SongFest (south),

Dean Friedman

Dean Friedman, one of the pre-eminent songwriters of his generation – returns April, 2019, for his regular annual visit to Ireland and the British Isles, featuring his curated micro-music-festival, SongFest (south & north).

Friedman first marked his entry into pop consciousness with the Top 20 chart success of his infectious hit single, Ariel, a quirkily irresistible and uncategorizable pop song about a free spirited, pot-smoking, vegetarian Jewish girl in a peasant blouse who lived, as the lyric goes, "...way on the other side of the Hudson". 

Friedman scored again with the release of his follow up album, “Well, Well,” Said the Rocking Chair’, and the now classic hit single, Lucky Stars. This magical duet, performed with singer, Denise Marsa, zoomed to the top of the UK singles charts, going instantly gold. Lucky Stars paved the way for a slew of Friedman hits, including familiar radio staples such as Lydia, Rocking Chair, McDonald’s Girl and Woman of Mine.

Friedman’s consummate songwriting and performing, have earned him a loyal international following, devoted to the sophisticated, funny and profound work of a master songsmith. 

“Stunning Musicianship” - Hot Press, "Songsmith Extraordinaire!" - Music Week , "An Amazing Talent" - The Sun, "An American Classic" - Tribune, “The Soundtrack of Our Lives” – NY Times, are just of few of the superlatives used to describe Friedman's powerfully unique and original talent.

Friedman’s recent run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival garnered similar critical praise:

“Every song in this Edinburgh show is a classic. You won't see a better show.” – London Theatre Guide.  "Sophisticated and humorous work from an old master!" Scotland on Sunday. “With his mix of jaunty ditties, sentimental ballads and bashful charm, Friedman is the pop troubadour of choice.”  The Scotsman. “Dean Friedman is entirely unique and utterly brilliant” – ThreeWeeks.

Dean Friedman announces his 2019 UK/Ireland Tour Dates, featuring a ‘deep-dive’ into his 300+ song catalog (plus the hits, of course) and includes the return of Friedman's personally curated, micro-music-festival, 'SongFest' - a micro-music-festival featuring really good songs and the folks who write 'em - including celebrated singer-songwriters: Chris Difford, Richard Digance, Boothby Graffoe, Tracy Curtis, Boo Hewerdine, Fiona Bevan, Kal Lavelle and Dean Friedman.

  “Soundtrack of our lives” – New York Times

Following his SOLD-OUT 40th Anniversary Tour, Friedman returns to the stage; this time, armed with a stunning collection of his insightful and compelling, true-to-life ‘story songs’ - songs of pathos and humor that deal with family, friends, neighbors, work and the seemingly trivial, yet ultimately essential stuff of everyday life.

On the upcoming tour, Friedman plans to do a deep dive into his 300+ song catalog, in order to come up with what he describes as, for him, an atypical set-list: exploring songs he considers to be some of his best crafted and personal favorites, but which, for a variety of reasons, he’s rarely performed on stage. “I figured it’s time to give some of those overlooked songs a chance to shine,” says Friedman, “But no worries, I’ll always play the fan favorites.”.

Friedman will be performing solo, on guitar and keyboards, featuring songs from throughout his  four decade recording career, including his classic hits:  ‘Lucky Stars’, ‘Lydia’, ‘McDonald’s Girl’, ‘Ariel’ and ‘Woman ofMine’, as well as selections from his latest, fan-funded, studio album, ’12 Songs’.

Friedman’s tour kicks off 19^th April, 2019, in Belfast, and finishes up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

Friedman composes and produces music soundtracks for TV and film, including five seasons of Central TV's hit series BOON and the soundtrack to the underground cult horror film classic I Bought A Vampire Motorcycle [Hobo Films/U.K.]. Other music and video production credits include Nickelodeon, NBC, BBC and FUJI TV.

A multi-media artist/producer, Friedman serves as both artist and promoter of his annual national tours for himself and other artists.

Featured in this year's tour is the return of Dean Friedman's 'SongFest'  -  a micro-music-festival featuring really good songs and the folks who write 'em - including celebrated singer-songwriters: Chris Difford, Richhard Digance, Boothby Graffoe, Tracy Curtis, Boo Hewerdine, Fiona Bevan, Kal Lavelle and Dean Friedman. 

This year's 'SongFest' will be held in two locations (south in Wareham and north in Crewe) on consecutive weekends: 'SongFest' (south, Wareham) Sat & Sun, 20th & 21st July, 2019; SongFest (north, Crewe) Sat & Sun, 27th & 28th July, 2019. In addition to the concert performances, both 'SongFests' will also feature 'Songwriting Masterclasses' to be conducted by Dean Friedman, Richard Digance and Fiona Bevan with Kal Lavelle.  

This year also marks Friedman’s 16^th appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he'll be performing three nights at St Andrews & St Georges West, Edinburgh.

Friedman, 63, makes his home in Peekskill, NY where he lives with his wife, Alison, and Lola, the smallest dog in the world.