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Milwaukee Irish Fest 2024 was a great celebration of Irish culture, music, and tradition, attracting visitors from around the globe to the shores of Lake Michigan. Recognized as one of the largest Irish festivals worldwide, this year’s event delivered an unforgettable experience with a diverse lineup of performances, including traditional Irish music, contemporary bands, and Irish dance. The festival's welcoming atmosphere and dedication to preserving and promoting Irish culture made it again a must-visit event, offering a taste of Ireland in the heart of Milwaukee.

I captured some great photos of my favorite performers, Donnell Leahy and Natalie MacMaster, Talisk, Goitse, and Gadan whom I first discovered just a couple of years ago. I also had the chance to see several bands for the first time, such as The Consequences, O'Jizo, the Tumbling Paddies, and Fiddle in the Middle.

So what do you do the weekend after Milwaukee Irish Fest? You go to another Irish Fest. We traveled to the South Side to go to the Gaelic Park Irish Fest. Highlights of this Irish Fest were seeing the Fitzgeralds and Jig Jam again. Click on the pictures below to see full galleries.

Another great Milwaukee Irish Fest to keep the streak alive of great Irish Fests. I was able to attend all three days and went with a lot of family and friends on Saturday and we all had a great time. I was able to add new galleries by Diddley Idols, Cassie & Maggie, Eileen Ivers, Gleasons, Doolin', Colm & Laura Keegan, Merfolk, Róisín O, and Scythian.

Bruce Springsteen visited the Chicago cathedral known as Wrigey Filed for two nights this week and I was able to attend the Friday show. I was at a Cubs game where they scored 20 runs and I do not think they had as many hits as we saw this evening. This was my tenth time seeing Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and it was again a phenomenal show. He has been my favorite since I got a Born to Run 8-track when I was a kid.

Set List

1. Night
2. No Surrender
3. Ghosts
4. Prove It All Night
5. Letter to You
6. The Promised Land
7. Out in the Street
8. Candy's Room
9. Kitty's Back
10. Nightshift
11. Trapped
12. Mary's Place
13. Last Man Standing
14. Backstreets
15. Because the Night
16. She's the One
17. Wrecking Ball
18. The Rising
19. Badlands
20. Thunder Road
21. Born to Run
22. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
23. Glory Days
24. Dancing in the Dark
25. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
26. I'll See You in My Dreams

For the first time in 13 years I ventured up to Milwaukee to attend Summerfest. The theme on Thursday, June 29 was turn back the clock and I did feel I was in a time warp seeing some bands I remembered from the 80s along with a fine young bluegrass band. The first band up was the Georgia Satellites who I first saw open a show for REO Speedwagon in 1987 and once they finished up their set we hurried over to see a good portion of the John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band set and this was all before 6:30 in the evening. We also got our bluegrass fix by seeing Chicken Wire Empire. We were actually in the car on our way home before the sun set over Wisconsin - not before having another blast from the past when we came face to face with Milwaukee's favorite son (his statue at least) the Fonz. It sure was a blast from the past day.

I have finally updated the website with four new galleries from Milwaukee Irish Fest 2022. I had to get the galleries online before the festival season started for 2023. These galleries are from some of my favorite performers including the Elders, Eileen Ivers, Enter the Haggis, Jig Jam, and House of Hamill.

We had a blast from the past seeing two classic performers from my youth. What a great double bill that featured George Thorogood opening the night and Sammy Hagar rocking into the late evening. It is hard to believe these music icons are in their seventies.

I am not sure if Milwaukee Irish Fest can top this past weekend of music. We were able to see Eileen Ivers, the Elders, Enter the Haggis and many more of our favorites. The highlight of the festival was sharing it with friends - new and old. On Saturday I went up with Lar and we met up with Karen and Jim. I will post the picture of the bands soon.

I have updated the website with four new galleries from Milwaukee Irish Fest 2021. New galleries are from Moxie Strings, Runa, Seamus Egan Project, and Eileen Ivers.

After a year online Milwaukee Irish Fest was back in a big way. The theme for this year was the Spirit of Irish America Calling. This was the first time in 18 months for me to see live music so I was eager to go all three days. I went North with friends on Saturday with solo adventures on Friday and Sunday. Even when I go up by myself I always run into and spend time with my Irish music loving friends. The weather on both Friday and Sunday was beautiful with rain on Saturday. My friends were tough and made it to the end where the payoff was a phenomenal set by Eileen Ivers. Highlights of Irish Fest included Moxie Strings, Seamus Egan Project, Sierra Hull, Irish Music Masters, Runa and the previously mentioned Eileen Ivers. I will post a few galleries of the concerts in the near future. Below are some pictures of the Irish Fest grounds in Milwaukee.

Since this website is now over 15 years old I felt it was time for a new website design. This is now the third iteration of this website and now it is mobile friendly. I would encourage you view it on a large resolution monitor for full effect. The goal of the website remains the same in sharing my concert going experiences while promoting some great bands.

Here is hoping that 2021 is a better year than 2020. I took one picture in 2020 at the only concert I attended - Eric Johnson at the Arcada Theatre. This was on February 21 before the world changed. We discovered new ways of watching concerts in 2020 via Zoom and often took comfort in music.

What a beautiful way of the Celtic Music Community to remember Steve Phillips.

Sad news for music fans with the passing of Steve Phillips. Steve was a great musician and a very nice man. Enjoyed seeing him perform with the Elders many times in Illinois, Wisconsin and Ireland. One of the highlights of my 2016 trip to Ireland was seeing Steve and the Elders perform Galway Girl in Galway. Steve would always take time to meet with the fans as he did with Jim and me in 2010 at the Irish American Heritage Center after a concert by the Elders.

Can you think of a better way to start the holiday season than seeing Eileen Ivers in concert? I can't think of any. On top of that we had friends seeing Eileen and her band for the first time and they were blown away. It is always fun to catch up with Eileen after the show. Happy Holidays everyone!

Thanks to the Irish American Heritage Center I have been able to discover a couple new bands the last couple weeks. On August 23 I saw Connla for technically the second time and they were great. They are a five-piece band from Armagh and Derry that met at the University of Ulster where they studied music.

