Concert Reviews

For a global celebration of Irish courage and artistry, Kennedy said there was no better place to be than Boston.

“Misneach” (pronounced “mish-nyach”) is the Irish word for courage. At TD Garden March 19, the courage lying within Dermot Kennedy’s songwriting was on full display.

Kennedy’s MISNEACH festival, which also included shows in Sydney, Australia and at Brighton Music Hall, was a celebration of Irish pride and spirit. Hoping to make the festival an annual event, Kennedy was grateful to share his vision with Boston.

“To be playing here in the first year of this idea and this festival, it’s just so perfect,” Kennedy said. “I’m so glad that Boston is the place we chose to do it. It just makes sense.”

Featuring four Irish acts throughout the night, the festival spanned the folk, hip-hop, indie, and rock genres. In between sets, U2 songs such as “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” played over black-and-white footage of the Cliffs of Moher with “Éire,” the Irish name for Ireland, written across them.

Kennedy began his music career at age 17 by busking in Dublin, where he grew up. After releasing several singles and EPs and making an appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, he released his debut album, “Without Fear,” in 2019. His second and most recent album, “Sonder,” came out in 2022.

Kennedy kicked off his TD Garden set with “Blossom,” the closing track from “Sonder.” The album’s title is a neologism for the realization that everyone else is living a life as full and complex as one’s own, despite one’s lack of awareness of those other lives.

After this solemn opener, Kennedy launched into “Power Over Me,” one of his breakout singles from 2019. With this song, Kennedy was immediately able to prove one of his greatest strengths as a performer: his soulful voice is just as powerful live as it is on his studio recordings.

Following another song from each of his albums, Kennedy introduced a brand new song called “Let Me In,” which he released digitally as a single March 11. With a gentler, stripped-back arrangement, the song was reminiscent of Kennedy’s earlier acoustic work. Despite the song’s recent release, some audience members already knew all the words.

Performing on a raised platform in the center of the stage, Kennedy took full advantage of TD Garden’s setup based on the mood of each musical moment. Some songs’ intense and climactic parts were accompanied by strobing light displays, whereas the softer and more somber songs included on-stage footage of Kennedy washed in gradients of color.

Kennedy’s stage presence reflected this range as well. Depending on each song’s energy, he would either move around the stage as he sang or take a more reserved approach as he accompanied himself on acoustic guitar. For every song, however, he encouraged the audience to sing along.

One of the night’s most poignant moments came with “Rome,” one of Kennedy’s most reflective songs. Kennedy asked the crowd to hold up their phone flashlights, with each light representing a memory.

“It’s mostly about good memories, so I’d like you to picture the most beautiful memory you can imagine,” Kennedy said.

Bringing the mood back up, Kennedy followed this introspective moment with a cover of Van Morrison’s “Days Like This.” The 1995 hit has often been used as an anthem of peace in Northern Ireland, and Kennedy was eager to pay tribute to a fellow Irish artist.

Another emotional peak of the night came during Kennedy’s performance of “Outnumbered,” his other biggest hit and one of his most heartfelt songs. Continuing the theme of facing life’s highs and lows, Kennedy also sang “Better Days,” “Kiss Me,” and “Something to Someone” from “Sonder.”

Before the last song, Kennedy again thanked Boston for the impact the city has made on his life.

“In terms of my development as a musician, a person, everything, this city’s been very important,” Kennedy said. “Thank you for supporting this idea, thank you for supporting me every time I’m here.”

MISNEACH’s other performers included Nell Mescal, an indie pop artist and younger sister of actor Paul Mescal; Ye Vagabonds, a folk duo consisting of brothers Diarmuid and Brían Mac Gloinn; and The Swell Season, a folk rock duo including Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer Markéta Irglová, who co-starred together in the acclaimed 2007 film “Once.”

Mescal and Ye Vagabonds performed 25-minute sets each. Mescal’s songs, led by her soaring vocals and acoustic guitar accompaniments, touched on many aspects of relationships, including one about “the worst person you’ve ever met.” Ye Vagabonds’ songs had more folksy instrumentation, including cellos, a mandolin, and plenty of lush harmonies.

The standout act, however, was The Swell Season. Across the duo’s 45-minute set, Hansard’s intense guitar playing and Irglová’s delicate piano playing expertly balanced each other out. Their voices blended together beautifully, especially during a cover of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.”

Kennedy invited the festival’s opening acts back on stage for the last song, a cover of the traditional tune “The Parting Glass.” Known for its popularity in Ireland, where it is often sung at the end of friendly gatherings, there was no better way to close out the night.

Setlist for Dermot Kennedy at TD Garden, March 19, 2025

• Blossom
• Power Over Me
• One Life
• All My Friends
• Let Me In
• Young and Free
• Dreamer
• Moments Passed
• Glory
• Rome
• Days Like This (Van Morrison cover)
• After Rain
• Outnumbered
• Better Days
• Kiss Me
• Something to Someone
• The Parting Glass (traditional cover)

Source