Fresh off tour with the Wallflowers, Michael McDermott brings Irish folk-rock to UA Mall

When Michael McDermott put out his first record nine years ago, he had stars in his eyes and a smile on his face.

Touted by critics as a powerful lyricist with the voice of Bruce Springsteen and the flavor of Bob Dylan, McDermott looked up at a mountain of expectations and prepared to climb.

McDermott, however, was not prepared for the treacherous path that lay before him. Although featured on "Entertainment Tonight" and MTV, his first album went nowhere, and with it, the public acclaim that he said he so badly desired.