How to Be Irish in Philly

Time to get in the Christmas spirit!

One way to do it safely: Check out Facebook live concerts all this week, sponsored by Irish Music Magazine. We’ll tell you about a few of them.

Friday, December 11

Locally-based Celtic roots band RUNA has a new album out, “The Tide of Winter.” We’ve heard it, and you should, too. It’ll put you in the Christmas spirit like nobody’s business. Fortunately, you can get a sneak preview tonight with the band’s virtual release party on Facebook, presented by Irish Music Magazine. The show starts at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/748170932447035

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We’re baaaaa-aaaaaaaack!!!

All website woes finally resolved and ready to tell you where to go.

Wait a minute … that might have come out wrong.

Kind of a lean week, but given the circumstances, perfectly understandable. Just about everything has been pushed online these days.

Nevertheless, no reason not to be Irish, is there? 

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Every edition of “How to Be Irish” is an opportunity to celebrate your heritage, but this week even more so, as you can delve into what, in Irish terms, might seem like relatively recent history. You can also dig into your own family story.

Here’s what’s up.

Friday, October 30

Frank Daly of Jamison Celtic Rock takes the stage at Gaul & Co. Malt House, 704 Huntingdon Pike in Rockledge, starting at 5 p.m. A great venue, and a crowd-pleasing musician. Live music is still a rarity—at least not as common as you’d like—so support this performance if you can.

If you’re not out and about and you’d like to indulge your taste for live Irish music, the great Mary Courtney is back with a show live on Facebook. Will she ever run out of tunes? Not likely. Is there any end to her talent? Not really. Anyway, check out her tunes here, starting at 6 p.m.: https://www.facebook.com/MorningStarBand/. She’ll be accepting tips, too, so chip in.

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Looking for a Covid-safe dinner out? Hoping to catch some live Irish tunes? Want to catch up on your Irish history?

This is the week for all of the above and more.

Here’s the deal:

Friday, October 23

Jamison Celtic Rock takes the stage outdoors at Sweeney’s Philly, 13639 Philmont Avenue, starting at 6 p.m. If you’re looking for live music, Jamison won’t disappoint.

Saturday, October 24

If you love the Screaming Orphans—we’ve seen them many times—they’re back with a Facebook Live concert starting at 5 p.m. Check it out here. (And if you haven’t seen them, do … they’re a party.)

Sunday, October 25

Caitlin Finley and Will Woodson resume their Facebook Live cocktail hour and a half, Sunday at 5 p.m. Watch it here. You can also watch it on YouTube. We’ve written about Caitlin and Will recently. Be sure to catch their wonderful traditional Irish tunes.

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Here’s another week with a nice mix of virtual and in-person events.

Let’s get to it:

Friday, October 16

Irish singer Mary Courtney is back with her weekly concert, streaming live to Facebook, tonight at 6 p.m. Tune in here: https://www.facebook.com/MorningStarBand/

Also, kicking off at 7 p.m., it’s Friday Night Virtual Bingo hosted by the Tyrone Society of Philadelphia. (And every Friday night through November 20, FYI.) For $10 per night, you get to play five games of bingo. Cash prizes are based on how many people sign up to play. All the details are here.

Saturday, October 17

Grab your Irish traditional musical instrument and join a Mid-Tempo Virtual Irish Session hosted by Matt and Shannon Heaton. Meant for tune learners and second instrument players, this session kicks off at 2 p.m. Details here.

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There’s a pretty fair amount of live music in the area this week.

Without further ado …

Friday, October 9

You can catch Jamison Celtic Rock live in concert at Nick’s Roast Beef, 4501 Woodhaven Road in Northeast Philly, starting at 6 p.m.

Also tonight, at 6 p.m., the wondrous Irish singer Mary Courtney streams live again on Facebook. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/MorningStarBand.

One quick note … “Heart of Camden: The Story of Father Michael Doyle,” a pop-up drive-in movie scheduled for Cooper’s Poynt Park in Camden, N.J., is now sold out.

Saturday, October 10

The Shantys, one of the area’s favorite paddy rock bands, takes the stage at Palmer Square & McCarter Theatre Center’s “Fall Music on the Square” in the heart of Princeton, N.J., starting at 12 noon.

And … another live performance. This time, it’s John Byrne performing solo at Oktoberfest, at Kelly Center for Music, Arts, and Community, 4 East Eagle Road in Havertown, starting at 3:45 p.m.

Can’t get there? No worries. The tunes will also be streamed live on Facebook.

To watch on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/KellyCenterMusicArtsCommunity/

Saturday, October 17

The Jamison Duo performs at the New Deck Tavern, 3408 Sansom Street in University City. The show starts at 7 p.m.

And that’s it for this week. Please stay safe, and we’ll see you next time.

It’s a big week for Philly’s Irish, with a fair amount of in-person activities—a welcome respite, we’re sure.

Here’s what’s up:

Friday, October 2

Two events tonight; one virtual, one not.

First, there’s the virtually famous Raymond Coleman, showing up at Dooney’s Pub & Restaurant, 154 NJ-73 in the Cedar Hill Shopping Center, Voorhees, N.J., starting at 6 p.m. A guaranteed good time.

On Facebook, check out the wonderful Irish singer Mary Courtney, also starting at 6 p.m. Tune in at https://www.facebook.com/MorningStarBand.

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We don’t have a full week of events, but, hey, the weekend itself is packed with stuff to help you get into an Irish state of mind.

Here’s what’s on.

Friday, September 25

Maggie’s Boots—the talented trio of fiddler Hollis Payer, accordionist Rob Curto and cellist Melissa Brun—will host an online concert, starting at 7 p.m. Donations via PayPal and Venmo happily accepted. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/MaggiesBoots/live_videos

Also tonight, Country Dance New York hosts “The Queens of Harps,” a special Zoom concert featuring Tomoko Sugawara and Philly own Ellen Tepper, who will showcase harp music “spanning centuries of repertoire, both familiar and exotic.” It all starts at 7 p.m. Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2827792844130622

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