Celebrating Dan Maher: A musical legend

Heidi Muller first met Dan Maher in the spring of 1982 at a concert at the Silver Spoon in Duvall, Wash.

“He was sitting behind me and said something to me about being a ‘show-off’ while I sang along,” recalls Muller, a longtime Northwest singer-songwriter. A mutual friend had suggested that they meet, “and there he was.”

Seven years later, Maher made Muller’s song “Good Road” the opening and closing theme for his weekly radio show, “Inland Folk,” then on Northwest Public Radio, now Northwest Public Broadcasting. Muller had just released her first CD, “Matters of the Heart,” and the radio airplay gave her more visibility.


“I’m forever grateful to Dan for that because it allowed me to sing in many more places across the Northwest,” she said in an interview this week.

Tonight, musicians from the Palouse and beyond will honor Maher, who is now gravely ill. The show, billed as “Good Road: A Musical Tribute to Dan Maher,” takes its name from Muller’s song.

The concert gives singers and instrumentalists from around the region a chance to say thanks to Maher for his influence on their careers. Muller, of Joseph, Ore., can’t attend in person but will send a video tribute.

There’s no admission charge. Donations will be accepted for Maher’s medical expenses. He was diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer earlier this year, but he told friends he plans to attend and hopes to perform.

Bands from around the region will play songs from folk, bluegrass, Irish and rock traditions. Among those scheduled to play are The Intentions, Frogtown, The Pond, The Chelseas, Potatohead, Inland Harmony Chorus and the duo of Janet and Allison Anders.

Seattle singer-songwriter Wes Weddell will perform, as well as serving as master of ceremonies. “Dan has been part of my life’s soundtrack for as long as I can remember, and part of my life directly since I was a 5-year-old kindergartner,” Weddell said. “Our paths have crossed regularly ever since.


Maher hosted “Inland Folk” on Spokane Public Radio and Northwest Public Radio from 1982 to 2019. After that show ended, he started an internet streaming program, “Dan Maher’s Good Road,” which can be heard each Saturday at folkmusicnotebook.com. Archived programs are on Mixcloud.com.

John Brunsfeld, of Moscow, said he is eager to be part of the show.

“Dan has spent most of his life giving music to the community, and it is our time to give back a tribute to what he has tirelessly given to us,” he said.

Brunsfeld, who plays in The Pond, described the event as “almost like a local version of his radio show.”

Maher was a co-founder of the Palouse Folklore Society in 1981 and has been a major contributor to the region’s music scene for the last four decades as a singer-songwriter, concert promoter, and radio and television host.

Muller called Maher a big supporter of other Northwest musicians.

“He would give airplay to people whether they were established or just starting out and publicize everyone’s concerts,” she said.

Tonight’s concert will be performed in the church’s sanctuary and simulcast into the fellowship hall downstairs, where light refreshments will be available.

“Dan’s knowledge of folk music and musicians is encyclopedic, and no one is better at getting a crowd to join in for a sing-along,” said Trish Gardner, one of the event’s organizers. “The abundance of support for this event has made it clear how loved and respected Dan is. We’re thrilled to have such an outstanding lineup of musicians.”

Weddell agreed. “The organizers have arranged a wonderfully diverse lineup — itself a tribute to Dan’s egalitarian radio legacy — and if ever there was a time to discover new local favorites, this is it,” he said.

Bird’s 15-year newspaper career included stints at the Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Lewiston Tribune. He first heard Maher sing at the Combine in Pullman (now the home of The Black Cypress) in the late 1980s. Bird retired last year from the School of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho.

IF YOU GO

“Good Road: A Musical Tribute to Dan Maher”

What: Benefit concert for Maher, with folk, pop, bluegrass, Irish and rock music.

When: 6-9 p.m. today (Thursday, April 17).

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse, 420 E. Second St., Moscow.

Cost: Free. Donations accepted to go toward Maher’s medical expenses.