On September 19 we saw another great band perform at the IAHC - Billow Wood from the West of Ireland. This four-piece band excelled at folk and traditional music while also playing some original music.

I think I saw the next big thing in Irish music and that was Susan O'Niell as the first performer at Irish Fest. Her vocals were phenomenal. What a weekend of live music where I pretty much ignored the camera and just enjoyed the music and the festival. I did manage to get a few pictures of one of my perennial favorites We Banjo 3.

A beautiful weekend for live music at the Irish American Heritage Center for their annual Irish Fest. I got to see House of Hamill on both Friday and Sunday. I also got to take a few pictures of the Shannon Rovers on Sunday that I have posted below.

The Shannon Rovers

Visited the South Side for Gaelic Park Irish Fest. we saw two bands that are quickly becoming favorites - the Fitzgeralds and Jig Jam.

Since 2006 I have seen the Elders perform at ten different venues, in two states, in two countries, at five different Irish Fests for a total of 33 times and it has been a mighty Craic along this journey. Yesterday I saw them for the last time as they are planning on retiring from touring at the end of the year. I thank the Elders for the music and fun along the way. Slainte!

You could not ask for a better atmosphere as the Elders made their way into retirement at the Peoria Irish Fest in Central Illinois. They hold the Irish Fest annually where the Illinois River goes under the Murray Baker Bridge. A bonus was all the other bands at the festival that included seeing Daimh for the second time.

When Donnell Leahy is performing at Irish Fest with his wife Natalie and their kids that is a stage I will be at for all three of their concerts. They did not disappoint. If that was not great enough I got to see great new bands Talisk, Cuig and Coig along with some of my yearly favorites like W Banjo 3. I have created a couple galleries from the shows by Donnell and Natalie.

Can Irish Fest get any better than having Eileen Ivers and the Elders appearing the same weekend? It can by adding a bunch of other great bands and a lot of new bands. Besides the Elders and Eileen Ivers I got to see Skerryvore, WeBanjo 3 and the Moxie Strings. I can not forget to mention a great new band - the Fitzgeralds.

Click on any of the pictures below to see the full galleries of these awesome bands.

Today was the day I met the person who is probably the single greatest influence on my love for music and concerts. I have been a fan of Bruce Springsteen since I received Born to Run on 8-track when I was in seventh grade. I had the opportunity to meet Bruce and thank him for his music at a book signing for his new book. It was a quick hello - but was so cool.

Today I am back from three weeks getting lost in Ireland. I managed to get to Sligo and Galway to see one of my favorite bands - the Elders with a really good young band the Moxie Strings. The images below will link you to the galleries from each show.

This was a great trip and I am very tired. The toughest part was trying to catch Cubs games in the middle of the night as they made their way to the World Series. I know they are down three games to one - but I think an epic comeback will happen. Go Cubs!

Update: I have published a full website of my trip that I have named Lost in Ireland. Also, Cubs Won the Word Series!!!

Here are a few pictures from my trip to Ireland.

For the second week in a row I am at Irish Fest. However, this Irish Fest is in Peoria, Illinois and it is our first visit to the festival. This is a really nice festival along the shores of the Illinois River. We got to see one of our favorites - the Elders and they made the drive very much worth it. We also got to see Socks in the Frying Pan again put on a great set as they did in Milwaukee just a week earlier. For the first time we got to the Scottish band Daimh and they did not disappoint. This is a great festival and we are sure we will be back. Thanks for the hospitality Peoria.

Another great Irish Fest in Milwaukee this year. I attended on Friday and Saturday this year and enjoyed seeing full sets and sampling some bands. Highlights included the Next Generation of Leahy, Solas, Jig Jam, McPeake, Skerryvorre, and We Banjo 3.

Another great Irish Fest in Milwaukee. One of my favorite weekends of the year. Some of my favorites were there including Eileen Ivers, Lunasa, Liz Carroll, and the Elders. I also got to see Goitse for the first time (and hopefully not last). One of the highlights was Americana - Irish Style with We Banjo 3, Scythian and Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul.

April Verch made another visit to Long Grove, Illinois for a beautiful day of music. Here is hoping she comes back soon.

Had an enjoyable evening with Travis Tritt in Elk Grove on Tuesday. Here are a few pictures.

We made a quick trip on Memorial Day to see Doug Leahy and the Next Generation of Leahy and Chicago based fiddle player Kathleen Keane. It sure was worth the trip. Jim was able to get some great shots of both shows.

Arguably the best festival in the country, Milwaukee Irish Fest, did not disappoint this past weekend. To see favorites Liz Carroll, Sharon Shannon, Searson and John Doyle's new band the Alt in one day was spectacular. Add on top of that exciting new bands like the Step Crew, the Moxie Strings, Beoga and Gria that were all fantastic. Then you add some local bands like Tallymoore and you know why it is a great festival.

Posted by Pat Moriarty

Another great Irish Fest in Milwaukee. We saw a lot of great bands and have included galleries from Mànran, Myserk, and Cassie and Maggie MacDonald.

The April Verch Band played a concert in historic Long Grove, Illinois. April is a fiddler, step dancer and singer-songwriter from Canada. What started out as a beautiful day soon turned into a rain storm. Despite the rain April and her band put on a great concert.

Gallery

There was some good things happening at Wrigley Field on September 8th and 9th. Unfortunately, for Cubs fans it was not baseball. For music lovers it was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I was lucky enough to attend both shows despite the ridiculous ticketing obstacle course you now have to go through to see popular acts. It is funny how you pay almost a third of the overall cost to a ticketing monopoly that does not even pretend to play a tambourine.

Bruce and the band were joined both nights by Tom Morello and Eddie Vedder. Saturday nights special guest was rain. I have to admit rain has been making a lot of special appearances at concerts lately.

Highlights for me ranged from Out In The Street on Friday to seeing the one two punch of E Street Shuffle and Pay Me My Money Down on Saturday. It was a weekend of great music by a great band.

The pictures are from my seat on Saturday evening that was three rows from the back in the upper deck along the third baseline. These seats were actually closer than my seats on Friday. Should I call this gallery "A View From Way Back"?

