Irish Fest: A Preview of the City’s Best Music Festival

Another Summerfest is in the books, and though it is undoubtedly Milwaukee’s biggest music festival, I feel the city’s best summer music festival is on the horizon. Since 1981, Irish Fest has brought a staggering array of Celtic music performers to the Summerfest grounds; this year’s festival takes place Aug. 14-17.

Year in and year out, Jane Anderson, Ed & Chuck Ward, Barry Stapleton, and their associates bring in a great Celtic smorgasbord of musical talent, mixing past Fest favorites with new acts, many making their American debut, and this year is no exception. They also make sure many local and regional acts enjoy the spotlight in this penultimate Celtic showcase. This year, Cé, Baal Tinne, Leahy’s Luck, and Bay View’s own Frogwater are just a smattering of the talented local performers well worth checking out.

This year is also notable for the welcome return of a number of acts noticeably absent from the Fest for a few years.

My Recommendations
Solas Since forming over a decade ago, Seamus Egan, Winnie Horan & Co. have gone on to become arguably America’s greatest Celtic ensemble. Their dazzling virtuosity and interplay will leave you breathless. Like most of the Irish Fest headliners, they will play several times during the Fest. With bands of Solas’ caliber, you really can’t get enough of them, and realizing that, the bands usually mix up the repertoire at each performance.

Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul This founding member of Cherish the Ladies and original cast member of the worldwide phenomenon known as Riverdance, this fiddling dervish brings all her skills to bear in her band’s high-energy show. Don’t be surprised to see some award-winning Irish dancers on stage with her. And, your singing voice will be required as audience participation is a must.

Saw Doctors No prompting is necessary with this veteran rock band, as virtually every song is a sing-along. Ireland’s answer to Cheap Trick headlines a showcase of acts based in County Galway, many making their U.S. debut. Get ready to ride the N17!

Omagh Community Youth Choir During Irish Fest 1998, a terrorist bomb ripped through a shopping mall in Omagh, Northern Ireland. Several people were killed and scores more injured, and it cast a dark cloud over the final day of that year’s fest. But out of that tragedy came the formation of this choir, which brought Catholic and Protestant youth together and ably demonstrates the positive energy created when young people unite for a common purpose. The group marks its 10th anniversary with a triumphant return to Irish Fest, where they will perform alongside the Irish Fest Youth Choir. I sure hope their great rendition of Elvis Costello’s “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding” is still in their set list!

Gaelic Storm And last, but certainly not least, what Irish Fest would be complete without the world’s (well, certainly Milwaukee’s) favorite Irish party band? Since their legendary 1998 Irish Fest debut (their first gig outside their home base of Santa Monica, Calif., and hot on heels of their memorable appearance in Titanic), the rollicking ensemble continues to pack ’em in at every Fest appearance, regardless of the weather. They will be performing at the Miller Lite Oasis. Expect overflow crowds at all three of their Fest shows.

More information can be found at irishfest.org. So, get “jiggy with it” and head for Irish Fest!

NOW HEAR THESE!

Gaelic Storm, What’s The Rumpus? Just in time for their Irish Fest appearance is the band’s spankin’ new CD. It’s a new batch of the party anthems that have made them Fest staples, with some mellow tunes included to allow you to catch your breath. Typical of the album’s offerings is the set closer, a ditty called “The Night I Punched Russell Crowe.” The band says it’s based on a true story, so who am I to argue?

Les Paul’s House of Sound at Discovery World…The recent opening of the Harley-Davidson Museum got plenty of coverage, but that museum will be a permanent fixture on the Milwaukee landscape, while this must-see for music fans will only be around till December. So don’t let this unprecedented opportunity to see artifacts from one of the key figures in pop music history get away. Among the many items in the “Wizard of Waukesha’s” cache are prototypes of devices that have become essential in the creation of popular music worldwide. And here’s a tip…Bring a ticket stub from any 2008 festival held at Maier Festival Park between now and Sept. 7 and get a $4 discount on your admission.

Rolling Stones, Shine A Light DVD…This concert film, directed by Martin Scorsese from the band’s 2006 gigs at New York’s magnificent Beacon Theatre, ranks among the very best rock films ever. The band is pumped (never has cancer survivor Charlie Watts received more face time onscreen), and the camerawork (utilizing the roving remote control cameras used on NFL telecasts) is dazzling. Add a set list peppered with songs rarely performed onstage by the Stones (many from their 1972 classic Exile on Main Street), and you have a film that’s really a celebration of the Stones’ longevity and vitality. Unfortunately, this well-reviewed film was not seen by too many locally upon its April release, unless you fled to the suburban megaplex that showed it. That situation is now remedied by its DVD release, a worthy addition to any music video collection.

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