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Meet the Daniels family: Actor Jeff Daniels and his son Ben’s band to play State Theatre Aug. 16

Courtesy photo by Luke Pine Actor and musician Jeff Daniels will play in his son’s band, The Ben Daniels Band, at the State Theatre in State College on Aug. 16.

“It’s quite the family adventure with three dogs, my dad, my mom, my brother, my wife and our 5-month-old baby,” said lead musician Ben Daniels, 33, who with his self-titled band and his father, will share the stage Aug. 16 at The State Theatre in State College.

“We’re like the Von Trapps in RVs,” his father/actor Jeff Daniels, joked and added, “We enjoy doing it together.”

The Ben Daniels Band blends rock-and-roll, blues, Americana and folk music and appeals to a diversified audience. “The older (people in the) crowd readily identify with it and we are exposing younger folks to our music. We want to play now and as long as we can. We want our younger fans to grow old with us,” Ben said.

“We still have some tickets available for Jeff Daniels and The Ben Daniels Band,” said Kerry Cavanaugh, assistant director of Marketing and Operations for The State Theatre. “We’re very excited; this is a pretty cool show. Jeff and his son are both talented musicians and there is an added layer of interest and excitement because of Jeff’s acting career.”

Much like his multi-talented father, Ben enjoys various creative exploits: Composing music, writing lyrics, and especially, bringing it all together in a recording studio.

“Engineering the sound is my favorite time,” he said during a recent phone interview. “It still feels very creative” when he transforms into audio engineer and oversees the artistic and audio techniques during a recording session.

Taught how to play the guitar as a teenager by his father, Ben said performing with his band, his father and his vocalist/ wife, Amanda Daniels, allows him “to sit back and not be the sole-focus of attention. I like being a part of the band.”

It makes for great family time, they both said. In addition to being on stage with Ben, Jeff also gets to spend time with Lucas Daniels, who handles tour logistics and staging, and his daughter-in-law.

“When we play together, it is very relatable for the audience,” Jeff said. “It’s about family and so every parent can relate.”

Jeff, who’s nominated for an Emmy as lead actor in his role on Hulu’s “The Looming Tower,” and his supporting role in Netflix’s “Godless,” said performing music allows him to connect with audiences more intimately.

“Writing and then performing your own stuff , in your own words is extra-satisfying and fulfilling when it works,” he said. “You learn what songs you do that connect with the audience and what set lists work and what sets don’t. It’s all based on things you’ve written. There’s extra satisfaction and fulfillment when your song scores with a live audience. That’s been the joy of these performances. If the audience isn’t entertained, then we’ve failed.”

The concert tour precedes Jeff’s upcoming role as Attichus Finch in the Broadway version of “To Kill A Mockingbird.” A schedule of nightly performances leave day time free for improving song-writing and guitar picking.

In 1976, Jeff first picked up a guitar as a 21-year-old when he arrived in New York City to begin his acting career.

At first, he said, he thought playing acoustic guitar would help fill downtime between acting gigs. “I didn’t think of it as a career.” Yet, he admits, playing guitar and singing has become more than a casual hobby.

Working with playwrights in the late ’70s, he became “fascinated by the imagery and the many drafts a playwright would go through and how the writer’s voice became clearer through the process. I became immersed in it.”

Writing lyrics and composing music for both men is a key outlet.

“One of my favorite places to be,” Ben said, “is to have my guitar and be by myself. I start with a few chords, melodies and syllables. I am always writing phrases down … into the notepad on my phone.”

His father said his first 10 years with his guitar produced “some really, really bad songs as I learned as I went along.”

But it left him more determined to improve and move forward. He plans to continue in music.

“I want to keep it going and see what else is in me that needs to come out,” Jeff said. “I want to chase creativity and see where it goes next.”

Staff writer Patt Keith can be reached at 949-7030.at 949-7030.

If you go

What: Jeff Daniels and the Ben Daniels Band

When: 8 p.m. August 16

Where: State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave., State College

Phone: 272-0606

Ticket cost: Front Orchestra — $40; Orchestra & Balcony — $35; fees are additional

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