Live Irish Music in Sacramento – St. Patrick’s Day 2012

Mark your calendars! The 2012 St. Patrick’s Day “season”  is here. Check out these listings to find out where your you can hear your favorite Irish bands in Sacramento and the Central Valley from March 10-18th.

Stout Rebellion
Stout Rebellion puts on a highly interactive show featuring Irish pub songs and familiar drinking songs. They create a festive atmosphere with beads, clappers, song lyrics, and prizes. Ranked #1 Sacramento Celtic Band by ReverbNation. www.StoutRebellion.com

• Thursday 3/15: Live show on KDVS Radio (Davis) 11 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
• Friday 3/16: Brownie’s Lounge (Sacramento) 7-10 p.m.
• Saturday 3/17:  Boxing Donkey (Roseville) 12-3 p.m.
• Saturday 3/17: Thunder Valley Casino Beer & Music Fest (Lincoln) 7-10 p.m.

Whiskey and Stitches
High musicianship and stage appeal makes this band a good choice for audiences who want hard-driving Irish folks songs with an edge.  Won “Best Punk Band” Sammy Award in 2011. Whiskey and Stitches on Facebook

• Saturday 3/17: Fox & Goose (Sacramento) 9 p.m. – with Griffin
• Sunday 3/18: Old Sugar Mill (Clarksburg) 12-4 p.m.

The Pikeys
This new six piece band is crazy fun! Their Irish repertoire is sprinkled with surprises from the likes of the Tom Waits and The Decemberists along with some rowdy originals. When lead singer Ben Mentze breaks out the megaphone, watch out! https://www.facebook.com/thepikeysrock

• Saturday 3/17: The Clubhouse Bar & Grill (Carmichael) 5-8 p.m.
• Saturday 3/17: Mutiny MFB (Antioch) 10:30 p.m.

Griffin
Sacramento’s most established Celtic band! griffinceltic@yahoo.com

• Saturday 3/17: Fox & Goose (Sacramento) with Whiskey and Stitches
• Sunday 3/18: DeVere’s Irish Pub (Sacramento) 4 p.m.

Hooligan’s Wake
Hooligan’s Wake grew out of the Irish session scene. Some of the very best players of traditional Irish music were gathered to perform in a professional setting.

• Saturday 3/17: Kinnee O’Reilly’s (El Dorado Hills)  8 p.m.
  (with Merrygold at 3 p.m.)

Columa Celtic
4 piece traditional Irish band.

• Friday 3/16: Kinnee O’Reilly’s (El Dorado Hills)  6:30 p.m.

 

Keva
Traditional Irish band.

• Friday 3/16: The Club at Natomas Park  6:00 p.m.

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  If your band or venue isn’t listed here, please contact stoutrebellion@gmail.com so we can add you!

Sacramento’s connection to Ireland’s new first lady

Sabina Coyne and Michael D Higgins

On Friday, Nov. 11th, Ireland will swear in its 9th president – poet and long-time Labour activist, Michael D. Higgins. Higgins’ wife, Sabina Coyne, is a relative of the Coyne family in Sacramento. The Coynes own the Delta King Riverboat in Sacramento, and will meet there on Thursday night to celebrate the inauguration. Music will be provided by Stout Rebellion.

The family celebrates as the election results are announced.

Your Guide to Booking St. Patrick’s Day Bands in Sacramento

The live Irish and Celtic music scene in Sacramento is exploding, so you’ve got some great choices for your 2012 St. Patrick’s Day event.  Check out these listings and fill out the form below to contact the band that is right for your event.

Folk Rock/Punk
This category features bands that get audiences out on the dance floor. They cover groups like Flogging Molly, The Pogues, and The Tossers in high energy crowd-pleasing performances.

The Pikeys
This new six piece band is crazy fun! Their Irish repertoire is sprinkled with surprises from the likes of the Tom Waits and The Decemberists along with some rowdy originals. When lead singer Ben Mentze breaks out the megaphone, watch out! Instruments: mandolin, guitar, bass, drums, saxophones, tin whistle, flute. https://www.facebook.com/thepikeysrock

Whiskey and Stitches
High musicianship and stage appeal makes this band a good choice for audiences who want hard-driving Irish folks songs with an edge. Instruments: mandolin, tin whistle, guitar, bass, and drums. Nominated for “Best Punk Band” Sammy Award. http://www.reverbnation.com/whiskeyandstitches

Stout Rebellion
This band puts on a highly interactive show featuring Irish pub songs and familiar drinking songs. They create a festive atmosphere with beads, clappers, song lyrics, and prizes. Instruments: mandolin, accordion, guitar, bass, bagpipes, bodhran, harmonica, and drums. Nominated for “Best Cover Band” Sammy Award. www.StoutRebellion.com

Traditional
This category features bands that play lively jigs and reels and beautiful ballads on traditional Celtic instruments. Ideal for traditional Irish dances, quieter settings, and events that call for a rich musical backdrop.

