Thursday, March 17 is the day designated as St. Patrick’s Day, and even though Springfield and other places may have celebrated with gusto last Saturday, many folks still call this the real deal. With the election primaries over and spring coming right around the bend, there are many reasons to celebrate this weekend.
For your last gasp of Celtic-infused music during the 2016 St. Pat’s season, be on the lookout (use your ears) for members of the St. Andrew’s Society of Central Illinois as pipers, drummers and dancers spread out across the city to commemorate the day. They start early (I saw a poster for a 9 a.m. appearance at D’Arcy’s Pint on Thursday) and stay late (at 8 p.m. one group plays Lime Street Cafe and the other the Celtic Mist Pub). Visit the St. Andrew’s Society website at http://centralillinoiscelts. com for a complete schedule and venues.
For those of you confused with the profusion of things associated with Scotland on what is generally considered a day to celebrate Irish heritage, Bill Rogers, the revered and respected “grandpa” of the St. Andrew’s Society (father of Beth Ogilvy and father-in-law of Tommy Ogilvy of the popular local dance-and-music studio), explained things to me once as I was carelessly poking fun at all the Scots out on the day of the Irish. It’s all about the connection of the seven Celtic nations, which includes Ireland and Scotland (see if you can name the other five without relying on electronic sources of knowledge). So what was once a more pure Irish-American tradition (St. Patrick’s Day celebrations can be traced to the mid-1700s in America) melded through time into a rousing party for Celtic heritage in general. As far as I can tell, people of all ethnicities enjoy participating in those delightful pastimes of music and libation so honored by Celtic folks and many other citizens of the world.
Live music performances on Thursday night receive a pleasant boost from the St. Pat’s Day festivities. You can get your Celtic fusion on as The Emerald Underground “Irishes” it up at Lime Street Cafe starting at 7, or choose Mulligan Munro playing Irish-Americana music at 1854 Wine Pub at Daisy’s on the square in Pawnee from 6 to 9. Back Pack Jones brings the blues into The Alamo at 6 for the James Armstrong Presents showcase while The Casey Cantrall Trio with John Brillhart takes the stage at Brewhaus around 7. Brandy Kristin and the Revival rev up The Curve Inn (6 to 10) and the Jason Wells Band does it well at Charlie R’s starting at 7. Mississippi Leprechaun (that’s Leghound during the rest of the year) gets musically delicious at Trails End Saloon in Curran and Joel Honey plays it sweet at Boone’s Saloon.
On Friday evening at Robbie’s, Skibbereen gives us the last of the Celtic sounds for the season. Moving on, F5 resurrects contemporary pop at The Curve Inn starting at 6 and The Hitmen hit the hits of many ages at Long Bridge Golf Course Clubhouse from 7 to 11. The Motorvators motorvate pop-punk-rock at George Rank’s, 7 to 10, as Randy Charles Band lays it down at Craft Beer Bar, 8 to 11. Juke House jumps the blues at Lime Street at 8, while Lick Creek countrifyrocks the Blue Grouch at 8 as well. Robert Sampson plays award-winning blues music at Walnut Street Winery at 8:30 and Sleeping Dogzz awake to rock at Weebles at 6 p.m.
The list goes on and on and on for Saturday and Sunday with extra gigs at unusual places and the usual at many spots. See you there.
Contact Tom Irwin at [email protected].
