Madaila at Middlebury Festival on the Green Credit: Luke Awtry

Madaila at Middlebury Festival on the Green, Friday, July 18:

Madaila front man and namesake Mark Daly is like one of those paintings where the eyes always seem focused solely on you, no matter where in the room you are. He’s an engaging performer and no stranger to being the center of attention. After the original Madaila disbanded in 2018, he carried on the name as a solo-ish act before reconstituting the group with a new lineup last year. The members are all seasoned Vermont musicians, including longtime recording partner, original bandmate and fellow Middlebury native Jer Coons sharing lead vocal and guitar duties, Zane Gundersen on synth, Ben Lively on fiddle, Josh Weinstein on bass, Steve Hadeka on drums, and Capt. Tony Naples on pedal steel. Madaila headlined the Middlebury Festival on the Green’s Friday slate, taking to the stage after the charming folk group Buffalo Rose — not an easy act to follow! There were concerns that Madaila might be too loud for the mellowed-out crowd, but these pros knew exactly how to rock the 46th iteration of the hometown fest.

This article appears in The Connections Issue.

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Luke Awtry took the long way to becoming a professional photographer, with a path through music, technology and engineering, and he remains active in each. His first Seven Days assignment was on Town Meeting Day in March 2018, and he has since supported...