Josh Kaler and Dar Williams perform at Aloft

Amy Dickerson
Dar Williams

Charleston musician and studio producer Josh Kaler (of indie-pop band Slow Runner) has been on the road with acclaimed New York-based pop/folk songwriter Dar Williams. Williams and her band will be performing a just-announced acoustic concert and meet-and-greet this afternoon (June 14) at 7 p.m. at the Aloft Hotel’s Airport and Convention Center in North Charleston (4875 Tanger Outlet Blvd.). The event is as part of an ongoing music series presented by Paste Magazine.

“I’ve been doing it undercover,” Kaler joked earlier this week. “Dar’s been awesome to work with, I’ve been playing dobro, electric guitar, and singin’ some. The touring started when she released the record last April. It was a month long, and we did the West Coast and the Midwest in one shot.”

Kaler shares ownership and engineering duties at the downtown Hello Telescope recording studio with music scene colleague Jay Clifford. When he’s not strumming and picking in Slow Runner, Kaler also keeps busy as a sideman for Illinois songwriter Williams Fitzsimmons and other acts. Williams’ touring band also features Brooklyn-based keyboardist Bryn Roberts, a native of Montreal, Canada who regularly plays with various jazz, rock, and Americana artists.

Williams recently released a Greek mythology-themed concept album titled In the Time of Gods on the Razor & Tie label. Compared to her team of collaborators in the studio, Williams’ touring band is a stripped-down affair. Brooklyn-based keyboardist Bryn Roberts is a native of Montreal, Canada who regularly plays with various jazz, rock, and Americana artists.

“It’s been a very solid trio,” Williams says of the group. “They do the best backing vocals I’ve ever had, and they both hold down the low end very well. The only thing we’re missing is drums, but, over the years, duo and trios have resonated with audiences better than solo or full-band shows. So that’s what I’m doing on this tour.”

Williams’ summer tour covers much of North America. Visit darwilliams.com and hellotelescope.com for more.