Keenan O’Meara

Keenan O’Meara

Sometimes the best moments happen when the crowd hasn’t arrived yet. The day Keenan O’Meara walked onto the stage at Amsterdam’s Paradiso for soundcheck, the historic venue was empty. The American songwriter (and filmmaker) from the Catskills was in town supporting I’m With Her (who also recorded a session with us), and after a quick soundcheck, we jumped at the chance to capture something on that stage.

The timing couldn’t have been better. That quiet space between soundcheck and showtime, when the venue is yours alone and the pressure of performance hasn’t quite settled in yet. Keenan O’Meara played me three songs: his original Devil Never Said His Name (of which Sam Evian commented: ‘one of my favs but also they all my favs’), a tender reimagining of Counting Crows’ A Long December, and a delicate take on Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek’s Kerina.


Please sign up to the newsletter

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

Photos


Originals

A Long December (Counting Crows)
Tidal | Apple Music

Kerina (Adrianne Lenker & Buck Meek)
Tidal | Apple Music

Keenan O’Meara

Website
Bandcamp
Apple Music
Tidal

Credits

Filmed & edited by Matthijs van der Ven.
Audio recorded by Tim Reitnouer & mixed by Matthijs van der Ven.

Location
Paradiso
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Thanks
Sara Watkins
Sarah Jarosz
Aoife O’Donovan
Tim Reitnouer
Jody March
Everyone at Paradiso
Zach Hundley

There is no better way to discover music than watching great musicians cover the songs they love. The Influences has been producing these videos ever since 2008.

Read more.

Keep watching

Thank you for watching and enjoying this session. You’ll probably like some other sessions from The Influences’ archive too, like these earlier ones I filmed.

  • I’m With Her

    I’m With Her

    To be completely honest, even after seventeen years of running The Influences, still there are times when I’m surprised by things I get to do and experience. Pretty often really. Trips I get to make, people I get to meet, places I get to see and music I get to listen to. To walk into…

  • Áine Gordon

    Áine Gordon

    Áine Gordon has recently started a new chapter in her artistic career with the release of her first EP The Stray (produced by Joshua Burnside). The 4-track release has garnered a positive and unexpected reaction. People are resonating with different songs in unique ways, often hearing things even Gordon herself hadn’t initially perceived, which she…

  • Alexa Rose

    Alexa Rose

    Alexa Rose has a talent for writing songs that subtly force their way into your heart. Every since I first learned of her name – after noticing she was opening for Hiss Golden Messenger in the States – and listened to Headwaters, I keep coming back to those songs. Last year, when she toured Europe…