Band Announcement 3/15

At last, it's Friday and St. Patrick's Weekend kicks off in earnest. And our ten day band announcement series nears its conclusion.

Those two sentences has a lot in common, actually. Tonight I will start my weekend's festivities at an unlikely venue: Knucklehead's Saloon in the East Bottoms. While I love Knucklehead's and have seen some great music there over the years, it hasn't exactly been a hub of Irish culture in the past. That changes tonight when today's band announcement honoree takes the stage.

He's no other than Mr. Irish Kansas City, Eddie Delahunt.

It's tempting to take Eddie for granted. After all, you can see and hear him after all every week at his regular O'Dowd's gig on Wednesday and Sunday nights. Hell, they've even named the stage after him there. So you could you see him regularly. But have you? When was the last time you went to see and Eddie and really listened? If you did that, you know what I know. Eddie is not only a local treasure, he's an incredibly talented singer, songwriter, guitarist and entertainer, fit for any stage at any Irish event in the world. So yeah, it's tempting to take him for Granted. But don't. Instead, come see him and remind yourself how lucky we are that he left Dublin, found a lovely local girl and made Kansas City his home.

Tonight Eddie is joined by the world's best Mexican bodhran player, the great Gabriel Reyes, and Leo Eilts on the bass. Next Labor Day weekend, he'll be back at Irish Fest. Lucky us.