Meet The Staff

It's Twofer Tuesday here on Meet The Staff!

We get a lot of mail here at Irish Fest HQ, and this being the 21st Century and all, most of it is the "E" kind. I used to answer it all. It is not any easy job. You may not believe this, but not everybody loves us. I know, crazy isn't it? But it's true. Sometimes they complain. Sometimes they're cranky, and you can never, ever be cranky back. Even if they're nice, people have questions. Lots of them. It takes somebody dedicated to answer all those questions. It takes somebody who has their finger on the pulse of the Fest, somebody who knows what's where and who's who. It takes Jeff Petrie, aka The Irish Fest Answer Dude.

Hi Jeff. Tell us about you.

I'm a professional time waster and whiskey drinker who resides in the lovely, yet dull, suburb of Overland Park with my family and two elderly dogs. I'm a big music nerd and spend quite a bit of time listening to, collecting, and just plain obsessing about music. I loathe corporate radio and usually gravitate towards the less mainstream. I also have an affinity for Irish flavored music of course. I love the Elders and greatly enjoy "jig punk" bands like The Pogues, Flogging Molly, and The Prodigals.

And how would you describe your job at KCIF?

I answer all the e-mail that comes through the Irish Fest web site. If someone asks how when where who what or why I try to pretend I know what the hell I'm talking about and answer their question(s) to the best of my ability. Sometimes I feel like I ask more questions than I answer though. ;)

And how did you come to join our happy family?

I ran into Mr. Regan on a cold winter's night at an Elders show. For some inexplicable reason he agreed to give me the great responsibility of being the Irish Fest Answer Dude. I think he must have been drunk...SHHH! don't tell him I said that!

I was not! I just happen to have a keen eye for talent. And what do like best about the Fest?

The music and the beer.

Well said. If you have questions about the Kansas City Irish Fest, Jeff has answers for you too. Drop him a line here.