Concert Review: Dermot Kennedy / Sasha Alex Sloan @ SPAC, 06/19/2023

Dermot Kennedy brought his 2023 “Sonder Tour” to SPAC on Monday night. The thirty-one-year-old Kennedy hails from Rathcoole, County Dublin, Ireland. Since his debut record, Without Fear, was released in 2019, he has become a homegrown superstar. Boasting nearly four billion streams of his music, he has become Ireland’s best-selling artist. Trying to place Kennedy into any one genre is an exercise in futility. He is a singer-songwriter incorporating rock, folk, pop, and hip-hop influences into his songs. He is touring in support of his most full-length release Sonder. The last time he came to the Capital District, he played to a sweaty, sold-out Upstate Concert Hall. That was in March of 2020, just weeks before the world hit the pause button on live music in the wake of the COVID pandemic. In three years he has gone from small rock clubs to arenas and amphitheaters. His production has grown accordingly.

On Monday night Kennedy took the stage in front of enormous video screens. Fog billowed out to help accent an impressive light show. Kennedy brought an expanded live band this time as well. His long-time rhythm section of Kieran Jones on bass and Micheál Quinn on drums was joined by Ben Leuenberger on keys and Elize Kellman and James Bradshaw on backing vocals. They kicked the night off with “Blossom” off of Sonder before segueing into the thundering “Power Over Me” from 2019’s Withour Fear. Quinn is an absolute monster on drums. There are few drummers that I have seen live that can compare.

Kennedy is a modern-day troubadour. His songs are full of love, heartbreak, soul searching and hope. As a performer, he appears to be most comfortable with a guitar strapped around his neck. He strums as if his life depends on it on anthems like “Moments Passed” which he played midway through the set to rapturous applause. He showed another side shortly after when he sat down at an electric piano and delivered moving solo renditions of “Rome” and “Innocence and Sadness.” The sound of thousands singing every word to these songs is what I love so much about the live music experience. There is something incredible about being surrounded by a mutual love for the music. He mixed the setlist up with tracks from both major label releases as well as a few from his independent releases. One of the independently released songs is always a highlight of any Dermot Kennedy performance. “After Rain” starts quiet and plaintive before building to a crescendo with the words “You won’t go lonely.” These words are repeated ever more loudly with each repetition. It is a transcendent moment when Kennedy steps away from the mic and lets the crowd take over. Kennedy offered up his most recent single “Don’t Forget Me” which was released on June 7th of this year. In 12 days since the song was released, the majority of those in attendance at SPAC had learned the lyrics. The night was full of sing-alongs but this one was my favorite. He closed his nineteen-song set with two songs from Sonder, “Kiss Me” and “Something to Someone.” It has been a pleasure watching his career trajectory.

Boston native Sasha Alex Sloan held the direct support slot, playing a thirty-minute set of dreamy pop. She has collaborated with everyone from Juice WRLD and Charlie Puth to country star Sam Hunt. Her set was highlighted by the heartbreaking “Dancing With Your Ghost” and a surprise cover of “As It Was” by Harry Styles.

Eighteen-year-old New Paltz native Laila Mach opened the night with a short set of original material. Mach performed solo on an electric piano, playing her deeply personal songs. Her lyrics and stage presence belie her young age. It takes a special kind of performer to grab and hold the attention of a SPAC crowd with just a Casio keyboard. I can’t wait to hear what she does next.