I’ve been listening to Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy since early 2017 and have been a massive fan ever since I discovered him and his music. His voice is incredibly powerful, and I love how unique and meaningful his lyrics are. A general theme of his music is lost or wasted time, growing up and just fleeting moments, which is really different from a lot of music you may hear nowadays. His most recent album, Sonder, encapsulates all these themes and more. The word “sonder” itself refers to “the realization that each passerby is the main character of their own story, living a life just as vivid and complex as your own.” Such an apt title!
To say I was excited to attend the Sonder Tour was an understatement, but Dermot definitely blew my expectations out of the water. The show was at the YouTube Theater, which is a part of the SoFi Stadium complex in Inglewood. It’s not a small venue by any means, but the way it’s laid out with lots of balconies makes it feel more intimate and allowed everyone to get a good view. Dermot had an opener and a special guest, and to my surprise, the special guest was Kevin Garrett, someone who I have also been listening to since 2018/2019. His song “Faith You Might” is what I listen to whenever I feel a little bit anxious, and it was surreal seeing him in-person when I wasn’t even expecting it.
When Dermot came out, his stage presence was out of this world, and he sounded exactly like he did on his recorded songs, which is incredibly impressive considering the vocal range on his recorded music. His voice has a signature raspiness, which brings you into the song and its emotions, and honestly, I left just feeling every single lyric and note. He and his crew added stage visuals to every song, so every song also had its own backdrop and color theme, which definitely made the experience more immersive.
His guitar solos could only be described as beautiful chaos. The lights went crazy, and I could only remember thinking, “Wow I’m so happy to be here.” He had a fantastic, high-energy live band but also did two songs solo on the piano with only a white spotlight on him. Here, he had an interlude where he said he just wanted to stay there in the moment for a bit, and he talked about living in the moment and how there were so many times he could have packed up and went home but he was so happy he didn’t.
I was already on such an emotional high, and this moment particularly hit home. Now, whenever I listen to the songs he played, I can’t help but visualize how he performed them live and how I felt during them (and it makes me want to want to wear my lavender Sonder merch T-shirt that I got to eternalize the night).
Some artists are meant to be seen live, and I can firmly say that Dermot Kennedy is one of those artists. From slower songs like “Innocence and Sadness” and “Rome” to upbeat songs like “Something to Someone” and “Kiss Me,” his music has something for everyone, even if you can’t see him live. He brings you into his world and lets you share the stage with him even if you might be in Section 201 Row B.