photo by Geoff Wilbur
Sanctuary Main Hall, Maynard, MA
April 3, 2026
A Danielle Miraglia performance is always the right call. And a full-band show with the Glory Junkies is a memorable concert event. Spoiler alert: This particular Friday night show did not disappoint!
You’ve seen Danielle Miraglia written about frequently at this blog because, simply put, she is a rare blues talent. Her songwriting is well-attuned to her voice, its bluesy rock flavor frequently seasoned with a smirk. And yes, you can hear it. Her ability to cover the songs she loves, both blues and rock, and make them her own, too, is inspired. Acoustically, Danielle’s blues is folky. But when she goes electric, she’ll rip the roof off a joint. So, too, does band, a collection of some of the region’s best instrumentalists. On this particular night, she was joined by Erik White (bass), Jim Larkin (guitar), Stephan Chaggaris (drums), and Erica Mantone (backing vocals). I’d last caught a Glory Junkies concert back in 2019, and as this night reminded me, that’s far too long.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
This was also the first concert I had seen in the main hall at Sanctuary. To date, I’d only caught early shows in the intimate bar on-site. I had only walked through the main hall once or twice and was looking forward to catching a performance in “the big room.” What great sound! Of course, it’s a converted church sanctuary, so the solid acoustics are no surprise, but what a treat to finally hear a show in this room! For performances in its cozy bar or the big hall, I love this little venue in Maynard, Massachusetts. In the little bar – but also sometimes in the big hall – it’s a venue that brings to the outer suburbs some of the best Boston-area artists, the sorts of world-class local musicians you’d usually have to fight the traffic and then endure the parking hassles of Cambridge or Boston to see. Case in point, Danielle Miraglia, whose “Drinks with Friends” is a regular feature at Sanctuary’s bar the first Thursday of nearly every month.
But I digress. Before the Glory Junkies took the stage, there was an opening set from the talented Britt Connors.
Britt Connors; photo by Geoff Wilbur
Opening Act: Britt Connors
You can catch Britt Connors regularly at Sanctuary’s bar, too. About once a month. On this night, however, Britt served as the opening act on the big stage, serving up an electric-acoustic half-hour or music before the main event. Britt (guitar, vocals) was joined by Ed Lucie on bass, adding a little more richness to her sound to help better fill the big room.
Britt quickly served notice that her vocals were big-league, delivering her opening number smoothly, with crispness and strength. “Restless,” next, served as a little edgy, heavy strumalong, with the vocals’ seeming to meander through the verses but also tending to more forceful, powerful moments in-between. “Hummingbird” followed, a sweetly thoughtful, folky number but with spots of booming, powerful vocals that, again, clearly set Britt apart from similar artists. This song did a great job of showcasing her ability to combine power, intricacy, and crispness, which she uses together or alternately as required by the song, lyric, or moment.
“Into the Deep,” next, was one of those lifestory-telling songs with kind of a haunting vibe. Sonically a little unsettling, too. Then “Just One Time” served up a little funkiness and plenty of soulful attitude – by mid-song, you’ll find yourself bouncing along to the beat, or at least I did; it’s a little hooky that way.
Britt’s final two numbers – which, if I understood correctly, are two of her most recently-written songs – were my favorites of the set. “Anchor Me” (it’s a love song, she says) is a sweeter song, a real strummer-and-crooner. And Britt’s closing number, written in the wake of the Minneapolis situation, “Steppin’ In,” is a heavy tune with a soulful protest-song vibe, sporting the lyrics “ain’t no savior comin’, we are steppin’ in.”
In all, it was an impressive performance, showcasing Britt’s vocals and songwriting talents. With a voice like hers, I can only imagine what an electric, full-band performance might sound like. Sure, I’ll gladly enjoy her acoustic performances whenever I’m able to get out to hear her, but I’ll circle my calendar for a chance to see Britt with a full band. Regardless, it was a great “warmup” set for the main act of the evening, and I’ll definitely look forward to hearing Britt perform again.
Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies (with special guest vocalists to close the set); photo by Geoff Wilbur
Headliner: Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies
A Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies show is a blues-rock concert. On a stadium or festival stage, a mid-size concert hall stage like Sanctuary’s main hall, or even in a rundown, cramped dive bar, when this band performs, it feels like a concert. And the attendees were prepared, as seated next to me were a longtime – and, at times, a little rowdy – fan joined by his much calmer friend who was familiar with Danielle’s music but hadn’t yet seen her in concert.
