Words By: Amanda Marano

In a time of social distancing (aka no concerts), singer/songwriter Dermot Kennedy wants to bring the music directly to his fans in a step up from his usual Instagram Live performances. This week, the rising Irish star is set to play an exclusive one-off livestream performance, titled Some Summer Night, straight from London’s iconic Natural History Museum.

This all takes place tomorrow, Thursday July 30, and will feature Dermot alongside his full live band, a surprise setlist of his discography, and a special appearance and performance from Normal People’s Paul Mescal. The show will feature incredible new arrangements of long-time, fan favorites – including his most recent single, “Giants”  and hopefully another slew of hits like “After Rain”, “A closeness”, “Glory”, and “Outnumbered”.

Hailing from Dublin, the charming Irish singer/songwriter delivers soulful vocals with emotionally driven lyrics. Dermot Kennedy has grown a loyal following over the last couple of years, with over a billion cumulative streams and a debut album that topped the charts in 2019. He’s sold-out shows internationally, selling over 300,000 tickets the last year alone, and was even nominated in the ‘Best International Male’ category at the 2020 Brit Awards. His hit single, “Outnumbered”,  has gone multi-platinum across the UK, Europe and Canada.

At only 28 years old, Dermot already possesses the writing skills of a poet and the flow of a seasoned rapper. His music mixes elements of pop, rock, hip hop, and contemporary folk, with a genuine vulnerability that makes him stand out from his peers. He’s not afraid of a strong harmony and powerful vocals, singing with a texture in his voice that listeners feel through their headphones. He draws inspiration from his experiences and from the world around him and sings about romance, love, loss, friendship, heartbreak, joy, and pain. With a level of intimacy that transcends the screens and speakers that connect him and his fans, his unique sound and introspective lyrics make him an artist to remember.

Discussing the event, Dermot Kennedy said, “I’m incredibly excited to be playing a show at the Natural History Museum in London. To have the opportunity to bring my music into a place filled with so much history and wonderment means so much to me. We’re going to do something truly unique and I can’t wait for you to see it. This is easily one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been involved in and it feels like a privilege to get to put this show on and in this time when I can’t play shows as I normally would, it gives me so much joy to be able to share this event with you. Poetry, music and history will all come together for this event and it’s going to be so special.”

Surrounded by Romanesque architectural and singing below an 82-foot blue whale skeleton named Hope (the largest creature to have ever lived), Dermot will give his first live performance since he had to cancel the remainder of his North American tour, due COVID-19 putting the world on pause. Speaking of the symbolism of performing under Hope, Dermot told Grammy.com, “I think it’s important to experience things in life that make you feel small and make you realize that you’re just this tiny person on the earth, and so that does that for me. And it just shows me how incredible history is and how incredible nature is.”

Despite the setback of the pandemic, Dermot hasn’t let that stop him from making music.  He often goes on Instagram Live to play for his fans and has even released a new single, “Giants”,  back in June, which was followed by an acoustic version of the track and a music video in July.

Dermot Kennedy gained traction after his 2016 single, “After Rain”.  Not long after, he released Doves & Roses (2017) which included two fan favorites, “A closeness” and “Glory”.  Following close after, she released his debut album, Without Fear, which featured one of his most successful hits, ‘‘Outnumbered,’’  in 2019.  Since then, he’s released his Power Over Me EP and Lost In The Soft Light EP, as well as his cover of “Resolution”  and his single “Giants (Guitar)”.

Despite the lack of a traditional audience, there will be no shortage of fans watching.  The show will be live-streamed to fans around the world via pay-per-view event, time-zoned to specific regions. Ticket prices range from $17-$76 with an additional option to donate to the BLM Global Network. The show will not be available on-demand after it has taken place – and with no audience present to post snippets of the performance online, the only way to watch it will be to purchase tickets to this one-time livestream broadcast. Tickets can be found linked below to this can’t miss event of the season!

Some Summer Night will be live to viewers at the following times :

July 30th – Live #1: Ireland, UK & Europe (9pm IST & BST / 10pm CEST)

July 30th – Live #2: East Coast North America and South America (8.00pm EDT / 7.00pm CDT)

July 30th- Live #3: West Coast North America and Central America (8.00pm PDT / 9.00pm MDT)

July 31st – Live #4 : Australia, New Zealand & Asia (8.00pm AEST, 10pm NZST & 7pm JST & KST)