You’ll kick up your heels at the Philly Fleadh this Saturday.
Are you feeling the excitement? I am. There are two great music events this weekend. I think we should mash them together and call them the Irish Woodstock, but without all the rain, mud, and bad acid.
On Saturday, it’s the Philadelphia Fleadh (pronounced “flah”—in Irish, many letters are silent) which was moved two weeks ago from its original Pennypack Park location to Cherokee Festival Grounds, 1 Declaration Drive, in Bensalem.
Jamison Celtic Rock’s Frank Daly and CJ Mills, who make up the production company American Paddy’s Productions, have brought in a stellar lineup of performers, incuding the Mahones. They’re an Irish punk band from Canada that’s been around for two decades and have some serious awards under their belts (Best Punk Album for “The Black Irish” from the Independent Music Awards) and even some cinema cred (if you saw the Academy Award-winning movie “The Fighter” with Mark Wahlberg, you heard them in the climactic fight scene). Even if you think you don’t like punk rock, you’re probably going to enjoy it with a little Irish seasoning. Trust me.
Also on the bill, our own homegrown (well, via Dubin) John Byrne Band; Raymond Coleman (stolen from Tyrone); the wickedly funny and musically talented Seamus Kennedy; the high-energy Kilmaine Saints; two bands that never seem to take a break, The Broken Shillelaghs and the Birmingham Six; Killen-Clark (wait till you hear Kim Killen sing—she’ll give you goosebumps); Jamison Celtic Rock, of course; and a host of trad performers including All-Ireland winner Alex Weir with accordion player Mikey McComiskey.
Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, a worldwide organization dedicated to promoting Irish music and culture, will be hosting a ceili at 1 and 3 PM so you’ll get your chance to do some traditional Irish dancing. (Never done it before? Ask them to do the Siege of Ennis—even I can do that one.)
And to complete the Irish experience, there will be a feis (pronounced “fesh”—in Irish, sometimes letters are also missing)which is a competition of Irish stepdancers. It’s open to all dancers.
There are also vendors selling both merchandise, food, soft drinks, and beer.
Tickets are $30 at the door. For more information, go to the Fleadh site. To see last year’s fun, look at the photos below.
By the way, May 2 has been designated “Mayo Day,” so if you see someone from Mayo, give them a big hug and a kiss.
Part two of the Irish Woodstock is on Sunday at Marty Magee’s Pub in Prospect Park. Musicians including John Byrne, Galway Guild, Mary Malone and Den Vykopal, Paraic Keane, Vince Gallagher and Robbie Furlong, Diarmuid MacSuibhne, Mike Fahy, Scott McClatchy and more will be playing everything from folk to rock to trad to raise money for the Sunday Irish radio shows on WTMR 800AM. Listen here on Sunday from 11 AM to 1 PM. Radio host Marianne MacDonald is queen of the raffle baskets so there will lots of great prizes, guaranteed. A recent on-air fundraiser brought in more than $10,000 for the shows which the hosts, including Vince Gallagher, pay for themselves. (Nah, nobody’s getting rich promoting Irish culture except maybe Bono.)
If neither of these events piques your interest (so, what are you doing reading this?), you might be intrigued by Belfast-born Keith Getty, a Christian singer-songwriter, who will be performing at a free luncheon at Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr on Saturday, May 2, from noon to 2 PM. One lucky attendee will win two tickets to see Keith and wife Kristyn’s debut at the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall (yes, they can fill it) as part of their “Joy: a Christmas Tour” this year.
Also on Sunday, there’s a beef-and-beer fundraiser at the Philadelphia Ballroom in Philadelphia for John Sweeney, a physical therapist who traces his ancestry to Tyrone and Donegal, and who is struggling to regain his mobility after life-altering spinal surgery. The proceeds will help ease the financial burden of his ongoing rehabilitation.
Do a good thing on Sunday. There’s an Irish Tay-Sachs screening at 3 PM at the Haverford YMCA in Havertown. Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia is conducting a study on the prevalence of genetic markers for this deadly disease that strikes babies in people of Jewish, French Canadian, and Irish descent. There have been three cases of Tay-Sachs in the Philadelphia area, all children born to parents of Irish heritage who carry the gene. I got tested. It doesn’t hurt and it could help others avoid the heartache of losing a child little by little to this terrible disease.
On Tuesday, there’s a special Irish tribute to Philadelphia Councilman Bobby Henon (he’s Johnny-on-the-spot for many Irish wants and needs in the city) at the FOP Lodge #5 in Northeast Philadelphia. There will be food, drinks, and entertainment. Someone needs to play some Mummers’ music that evening. I saw him strut with St. Patrick’s Day Parade Director Michael Bradley at the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick dinner-dance this year, and he is quite the dancer.
On Wednesday, genealogist Frank Southcott (a specialist in Chester County history) will be conducting a workshop on searching for your Irish ancestors at the Bethlehem Public Library between 6:30 and 8 PM.
Then, on Thursday, bingo! The Young Ireland Gaelic Football Club is sponsoring a night of bingo to help raise money for the club. Prizes are co-ed so guys, don’t be afraid. You won’t be playing for purses. It’s at the Highland Park Firehouse in Upper Darby.
Check our calendar for more details and check back during the week for late-breaking events. We’re adding to the calendar just about every day.
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