Today, Om and I went to the Michigan Irish Music Festival in Muskegon.
![Irish music festival](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RLLKpBELmVvhXTdunTFLLOh1Y7n8zZBeaSRxNz7JCV95_XxWY3rqluQr4KGXsaETyy5ineBcjuXxD8xK8P0MpnCGEoGBVVo4uEg7WHYXscDCpRkaZbiHUsHLQ2bQ4k-Y8FnO_iGtsy0/s1600/irishfestival01.jpg)
We managed to catch two full shows and a little bit of a third. First we listened to Gasta, two guys who are actually from towns near us. They were on the "second stage," but are destined to become better known, I think. They have a nice varied repertoire. The drummer sings, and plays several instruments, and the fiddler can really play. He did Devil's Dream and he did it really well.
![Irish music Gasta](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkgj6iD4rZCJ9AlupBAcXtOVszRWs4zTxiCCY6e-FqaVg6jaPvlFuzKyTtrT2Fs9NqUxlsHr3h0XqKgmxeolqWo5eJ_xY6xv2XbtjxIp47MuTW9cKDQ-TxMvw8iyOaXNkKDJCu7YOOrE/s1600/irishfestival02.jpg)
Then we caught one of the top bands, We Banjo 3, from Galway, Ireland. They were very funny, starting with a joke about what was obviously a major flaw in their name (they have four members, and they begin with two banjos, a guitar, and a fiddle).
![Irish music We Banjo 3](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pYiZd3rMiXCvO09HqVkddRVhvOY-08lfk0s4Mi-UkeLHIxatD1oM7_BvrMuJv46pNxSgG7VdJW10EgtWyYkoW5dt04WyNvOJxnRLP7B2YAe0BdmJYWCbOl1xJhWHA2Q9Fzsbibe1i0M/s1600/irishfestival03.jpg)
We thought the food options there would be seriously overpriced, but they were ok, so I had a corned beef sandwich and Om had a banger on a bun (which was a brat, and someone said wasn't very authentic). The food was good, and our only real complaint was that the only condiment was plain yellow mustard.
Kennedy & Kennedy; John & Seamus played in one of the smaller tents. Seamus is originally from Ireland, but has been in the US for a long time, and does a combination of Irish, American Folk, and humor. We only heard their last two numbers. One of them was a folk type song poking fun at current television shows, and ending with the line "We need more Andy Griffith and a lot less Jersey Shore." This really resonated with the mostly over 50 audience.
![Irish music John & Seamus](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTenPY-KqExZ1ayo1vI_TePrFIS6hmECu-uS0HiESZrIHJOGHLhKMjcj2-B2vBFNFOjRtfAtkmA1ZNdijbnXdPicR9CTSSNugTbr88vYjfrEHeyjfC2t2r_uANoU0z_FciKVPleHWRiU/s1600/irishfestival04.jpg)
Om would have gladly stayed longer, and there was a band later with an accordion, which attracted me, but I was falling asleep on my feet, so we left.
We also watched part of a small Highland Games event. That needs its own post. Stay tuned. If not tomorrow, soon.
Fun day.
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6 comments:
That sounds like fun and from that first picture it looks like it was a beautiful day for it too.
Looks like a fun concert.
Oh, I'll bet that was great fun! It sounds like a pretty fantastic day … I mean, aside from the condiment choice(s).
The stamina, she wanes. ;-)
How wonderful your Irish Festival sounds. We have many ethnic events like that in San Francisco and I always enjoy them.
I do love folk festivals. The best one I ever went to was in Sidmouth, Devon (England, of course). It was a week long international one with special camp sites. Perhaps I should write a post about it. Thanks for the inspiration.
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