The High Kings.
By Colleen Taylor
Having spent St. Patrick’s Day in about 10 different cities and countless different music venues, it remains my firm conviction that the best place to hear Irish music on March 17 is New York City. It’s as if the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem set a precedent back in 1963 when they played Carnegie Hall on St. Patrick’s Day. Ever since, March in New York City means the best of Irish bands are in town. The year 2016 is no different. If you weren’t lucky enough to grab tickets to see the Chieftains’ St. Patrick’s Day Concert at Town Hall on March 12, do not fear—your options are far from closed. Here’s a preview of where you can hear some of the best live Irish music you’ll hear all year long.
The High Kings are the best thing in Irish folk music today. These four musicians have reinvigorated the folk tradition of their parents and grandparents with finesse, passion, and originality. With each show they play, each album they produce, the band manages to safeguard the folk music tradition while forwarding something unique of their own creation. Not to mention, they are absolutely fabulous live. You won’t stop grinning the entire show—except, maybe, when their gorgeous, harmonious version of “Red Is the Rose” has you welling up. All this means Long Island is in for a treat next week. The Kings are stopping off in New York for one show only this March, at Sacred Heart Basilica in Southampton. Of all the places all over the globe they’ve played, the Kings have chosen to follow the legacy of band member Finbarr Clancy’s father and uncles and spend their St. Patrick’s Day in New York. See what I mean about New York’s Irish music luck? If you can make it out to the Island, it is definitely work the trip.
You might prefer a more pop and rock sound to accompany your pint. If that’s the case, you’ll be driving north of the city to Pearl River. Celtic Cross will be playing Dexter Plaza in Pearl River, NY on St. Patrick’s night. This band sounds better each year, and their most recent album, “Saoirse’s Heart,” should make New York natives proud. It’s a true testament to the cultural richness of Irish-America, and Irish New York specifically. It’s doesn’t get more Irish in New York than Celtic Cross on St. Patrick’s Day.
Long-time rocker Larry Kirwan of the former Black 47 will be jamming out in New York on St. Patrick’s Day as well. He will play a familiar venue, BB King’s, but this time he’ll be joined by some surprising guests. Former Black 47 member Chris Byrne’s urban/trad band the Lost Tribe of Donegal will take the stage, as will Kirwan’s son, a pop artist who goes by Rory K.
A younger generation is stirring up some celebratory buzz this March. All-female trad band from Pearl River, Girsa, have been charming audiences in the New York tri-state area for a few years now. This March they are teaming up with newcomers the Narrowbacks, a group of New York lads who know how to have fun with Irish music. I met the Narrowbacks a couple months ago in Boston, and I could sense—behind their jokes—an ambition to make a stir in the Irish-American music scene. It seems like they’re going after that goal this March 17. The Narrowbacks and Girsa will team up to play the New York nightclub Webster Hall, showing Irish cultural celebration to be as hip and young as it ever was. I can anticipate the kind of energy that the Saw Doctors used to bring to a big New York venue like Webster 10 years ago or so. Clearly, the New York Irish music tradition has not failed to regenerate.
If you’re stuck in the office on St. Patrick’s Day, there is musical hope for after the holiday too. The one and only fiddling superstar Eileen Ivers will be playing a show in New Jersey, at the Newton Theater, on Friday, March 25. Or, you could always take a road trip to Pittsburgh to catch the Chieftains with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Heinz Hall St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
No matter what you choose for your celebrations, I can promise, there’s no better place to be Irish on March 17 than New York.
Lá fhéile shona Pádraig dhaoibh! / Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all, and thanks—as always—for reading!
Colleen Taylor writes the Music Notes column each week in the Irish Echo.