I think I can now start associating Elk Grove Village with odd concert experiences. First I saw REO Speedwagon do an acoustic set in an aisle at the local Walmart and now Dennis DeYoung performing in the library parking lot of my hometown. Just like REO, Dennis and his band pulled it off. Dennis DeYoung sounded great performing the music of Styx with a bunch of guys who actually looked a lot like and sounded like the guys from Styx.

This was probably the nicest weather we had all of July as a parking lot was transformed into the Paradise Theater. For just over two hours Dennis performed the music that blasted out of Camaros and Tran Ams in this suburban Chicago community during the seventies and eighties.

Gallery

Yesterday evening in Milwaukee nothing said Italian like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. You read that correctly. I am not sure the tie in - but the Italian community had a real treat as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy rocked the Summerfest grounds. Milwaukee Irish Fest will have a lot to live up to this year after this rollicking evening along the lake front.

Gallery

Another Milwaukee Irish Fest has come and gone and all I can say is the people of Milwaukee really know how to throw a party. I was able to make my way north of the border twice this year to see some fantastic performers and eat way too much good food. On Friday, August 19th I was able to catch a bit of Brendan Hendry Band before heading over to see a new favorite form last year Kintra. Kintra did not disappoint this year with their diversity in music styles while maintaining a reverence to the traditions of the music. After Kintra I took in some traditional Donegal music played by three fiddle players named Fidil. Gaelic Storm's stage was crowded and rowdy as it usually is during Irish Fest. The Friday highlight for me was the Kansas City based Celtic rock band The Elders. This band never fails to deliver.

On Sunday I was able to attend the concert with my friend, and awesome photographer, Jim Fidler. Jim has graciously allowed me to post his pictures again of this years festival. For the first part of the day we check out some local Milwaukee bands on the Celtic Rock Stage - The Sandcarvers and Whiskey of the Damned.

Every year I look for a new band that I am not familiar with that blows me away. This year the band was Skerryvore from Scotland. They call their style a "Trad-rock Fusion" that incorporates fiddle, bagpipes and accordions with traditional rock band instruments.

We managed to check out Kintra again before checking out the traditional band Altan for the first time. The day ended with another great set by the Elders.

What do you get when two of my favorite fiddle players are playing a free concert on a beautiful summer day? An excuse for a vacation day from work.

On Wednesday I took the late afternoon train into Chicago to attend a free show by Natalie MacMaster (Gallery) and her band and an all star set by Liz Carroll, John Doyle and John Williams (Gallery) as part of Taste of Chicago.

Liz Carroll and John Doyle make the fiddle and guitar speak to each other like no one else in traditional Irish music today. An added bonus was John Williams, John Doyles old Solas band-mate and Chicagoan, making this fantastic duo into a great trio. Their hour long show is already a highlight of my live music summer.

Natalie MacMaster performed with a scaled down version of her regular band and her 16 year old niece providing guest vocals and dance abilities beyond her years. Not many people can go from playing traditional Cape Breton style one minute to an all out blast of tunes the next minute like Natalie. On a selfish note - I really do miss the added power of the electric guitar that Brad Davidge provided on songs like the Olympic Reel in the past. Natalie MacMaster is a must see performer in the Celtic genre.

The main difference in the 2010 concert going season from the 2009 season was that there was not a Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band concert to dominate. No fret, New Jersey's other favorite son is represented. It was diverse year in shows ranging from seeing some classic rock greats, new Celtic bands, and a blues icon. The list is not in any order since it would be difficult to pinpoint which great musicians should be ranked where on the list.

10. Kintra at Milwaukee Irish Fest: Northern Ireland based Kintra's first appearance at Milwaukee Irish Fest was an act not to be missed at the annual celebration of all things Irish. The performance was more of a variety show that featured vocals, pipes, dancing and stunning fiddle playing. I am glad to say that it looks like Kintra is headed back to Milwaukee for the 2011 festival.

9. Gretchen Wilson at Chicago Country Music Festival: My first country music concert in years was kicked off by one rollicking young lady from Southern Illinois who likes to have a party on stage. The Chicago crowd was rocking from first note to the last guitar lick of the evening.

8. The Moody Blues at Milwaukee Summerfest: One of my favorite British bands that should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They played an effortless show covering all their hits from their vast musical library.

7. Liz Carroll, John Doyle and friends at Milwaukee Irish Fest: Liz Carroll is one of the greatest fiddle players today and John Doyle is unequaled on an acoustic guitar. Throw in a couple talented friends and you have a craic at the world's biggest Irish kitchen party.

6. The Elders at the Irish American Heritage Center: This is the band I saw the most this year for good reason - they simply rock. This show at the IAHC was typical of the Elders - great musicianship, vocals and songs. I will definitely see the Elders anytime they play in the Chicago area.

5. The Leahy Christmas Show: The kids stole the show. My favorite Celtic band brought out their children to play and dance and they were fantastic. This was just another great evening with Leahy.

4. Bon Jovi at Soldier Field: What an incredible use of video screens that made the cavernous Soldier Field seem intimate. Throw in two and a half hours of great American rock and roll and you can not go wrong.

3. Buddy Guy at the Naperville Last Fling: Simply put - a living legend proving why he is a living legend.

2. Santana at First Midwest Bank Amphitheater: Going to a concert at a large open air amphitheater can go real bad real quick. I am glad to report that this did not happen to Santana as he owned every inch of the venue. There is only one Carlos Santana.

1. Eileen Ivers at the Chicago Irish Fest: I had the opportunity to discuss with Eileen Ivers what music she listens to and she replied "everything". You can hear her answer in the music she plays, from traditional Irish reels to music influenced by African and Latin beats to Cape Bretton inspired aires. Eileen also has an ace up her sleeve in one of the strongest touring bands in music today - Immigrant Soul. This celebration of music capped off the Sunday evening of the annual Chicago Irish Fest with an exclamation point!

A special thanks to Jim Fidler for his photographic contributions again this year. Another great concert going year. Here we come 2011!

