Americana singer-songwriter · Cleveland, Ohio
Warm, resonant songs shaped by San Francisco, New York and home.
Has shared the stage with
Watch
With Jess Fraley, opening for The BoDeans at House of Blues Cleveland, August 2026.
The road so far
01
Behind the counter at Simple Pleasures Cafe, Kevin poured coffee for the neighborhood and played its stage. One of the regulars was Chuck Prophet; in 2012 Kevin served him a large coffee. In 2011 he took the songs on the road: Austin, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Chicago and back.
02
House concerts, songwriter showcases and the National Underground in Manhattan. Kevin founded Wataba Lake Fest, a community music festival that ran for four years.
03
Home again. The Treehouse, Ridgewood, Spotlight and backyard lawn concerts in Bay Village led to House of Blues, and in 2025 to opening for Chuck Prophet at the Grog Shop, thirteen years after that coffee.
At the heart of Kevin McCarthy's music you'll find the welcoming tones of Americana: a comforting, resonant, heartfelt delivery that brings a fresh twist to tradition. Kevin is a Cleveland-based singer-songwriter with roots in San Francisco and New York. Those cities, and the travels in between, brought him an incredible cast of musicians who have played on his recordings and shared his stages, and those connections run all through his songs. His music draws comparisons to Uncle Tupelo, Wilco and Andrew Bird, and to soulful singers like Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake and Chris Whitley.
Since his first EP, Anchors Away, in 2003, Kevin has kept writing and recording explorative, introspective songs. His newest work, recorded on location, at home, over the internet and across the country, ranges from a full ensemble album with synths, accordion, melodica, saxophones and a post-jazz/rock band to intimate solo and duo acoustic tracks.
In New York and Connecticut he founded Wataba Lake Fest, a community music festival, and played house concerts and songwriter showcases across the Northeast. He has shared bills with Robben Ford, Robert Lockwood Jr., Dark Star Orchestra and Marco Benevento, and back home in Cleveland he has opened for Chuck Prophet, Five for Fighting, The BoDeans and Joe Jordan, often with singer Jess Fraley and longtime bandmates Chris Bober and Joshua Smith.
“Kevin McCarthy has great material, delivers on stage and has (Chris) Bober with him. Book it!”
David Kennedy, Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present and Future
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Solo, duo with Jess Fraley, or full band. Clubs, listening rooms, festivals, house concerts and private events.
A short email when there's a new show or new music. Nothing else.
