Kiefer Sutherland at Irving Plaza

Kiefer Sutherland was born in London, England, the son of actors Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas. In 1968, he moved with his family moved to Corona, California, and in 1975, he relocated with his mother to Toronto, Ontario. A professional actor since the 1980s, he is perhaps best known for his role as Jack Bauer in the television series 24 (2001–2010, 2014), for which he won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Satellite Awards. Currently, he stars as President Tom Kirkman in the subscription series Designated Survivor. Sutherland was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Canada's Walk of Fame, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Zurich Film Festival. Sutherland is also a singer/songwriter. He released his second album, Reckless & Me, on April 26, 2019.

The audience tonight at Irving Plaza probably came to see a celebrity up close, and not so much to hear familiar songs performed live. Backed by guitarist Austin Vellejo, pianist Phillip Parlapiano, bassist Joseph De La O, and drummer Jessica Calcaterra, Sutherland also played guitar and breezed through a set of mostly original country-lite, blues-rock, and even a few riff-rocking compositions. Singing through a slightly raspy, whiskey-soaked voice, his projection was emotive and his lyrics were engaging. He allowed for intimacy by sharing personal anecdotes about his family and his life that inspired his lyrics. The between-song insights were perhaps his strongest point, as he proved to be a candid storyteller. For instance, he introduced "Saskatchewan" by explaining that he wrote the lyrics while on a plane to Toronto after his mother had another stroke, as he expressed his fear of losing her. This was not Jack Bauer, President Tom Kirkman, or any of the other characters Sutherland has portrayed, this was a non-fiction Kiefer Sutherland, candid and for real. These revealing tales were far more memorable than the songs, which for the most part sounded fairly standard. Thanks to the band, the lively program jumped with a rowdy juke-joint spirit, but Sutherland will need more experience writing and performing before he will be appreciated as more than a celebrity with a guitar.