Friday, September 05, 2008
Reviews?
Since for most of the Irish directors and staff, our job description during the weekend is "do everything, all the time, everywhere", we don't often get to hear much music. Certainly true for me. I saw a good portion of Damien Dempsey on Saturday and a couple minutes each of Slide, Gaelic Storm and Jim Malcolm. So I want your reviews. Who earned a return trip for Kansas City Irish Fest 2009? Who didn't? Who got you up on your feet? Who put you to sleep? We'll begin booking in a month or so. Time for you reviewers to weigh in.
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25 comments:
Damine was a real highlight for our family, such passion in his music. We also enjoyed Slide and the Young Wolftones.
Regan,
"do everything, all the time, everywhere" is exactly how I describe you. Anyway, the perfomances worth repeating are Pogey, Jim Cosgrove, Eddie Delahunt & the Irish Dancers.
McCarthy
Damien, Slide, Pogey, Sythian, Millish, Andreas Transo, ETH, and more than one day of the Elders!
My top two requests for next year would be Gaelic Storm and the Fuchsia Band. I also enjoyed Damien Dempsey and Millish.
It would be nice to have more than one slot - or at least not have the one slot be so early in the day - for Eddie & friends.
The only one I saw that I wouldn't advocate asking back is 2U. They're fine, I guess, and I like the real U2, but if it's not the actual artist, then I don't really see the difference in terms of entertainment value between imitators and playing a CD. So, it's nothing personal - I'd just prefer to have "authentic" performers over imitators/cover bands.
Thanks for a great 2008 Fest! :)
My husband and I attended KCIF for the fourth year in a row this year. We had a good time, and over the years have "discovered" several bands that have become particular favorites. One of the things we've particularly liked is the mix of bands and the quality of the musicians.
We have noticed over the past two years that there seems to be more of a move toward celtic rock, which we enjoy, but not as the main offering of the festival. With that trend has also come an increasing trend toward really cranking the volume of sound out of the speakers, to the point that it is often not comfortable to listen to, even with ear plugs in (and yes, I now have to do that to even sit through a show at KCIF). Cranking the sound also really disrupts the stuff happening on the heritage stage.
Here are some favorites we've seen at KCIF, some we've seen at other festivals and would like to see at KCIF, and some we'd like to rotate out for awhile:
Fuchsia Band - this was the first year we've been at KCIF and they haven't - it just didn't seem right without them!
Jim Malcolm - absolutely fabulous! I could listen to him for hours
Slide - AWESOME! (FYI, I arranged for Slide to teach workshops and private lessons in Tulsa right after KCIF and they were extremely talented and gifted teachers)
Grada - we want them back! When we first saw them at KCIF, we loved them so much we skipped Gaelic Storm to hear them again
Beoga - we LOVED them last year and hated the fact that the schedule made it impossible for us to see them this year (opposite Jim Malcolm Saturday, after we had to leave Sunday) - any way to schedule the bands for two performances at least one of the days?
Cathie Ryan - love her voice, but she's too fussy about sound for festivals; at both KCIF and NTIF she sound checked through half her scheduled set
Millish - enjoyed them, but not for every year at the Fest
Gaelic Storm and The Elders - enjoy both of them, but they are too similar in styles to have both the same year - doesn't allow for enough variety
Ed Miller - one of our favorites at NTIF - would love to see him at KCIF
Tullamore - where were they this year?!! We missed them!
Vishten - AWESOME - saw them in concert in Tulsa, would love to see them again
Le Volee de Castors - again, AWESOME and would love to see them again in concert
Julie Fowlis - absolutely beautiful voice - sings in Gaelic and plays pipes and whistles - would love to see her again in concert (and she's great in combination with Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh)
Bodega - extremely talented group of youngsters from Scotland and great on stage - have been dying to see them again in concert
Teada - haven't seen them in a couple of years and would love to
Lunasa - AWESOME - would love to see them again
Solas - ditto
Needfire, Bad Haggis, Enter the Haggis, Wicked Tinkers, Brother - nothing against them, but they just don't draw us the way other groups do
As always, I love The Elders and Gaelic Storm. They are the reason we travel from Dallas to this fest each year. I also caught Slide and they were great. I enjoyed Pogey and Scythian. Beoga is very good as well. I could take or leave Damien. Just not my taste - his music made me want to leave, it was so dark and angry, but luckily Gaelic Storm came on after him when we saw him Saturday night, and they always put on such a great show. Damien has a good voice, but his music made many people leave.
I love your fest! And mainly because you guys have a knack of booking great bands!
HERE IS MY REVIEW; ELDERS WERE APLUS, ADDED SOME NEW SONGS PLUS OLD ONES. GAELIC STORM WERE APLUS;HAVE HEARD THEM 3 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST 2 MONTHD, TWICE AT KC IRISHFEST, ONCE AT THE COLORADO IRISHFEST. SLIDE WERE AWESOME, FIRST TIME TO HEAR THEM. POGEY WERE ARESOME, FIRST TIME TO HEAR THEM. BARRA MCNEILS, VERY GOOD. ALSO HEARD THEM AT THE COLORADO IRISHFEST. 2U WERE VERY GOOD. FLANAGINS RIGHT HOOK WERE GOOD. MILLISH WERE VERY GOOD. I BOUGHT CD'S FROM EVERY BAND I LISTEN TO. COLORADO
Nice suggestions, everyone, but dream bigger. Let's here 'em all. We have a knack of booking those bands that you thought we never could.
-Shaughnessy
Please bring back 2U again!
Think big?? OK U2, The Chieftains, Van Morrison, The Pogues, and Sinead O'Connor. You can get all five of them next year right?? :D jk
Seriously...
