1950s to a musically talented Long Island family. Moving west as a teenager, he joined the Air Force with an eye toward earning a pharmacy degree. While in college, Weldon got the opportunity to tour the world with the USO courtesy of the Weber State University band.
Returning to Northern Utah, Weldon honed his chops with any number of regional rock and country outfits. Along the way, he added his own splash of rock spice to the potent cowboy country jam that defined the Ogden Sound. In the meantime, Weldon built a singer/songwriter solo career playing intimate venues throughout the region. He has hosted both acoustic open mikes and electric jam sessions for a good part of the last decade.
In 2001, Weldon decided to leave the day job behind and fully devoted his energies to making music. He has never looked back.
In 2004, Weldon won the prestigiuos "Stephen Talkhouse" Singer/Songwriter contest in Amagansset, New York, and got to perform a headline set there.
In 2005 Weldon was picked from over 100 applicants as one of the 6 finalists in the Telluride Music Festival Acoustic Blues contest.
In 2005 Weldon partnered up with Bad Brad Wheeler (of KRCL radio), and formed "The Legendary Porch Pounders" and not only won SLC City Weekly magazine's "Showdown To SXSW" as "Best Original Band" (all songs were penned by Weldon), but also the SLC City Weekly magazine "Best Blues Band" award three years in a row.
In 2009 Weldon, as a side project formed, "The Bastard Redheads" with local musicians Korene Greenwood (vocals, bass), BB Melanson (vocals, drums, mandolin), Ryan Hawthorn (guitar, mandolin, lap steel). The "Bastards" have been featured in many music and film festivals, Utah Arts Fest, Park City Arts Fest, Sundance Film Fest, Utah High Adventure Film Festival, and Idaho's "Lavapalooza"!
In the past few years Weldon has been focusing his attention on developing a strong solo sound, and since then has been a featured artist at some of Utah's finest performing venues. He has been a favorite house musician at: Snowbird Ski Resort since 2005, Sundance Ski Resort's "The Owl Bar" since 2007, Deer Valley's exclusive Montage Resort since 2010, Park City's "Zoom Restaurant" since 2012, Park City's "The Corner Store" since 2014, and just recently (summer 2015) was added to the roster of Park City's "The Riverhorse" Restaurant.
So as a solo act, or as the leader of his very successful Utah bands, "The Legendary Porch Pounders", and "The Bastard Redheads", Dan Weldon knows how to put together a show.
With his bands, and as a solo artist, he has shared the stage with; Buddy Guy, Bo Didley, Jason Isbell, Mike Farris, The Five Blindboys from Alabama, Dwight Yoakam, Norton Buffalo & Roy Rogers, Kebmo, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Bill Kirchen, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's, and many others. He has played in almost every major music festival in Utah, appeared as a featured perfomer on many Utah televison stations, and has been featured in many Utah music magazines and major newspapers.
Weldon is a performer who gives all, whether it be to a handful of intimates in a local watering whole, or for thousands at a premier festival. He is certain to be long remembered as one of the Intermountain Wests finest troubadours.
(Linda Brady : music writer Ogden Standard Examiner and author of the fine blues novel "Lonestar Ice And Fire" )