When it is near 80 degrees in Chicago on the eighth of October you try to do something outside since you might not have an opportunity to enjoy nice weather until the next spring. When Indian Summer is on the weekend and there is a music festival in Chicago you hop on the late afternoon train and head to Millennium Park for the Chicago Country Music Festival. I picked a good day to go since Gretchen Wilson and Clint Black were the headline acts on the first night of the festival. Clint Black is a throw back singer who played traditional country with his versatile band for the appreciative audience. Gretchen Wilson's country music is more combustible as she paid homage to her country and rock and roll roots that she developed in her days growing up in Southern Illinois. This lady plain and simply rocks with a pull-no-punches attitude. What a way to end my 2010 outdoor concert season.

To me the greatest Irish Fest of them all occurs every August along the shores of Lake Michigan in the city of Milwaukee. This year marked the 30th anniversary of Milwaukee Irish Fest and if the crowds were any indication the most successful of them all. This was a year to see some new bands and check out some old favorites. My must-see act was Liz Carroll and John Doyle.

On Friday the special guest of the festival was rain (not the band) who last appeared during the 2007 festival. Entering the festival grounds it was a nice summer day and then it decided to storm with the wind blowing the rain sideways to make sure every inch of the fairgrounds was nice and wet. Despite the rain I decided to stay and enjoy the music.

I started off seeing Wisconsin based band Atlantic Wave followed by Green Fields of America. Green Fields of America is a traditional band made up of some of the best traditional players in Irish music. I started watching this set in sunshine and finished watching it under the music store canopy as the rain came down. I finished the day watching two bands perform that are really popular with the younger festival goers - Scythian from Washington DC and Gaelic Storm from California.

On Saturday, as I ventured back up north to Milwaukee with my friend Jim, it was cloudy and looked like it truly could be a repeat of the Irish Fest of 2007. I am glad to report that the rain held off and it turned into a beautiful day.

The first band we saw was Rising Gael who had a nice combination of vocals and fiddle. Rising Gael was followed by another Wisconsin band named Green Tea who I also saw last summer at the festival. Green Tea had a nice combination of flute and fiddle. As per usual, there was a heavy fiddle influence in the bands I chose to see at Irish Fest.

We had the opportunity to see one of our favorite fiddle and guitar duos - Liz Carroll and John Doyle. They did not disappoint. Immediately after the Carroll and Doyle set we saw the Irish traditional band McPeake from Northern Ireland who I hope come back to the festival in the future. McPeake carries on a 100 year heritage and tradition of Irish Music. We followed up McPeake by seeing traditional band Girsa, which means "young girls" in Gaelic, made up of young ladies who started playing together as kids in New York.

The evening set was made up of seeing returning Irish band Slide and a powerhouse show by Kintra.

On a Monday afternoon in May I had the opportunity to see Melissa Etheridge perform a mini-concert and interview at SPACE in Evanston for WXRT radio. It is not that often you get to see an artist as popular as Melissa Etheridge perform in a 200 seat venue on a Monday afternoon. Melissa did not disappoint the crowd.

I ventured up to Milwaukee Summerfest to see the Moody Blues on Tuesday Afternoon - make that Wednesday evening. The Moody Blues managed to make the festival setting feel like a theater with their musicianship and musical harmonies. They performed many of their hits during this 90 minute show including Singer In A Rock and Roll Band, Wildest Dreams, and Ride My See Saw. I managed to take a few pictures during their first few songs that I have included in a gallery.

Set List:

1. The Voice
2. Day We Meet Again
3. Slide Zone
4. Gypsy
5. Tuesday Afternoon
6. Lean On Me
7. Never Comes The Day
8. Peak Hour
9. I Know You're Out There Somewhere
10. Story In Your Eyes
11. Widest Dreams
12. Isn't Life Strange
13. The Other Side Of Life
14. Driftwood
15. Higher and Higher
16. Are You Sitting Comfortably
17. Singer In A Rock & Roll Band
18. Late Lament
19. Nights In White Satin
20. Question
21. Ride My See Saw

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The City of Chicago has moved Celtic Fest from Grant Park to Millennium Park and from September to May. The move was done to save money for the city - which I can understand in these economic times. Millennium Park offers better facilities in a smaller venue. The main stage sound system is state of the art with good lighting. Some of the smaller stages have disappeared and the smallest stage sits right on Michigan Avenue where the fiddles and mandolins try to play between traffic noise.

The first act I saw on Saturday was a celebration of the music of Nova Scotia. Coastal Rhythms: The Music and Spirit of Nova Scotia consisted of samples of traditional music from different areas of Nova Scotia. Some of these talented artists have performed at the fest previously with different bands including Pogey.

I had the opportunity to once again see Vishten perform traditional Acadian music. This band is made up of four multi-instrumentalists performing and singing individually and in four part harmony.

After seeing Vishten I was able to sample some of the music on the side stages while also catching a second performance of Coastal Rhythms in the Gathering Tent. Prior to watching the Saw Doctors on the main stage I caught a few songs of Bodega on the Next Generation Stage.

On Sunday I had the opportunity to see Bodega on the main stage. Bodega is a traditional Celtic made up of young Scottish players who formed while attending school in Scotland.

For the second time in less than a month I had the opportunity to see the Elders. The Elders had the crowd up and dancing with their high energy Celtic rock set. The Elders have a loyal following and by the looks of things they have added even more fans following this show.

After the Elders whipped the crowd into a frenzy the French Canadian band La Bottine Souriante performed. This Quebec based band combines fiddle and piano with a horn section. They even had a high energy step dancer to round things off. They were dancing in the aisles by the end of this show.

My friend Jim and I had the opportunity to see the Elders perform on April 23rd at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago. The concert was part of a new series of shows that the IAHC is offering in their new Erin Room. Since this is a new series of concerts in a new venue the show was not as crowded as a typical Elders show. This afforded Jim the opportunity to take some fantastic pictures from varying vantage points of the Kansas City based band. Jim has graciously allowed me to post these pictures in our newest gallery.

This band grasps the Celtic music traditions while pushing them into the future. The Elders are all great musicians performing original music that can be one moment poignant in the reflections of the Irish struggles while the next celebrating the Irish sense of adventure and fun. On a dime this band can go from the harmonizing vocals of the Men of Erin into the Scottish fueled instrumental Turnpike.

