Dermot Kennedy: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Aug. 24, 2018 | Stephen Thompson -- Dermot Kennedy took this assignment seriously. The Dublin singer-songwriter wasn't content with merely re-creating his songs as they sound in the studio, or stripping lavish productions down to simple acoustic arrangements. So he got himself a gospel choir.

More specifically, Kennedy and his band flew in from Ireland a day ahead of time to meet and rehearse with members of Washington, D.C.'s Howard Gospel Choir. Every arrangement was painstakingly plotted ahead of time, so that every note would be perfect.

Two of the songs Kennedy performs here ("Moments Passed" and "An Evening I Will Not Forget") pop up on an EP he released this year with hip-hop producer Mike Dean, and both sound radically different in this performance. They're still forceful — and still centered on the singer's elastic, bombastic voice — but also looser, warmer, more open.

Put simply, they sound like the work of a future star: a modest former busker (and current NPR Slingshot artist) with a voice built to fill stadiums in more ways than one.

Set List
"Moments Passed"
"An Evening I Will Not Forget"
"Glory"

Personnel
Dermot Kennedy (vocals, guitar); Kieran Jones (keyboards/effects); Jonny Coote (piano); Micheál Quinn (drums); Keila Mumphord, Taylor Nevels, Chamille Boyd, Jazmine Thomas (backing vocals)

Credits
Producers: Stephen Thompson, Bronson Arcuri, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineers: Suraya Mohamed, Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Bronson Arcuri, CJ Riculan, Khun Minn Ohn, Niki Walker; Production Assistant: Catherine Zhang; Photo: Eslah Attar/NPR.

[solarsatori]

Please have him back on. He's done so much as an artist I think he deserves a part 2.

[louise]

5 years later and I still listen to this most days

[TheJakeBumgarner]

Dude doesn’t get half the credit he deserves.

Side note: He should hire both the drummer and backup singers permanently. They killed this

[haileybrangers]

the woman in the gospel choir staring at him with heart eyes during "an evening i will not forget" is all of us

[ethanshutt]

Took approximately 2 seconds to get hooked. That's pretty amazing.

[MrGrateful]

Dude wtf this is incredible.. I feel like I should do something important now

[bowmanj]

Get yourself someone that looks at you the way the choir singer stares at Dermot Kennedy during An Evening I Will Not Forget.

[fawlinfeels]

00:00 Moments Passed
4:38 An Evening I Will Not Forget
9:23 Glory

gotchu fam

[batfacedgirl]

An Evening I Will Not Forget just dropkicks me in the heart every single time

[TheKckaloha]

His voice is on the edge of desperate Just beautiful
The whole group.Great all around

[majda]

Me in this quarantine: laying in my bed watching the ceiling and listening none stop to live performances of every single song dermot has written

[Forest_Witch.]

These tiny desk concerts remind of this generations version of Mtvs unplugged concerts

[JakeOfTheNorth]

Hands down one of my favorite Tiny Desk Concerts I’ve floored

[artrenberry]

'I found a moment to be brave so I let her know. She said how could I love you back, you who dropped your dreams in the gutter'

My heart breaks hearing this.

[despitemyself]

It's been days and this is all I've listened to. Dont send help.

[Keke-ohzd]

Has a pleading tone...feels real. I like him.

[jameskeane]

I love that he sings with his Irish accent and doesn’t change it to fit the mainstream. What a legend!

[annahappen]

2 years later: Still my favorite Tiny Desk Concert

[toniclanton]

Can we take a moment to appreciate How BEAUTIFUL ALL THE BACKUP SINGERS ARE THO ! THE SINGER ON GLORY MY GAWD THAT NOTE

[andreasara]

*"feels like december knows me well"*

how can he write a line as good as that I-