Danny Malone: Cuddlebug
In a small coffee shop, an audience of 14 watched Danny Malone share with them his dynamic creation. His show of expressive art grabbed each person in the room, stirring up an unrelenting sense of solidarity. If only for his set, the coffee shop was transformed into a place where the artist and audience connected in a way that could easily be construed as spiritual. “It was the only thing I’d done right,” says Malone.
Danny Malone felt that he had more to communicate than a simple set of songs could accomplish. For him, one kind of art was not a sufficient outlet. Malone felt confined by the idea of the singer/ songwriter, so he found an expressive way to cohesively integrate various styles of dance into his indie-folk sound.
Lou Thomas, author of travel blog NO KEYS, saw Malone’s show while in Austin and had to write about his discovery. “Young performer Danny Malone, who if a bit death obsessed, performed with much gusto… He has created a new genre that was a combination of pop and lock with ballet set to four track instrumental indie post rock and [he] pulled it off.”
His mixed-media performances are far beyond conventional set lists. While he does include elements of a typical singer/ songwriter performance, Malone, along with two dancers, creates an experience never accused of being traditional.
The strategic order of his songs tells a story intended to expose every facet of Malone to the audience. His raw voice and revealing lyrics are accompanied by folk-guitar and harmonica. But the relatable sound is intertwined with smooth, synchronized hip-hop and eloquent ballet. At times, the choreography simultaneously includes different dance genres to convey Malone’s intended message— Malone moonwalks as the ballerina dances elegantly on relevé.
To him, these shows are his most effective form of communication. With a scattered, yet peaceful, look on his face, Malone explains that when performing, “I just try to be as emotionally connected as I can to everything that is happening, so I create stories within stories, just trying to make any sense out of life at all.”
He realized early in rehearsals for this new performance that what he was doing would be important. “I have a drive, and this feeling that it’s going to be a big deal, and the whole world is going to know about it,” says Malone.
Creating the shows is a collaborative effort. Malone has visions of choreography, but his dancers help in the execution. He records all of the music in his studio, Hot Tracks, and after much preparation, a new genre is born.
The Sessions, a locally based team that unites artists through shows and events, debuted Malone’s first integrated show, “Airplane Airplane.” It was the story of a better life that Malone says he’d like to live. Once on stage, the communication and mutual compassion that he constantly longs for was immediate, and the audience seemed to be connected through the shared experience. “You go into my head with me. It’s a really beautifully sad place to be. I love it in there, and it’s scary as hell,” he says.
For him, “Airplane Airplane” delivered a sincere and personal message, and his sense of purpose behind its creation is apparent down to the tattoo of two airplanes on his arm. For his showcase at South by Southwest in March, Malone will unveil a similar performance and new storyline.
Malone feels so musically hyper-aware in every respect that he says music, for him, is almost like a lucid dream. He explains that his devotion to the performance starts before the first note and lingers a long while after the final.
His performances bear far more significance than a job; they are a necessary outlet—almost therapeutic treatments—for his chaotic internal thoughts.
“Doing [these collaborations] is important. It’s going to help you, and it’s going to help me,” he says.
In Malone’s art, he is the vision, the performance, and the message.
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