After seeing the Elders quite a few times this was the first time we had the opportunity to meet with the band and some other fans of the Elders. It is always great when you meet musicians whose music you appreciate and they are friendly and seem to enjoy their fans as much as their fans enjoy their music. Below are pictures of Jim and I meeting with Brent, Ian, and Steve of the Elders.

It is kind of neat when one of your favorite musicians is saluted by another one of your favorites. This is from the 32nd Annual Kennedy Center honors that aired on December 30, 2009.

My friend Julie sent along her list of concerts. Any list with U2, Gaelic Storm and the Young Dubs on it is a good one in my book. I do not know how I have not been to a Bodeans concert yet.

• Florence Henderson
• Glen Campbell
• Don Ho
• Hall & Oates
• Bon Jovi
• Genesis -- 2 times
• U2 -- 2 times
• Culture Club
• Howard Jones
• Human League
• Depeche Mode -- 5 times
• Duran Duran
• Sting
• Harry Connic Jr.
• Sara Bareilles
• Pat Monahan
• KC and the Sunshine Band
• Hootie and the Blowfish
• Gaelic Storm
• Young Dubliners
• Bodeans
• REM -- 2 times
• Erasure -- 3 times
• INXS -- 3 times
• Donna Summer
• Three Dog Night 
• Nine Inch Nails

A friend recently asked me what was the best show I saw this year. It is very hard to name one show that stood out above the rest of the 46 sets I watched in 2009. So here is an overview of my top ten of 2009 - in no particular order.

10. Scythian at Milwaukee Irish Fest (Sunday, August 16, 2009): Scythian was not even supposed to play at Irish Fest this year but made last minute plans to replace a band who could not get travel visas. This Washington DC based band put on a high energy show in a rare mid-afternoon show by the Irish Fest favorite. After their show was complete they came out and did a couple acoustic numbers for their fans as the stage crew was setting up for the next act. This show was a pinch hit home-run.

9. REO Speedwagon at the Waukesha County Fair (Sunday, July 19, 2009): Just a week after seeing REO outshine both Styx and .38 Special in Chicago this band rocked the main stage of a county fair between the FFA tent and the carnival rides. This band proved again that it does not matter where they play, from a Walmart autograph session to the All State Arena, they can still rock with the best of them.

8. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Chicago (Tuesday, May 12, 2009): This was a phenomenal three hour marathon of the soundtrack of my life. After going 20 years without seeing this band I was as impressed by them as much this evening as I was as an 18 year old seeing them on the side of a hill in rural Wisconsin. I guaranteed myself it would not be 20 more years until I again see the earth quaking, air-conditioner shaking, legendary E Street Band.

7. Solas at Fermi Lab (Saturday, March 14, 2009): Solas was the band I was addicted to in 2008 and is still in high rotation on my iTunes play list. The first class instrumentalists are augmented by the chilling vocals of their newest member - Máiréad Phelan.

6. U2 at Soldier Field in Chicago (Saturday, September 12, 2009): My only stadium show was a combination light, audio, and video spectacular. U2 rocked Chicago on the largest stage I have ever seen shaped like a giant octopus.

5. The Elders at the Chicago Irish Heritage Center (Friday, April 24, 2009): A musical hoolie by one of the hardest working Celtic rock bands touring today. What made the show even more special was attending it with some good friends.

4. Donnell Leahy and Natale MacMaster at Milwaukee Irish Fest (Saturday, August 15, 2009): The middle night of three nights at the greatest Irish Fest featured two of my three favorite fiddle players lighting it up backed up by some great piano playing. This was Donnell Leahy's weekend.

3. Julie Fowlis at the Chicago Cultural Center (Saturday, April 25, 2009): This was billed as a Julie Fowlis show but my friend Jim refers to it as a Jenna Reid show. Julie, Jenna and their band shined playing Scottish traditional music.

2. Eileen Ivers at Chicago Irish Fest (Saturday, July 11, 2009): Hands down the most energetic festival show of the year. Eileen and her band whipped the tent into a frenzy in what could be called a Celtic, bluesy, down-home revival led by one of my favorite fiddle players.

1. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Milwaukee (Sunday, November 15, 2009): I could not wait another 20 years to see my all-time favorite rock and roll band again. This was a high energy rock and roll show that started out with Cadillac Ranch, Badlands and Bruce crowd surfing into a full version of my favorite album of all time - Born To Run. All that and the show still had two hours left. The set list was over 50% different material from the show in May and both shows were phenomenal. I hope to see this band again many times, but if not, this was one heck of a last show to see.

These were just some of the great shows I saw this year. I could have easily made this a top twenty or 46 list and might even change it on reflection. 2010 looks to be another great music year and I already have tickets for five shows and plan on seeing many more.

Growing up in my house there were three 8-Tracks always sitting next to the stereo waiting for my brothers and I to play every day. For you youngsters out there 8-tracks preceded CDs which preceded digital downloads. I would like to say we would diplomatically determine which 8-track to play. However, we were kids so it was usually the first one to the stereo or the strongest would determine which one was going to be played. Since I was the youngest I would have to usually wait my turn or hope that my sister would intervene on my behalf. My oldest brother John usually had his favorite Glen Campbell 8-track of the moment and my brother Pete always had the latest REO Speedwagon 8-track. As for me it was always Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Twenty five plus years later we still argue which of these musicians are better - at least now we do it in good fun.

On Sunday evening I ventured over the Wisconsin state line to Milwaukee with my sister, who usually had to breakup the fights those many years ago, to see my favorite musician perform my favorite album of all time. The music and the band has stood the test of time and the songs ring even truer today than back when I listened to the songs for the first time.

The concert was phenomenal. While I saw the band six months ago in Chicago the set list was over 50% different and the building was rocking as much as Alpine Valley was the first time I saw the band in 1984. When in Wisconsin (Bruce made sure he knew he was not in Ohio) I can not imagine a better song to start with than Cadillac Ranch into one of my favorite songs Badlands. During Hungry Heart Bruce sang in the back part of the arena and then body surfed back to the stage - not bad for a 60 year old.