So when the lights came on and Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies took the stage, they went big, starting with the band’s powerful number – one that’s likely to be a signature song for the rest of their careers – “All My Heroes Are Ghosts.” The follow-up, the energetic “See the Light,” was a wise selection for the second slot, as it really showcases Danielle’s vocal dynamics. Indeed, hit ’em hard and let ’em know there’s a concert goin’ on!
photo by Geoff Wilbur
By this point, Danielle and the Glory Junkies already owned the crowd, and even moreso after “What Good Can Drinkin’ Do,” with its gritty, heavily swaying rhythm and dynamic vocals – and a crunchy Danielle Miraglia guitar solo, to boot! By the end, it was almost a singalong. I mean, no one was singing, but in a dive bar they would’ve been. With this Janis number, like nearly any cover in their set, Danielle and her band make the song their own.
“Monster,” next, is sidewinding number with a nifty, catchy rhythm and a message that, at the time it was written, seemed insightful yet blissfully unaware how much truer it would soon become. The song, on this night, before an adoring crowd, became a clapalong to the fadeout of “we imagined the monster and we made it real.”
Following came a Tom Waits song, originally recorded too by John Hammond, Jr: “2:19.” It’s a fan favorite cover, one that frequently appears on Danielle’s set lists, and, of course, she and the band always rock this one in a fashion that makes it their gritty ol’ own. On its heels was a cover of Shemekia Copeland’s “Blame It On Eve,” a song that sits on the more finessy end of Danielle’s repertoire, though it’s not without opportunities for that gritty vocal growl, a stylistic combo that makes this number an ideal fit.
All I could catch about the next number was that it’s a new one. Bluesy as hell. And something about a train? It was a heckuva rompin’ tune, though, and I can wait to get swept up in it again at an upcoming show.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
At this point, Danielle stepped back to feature one of her talented bandmates, a cadre of capable singer-songwriters when they’re not being Glory Junkies. This song was a Jim Larkin number, a kinda folky singer-songwritery tune. Not new folk. No, rather, folk with good, old-school, slightly psychedelic ’70s DNA. And hey, Jim has an identifiable hooky twinge in his vox. Who knew?
The song actually provided a nifty segue into the next Glory Junkies song, the coolly funky “Don’t Pray for Me,” delivered with a very laidback bluesy lava lampy vibe.
Following that, Danielle dug way back into her catalog, delving into one of her early albums, 2005’s Nothing Romantic, for “Moment by Moment.” She performed this one acoustically, bringing the room in close, metaphorically speaking, with this thoughtful, pensive, sweetly-sung (I counted just one signature powerful growl in a fitting spot), captivating number that had the audience so raptly attentive you could hear a pin drop. Until, of course, the thunderous applause at the end.
At this point, Danielle shone the spotlight again on one of her talented bandmates, Erik White, who is also one-half of Spotted Tiger alongside regular Glory Junky violist Laurence Scudder. The band performed “Stereo Road,” a song featuring Erik’s soft-spoken vox, ideal for this song that’s kind of swing-meets-Americana.
photo by Geoff Wilbur
Then, back at the helm, Danielle growled her way through the Rolling Stones’ “Happy” before harmonizing with Erica Mantone atop thumping rhythms to the Everly Brothers’ “Gone Gone Gone.”
The band then closed out its set with the full-on energy of fan-favorite “Stagger Lee.”
But wait, that’s not all!
Sure, the crowd would have demanded more. But Danielle Miraglia & the Glory Junkies didn’t play that game and instead provided an unsolicited encore. On this particular night, several local singing luminaries were in attendance – top-shelf musicians do, indeed, turn out to show their support at a Danielle Miraglia concert – and Danielle convinced them to join her on stage. Britt Connors, of course, joined the Glory Junkies on stage, as did Jen Kearney, Andrea Gillis, and Abbie Barrett. An exceptionally talented “choir” for one of Danielle’s signature numbers – an ideal way to end the evening in any setting, but particularly in a converted sanctuary – the so-very-soulful “Choir,” a song that provided a nice, soft landing for this energetically fulfilling concert. And, of course, that Danielle Miraglia vocal wail at the end of the chorus in the middle of the song is always a treat. The crowd knew the song, too, so it turned into a singalong.
Now, that’s how you end a concert.
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