WUMB Member Concert with The Kennedys ~ 2021 August 21 ~ Squantum Point Park ~ Quincy, MA
Set List (the Kennedys)
A Change Is Gonna Come {Sam Cooke} - I Wish It Would Rain {Nanci Griffith} - Half a Million Miles - Heal You - Across the Great Divide {Kate Wolf} - Sisters of the Road - River of Fallen Stars - Elegy - Gypsy Rose {Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer} - Gulf Coast Highway {Nanci Griffith} - Happy Again - Midnight Ghost - Safe Until Tomorrow - Stand
Scroll to below videos for a review of the show.
Video ... if a problem with viewing, go to Youtube and search by the song title and date; the Youtube account is in the name "nicepace"
John Henry (Hubby Jenkins)
Sisters of the Road (The Kennedys)
Review
WUMB is a nonprofit public radio station operated by UMass Boston. This concert was free to anyone who is a member of this listener-supported radio station. It was exciting news for me that I would have a chance to see The Kennedys perform a live show. I have been watching a live stream that Pete and Maura Kennedy have been performing on Sundays at 2 pm Eastern Time since the pandemic began in March 2020, and they have been a bright light in my week during this difficult and weird time.
Pete and Maura played an hour-long set featuring two songs by Nanci Griffith, who passed away a few days ago. Nanci was a friend and mentor of Maura and Pete and will be truly missed by the folk community. Maura and Pete also played a song by Dave Carter ("Gypsy Rose"), another friend who passed away a number of years ago, and followed that by performing their own number, "Elegy," a tribute to Dave.
The show wasn't all centered in grief, by any means. Pete and Maura are known for writing upbeat, positive, forward-looking songs that celebrate the human experience. They performed nine songs that they had written, and every one was a joy to hear. "Midnight Ghost" is a real rocker, featuring blistering guitar work by Pete; "Half a Million Miles" celebrates this couple's joyful marriage; "River of Fallen Stars" showcases Pete's guitar work, sounding just like lights falling from heaven; "Safe Until Tomorrow" is the Kennedy's theme for their weekly shows; "Stand" is their best-known song, an anthem to the universality of human faith.
Maura seemed a little nervous starting the show, giggling like a schoolgirl as she was addressing the audience, and joking that she had forgotten how to play standing up. When she saw me in the audience (knowing how much I love The Kinks) she teased me that she wasn't planning on playing a Ray Davies song. She warned the audience not to look if the windy day caused the pretty dress she was wearing to reveal more than intended. There was a hurricane in the forecast, and although the weather was nice, several times a jet flew overhead on its way to the fairly close Logan Airport. Pete did more than his share of the talking during the show, telling a story about jamming once with the late Dave Carter, who chose to perform (of all things) the '60s pop hit "Crimson and Clover," thus explaining the mention of this song in the Kennedys' tune "Elegy."
The Kennedys were the fourth of four performers. When Concert Going Partner and I arrived, after dealing with substantial traffic getting from Cape Cod to Boston's South Shore, the first performer, Kemp Harris, was almost done with his set, but we enjoyed the two or three songs we heard by him and his band.
The next performer was Hubby Jenkins, whom we had heard once before at the New Bedford Folk Festival, and his set was a real highlight of the afternoon. Part musician/singer and part historian, Hubby plays guitar and banjo and performs a variety of old-time American blues and folk tunes, while telling stories about the origin of the songs and his own experiences in the music business. He was very entertaining, ranging from the very serious to the very funny.
The third performer was Kate Campbell, whose nervousness was very obvious. It's clear that this southern folkie hasn't been keeping up with performing during the pandemic, and she was a little bit lost out there.
This concert was held at the fairly small Squantum Point Park, adjacent to Marina Bay, an extensive upscale apartment complex. There was a beautiful view of Boston across Dorchester Bay. There was an excellent buffet offered to the concert goers, also without cost. I am very impressed with WUMB's generosity; for a modest pledge of $5 or more a month, members are treated to a great afternoon of music and great food to boot. After the show I had the chance to chat with Maura for a few minutes as she staffed the couple's merch table and express my gratitude to her for keeping up with the weekly online performances. Along with The Kennedys' catalog of CDs, Maura was also selling copies of Pete Kennedy's debut novel, Floodwood.