Reviews for 2001's Bug Parade

"On Bug Parade, Steve's fine fingerpicking guitar work is front and center... Dawson demonstrates his prodigious slide skills on several cuts, notably "Peddlar and his Wife" and coaxes some fascinating, sitarlike sounds from his Weissenborn on "Into My Room". His clean, rhythmic playing clearly owes something to Leo Kottke... but Dawson has no shortage of unique compositional and technical ideas."
-Ron Forbes-Roberts, Acoustic Guitar Magazine (July 2002)

"...a breathtaking guitarist... "Dog Dreams of Tulsa," is one of those tunes that have reviewers reaching for the trusty adjectives "atmospheric," and "evocative." It's also as melodically pretty as any of that nice Mr McCartney's finest five minutes... Steve Dawson is clearly a man with a colossal amount of music going round in his head."
-Stephen Hunt, Green Man Review (July, 2002)

“Steve is a brilliant and innovative guitarist… he is breaking a lot of new ground both with style and technique.”
-Bob Brozman

“…a bottomless pit of classy licks”
-Georgia Straight Magazine Critics’ Poll 2004 – Guitarist of the Year

“Full of nimble fingerpicking and great bluesy vocal tracks”
-Halifax Chronicle Herald

“…Dawson gives a varied and vibrant performance. Big Bully and Casey’s Revenge are both fingerpicking workouts.” (4 stars)
-Vancouver Sun

“Country Blues is pushing forward in the hands of Chris Smither, Alvin Youngblood Hart, and add Steve Dawson to that list… respecting the roots but grafting new ideas to the limbs to create exciting music.”
-Halifax Daily News

“Steve must have been another child prodigy…he plays slide and Hawaiian guitar like he’s been doing it longer than he’s been alive.”
–Victory Review

“…he plays like he’s got steel springs for fingers and a quicksilver brain. There’s some highly accomplished work here… the record flows by like a lovely dream.”
-Georgia Straight

“Dawson’s slide and resophonic guitars are resplendent on Bug Parade”
-Victoria Times Colonist

“Innovative music for quick ears and nimble fingers.”
(8 out of 10 stars)
-ici Magazine (Montreal)