Keeva
This band puts their own distinctive stamp on traditional Irish tunes and songs. All five members are multi-instrumentalists blending fiddle, accordion, tin whistle, harp, cello, guitar, mandolin, banjo, drums and vocals into their arrangements. They can deliver hard driving reels, lilting jigs and songs both sweet and joyous, all performed with superb musicianship. Contact Dan Chan at danchan@comcast.net
http://www.lawsonmusic.com/fr_home.cfm

Griffin
Sacramento’s most established Celtic band!
Contact Day Griffin at griffinceltic@yahoo.com

Houligan’s Wake
Contact Catherine Mandella at sambandhaworldmusic@gmail.com

You can contact any of these bands directly, or fill out the form below and we’ll put you in touch. If you aren’t sure which band is right for you, or if you need a DJ who specializes in Irish music, let us know and we’ll consult with you.

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Tell us about your venue or event(required)

How to Celebrate Half-Way to St. Patrick’s Day in Sacramento

September 17 marks the half-way point to St. Patrick’s Day 2012!

Events:

• September 10: The Shamrock Club is hosting an all-day picnic and live music jam at Cresta Park in Sacramento with two play areas, tennis courts, volleyball courts and horseshoe pits. Hamburgers, hot dogs, sodas, beer and water provided. Bring a side dish. Please RSVP by calling Jane Lamborn at (916)486-4418. More info.
• September 17: Ginger’s Restaurant in Roseville is throwing a Half-Way Party on the patio with live music by Stout Rebellion. (See event poster below.)

Places to celebrate:

• Sacramento: DeVere’s Irish Pub
• Roseville: Boxing Donkey Irish Pub
• Carmichael: The Kilt Bar
  
  

Sacramento Irish rock bands bring tradition to a new generation

Photo by Kiny McCarrick

Before James Wilson moved here in 2008, there were no Irish rock bands in Sacramento. Traditional bands like Nine-Eighths Irish and Griffin had carved themselves a niche in the local folk market, but fans of the harder-edged Irish rock, played by bands like the Pogues and Flogging Molly, had to go elsewhere to enjoy live performances in this genre.

Now all of that has changed, thanks in large part to James Wilson. The multi-instrumentalist, whose parents hail from Ireland, is a founding member of Black-Eyed Dempseys and a current member of Whiskey and Stitches and Stout Rebellion. Along with the Pikey’s and Hanover Saints, these five Irish rock bands play to wider, and younger, audiences all the time.

“When we first started,” says Bobby Easton, lead singer of Stout Rebellion, “the clubs would thank us for our promo kits and say, ‘Maybe on Saint Patrick’s Day.’ Today, we play six gigs a month and get offers for way more than that.”

The increased exposure has created a generation of new fans who can catch live shows every week. O’Mally’s Irish Pub in Old Sac hosts an Irish rock show every first Friday of the month, Roseville’s Boxing Donkey has two shows per month, and the Delta King Riverboat in Old Sac hosts an Irish pub night every Thursday. This is not even to mention the countless venues that host Irish rock events on an occasional basis or high-profile annual events like DeVere’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebration or the Shamrockin’ Half Marathon at Raley’s Field, both of which showcase local Irish rock to crowds of thousands.

Photo by Kiny McCarrick

“It’s unbelievable,” says Wilson. “I never thought I’d be this busy.”

In 2009, Wilson’s two Irish rock bands rarely had conflicting gigs, but the demand for Irish rock has grown so much in the past two years that Wilson now has a stand-in.

“It’s weird when you think about it,” says Mike Dalton, lead guitarist for the Pikeys. “Some of our songs were written in the nineteenth century, but it seems so natural to just rock them out.”

“People love tradition,” says Wilson, “but they also love new things. Irish rock or Irish punk is a great way to mesh the old with the new.”

Wilson is celebrating his 50^th birthday next week with an event he hopes will become an annual tradition. “Irishpalooza” is being held at Harlow’s on Friday, August 12^th from 6:30 – 9:00.  Wilson’s two bands—Stout Rebellion and Whiskey and Stitches—will play there along with the Pikeys.

Photos by Kiny McCarrick