Every Friday night we smooth our way into the weekend with music, the universal language. These selections demonstrate that despite what is being passed off as art today, there is plenty of really good music available. Come along and enjoy. 

We’re one week away from St. Patrick’s Day. Annual St. Patrick’s Parade in downtown Milwaukee is Saturday at noon. Daughter Kyla will be there marching with the Franklin-based Glencastle Irish Dancrs.
Love doing Irish music blogs during the year. And this exciting installment will surely please, guaranteed to get you into the Irish mood.

Let’s get rollin’.

We open with a band that was formed on a lark in 1996 in the basement of a Boston barbershop and became popular thanks to their Irish influenced brand of Oi! punk anthems.

What the hell is Oi! Punk?

Oi! is punk rock that began in the United Kingdom in the late 1970’s that was intended to bring together  punks, skinheads, and disaffected blue-collar youth. Guitarist Steve Kent of the group “The Business” said Oi! was a reaction to the early punk rockers he descried as “trendy university people using long words, trying to be artistic…and losing touch.”

Ken Casey plays bass for the Dropkick Murphys that was created in that Boston barbershop basement.

“We’re a punk band, but out roots are in Irish folk.”

Our first selection was released in 2005. The band did a take on a folk song written by Woody Guthrie about a sailor who loses his leg in a bizarre rigging accident, and now he’s shipping off to Boston to find his wooden leg. 

This is the instrumental version. Songfacts calls it “A rousing anthem that works like musical adrenaline, the song has spread to stadiums across the nation when the home team is looking to pump up the crowd.”

In August 2019, WVCB Channel 5 Boston recorded the Murphys performing this song in the front yard of Quinn Waters, a three-year-old boy quarantined in his Boston home while recovering from surgery for a brain tumor.

Dropkick Murphys will perform live at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena after the Milwaukee Admirals game against the Tucson Roadrunners tomorrow, Saturday, March 11^th, at 6:00 pm. The concert is free to attend with a ticket to the game. In addition, a limited number exclusive on-ice passes are on sale. The on-ice passes allow exclusive access to watch the concert from directly in front of the stage. On-ice passes need to be purchased in addition to a game ticket.

NEXT, Flying Feet is an authentic Irish Music, Song & Dance show with a world champion troupe of Irish Dancers & 100% Live Band Direct from Ireland.

Great music, dancing, and video here, a real Irish treat. Recorded in 2020.

Hard to find out more about this show on social media. They are scheduled to be in Germany next month.

“The Quiet Man” starring the legendary John Wayne featured a famous melody. Time for a twin spin. First, the oldest college band in the United States, followed by the late Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

“The Rakes of Mallow.” Irish song. Irish polka. Are we talking the tool used to clear leaves? No way.

Rake is short for rakehell, defining a fellow of severely dubious character. Originally a rake combined riotous living with intellectual and artistic pursuits.

“Beauing, belling, dancing, drinking, Breaking windows, cursing, sinking Every raking, never thinking, Live the Rakes of Mallow.”

Here comes another gem.The Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland (CBOI) was established in 1995 as a peace initiative and is composed of over 100 exceptionally talented young musicians from all over Ireland and Northern Ireland.

WOW! That was mighty good stuff!

And that’s it for this week.

Goodnight.

Sleep well.

Have a great weekend and Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Our family’s excitement is growing daily. And it’s not only because St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching.

We’re heading to Ireland next month for a weeklong tour with the famous award-winning Irish family band, The Bryne Brothers. We met them backstage a few years ago at La Crosse Irish Fest and have become good friends. They put on a super show.