After the Christmas holidays, you’d expect a lull in Irish-y activities. Guess again.
Start tonight at 6 by joining First Fridays with Round Tower at Hanrahan’s Irish Pub, 690 Burmont Road in Drexel Hill. It’s a nice long happy hour—it lasts ‘til 9—with a terrific band.
Meanwhile, at Philadelphia’s Irish Center (the Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center), 6815 Emlen Street in Mount Airy, you can join the First Friday traditional Irish music session, starting at 8 p.m. If you play an Irish instrument, by all means drop in. (Learners and beginners welcome—the first hour is the “slow session.”) Even if you don’t know one end of a tin whistle from the other, it’s still a great opportunity to visit and listen in.
On Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m., join the Delco Gaels for a Night at the Races. It takes place at J.D. McGillicuddy’s, 8919 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby. It costs $30. Proceeds benefit the Gaels’ girls and boys 2019 Feile teams’ trip to Ireland. There’ll be a raffle, too.
Sunday the 6th, the Scottish and Irish folk band Skerryvore pops into the Philadelphia Folk Song Society, 6156 Ridge Avenue in Philly. They might be a little (or a lot) more Scottish than Irish, but a Celt is a Celt. They’re twice winners of Scotland’s traditional live music act of the year. They’ve played alongside the likes of the immortal Dougie MacLean, Capercaille, and Irish musician Sharon Shannon. Doors open at 7. Ticket info here.
Lankum, a traditional four-piece folk group from Dublin, is in concert at Sellersville Theater Wednesday the 9that 8 p.m. The band features four-part vocal harmonies paired with arrangements of uilleann pipes, concertina, Russian accordion, fiddle and guitar. They’re known for humorous Dublin music hall tunes and street songs, classic traveler ballads, traditional Irish and American dance tunes and their own original work. Sellersville Theater is at 24 West Temple Avenue in Sellersville. More details and ticket information here. Doors open at 7:30.
On January 10th, tune up your vocal chords and join the 2nd Thursday Monthly Singers Session at 7:30 p.m. at the Irish Center. The session is free and hosted by the Jameson Sisters. You can do your party piece or, of course, just listen in. Bring a snack to share if you like.
Friday the 11th, members of the John Byrne Band will perform at The Living Room at 35 East in Ardmore. The show is from 8 to 11 p.m.
Also Friday night, the Seamus Egan Project takes the stage at a terrific venue, the Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street in Doylestown. The show starts at 8 p.m. Space is limited. Preregistration is strongly advised. Seamus Egan, of course, is the longtime front man and extremely talented multi-instrumentalist for the Irish traditional supergroup Solas. Details and ticket info here.
That’s all the news fit to print. Get out there and be Irish or be square.
