Meet the Staff and Music Week

When I began doing the Meet The Staff profiles, I sent an e-mail to all our committee heads asking a few questions about them and how they became mixed up with all this silliness. Some of our staff, wonderful people every one, I know better than others. None of them do I know better than Dave Shaughnessy, our music man.

I've known Shocko since he was about 3, I guess. Maybe 2. We grew up together in Kansas City's Westport neighborhood. For many years I worked in his mother's store, our parents were best friends. We played ball together (Dave is a slick fielding infielder with home run power) and both went into creative endeavours as grown ups, Dave being a successful photographer here in town. And Dave is a musician, too, the very best bodhran player in town and one of the best I've heard. He doesn't play nearly often enough any more but if you get a chance to hear him, you'll see that I'm right. I saw him absolutely tear up a session in O'Flaherty's in Dingle one night. Being a musician, Dave brings a unique perspective to the job he does for us at Irish Fest. He's one of them and so has a trained ear for what's good and what's marginal. Musicians are a strange bunch, and I can't begin to tell you how valuable it is to have somebody who speaks their language.

We all give Dave input, and he's constantly bombarded with pleas from all sides to book a favorite band, but what you see and hear on our stages every year is ultimately Shocko's doing. And I don't think anybody could be doing it better.

Beginning tomorrow, I'm going to rest my poor fingers for a bit and turn over the blog controls to my esteemed colleague and great friend Dave. He's going to share some of his insight into the music and bands we'll be presenting this year, on both the trad and rock sides of the aisle. Enjoy music week with Dave and I'll be back boring you next weekend.