Happy Birthday Jeff!

Have you ever e-mailed Irish Fest with a question or comment? Not e-mailed me, but that to that info@kcirishfest.com address. A whole bunch of you do, every single day. The days and weeks leading up to and immediately following the fest there are sometimes hundreds a week. And every single one of those queries is ably answered by one man, a man who toils away alone in an top secret undisclosed location in the Irish Fest HQ building. Even I don't know where it is. This man's job description is a simple one: know everything there is to know about the Kansas City Irish Fest and then tell people about it. And don't just make crap up, like that Regan guy does.

That lone man, that genius, that legend is turning 30. He's The Irish Fest Answer Dude. He's Jeff Petrie and we wish him a ridiculously, ludicrously happy birthday. Nobody I know deserves one more and that's the truth.

Now if you're not lucky enough to know Jeff, here's all you need to know about him. Jeff and his family decided awhile back that this being a milestone birthday that a party was in order. Fair enough. Get a few close friends together. Invitations were sent out, RSVPs began rolling in. Dozens. 50, 60, 70...the last I heard from Jeff's father when I talked to him last night the guest list was well over 200, coming from all over the country. Coming to town for no other reason than to celebrate Jeff's birthday. I couldn't get a crowd like that if I was giving away free unicorns. But then, I'm not Jeff.

So, Answer Dude, here's your question for today: who's the hardest working man in fest business, the most popular guy in town, a spot-on music critic, a great friend and kissing his 20's goodbye? You get one guess.

Happy birthday, Jeff. See you at the party...if I can get in.