Ida’s cozy winter concert at the non-denominational church in Seminole Heights transcended your typical indie show to become a uniquely sacred experience. The night was intimate and the acoustics were flawless. Singer/guitarist Dan Littleton greeted the audience and apologized if the acoustic trio — he, wife Elizabeth Mitchell and violinist Jean Cook — were a little “lugubrious” in their playing, laying blame on a pre-meal feast at the “Taco Truck” (he meant Taco Bus, of course). When concert promoter/New Granada Presents leader Keith Ulrey introduced the band, he was noticeably choked up, showing a softer side we don’t see from the bearded fella whose motto is “disgruntled, but loving the Tampa music scene.” Littleton, on piano, dedicated a Sandy Denny song to Ulrey and wife Susie as “a 13-year-old belated wedding present.”
This article appears in Sep 19-25, 2013.