Kev

When I say I am going to Irish Fest, a lot of people just stare at me blankly. Irish Fest is a irish fest. It is an event put in Milwaukee where some of the best, and some of the upcoming, Irish bands come and perform at outdoor pavilions right along Lake Michigan. The time is full of good music, crazy Irish people, greasy Culver’s burgers, beer for those who drink, and my shave-ices (similar to sno-cones).There were a few bands we saw this year, including:

• Liz Carroll and John Doyle: This duet represents some of the finest Irish music ever produced and ever played. Both musicians are at the top of their class, and it’s the highest class. In terms of musicians and technique, it does not get any better than Liz and John. And what’s unfortunate is that we heard them first, so the rest of the day was a bummer in terms of good music. But that’s ok, they were so amazing that they made the three or more hour drive (thanks to traffic) worth it.
• Leahy: The second band we saw was a band called Leahy. They are composed of quite a number of people, and have a different style than most traditional Irish bands. For example, instead of the classic fiddle, bodhrán (Irish drum), Uilleann pipes, Irish tin whistle, and guitar, they had a different mix of instruments: bass, drum set, fiddle, piano, and guitar. But they had a great groove and after purchasing some of their music, I have come to rather enjoy them.
• Scythian: Though famous, I did not like this band. They were composed of a drummer, a guitarist, a bassist, and a fiddle player. However, they had little technique, and they won the crowd by trying to make Irish music rap music. It didn’t work.
• Frogwater: We ended the night watching a group called Frogwater, with a guitarist, a bodhrán player, and a fiddle lead. While their traditional style was certainly more enjoyable than Scythian, their music lacked a uniqueness such as evident in the incredible work of Solas, Flook, Lunasá, La Bottine Souriante, Liz Carroll, and John Doyle.

For anyone who has not checked out Irish Fest in Milwaukee, I think you should indulge yourself in a terrific evening at Irish Fest Milwaukee 2008.