March 24
$15.00

With a ready wit and a vast repertoire of songs, Seamus Kennedy travels the country performing for thousands of people each year. He’s played for popes and presidents and everyone in between. He generally plays about 250 shows a year and has entertained people from Alaska to Florida and from Maryland to California.

One columnist for the Anchorage Times says of Kennedy: “He is a wonderfully entertaining Irishman with a happy-to-see-you smile that could light up the sky… a captivating performance.” A Kennedy performance means continuous interaction with his audience. He loves to see people having a good time and encourages requests and sing alongs. Seamus may be known as an Irish entertainer but his catalogue of tunes also incorporates American music — folk, country, pop or bluegrass. He’s been known to cut loose on a Texas swing number, follow it with a parody and segue into a heart-rending ballad from Australia.

Kennedy has recorded ten CDs, many of which are live shows which truly give the listener a taste of what it’s like to experience Seamus in concert. One critic says “Kennedy’s CDs are a wonder! They are filled with jokes in between tracks, interaction from the audience, and above all just good clean fun… they are entertaining and sung from the heart.” Seamus offers something for nearly everyone — from the silly to the serious, from instrumentals to a cappella vocals, with a very healthy dose of humor thrown in as well. When he plays a lively Irish jig or a reel, Seamus will often coax someone to jump up and dance to the music of his guitar or bodhran — to the delight — and often amazement — of their friends. His audience participation songs and tongue-twisters have amused the ablest of participants and the nimblest of tongues. Seamus has an endless supply of rib-tickling jokes, stories and one liners which can leave an audience breathless from laughing so hard. Many a crowd has gone home from one of his shows giggling to one another, “Do you remember the one about… ?” (Ask him to do the routine about Moms And Kids, the Nuns, or Murphy and the Snails.)

Seamus Kennedy is not all about joking and splitting his audience’s ribs, however. He has a serious side as well. When he performs one of the more somber ballads such as Tommy Sands’ “There Were Roses” or Pete St. John’s “Dublin In The Rare Old Times” you can hear a pin drop as the words sink in. That moment of silence before the applause can raise goosebumps. Seamus’ greatest influences have been the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, the Dubliners’ Luke Kelly, and the Irish Rovers, so it is no surprise to find many songs that they made famous, such as “The Wild Colonial Boy,” “The Wild Rover,” or “The Black Velvet Band” in his performance.

Kennedy has developed a loyal fan base wherever he has performed. Several years ago, Seamus put a guided bus tour of Ireland together for his fans. It has proven so popular that he’s had to add another one to satisfy his avid fans. His performance at the Me&Thee is a rare opportunity to see him in the greater Boston area and we are especially looking forward to his show on March 24.