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WESTERLY - Sunday's concert at the United Theatre - headlined by the Cowsills and Kara McKee - may be part nostalgia and part contemporary, but it will be a fully family affair.
"The Cowsills are a classic Rhode Island family band, and I'm in a family band from Rhode Island," said McKee, the 37-year-old daughter of Gov. Dan McKee who frequently performs with her cousins - sisters Carson and Emmery Brakee - and who was a contestant on NBC's popular singing competition "The Voice" last fall. "I'm excited to play at the United and excited to play with the Cowsills."
"Holy Mackerel," said Bob Cowsill on the telephone from California Monday afternoon. "When they asked us if the governor's daughter could be the opening act, I said we should be opening for her."
Cowsill, 73, an original member of the first iteration of the famous Cowsill family band - which he began in the 1960s in Newport with his brothers Bill and Barry - is now back together performing with siblings Paul and Susan and loving it.
"We're busy," said Cowsill, who spends as much time as he can in the Ocean State, visiting family and the high school friends he still keeps in touch with. "And we're really excited to be playing at the United."
"Flower power," he said. "We're still in the middle of it."
The three siblings also host "The Cowsill Podcast," a weekly show that features "fun, fun, fun, music, stories, guests, harmony, laughter and tomfoolery."
Nearly 30 years after their last family recording, the three siblings have a new album, "Rhythm of the World," on the Omnivore Recordings label, featuring 11 brand new songs, all written by the Cowsills. It will be officially released on April 22, this year's "Record Store Day," on green vinyl, he said, but available now on CD.
The real-life inspiration behind the hit television series " The Partridge Family," the Cowsills - siblings Bill, Bob, Barry, John, Susan, and Paul, along with with mom, Barbara - were one of the biggest pop acts of the late 1960s. They began their hit recording career with songs like "The Rain, The Park & Other Things," "Indian Lake" and "Hair."
"We were squeaky clean," said Cowsill with a laugh. "We were upbeat and happy."
Who wouldn't be, growing up in the Newport of the 1960s, he said as he recalled the days of his youth.
"We ran that island," he recalled with another laugh. "We had our bikes and our friends and we cut our teeth there. We were good."
The family band, which developed a reputation for being wholesome and happy, was part of the "Sunshine Pop school of rock 'n' roll" and were a staple of TV variety shows that were popular during the era.
"We were just a regular family," Cowsill said, recalling the era of "teen night clubs," like the Comic Strip and Dorian's on Bannister's Wharf, where they used to perform.
These days, he said, the Cowsills are happy to be reunited and performing together. Typically, after each show, he said, they like to hold "meet and greets" and visit with audience.
"Basically, it's really cool," he said. "We'll bring copies of our CDs and visit."
"I think it will be a nice afternoon," he added, "and we hope people come out and enjoy a nice time."
"Plus," he added, "we heard the governor is coming, which is exciting."
"My dad is really my biggest fan," said McKee, who is known for delivering "heartfelt stories punctuated with clear and dynamic vocals," according to Caswell Cooke, the president of the Misquamicut Business Association, who will emcee the event and who helped bring the musicians to Westerly.
"She draws on influences ranging from Lori McKenna to Yola to every one of the Traveling Wilburys," Cooke said in an email, adding that when McKee appeared on "The Voice" she earned a coveted spot on "Team Legend" with her rendition of Joni Mitchell's 'Woodstock' inspiring Blake Shelton to remark that she "tore down a wall by winning John Legend over with her folk rock / Americana style."
McKee, who recently decided to pause her career in finance to pursue her music career, said the McKee-Brakee family is a tight one whose members are mutually supportive.
Everyone in the family has worked on dad's campaigns over the years and everyone is supporting her decision to pursue her singing, dad, mom Susan, brother Matt, sister-in-law Laura, and brand-new niece Mabel included.
"They're all major music appreciators," she said. "My whole family."
While her experience on "The Voice" was "the thrill of a lifetime," she said, she's now ready to apply the lessons she's learned from her career in finance to her new career.
"I will always be proud of my daughter Kara and her gift to bring a crowd together when she gets up on stage and performs," said Gov. Dan McKee in an email Tuesday morning. "I'm thrilled she has the chance to share her voice with Rhode Islanders at her upcoming visit to the United Theatre."
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