As movie buffs know, Kevin Bacon has acted in so many movies there are games — notably “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” — that trace his connection to every “common” person out there.
But what they may not realize is that in a way he’s more connected to the noncelebrities’ lives than those who thrive in his adopted hometown of Hollywood. Doubters need only listen to the tunes Kevin and his brother Michael perform and record under the name “the Bacon Brothers” for verification.
“I do quite a bit of writing when I’m shooting, when it doesn’t require me to be on the set,” he said. “I have always had the same dream, that a song that I wrote became part of the culture, that people remember it. That still hasn’t happened for me and the band.”
Of course, there’s no reason that it won’t, now that the musical partnership between the siblings has resulted in another CD. “New Year’s Day” combines songs written independently by the brothers, who fine-tuned them as a team with their band. The siblings’ collaborations developed in childhood when Michael taught Kevin to play the Beatles’ classic “Hey Jude” on guitar. Growing up in the musical mecca of Philadelphia such collaborations seemed as natural as listening to the latest tunes on the radio, which the brothers did religiously.
Michael stayed in music, becoming an Emmy Award-winning film score composer, singer/songwriter and musician, while Kevin’s creative heart soon flew to acting. And though family and career constraints forced the Bacon Brothers into hiatus, their partnership continued at its own pace, gathering fans as it moved ahead.
“My day job is kind of a lonely existence sitting in the studio,” said Michael. “What I do with [the Bacon Brothers] is completely different than being a composer, much more interpersonal, more risky.”
And stepping out of their creative comfort zones while convincing people of their dedication to their band, said Kevin, is its own reward.
“When you make songs, make movies and dance, you put it out there and see if people respond,” he said. “That response has been a very rewarding thing. I think it’s difficult for people because they look at this as nothing more than a vanity project or another silly exercise. That’s an ongoing struggle, but I always knew it would be.”
If you go
The Bacon Brothers with Krista Detor
Where: The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria
When: 7:30 p.m. Thurs.
Info: $35; 202-397-7328; ticketmaster.com
