Nearing the end of a 29-date tour of North America that kicked off on May 6 in Canada, Dermot Kennedy visited Madison Square Garden – “The World’s Most Famous Arena” – on Wednesday, June 14. In the span of a just a few years, the crooner of his own emotionally charged folk-pop anthems has gone from busking on Grafton Street in his native Dublin to selling out arena after arena on The Sonder Tour. His second studio album of the same name, released in November of last year, has been described by Kennedy as “the realisation that each random passerby is living life as vivid and complex as your own.”
In a world where we are all connected by social media, it often seems like we have never been more separated from one another. But for at least two hours on a weeknight in Midtown Manhattan, we were 20,000 strong as his music united us all under one roof.
On a gorgeous late-spring evening, the first of two female opening acts was Laila Mach, a pop singer and local native from New Paltz. Best known for her Season 19 appearance as a 16-year old contestant on American Idol (2002), Mach released her first music in 2020 via a six-song EP dubbed Lessons Learned. The following year, the singer/songwriter who also plays the piano and guitar released her debut studio album, Stuck on You.
Also providing support for Kennedy was Sasha Alex Sloan, born in Russia and who was discovered at the age of 18 when one of her Reddit posts went viral. Having moved to Los Angeles the following year, working at a coffee ship to support her music aspirations, it was not long before Sloan was penning lyrics for major pop artists such as Dua Lipa and Charli XCX. Her debut album released in October 2020, Only Child, was met with critical acclaim. Sloan released her sophomore studio album, Blame the World, in May 2022.
At 8:40 pm, the house lights went down and Kennedy’s set commenced with the large black screen at center stage suddenly appearing with a series of white handwritten text penned by Kennedy himself. The messages read as follows:
I know that you can feel it, magic hangs in the air.
I’ve heard if you can make it here, you’ll make it anywhere.
I had a dream, and it came true, so will you celebrate with me?
Guide me home, keep me warm, hold me tight New York City.
Suddenly, appearing in the dark shadows of the stage were the backing quintet of Elize Kellman (backup vocals), James Bradshaw (backup vocals, keyboards), Benjamin Keys (keyboards), Kieran Jones (guitar) and Micheál Quinn (drums). The sell-out crowd, already at a fervent pitch, somehow took it up another level when Kennedy finally arrived on stage, opening with “Blossom” (Sonder, 2022). “Power Over Me” (Without Fear, 2019) came next, Kennedy’s second single from his debut studio album that essentially launched him into stardom and winning him the world’s collective ear.
A quartet of tunes (“One Life,” An Evening I Will Not Forget,” “Lost” and “Young & Free”) composed over the span of five years by the Irish singer-songwriter subsequently transpired. The chorus refrain of each one of these songs was belted out by Kennedy’s faithful fans, filling up the iconic venue to its rafters where only the retired jerseys of past NY Knicks and Rangers legends have dared to soar. Next, the romantic folk rocker whose tracks often include a collision with the rap genre performed a sublime rendition of “Dreamer,” another gem taken from Sonder. As the song neared its climax, it segued into a speech by Michael D. Higgins, the President of Ireland, encouraging everyone to pursue their dream of creating art.
“Moments Passed” and “Glory,” each presented by Kennedy from his self-titled compilation album released in 2019, were succeeded by him taking a seat at his piano stage left for solo, heartfelt deliveries of “Rome” (Without Fear) and “Innocence and Sadness” (Sonder). Speaking of the heart, in between these songs – when a pin could be heard dropping – a young woman exclaimed “I LOVE YOU!” from the top of her lungs, immediately after which the entire arena erupted into laughter and applause.
Well into the second half of his 19-song set, Dermot Kennedy bestowed upon his legion of enthusiastic supporters a few more numbers dating to 2019, including fan favorite “Outnumbered,” “After Rain” and “Without Fear.” As the epic night entered its home stretch, the roof of The Garden was officially torn off with a goose bump inducing assemblage of five selections from Sonder – all of which are deemed classics despite their infancy – comprised of “Better Days,” “Don’t Forget Me,” “Homeward,” “Kiss Me” and “Something to Someone.” The last of which, accompanied by blasting canons that filled the sky with confetti bombs, was a fitting conclusion to the highly emotional show for everyone who bore witness. The night’s crowning moment saw Kennedy repeatedly serenading his fans with the chorus, and vice versa, “Once upon a time, I was something to someone.”
The excitement did not end when the house lights came back up at MSG. Immediately following his first ever headlining show in The Big Apple, Kennedy made a short trip downtown to the Swift Hibernian Lounge (his favorite Irish pub in Gotham) where he climbed atop the bar to thrill the punters with an acoustic rendition of “The Parting Glass,” a traditional ditty often sung at the end of a gathering of friends.
With a belly full of Guinness, Dermot Kennedy headed to Boston for a pair of dates on June 16 and 17, before moving onward to Saratoga Springs for an outdoor gig slated for June 19. The North American leg of The Sonder Tour culminates at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey on June 20, after which Kennedy will fly back home for a pair of outdoor shows at Marlay Park in Dublin on June 23 and 24. Ensuing the Emerald Isle performances will be an appearance on the main stage at Rock Werchter (Belgium) on July 2.
Setlist: Blossom > Power Over Me > One Life > An Evening I Will Not Forget > Lost > Young & Free > Dreamer > Moments Passed > Glory > Rome > Innocence and Sadness > Outnumbered > After Rain > Without Fear > Better Days > Don’t Forget Me > Homeward > Kiss Me > Something to Someone
Dermot Kennedy
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