Sniffling singer still puts on a crowd-pleasing show

John McDermott wiped his nose. Then, he did it again and again.

“My nose is out for a run,” the 62-yearold Scottish-Canadian tenor joked to a sold-out Creekside Theatre in Lake Country on Monday night.

Ever the professional crooner, storyteller and would-be comedian, he didn’t let a few sniffles distract him from a solid two-hour performance that a much younger man would be proud of.

A box of tissues was always nearby with regular withdrawals.

One of the fascinating tidbits about his life (for a four-decade journalist like me): he worked as a circulation representative for the Toronto Sun tabloid newspaper for nine years.

Conrad Black heard him singing Irish and Scottish folk tunes at company parties and along with other industry executives, he financed McDermott’s independent recording of the album Danny Boy in 1992.

McDermott had recorded 12 tracks, one for each of the 12 McDermott children, as a 50th wedding anniversary present for his parents, and added an a capella version of Danny Boy, the way his father liked to hear it.

EMI Music Canada cautiously released 2,000 copies on Nov. 10, 1992 and within a short time, more than 50,000 copies were sold.

McDermott performed his first concert with his own band at the Rebecca Cohn Theatre on Oct. 5, 1993 in Halifax, N.S.

His intimate performance on Monday echoed his cross-Canada tours of small venues where seniors, not as digital-download focused as millennials, snap up copies of his 25-plus albums — three of them achieving platinum status, one double platinum and one triple platinum.

His set list — not finalized until moments before the trio took the stage — was some of his favourite tunes and a few he has not performed in a while. He launched with Love is a Voyage (platinum in 1995 and remastered in 2000) followed by The Dark

Island and Loch Tay Boat Song (Raised on Songs and Stories, 2017), Shelter Me (2005, Great Is Thy Faithfulness – Songs Of Inspiration), The Old Man (2004, Songs of The Isles: Ireland) and of course, Waltzing Matilda (1992, Danny Boy).

He also threw in several covers: from the 1949 Hollywood musical On The Town, Some Other Time; You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban’s anthem from his 2003 album Closer, from the 1896 Songs for the Campfire Girls, the traditional Scottish folk song My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean; and Loch Lomond (“You take the high road and I’ll take the low road.”).

And in-between was a carefully crafted mix of family-friendly humour and reminiscences.

“If you know any of my songs...,” he began. “Good for you. OK, you can sing along ... I’m not sitting next to you.”

And he followed that up with: “Any redheads?” And reflecting the age demographics of his audience, he quipped: “Let me rephrase that: any former redheads?” Then: “Any Scots?” to loud cheers. “I said ‘Scots’, not ‘Scotch’.” He chided his listeners: “It’s the first time I’ve played here. Why? Because it’s the first time you asked me.”

And he read a note, allegedly from a fan: “If your nose runs and your feet smell, you’re probably upside down.”

McDermott also chose a fabulous supporting cast: his musical director/arranger Jason Fowler on acoustic guitar and backing vocals, and Mark Lalama on piano, accordion and melodica.

A standing ovation demanding an encore produced the remarkable a capella Danny Boy — McDermott in a solo spotlight centre stage.

OK, we’re inviting you to come back. No joke.