From the opening harmonica notes of Thunder Road until the last piano key was played on Jungleland I was able to witness my favorite album performed in its entirety and words can not describe it. After Born to Run was played my sister looked at me and said we could leave now and it would be a great concert. However, there was still over an hour and a half of great music left to be played. Highlights for me included the request of Growing Up, No Surrender and Kitty's Back. My sister really enjoyed Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

This again was another great Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show. As I drove home from the concert I was struck with how music sticks with you through out your life. Bruce Springsteen's music, especially Born to Run, has been a staple of my music appreciation through the years the way REO Speedwagon and Glen Campbell have been for my brothers.

Set List:

1. Cadillac Ranch
2. Badlands
3. Hungry Heart
4. Working on a Dream
5. Thunder Road
6. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
7. Night
8. Backstreets
9. Born to Run
10. She's the One
11. Meeting Across the River
12. Jungleland
13. Darlington County
14. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
15. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
16. Loose Ends
17. Jole Blon
18. Growin' Up
19. Into the Fire
20. The Rising
21. No Surrender
22. Living Proof
23. Kitty's Back
24. American Land
25. Dancing in the Dark
26. Rosalita
27. Higher and Higher

posted by Pat Moriarty

My friend Kerry and I were discussing concerts we have attended over the years and I asked her to email me a list so I could post it here. I am a bit jealous at some of the shows she has attended. That AC/DC, Aerosmith and Foreigner show would have been a great concert to attend. I have also yet to see Elton John and Jimmy Buffett.

• Gordon Lightfoot
• Roger Whitaker
• Donna Summer
• Tony Orlando
• Smoky Robinson
• Diana Ross
• AC/DC ~ Aerosmith - Foreigner
• Kool and the Gang - 5 times
• Reo Speedwagon - 2 times
• Bob Seger - 2 times
• Elton John
• Jimmy Buffett
• Alan Jackson/Jake Owen
• Brooks and Dunn - 2 times
• ZZ Top/Rodney Atkins
• Earth Wind and Fire
• Whitney Houston/Jeffrey Osborne
• Kenny Loggins
• Cars - 2 times
• Blondie
• Bodeans - 2 times
• John Mellencamp
• American Idol
• Journey
• UB40
• Chicago
• Crosby, Stills, Nash
• Tom Petty
• Jonas Brothers
• Don Ho
• Heart
• John Denver
• Manheim Steamroller
• Ray Goodman & Brown
• The Pointer Sisters

I have added a gallery of Lonnie Brooks from Naperville's Last Fling and galleries of Pogey, Slide and Gaelic Storm from Chicago Celtic Fest 2009.

Pictures from Milwaukee Irish Fest 2009 are now online. Galleries include Donnell Leahy and Natalie MacMaster performing together for the first time at Irish Fest. Vishten, Samantha Robichaud and Troy MacGillivray performing on the Nova Scotia and Friends Showcase stage. There are also galleries of great sets by Scythian, Cara, Pogey, and Green Tea.

...One of your Rock and Roll heroes is on the cover of AARP Magazine.

What a couple weeks I had in July. Two weeks in a row I got to see some great concerts by some of my favorite bands. On July 11th I saw Eileen Ivers, Searson and the Screaming Orphans at Chicago Irish Fest. Each band put on excellent sets with Searson sounding better than I have ever heard them live. Eileen Ivers proved once again why she is one of my favorite fiddle players. The Screaming Orphans had the crowd screaming. I have added galleries from Eileen and Searson's shows. Below are pictures of my friend Jim Fidler and I meeting Eileen.

On July 19th I saw REO Speedwagon again prove that they can rock today as hard as they did in the 70s and 80s. How can you not have a great time when they perform "Son of a Poor Man", "Golden Country" and "Back on the Road Again"

Be sure to check out the galleries of Eileen, Searson and REO Speedwagon. There are some great pictures by my brother Pete from the REO show and Jim Fidler at the Eileen Ivers and Searson shows.

I think I need to thank my brother John and my friend Jim for tonight's concert. Close to thirty years ago Jim and his girlfriend at the time (I think her name is Karen) gave John an 8-track. For you youngsters out there an 8-track preceded cassettes, CDs and digital downloads. John listened to the 8-track once and it was relegated to the back of his collection. One day John asked me if I would like the 8-track tape and I said yes since it would round my 8-track collection to a nice round number of one. I thank him for giving me this particular 8-track since I would listen to it all the time. The 8-track was Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Did you think I was going to say Yanni?

Ever since I got that 8-track, which would make the thumping noise when changing tracks as only 8-tracks did, I have been a fan of Bruce Springsteen. I have continued my listening to Bruce through the years and now have seen the 8-tracks replaced with cassettes followed by CDs and now digitized versions of all his music in my iTunes library. Anyone want a box of old 8-tracks and cassettes?

A couple years after receiving my 8-track I went to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. I was a recent high school graduate and bought tickets to sit on the lawn that day at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin. I remember sitting there listening to songs that had great meaning to me for the first time live in person. The meaning, themes and spirit of the music would change as I got older and in many ways spoke even truer.

Almost 25 years after seeing that first concert and 30 years after getting the 8-track tape I saw Bruce and the band for the fourth time last night. A little older, both the band and myself, the concert did not disappoint. With over 30 years of music to choose from the set list contained music from all his classic albums. There were a few audibles during the show as illustrated in the pre-show set list and the final set list.

One aspect that they did not have 25 years ago was multiple cameras to capture the event on big video screens. They had cameras everywhere from on the keyboards to Nils Lofgren's guitar neck during a wicked solo during "The Ghost of Tom Joad".

The band was as tight as they were 25 years ago on that hill in Wisconsin. The youth of Jay Weinberg on drums, Max's son, added extra spark to the band. I really enjoyed the Celtic fueled "American Land" and the audience request portion of the show with the classic cover of "Trapped". There were the classics like "Born to Run" and "Jungleland" played with all the energy as the originals and newer songs like "Outlaw Pete" whose live interpretation was better than that of the CD.

So I send out a thanks to both John and Jim. Oh yeah, and Bruce and the band for adding to the soundtrack of my generation.

