Services for Beloved Writer to be held May 25
By DONNA BALANCIA
Music reviewer Dan MacIntosh was true to his words.
As an editor, I’m grateful I got to read the work of music reviewer Dan MacIntosh. He was humble about his writing talent, and that talent was cherished by readers and his musician subjects alike.
Music reviewers today can respect Dan’s work on many levels. Dan had a knack for putting the reader right at the scene of the action, he was able to spot a talent on the rise, and, he knew the music. The musicians actually followed him, and often shared his reviews with each other and on their social media pages. As a friend, I’ll miss his humor and the calm demeanor he maintained despite life’s challenges.
Dan acknowledged that with the passing of time we learn to appreciate qualities we may not have valued in our younger days. He was no different than anyone else past 55 years old in this modern world, but he knew his written words represented more than just his opinion. His words had value for the many performers about whom he’d write.
I didn’t cover very many events with Dan — we trudged through a couple of desert festivals together in our 6-year working collaboration — but he brought into my life a frequent surprise in the form of a “mystery” review that would appear in my email inbox. Life has been too dear for any regular assignments, but I was always assured that one of Dan’s reviews, which ranged from Joe Walsh, Bruce Cockburn, R.E.M. or Dream Syndicate to Chesterfield Kings or Perfume Genius would be on the way, in near-perfect, journalism-school style.
I felt lucky to get these reviews, sometimes one per month, sometimes two in a week. There was never much discussion on which shows Dan would review or which recordings he wanted to delve into next. I would just open my inbox, there would be a nice note and a great read from Dan, and I would do my best to enhance it with art, a link to music or a suitable headline, good enough for one of Dan’s stories.
Dan brought more than great reviews to his colleagues. He was a great comfort to Luis Moreno, our photo editor, who was dying from pancreatic cancer. Dan said his sister, too, died of the same affliction, but he still had positive and uplifting words for Luis and others. Luis passed in early 2024 and Dan stepped up, helping to fill the pages as well as the gaping emotional void.
Dan’s reviews often scored with the “big shots,” but like always, he took it in stride. When I would tell him of his accolades, he would always give an enthusiastic, “Cool!” That’s how he reacted when told he was nominated for a SoCal Journalism Award in the Music Critic category. He had been nominated before, but it was not until after his passing that he was named a finalist for the award. Dan was proud of his wife, Patricia and his two children and five grandchildren, and those are the people whose opinions he valued.
Dan accepted the tough times and the good times all with an even and optimistic outlook. He put his pen to paper with a steady hand, and he truly enjoyed the music of life.
Read Dan MacIntosh reviews here
Editor’s note: A celebration of life for the late music reviewer Dan MacIntosh will be held on May 25 at 11 a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church in Bellflower, his wife, Patricia said.
“It’s been heart warming and healing seeing all your comments about Dan MacIntosh and prayers for our family,” she posted on social media. “We miss him terribly, but the Lord has given us a peace, that peace beyond understanding, and I’m grateful and blessed.”
Celebration of the Life of Dan MacIntosh
Calvary Baptist Church
14722 Clark Ave.
Bellflower, CA 90706
May 25 @ 11 AM in the main Sanctuary.