Ditch Flanagan's Right Hook. They've gotten better, but they still suck. Please, nobody say Flogging Molly (even though I love them) or Dropkick Murphy's. Not gonna happen. What about Ashley MacIsaac or The Levellers? Definitely try to get The Saw Doctors
and The Waterboys again. Ever heard of The Mahones? They may sound too much like a Pogues cover band, but what I've heard of them is pretty good. I'd say Ash because they are awesome, but they aren't remotely Celtic/Irish Folk so nevermind. Having what's left of The Prodigals again would be cool. That's all I can think of right now.
It's just a given that Gaelic Storm is a "must have"...they are phenomenal. I also thought that Scythian was amazing and they should definitely be back in 2009!! What about Great Big Sea? I've only recently started listening to them and think they would be a good add.
Thanks for a fantastic KCIF 2008!!
Not growing up in an Irish environment, my experience with Irish music is based on who I get to see at Irish Fest. Sad but true. I trust Shocko to choose the most awesome performers to expand my musical tastes. I know he chooses them on which ones he thinks I would like... ;-) They've all been great. Except for the Bridies. They were ...uh...
I would love to see the Saw Doctors again, and Damien Dempsey again. I loved Millish and Slide too. Wouldn't mind seeing Teada again. What about Altan or Leahy or Great Big Sea? And if we're dreaming big, why not Van Morrison? That would be too cool!
Cami
For the third year in a row - DAVID KINCAID.
He would have made an excellent addition to the whole American Civil War theme.
Pete
Midwest Irish Focus
Every year when asked for suggestions on who we want to see next year I give the same response and since you told us "dream bigger"........I WANT GREAT BIG SEA! And if there's no chance in hell that KCIF will ever get them, will you please tell us- that way some of us can get on with our lives.
Thank you
I agree with Melissa that KCIF is really been leaning towards Celtic Rock and away from the Trad based artists. My husband and I don't view this as a positive and would hate to see the festival lose its roots. And louder is not necessarily better.
My wish list for KCIF:
Cara - great band from Germany
Bodega - young Scottish group
Grada - amazing group
Lunasa
Fuchsia Band
Kate Rusby
Every year there is a new band that wows us and we become forever fans - this year that band was Slide. High energy, great musicians, extremely entertaining. Plus invite them back.
My husband and I became engaged at KCIF in 2006 and the festival holds a special place in our hearts.
Please return to the roots of Celtic music with a smaller sample of the Celtic Rock. And even though most people will hate me for this - give Gaelic Storm and the Elders a break from the schedule for just one year - please.
Jackie in Iowa
Nobody will hate you, Jackie. We love the input. But in our defense, I thought we had some great trad offerings this year. Slide, The Barra MacNeils, Beoga, Jimmy Crowley, the Wild Clover Band, Jim Malcolm, The Young Wolfetones, Eddie Delahunt, Creel... the thing is, as you saw by the crowds at the Gaelic Storm and Elders shows, other people - tens of thousands-enjoy their brand of Irish music, too. We see our job when putting together a festival line up as presenting the entire spectrum of Irish music tradition, and trying to have something for everybody. We'll be looking carefully at balance again as we plan 2009, and hopefully we'll have lots of great stuff for all the trad fans and the rockers.
I want Great Big Sea too, Anonymous. There is a chance we will get them. More on that later.
-Shaughnessy
Big??
How about the Frames? Mundy?
The Oyster Band is great too. And I like the suggestion of the Mahones.
Yay...I'm very happy to hear Shaughnessy say there is the "chance" of getting Great Big Sea!! As I said in my earlier post, I'm a new listener to their music, but I really like what I've heard so far and think they would be dynamite at the fest along with Gaelic Storm.
Serena
The Frames
The Waterboys
The Saw Doctors
Kila
Hothouse Flowers
Don't drop The Elders please... they're your local lads, the local favorites, and if folks who live in KC are sick of them you coulda fooled me given the size of the crowd! I love the Fest, and only had time to be there one day this year, but I gotta say I LOVED Slide... great addition, and almost made up for Fuchsia not being there this year. I'd love to see Glengarry Bhoys back now that Graham is feeling better. Leahy - ach, I can take or leave them great musicians, but not really crowd pleasers as far as I'm concerned. Jury is out on Great Big Sea right now, I go see a live show in Oct, and will give my verdict after that. Saw Doctors were GREAT, would love to see them too!!!
The Paperboys - good stuff. I believe they've been to KCIF before.
I second the Paperboys. I believe it was the irish fest in westport was the last time they were here. It's time to bring them back.
Of course, I always love the Elders - this is THE SHOW of the year as far as my Elder-fandom is concerned.
I really hated having to choose between ETH and having a good spot for the Elders.
Saw Docs are ALWAYS going to be on my "please bring them back" list. Dougie MacLean would be nice to see at KCIF, and of course I would love to see Great Big Sea there.
I really enjoyed Pogey. Bring them back. I enjoyed what I got to hear of Slide and Jim Malcolm and Eddie Delahunt. I missed Fuschia Band, but I understand a bit of giving a year off to some bands.
I have skipped 2U both years and will continue to do so if you bring them back...I just have a problem with the tribute band idea.
As far as Trad vs. Celtic Rock, I come to KCIF for the Celtic Rock. I enjoy sitting down to watch some trad bands, but I wouldn't drive far to see them.
I really hated having the Elders be the end of the fest...it didn't seem like it was really KCIF until I heard them, and by then, it was all over.
The space alloted by the new stage was great, but the sun there and the sewer stench if you were near the sidewalk made it not so great a spot to hang out at during the day.
Millish and Flannigan's Right Hook were great on Sun. Although I agree Flannigan's Right Hook got better, they hardly suck jrp.
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