Daniel Dubuque voted Polson’s Best Local Musician

Editor's Note: This week we unveil the winners of our 2021 Best of Polson contest, including Best Musician Daniel Dubuque. Look for the complete results in a special section inserted in this week's Leader. Congratulations to all the nominees, and thank you to all who took the time to vote.

Dan Dubuque was very surprised to be voted Polson’s Best Local Musician for 2021. He draws attention with his powerful electric slide guitar instrumentals all over the state and Pacific Northwest. But he didn’t realize folks in his hometown were that into it.

“I think they like it,” he said when notified of the compliment his community had paid him. “They’re just typically pretty quiet.”

Perhaps they’re blown away. To watch Dubuque play can be mesmerizing. His use of heavy beat and background on the loop pedal, plus an all-out style on the slide, gives the feel and sound of a whole band. Besides his original works, he loves to play instrumental covers of hard rock and metal songs, from Rage against the Machine to Queens of the Stone Age, Nirvana and the like. He mixes it up.

“I try to play everything. I don’t know if I have a style, but I like to rock out.”

Dubuque’s videos are a delicious contrast between the growling, bluesy and driving metal sounds and the peaceful mountain and lake scenery where he records them. His original piece, “Finley Point,” filmed with the Mission Mountains as a backdrop, was featured in The Montana Sessions, a series of some of the finest musicians in Montana.

The videos draw huge followings from as far away as Russia and Argentina and all over the globe. His cover of Tool’s “Descending” has been viewed more than 445,000 times.

“Definitely the YouTube find of the century,” wrote one fan. “The best guitarist I’ve seen in years,” wrote another, and “If the devil ever goes up to Montana, I’m pretty sure he’s gonna have to lay a golden slide at your feet.”

Though he recently moved to Whitefish, Dubuque grew up in Polson. Fifteen years ago, at age 24, he learned to play slide guitar. At 26 he started doing music for a living, “Just driving and playing everywhere I could,” and it has been his livelihood ever since.

“It’s just a cool instrument, a German version of a Hawaiian slide guitar,” he said of the Weissenborn he has mastered. “Not a lot of people play it.”

Despite his stellar talent, Dubuque’s small town modesty stays true. He plays venues of any size, be they bars, breweries and farmers markets, or concert halls and festivals.

“I just like to play. I’m not trying to be big or anything. I just want to be the best at playing that instrument.”

Visit Dan Dubuque on Facebook and YouTube. Upcoming performance dates are listed at dandubuque.com.