Independent Arts News Reporting 
Pictured Above: The Bacon Brothers. Photo Credit: PSO Staff.
The Bacon Brothers Bring Their Signature Sound to the Princeton Festival
By: Lori Goldstein
Before they take the stage at the Princeton Festival on June 20, Kevin and Michael Bacon speak with Lori Goldstein at Arts News Now to reflect on three decades of making music together. In a conversation filled with humor, family stories, and creative insight, the brothers discuss their Philadelphia roots, songwriting partnership, and the enduring bond that keeps The Bacon Brothers on the road.
On June 20, The Bacon Brothers will bring their six-piece band to the Princeton Festival during their “People In The World” cross-country tour. The Bacon Brothers—Michael, the musician and film score composer, and Kevin, the star of Footloose and countless other films and television shows– grew up in Philadelphia, where they made their first appearance as a band.
Along with their respective full-time careers, the Bacon Brothers have been performing for over 30 years. Michael attributes their longevity to “our own very supportive families plus four sisters who really care about our goofy band. We need a lot of trust between us and that’s the one thing we always have.” Their mother, Ruth Holmes Bacon, an educator and justice advocate, and their father, Edmund Bacon, a preeminent urban planner, always encouraged their sons’ artistic pursuits.
“I looked up to my brother so much because he was nine years older,” says Kevin. “He was the one that introduced me to music, not only to the music that he was playing and writing, but also the music of the time–the 60s and the British invasion.” Michael went to college then to Nashville as a songwriter before moving back home to Philly. In the meantime, Kevin, when he was 12 years old, “started writing songs in my head. I didn’t play an instrument. I had played percussion, but not the guitar. I had melodies and lyrics. I would sing them to my brother, and he’d say ‘I’ll figure out how to play it, and then maybe we can start recording you singing them.’ I was a terrible singer, but he was already off [playing with] bands, and then we eventually started writing together.”
After performing in the duo Good News, Michael hired a bass player and a female singer for background vocals, then he asked Kevin to be the percussionist. Kevin was barely in high school. The brothers started writing songs together, enough for a demo. Kevin’s friend Harry Spivak, whose father owned the TLA (Theatre for the Living Arts) invited them to do a one-night gig in 1994 and the Bacon Brothers were launched. Their first album, released in 1997, was titled Forosoco, which describes their mix of folk, rock, soul, and country music.
For the band to succeed, Michael insisted that Kevin learn guitar. “I had to do a crash course in being able to actually get through the one set we did, sing and play,” remembers Kevin. “I was terrified. My knees were knocking. So even 30 years ago, I was already a pretty successful actor. It’s not like I hadn’t been in front of people. But singing your heartfelt song in front of people who haven’t heard it before, or don’t have any kind of connection to you as a musician, that’s a terrifying proposition,” says Kevin. He likens it to his experience in method acting classes, where students would “dissolve into a puddle of tears” when asked to sing something as simple as Happy Birthday.
Pictured Above: Bacon Brothers. Photo Credit: PSO Staff.
Kevin’s always been drawn to the rhythm, the groove of a song, “and I hope that my lyrics and melody will support something that makes you want to move and dance and clap along.” An example of that is “Put Your Hand Up” on their 2024 album Ballad of the Brothers and “She-Zee-Zee” on their 2020 album The Way We Love. “That [song] started with a drum loop, [and] a guitar lick that’s very accessible and fun,” says Kevin.
Michael loves playing the cello, which he learned when he was six. Two years later he learned the banjo, and other instruments after that. “We are now using [the cello] in about five songs. My favorite cello song is “Dark Chocolate Eyes” from their 2022 album Erato.
As to their song writing process, Kevin says that “most people think that I am the lyricist because there’s no way that I could write a melody. It’s really amazing to me, even after 30 years of having the band. People just assume that I write poems and Michael turns them into music.” Michael dispels that misconception when he describes their current process. “We sometimes do sit-down sessions with professional song writers, where we sit in a room for hours with complete strangers trying to peel off the bandaid that unlocks some intense feeling. When Kevin and I write together it’s more ‘here’s an idea, what do you think?’ He’s taken up to a year to get back to me but he always does,” says Michael with a brotherly barb.
The Bacon Brothers have always wanted to do more with their music than entertain. After they wrote the song “Philly Thing,” Michael thought they should try to put some kind of charitable component to the project. So they made a music video featuring popular Philly sites and figures, like the Eagles’ defensive end Brandon Graham. And they partnered with an organization called Rock to the Future that puts musical instruments into the hands of underserved kids.
“In the digital age, I love it if kids are making music and making beats,” says Kevin. “I have no problem with that. If they’re creating something musical. It’s also nice to hold something, an instrument, actually in your hands, and play around with it. This is a good, very grassroots Philly organization that works with kids,” some of whom appear in the video.
Circling back to their self-titled genre forosco, I ask Kevin if it still applies. “The songs that we talked about, ‘Put Your Hand Up,’ ‘Philly Thing,’ ‘She-Zee-Zee’—they all have a soul groove. I’m singing a song called ‘Digging,’ which I think I would call country. Michael has a beautiful song called ‘The Way We Love,’ which is a folk song. And we’ve got a lot of rockers.” There’s great variety in their setlists and in their instruments–including harmonica, auto harp, and ukelele—that they’ll draw on to perform The Bacon Brothers’ music.
Pictured Above: Rossen Milanov. Photo Credit: PSO Staff.
The finale of the 2026 Princeton Festival is the America at 250 Concert on June 21, Father’s Day and the Summer Solstice. Maestro Milanov will conduct the PSO in “American Fanfare,” a patriotic pops concert, which will feature Broadway star Julie Benko. She portrayed Fanny Bryce in Funny Girl and originated the role of Ruth Stern in Harmony. Beginning at 1:00 pm, the concert is a family-friendly event, where children of all ages and grandparents are invited to attend this program commemorating the United States semiquincentennial. It will include Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, Sousa marches, and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.
The Princeton Festival is running from June 5th to June 21st – find the performance schedule and get tickets at: princetonsymphony.org/festival
