BAND SPOTLIGHT | The Tossers

Boasting the largest population of Irish descendents in the Midwest, Chicago’s a good place to come from if your thing is playing Irish music. That’s exactly the case for The Tossers, a south side, Windy City, six-piece, punk-folk Celtic band featuring Tony “T.” Duggins (vocals, songwriting, mandolin), Rebecca Manthe (fiddle), Bones (drums), Peter Muschong (bass), Aaron Duggins (Irish whistle) and Mike Pawula (guitar). First formed in 1993, some years before bands considered stalwarts of the stateside folk-punk industry, like Flogging Molly or the Dropkick Murphys, got rolling, The Tossers came together through the vision of T. Duggins to play the music of his Irish heritage. From performing original compositions and folk standards, the band made its way onto the Chicago-based label, Victory Records, establishing themselves as a premier Irish act in the area. Currently they’re on a 2015 “Paddy’s Day Tour” that begins this weekend, winds through the country heading south and culminates with three days at sea on Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise out of Miami heading to the Bahamas loaded down with Irish bands.