Kennedy's Kitchen Shares the Bill with Tommy Makem

September 15 2006 DeBartollo Performing Arts Center

From ...  Makem strives for spontaneous feel:  HOWARD DUKES  Staff Writer

Kennedy's Kitchen Photo: Pat Ryan

Kennedy says Makem influenced such singers from that scene as Bob Dylan.It shouldn't be surprising that Kennedy counts Makem as a major influence.

"Since I grew up listening to him, it's almost like he influenced my whole sense of what an Irish singer is," Kennedy says.

Kennedy says that he strives to give audiences the sense that they are sitting on a porch or in a kitchen listening to friends sing. Kennedy wants an organic and spontaneous feel.

Makem has a similar performance style. Did Kennedy adopt the style as a homage to his musical hero? Not necessarily. Kennedy says folk music is made to be sung among friends and family members while sitting around a kitchen table.

Those friends and family members wouldn't use a set list to decide what songs to sing. Instead, they'd probably sing what felt good at the time.Kennedy operates in a similar fashion, whether performing in an intimate setting such as Fiddler's Hearth or at DeBartolo.

"When I talked to Tommy, he said that he does not work from a set list," Kennedy says. "Other than a couple of key songs, he just wings it, and that's what I do."

Staff writer Howard Dukes: hdukes@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6369

Tommy Makem, joHn Kennedy, Gerry Timlin Photo: joHn Kennedy

Nolan Ladewski and joHn Kennedy Photo: Pat Ryan

Celtic Fire Irish Stepdancers Mary Ladewski, Kelly Ryal, Mary Bridgid Halloran, Tara Ladewski

Photo: Pat Ryan