Not much has changed with Daniel Martin Moore’s live show since the last time I saw him, but then again nothing really needed to. He’s still got one of the sweetest voices and some of the best songs going in folk music today.

Daniel usually tries to work in a mention of mountaintop removal at each of his shows, but he was preceded by about half an hour of Kentucky authors speaking on the subject, so he mostly stuck to his music. We got favorites from his Sub Pop debut (“It’s You”), a track off his upcoming February release with Ben Sollee about mountaintop removal (“Flyrock Blues”), a Carter Family cover as well as a cover of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

My only real problem with the intimate show was that people kept talking through the performance. It was a small venue, so even conversations in the back of the room were audible in the front row. Daniel kept his nice guy cool and even jokingly offered to turn his vocals down if the audience would be willing to turn their conversations down as well. No go on that one, I’m afraid.

After a little over half a dozen songs, Daniel was joined by Jim James for a duet on Bill Monroe’s “Kentucky Waltz” that brought a proud tear to my eye.

More photos after the break