Kenn Kweder

Philadelphia singer/songwriter Kenn Kweder has been called "the Mayor of South Street," a reference to the trendy, club-filled Philly thoroughfare that is comparable to New York's Bleeker Street and Chicago's Rush Street. And even though he is not well-known nationally, Kweder has been a folk-rock/rock & roll institution in Philly since the early '70s. Arguably, Kweder is to Philly rock what veteran saxophonists Bootsie Barnes and Larry McKenna are to Philly jazz: Someone who has enjoyed local hero status but has never received the sort of national recognition that he deserves. In fact, non-Philadelphians who have caught Kweder's Philly gigs when they visited the city have often asked the same question that visitors have asked about Barnes and McKenna: Why isn't this guy better known outside of his hometown? And for Kweder, that lack of national attention probably comes down to his refusal to sacrifice creative control. In the past, major labels have expressed interest in signing him; at one point, veteran industry mogul Clive Davis was seriously interested in signing him to Arista. But Kweder wanted more creative control than Davis was willing to offer and that outlook also kept him from signing with other major labels. Refusing to make compromises, Kweder has opted to record independently for the small Pandemonium label and his recordings have ranged from folk-rock and roots rock to new wave. Kweder, like David Bowie and Prince, has had no problem being a chameleon and taking himself in a variety of musical directions; he has refused to adhere to any type of formula and that lack of predictability may be one of the things that has intimidated major labels. Kweder brings a variety of influences to the table and along the way, his influences have ranged from Bob Dylan,...