The Nightclub 9:30 was considerably less crowded than usual for Kevn Kinney’s appearance there earlier this month. This was more than likely due to a last-minute schedule change as he was forced to do an early show on a different day.
Kevn is the lead singer of the Georgia-based band Drivin’ N Cryin’, but has just released his second solo album. His first solo tour saw him accompanied by Peter Buck of R.E.M., but this time around, he brought his brother, nevertheless still an accomplished accordion and guitar player.
Kevn focused on his two solo albums, Down Out Law and Macdougal Blues. New songs which were really done well were “Down And Out Law,” “Shindig With The Lord,” and “Never Far Behind.” Kevn did perform several Drivin’ N Cryin’ classics, including “Keys To Me”, “Honeysuckle Blue”, “Let’s Go Dancing”, and a stirring “The Friend Song”.
The best songs were those he interrupted in the middle to tell stories, such as “Macdougal Blues,” and “Hey Landlord (Meatloaf And Fish Sticks).” One story in particular, about trying to explain to his father about how he spent his rent money on a 26-foot bong, had the audience rolling. His brother was also amusing, especially the drinking song he started singing when Kevn took a piss break.
The Washington Post and The City Paper both trashed his album and blew their chances to see a great singer-songwriter in an intimate acoustic setting. I found I didn’t enjoy it as much as I do his full band, but it was a good performance.
[Originally published in Expulsion, an independent George Mason University student newspaper]