Set List:

1. Badlands
2. Spirit in the Night
3. Outlaw Pete
4. She's the One
5. Working on a Dream
6. Seeds
7. Johnny 99
8. The Ghost of Tom Joad
9. Raise Your Hand
10. Trapped
    
11. Candy's Room
12. Mony Mony
13. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
14. The Promised Land
15. The Wrestler
16. Kingdom of Days
17. Radio Nowhere
18. Lonesome Day
19. The Rising
20. Born to Run
21. Hard Times
22. Jungleland
23. Land of Hope and Dreams
24. American Land
25. Dancing in the Dark
26. Rosalita

Links:
Bruce Springsteen - www.brucespringsteen.net
Backstreets (Fan website) - www.backstreets.com

On Saturday evening I had the chance to see the Julie Fowlis Band for the first time. My friend Jim and I went down to see the show at the Chicago Cultural Center. Julie Fowlis sings in Gaelic Scottish the native language of her home in the Hebridean Islands of Scotland. Julie also plays multiple instruments including the bagpipes and whistles. Julie was joined by her band that includes Tony Byrne on guitar and her husband Eamon Doorley on bouzouki. Eamon is also a member of the band Danu.

A featured player in the band is world class fiddle player Jenna Reid. I previously had the opportunity to see Jenna play with her band at last years Irish Fest in Milwaukee. Jenna is one of the best traditional players I have had the opportunity to see in concert.

After the show the whole band took time to meet the audience and Jenna took a few minuted to take pictures with us. The band was as gracious as they are talented.

Friday evening I went to see the Elders in concert at the Irish American Heritage Center of Chicago with some friends. The Elders were performing in support of their new CD Gael Day. This band is truly as they advertise - "Arse kickin' Celtic music from the heartland". They performed two of my favorite songs that illustrates their musical diversity - the four part harmony of "The Men of Erin" and the fiddle driven instrumental of "Turnpike".

My friend Rich Trauth sent along a few pictures of the Eagles from their September concert at the United Center in Chicago. Thanks for sharing Rich.

On Sunday, August 17th I had the opportunity to see Canadian fiddle player and step dancer April Verch and her band. April is from the Ottawa Valley of Canada and her music and dancing reflects the cultural influences of the area. The concert took place in the picturesque community of Long Grove, Illinois. visit the gallery.

Posted by Pat Moriarty

Driving to Irish Fest on this Sunny Saturday I thought there was no way that the music could compare to what I saw the day before. I guess I was wrong - it was everything Friday was and more.

I attended the show with my good friend Jim Fidler and Jim has graciously allowed me to post some of his pictures in the galleries from the day. Jim is one of the best photographers I know and is always willing to give me tips. Jim was shooting with his new Nikon DSLR.

The day started out again with us checking out a couple of the Scottish Sampler bands. We were able to see folk artists the Anna Massie Band and the Jenna Reid Band from Shetland, Scotland perform some great traditional Scottish music.

Solas performed another great show and we got to meet them afterwards. I am glad to report that they are as gracious and kind as talented. Below is a picture of Jim with Mick McAuley and a picture of me with Seamus Egan.

We were next off to see Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul and had the pleasant surprise to see the fiery Scottish band Bodega precede Eileen's set. Eileen put on a fantastic show that was combination traditional Celtic, World music with a touch of old fashion revival.

Once again it was another great Irish Fest.

Once again Milwaukee hosted an excellent party that they call Irish Fest. Unlike last year there was not a special appearance by rain. This was very much appreciated. I was able to attend on both Friday and Saturday.

My goal was to see bands that I might not generally see appearing in the area along with two of my favorites - Solas and Eileen Ivers. Friday started by seeing the Kane Sisters from Letterfrack, County Galway, Ireland. These two sisters play a traditional style in a unison playing fashion. I have posted a few pictures from their performance.

Once again Solas and Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul put on first class performances.

Every year Irish Fest offers Celtic music beyond the shores of Ireland and the United States. This year they offered a Scottish Sampler that allowed me to see the talented band Lau. As I have noted before you can always tell a band is good when you see other performers from the festival in the audience.

I finished the evening by seeing the band Furry Village.

According to the WTTW website REO will on Soundstage in Chicago on Thursday, July 3rd at 9 pm. There will be an encore airing on Sunday, July 6th at 11 pm.

PBS has yet to announce a date for the REO Speedwagon taping of Soundstage I attended last summer. However, REO has released a version of "Find Your Own Way Home" from the show on their You Tube page. Check it out below or online on YouTube.

If you said I went to a Celtic concert yesterday evening at the College of Lake County you would be right - but you would be wrong. Eileen Ivers and Immigrant of Soul not only play Celtic music but are a prime example of World music. Eileen and her band played an inspiring set that touched gospel, salsa and jazz among other genres. She can play a traditional Celtic song and turn around and play a blazing fiddle solo where you totally understand why the New York Times calls her "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin".

I look forward to seeing Eileen and her band again this summer at Irish Fest. They are a must see.

Visit Eileen Ivers and Immigrant of Soul online at www.eileenivers.com.

Posted by Pat Moriarty

I had the opportunity to see Leahy again in concert on Thursday at the Raue Center in Crystal Lake and Friday at the McAninch Center at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. Once again Leahy put on a first class show. Leahy has added some new songs to their set - instrumentals and vocals.

The highlight for me had to be the Friday evening show that I was not originally planning on attending. However, I was invited along as special guest of my friend's Jim, Karen and their daughter Kristen. Kristen was special guest step dancer of Leahy for the show. I do not know when I have seen people more nervous - not Kristen - it was her parents who were nervous. Kristen was cool and composed while her parents had the butterflies inside. Once she hit that stage she was a natural and her parents could not have been more excited and proud of their daughter. It sure was a highlight for this new year. I even got one of the first autographs of Kristen.

Visit Leahy online at www.leahymusic.com.

This afternoon I was fortunate to again see Natalie MacMaster in concert. I am struck how her shows vary in style every time I see her in concert. This year her band was augmented by a cello player. It is really interesting to listen to the fiddle, cello and bagpipes intermingle and compliment each other. Natalie is a definite must see in concert.

