The Kennedys: October 21st
In a career that spans two decades, New York duo The Kennedys have covered a broad musical landscape, surveying power pop, acoustic songwriting, organic rock (rooted in their early days in Austin), and a Byrds-inspired jangle that drew the attention of Roger McGuinn, Steve Earle, and most notably Nanci Griffith.
Pete and Maura Kennedy, both East Coast natives, met in Austin, Texas, joined forces with Nanci Griffiths Blue Moon Orchestra for a couple of years, and set out on a road that has led them not only west but all over the US and the UK many times. Last year, they celebrated their twentieth anniversary both as a band and a married couple. Rather than indulge in a nostalgic look backward, they took Dylans dictum dont look back to heart; writing and recording forty new songs.
2015 saw a Maura solo CD, a Pete solo CD, and the release of West, an instant classic Kennedys duo set that seamlessly weaves their influences; Buddy Holly style roots, the tuneful cadences of the Everly Brothers, and the ringing 12-string jangle of the early Byrds, interspersed with darker moments that recall British folk rock a la Fairport Convention.
Ultimately, Pete and Maura knit these disparate threads into a coat of many colors that sounds like an American mythos; its the search for musical roots and the fulfillment of a personal American dream that takes shape in songs. The Kennedys are hitting a songwriting high point, and from that point they follow the well-worn American path West.
This much-anticipated concert starts at 7:30 PM. Doors Open at 7:00 PM.
All Souls UU Congregation ~ Unity Hall, 19 Jay Street, New London, CT
Next up in the 2016-2017 Friday Night Folk Concert Season: Braiden Sunshine and Hilton Park– Friday, November 18.