Nightlife / Music

Everyday people follow Daniel O’Donnell

By David Burke | Wednesday, June 11, 2008 | () comments

Daniel O'Donnell (Contributed photo)

If you go

What: Daniel O’Donnell

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 24

Where: i wireless Center, downtown Moline

How much: $85, $65 and $45

Information: (309) 764-2001 or iwirelesscenter.com on the Web

Also on the Web: DanielODonnell.org

Daniel O’Donnell, the 46-year-old Irish tenor who took America by storm thanks to a series of successful PBS television specials, returns to the Quad-Cities this weekend for a Saturday night performance at the i wireless Center in Moline.

During a telephone interview from a tour stop in Las Vegas, O’Donnell chatted with the Quad-City Times:

Q: Is the response to your show different here than in your homeland?

A: Yes and no. I find that every night the response is different, wherever it may be. You can do two shows in one night and the response will be different. I wouldn’t say there’s a big difference between here and home, nor vice versa.

Q: On the whole, is there a difference?

A: People just enjoy. It’s just fantastic that people are coming out to see us and are aware of us.

Q: What’s your show like this time?

A: It’s a mixture of stuff we’ve recorded over the years, a few newer songs we’ve recorded recently and some of the older stuff that people are more familiar with.

Q: What do you have coming up?

A: Later in the year, we’ll have an album of country standards, songs that were big hits for the well-known country singers.

Q: Such as?

A: “Seven Spanish Angels” (by Willie Nelson) is on it, “Me and Bobby McGee,” “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “Could I Have This Dance?” Songs like that that people know by the tag.

Q: This is the second time you’ve been in this market; the first time was in a 2,000-seat theater (Davenport’s Adler five years ago); now you’re into a larger arena. Is that typical for you?

A: Some places. In your area, there seems to be a good following. Some places are better than others.

Q: What was the impetus for your success here?

A: Really, PBS. The shows airing on PBS was the door that opened the way for us, really.

Q: Did you imagine it would go over well here?

A: Well, I was hopeful, I suppose, there would be some recognition. But I never anticipated the reaction we got.

Q: What’s the typical Daniel O’Donnell fan like compared with other singers of your genre?

A: They’re very supportive of what I do. They’re everyday people, really.

David Burke can be contacted at (563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.