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Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Jeff Daniels surprises Chico with his musical talent

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Jeff Daniels waves farewell to the Big Room audience. Photo credit: Erin Vierra

This past Sunday Jeff Daniels performed with his son’s band at the Sierra Nevada Big Room.

In the best way possible, it was a genuine surprise to find that Daniels can really sing. He’s famous for “Dumb and Dumber” and the acclaimed television series, “The Newsroom,” so music isn’t something that ever came to mind.

But with five albums under his belt, Daniels was a natural. It was like the stage was part of his DNA. He’s a captivating storyteller and it showed as he weaved tales of being on the road and being on set of “The Newsroom.”

Throughout the show, there was interactive moments including one moment where Daniels asked the youngest member of the audience to come up on stage to demonstrate the dance, “The Big Bay Shuffle.”

Whether or not the girl knew exactly who he was, she seemed happy to be part of the performance.

The most striking moment of the show was when Daniels gave advice to future writers.

“Just keep writing,” he said. “Keep your eyes and ears open— inspiration can strike at any time.”

He said an encounter with someone on set led to him writing the beautiful, “Back When You Were Into Me.”

The emotional song stood out from the highly energetic show.

Daniels took a break halfway through, allowing his son and The Ben Daniels Band to shine. They commanded the stage with their electrifying presence.

As the show came to a close and after each member took their final bow and exited the stage, all who remained were both Daniels who grew close with their guitars in hand and performed the last song of the night together.

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Jeff and Ben Daniels taking a moment before leaving the stage at the end of the night. Photo credit: Erin Vierra

The song was very personal and was obviously written about the father and son relationship. After the last note was hit, the two embraced for an intimate moment that no one in the audience will forget.

Erin Vierra can be reached at [email protected] or @hippycinephile on Twitter.

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