There was a moment, just after intermission at their concert Saturday night, when members of the Irish band Danú took to the Zellerbach Theatre stage wearing the kinds of tacky Irish hats you might otherwise see on the street at the Wildwood Irish Festival.
The stunt got a good laugh and they proceeded to play a set of tunes while wearing the headgear—picture box player Benny McCarthy with a tatty leprechaun beard and guitarist Donal Clancy with an undersized green plastic derby. And that’s as green-beer Irish as the band was ever going to get as they presented two hours of solidly traditional Irish music, played with passion and consummate skill.
Zellerbach certainly is capable of handling large crowds, but the theatre somehow comes across as small and cozy. Consequently, the concert at times felt more like an intimate Irish music session—albeit played by musicians who are among the best in their field.
Lead singer Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh was in great voice. Her strong, smoky alto stands in contrast to the breathy sopranos who seem to front most other bands. She knows how to deliver a song, from the sublime (Tommy Sands’ “The County Down”) to the wonderfully ridiculous (“Only 19 Years Old,” a tale of regret told from the standpoint of a young man whose blushing bride turns out to have more in common with the Bride of Frankenstein).
Nic Amhlaoibh also is a master of the flute and whistle, and she gamely jumped between one and the other all night.
Of course, all of the members of Danú are acknowledged masters. Along with Clancy and McCarthy, bouzouki player Eamon Doorley and fiddler Oisin McAuley (brilliant on a “Breton Lullabye”) all provided shining moments.
Sitting in on bodhran was Glaswegian Martin O’Neill. His solo was mind-blowing.
A superb, sure-handed performance by all.
