Kiefer Sutherland’s announcement that he would be releasing an album wasn’t really received as groundbreaking but rather a “been there, done that,” as other actors have taken their shot at a crossover into the music industry. Going from screen to stage isn’t an easy transition, as it’s not just another character that you can portray – you have to have “it” in you, and “it” has to be genuine. On Thursday night (May 12), Sutherland proved to the 226 fans at Mexicali Live (Teaneck, NJ) that this was not another acting project and that he does in fact have “it” as he performed an 80-minute set of originals and covers that left the crowd wanting more.
The band entered with Sutherland following soon after. His stage presence was not that of someone out of his element: dressed in a dark grey shirt with a black vest, jeans, boots and his tattoos peeking out from the edge of his sleeves, he walked on with his guitar in hand, ready to play his heart out.
Kicking off the set was an incredible performance of Sutherland’s original “Can’t Stay Away” that grabbed the attention of the crowd instantly. He spoke comfortably and often, with that raspy voice, as if he was doing this for years. He then offered a toast to the fans, throwing back a shot of whiskey, and mentioned that during the process of putting the album together he realized he had several songs about drinking; a perfect segue into his single “Not Enough Whiskey.”
Sutherland performed more original material from his upcoming Down In A Hole album, including “Calling Out Your Name,” “Truth In Your Eyes,” “Goin’ Home,” and “My Best Friend.” Because Sutherland co-wrote the 11 songs on the album (along with producer Jude Cole), each song has a personal connection to either himself or those he knows, many of which are on the dark side of life’s experiences.
A fan of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, Sutherland discussed their influence on his songwriting before playing “Shirley Jean,” his homage to the Man In Black, about a man who went to jail at a young age and wrote a letter to the only girl he loved as he awaited execution.
Feeling bad that he “was singing songs that no one knows,” Sutherland covered “Honey Bee” by Tom Petty, whom he referred to as “an American icon who never wrote a bad lyric.” Switching back to his own material, he explained that “All She Wrote” was written on a “good” day, unlike his other songs that were composed when he was down and out (however it doesn’t mean that it’s a happy song).
Despite his movie and Jack Bauer fame, Sutherland is a very humble man. He knows how lucky he is, both career wise as well as in life. While taking another shot, he toasted his friends who committed the same mistakes as he has, but didn’t make it through and then dedicated the title track “Down In A Hole” to them.
Following a short encore break, Sutherland asked if there were any Veterans in the audience, thanked them for their service, and told a story of a Veteran he came across one night after leaving a bar. The 20-something year old was wide-eyed, scared and told Sutherland that he had just returned from Iraq and was put on the wrong medication. Sutherland was able to get the man the help he needed, but the encounter left him very depressed. The event inspired him to write the heart wrenching “Gonna Die.” Overcome with emotion, his eyes watered up and his voice cracked during the performance.
Reflecting back on his childhood in Toronto, Sutherland commented that you had to be a fan of Rush or Gordon Lightfoot, leading into a cover of “Sundown.” He spoke about his father, Donald Sutherland, whom he didn’t see very often, but remembers him driving his twin sister and himself to nursery school in a Ferrari, blasting Bob Dylan on the 8-track. In tribute to those memories and the master songwriter, Sutherland and his band closed out the night with a phenomenal performance of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.”
At the merch table was a 4-track sampler of Down In A Hole which included “Can’t Stay Away,” “Not Enough Whiskey,” “My Best Friend,” and “Goin’ Home” (which is listed in error as “All She Wrote”) – a little something to entice the palate until the full album is released in June. After listening to the songs, another “it” quality that Sutherland has is evident. He sounds better live. While the recordings are fine to listen to, Sutherland’s voice in person is raspier, which adds character and warmth to the stories that he tells.
Joining Sutherland and his band is Minnesota singer/songwriter Austin Plaine, who opened the show with a wonderful acoustic set of his original material including “Hard Days,” and his current single “Never Come Back Again.” His self-titled EP was recorded in Nashville and is available on all outlets.
Upcoming tour dates for Kiefer Sutherland can be found at his website: http://kiefersutherlandmusic.com/
Check out photos from the show in our albums.