The highlight of the show was when Natalie asked if there were any Irish dancers who would like to come up on stage and dance. As Natalie played my favorite song of hers, the Olympic Reel, there was my friend Kristen keeping step to this electrifying song. As I looked over her parents were smiling from ear to ear. This was definitely a highlight of the young concert going year.

The picture below is courtesy of Karen F.

Visit Natalie MacMaster online at www.NatalieMacMaster.com.

What a week it has been for seeing great musicians. First I had the opportunity to see Billy Joel and on Thursday evening I had the opportunity to see Liz Carroll and John Doyle perform at Ballydoyles. They are true artists in the way their fiddle and guitar intermix. It is absolutely amazing and indescribable. I would highly recommend seeing them in person and picking up any of their music you can on CD.

I went to the show with my friend Jim and I think one of the highlights for him was seeing two of his favorite performers sharing the stage with a few members of the Trinity Irish Dancers. Jim's daughter has become quite the dancer with Trinity over the last couple of years.

We did have a chance to meet Liz and John after the show and they were very gracious and are great ambassadors for Celtic music. The two live performance pictures below were taken by Jim at Milwaukee Irish Fest this past August.

I had the opportunity to see Billy Joel in concert on Saturday evening at the Sears Centre for the first time in over twenty years. The question I am asking myself is why did I wait so long to see him again. Billy Joel is a true showman who puts on a first class show. From the awesome set list to the first rate light show this was truly a fabulous show. Billy performed his hits while including some spectacular keyboard work (Root Beer Rag was fantastic). He even managed to sprinkle in some great seasonal songs. Below is the set list I found on one of the many tribute websites for the Piano Man.

Visit Billy Joel online at www.billyjoel.com

Billy Joel Set List - December 1, 2007 at the Sears Centre

• Prelude/Angry Young Man
• Jingle Bells
• My Life
• Everybody Loves You Now
• The Entertainer
• Vienna
• Allentown
• Zanzibar
• New York State of Mind
• Root Beer Rag
• Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
• Christmas In Fallujah
• Keeping The Faith
• Stand By Me
• An Innocent Man
• Don't Ask Me Why
• She's Always A Woman
• The River of Dreams
• We Didn't Start The Fire
• Big Shot
• It's Still Rock and Roll To Me
• You May Be Right
• Gloria In Excelsis Deo
• Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
• Joy To The World
• Only The Good Die Young
• Silent Night
• Piano Man

I have never seen a band in so many different types of venues as I have seen REO Speedwagon this year. I have seen them perform in a television studio, theater, stadium, festival and even a Wal-Mart between the automotive and gardening sections. Yesterday evening I had the opportunity to see them in a bar setting or a large bar setting. They did a charity show for the Bear Necessities Pediatric Foundation sponsored by WLUP radio at the Chicago House of Blues.

We had dinner at the House of Blues dining room which afforded us with the opportunity to have entry into the concert hall prior to other ticket holders. This allowed us to watch the show from right in front of the stage. Since it was a general admission show the only problem we had were with what I like to call the 5to9ers or people who wait to right before the show to try to wedge their way up front or push from the back.

The show was awesome with REO playing their hits and some of the new music from their recently released CD. Being so close they were playing at times two to three feet away from us and we were literally making eye contact with the band. I think the highlight for my brother was high-fiving Kevin Cronin during Roll With the Changes.

REO Speedwagon fan John Pat sent along a copy of the set list he was given after the show that Kevin Cronin used during the show.

I have added a couple of galleries of Leahy and the Elders from Friday night at Irish Fest. With the steady rain on Saturday I did not even attempt to take any pictures.

The key word for Saturday at Irish Fest was rain. The rain had me looking for the exhibit of Noah and his workshop.

The day started out with trying to see parts of as many bands as possible and visit the Irish cultural exhibits and not so cultural exhibits at the fest. When I first arrived at the festival for the day I got to see part of a set by traditional folk Irish players' Mick Moloney and Michelle Mulchany with an added bonus of John Doyle sitting in for the set. After listening to some of this great music I checked out the exhibits including seeing some Irish wolfhounds and my favorite dogs the Irish Setters. I also had the opportunity to check out some co-ed tug of war action in the mud.

Before my planned viewing of the Enter the Haggis show I got to see bit of the Trinity Irish Dancers show. They were amazing and troopers for performing in the rain. By the time Enter the Haggis took stage it was pouring rain and my camera was replaced by an umbrella. Enter the Haggis delivered despite the rain blowing directly at them as they performed on the stage closest to the lake.

As the rain picked up I decided to see a couple of bands playing in the smaller tents and it was sure worth it. I was able to see a bit more of Liz Carroll and John Doyle, as well as the Ladies of Longford. I am real glad I took the time to watch a full set of Liadan. Liadan is a band made up of ladies from Galway, Limerick and Dublin, who play a combination of traditional and modern music. Their instrumentals are only topped by their vocals.

After being thoroughly entertained by Liadan I decided to venture out of the comforts of the entertainment tents back into the rain to see Leahy on one of the main stages. As I arrived I was informed by one of the many rain soaked volunteers that the show was canceled. This being totally understandable and kind of expected I decided to hit one of the smaller tents to see Millish. You know a band is good when you see other musicians in the room and this tent was justifiably filled with other musicians appearing at the fest. I only got to see about half an hour of the set and plan on definitely catching Millish when they appear in the area in the future.

As I entered the rain again my plan was to briefly stop and watch the late starting Gaelic Storm play before heading home. It only made sense that Gaelic Storm was the only band to play on a main stage in the rain since they did play while the ship was sinking in the movie Titanic. Since I was already wet I decided to stay for the whole show that went on past the closing time of the festival. I think Gaelic Storm might be considered the Jimmy Buffett of Celtic bands. This party band was having such a good time they started to run and do dives along the wet stage.

The annual festival of all things Irish took place this weekend with great food, music and where everyone looks like they could be related to me. This is the annual Milwaukee Irish Fest.

Friday was your typical Irish Fest evening - which is always fantastic. My good friend Jim and I drove up with the intention of seeing the full Leahy set and part of as many other acts as possible. We were not disappointed by the other bands we were able to see in our limited time before the Leahy show. We had the opportunity to see part of sets by Liz Carroll and John Doyle playing together on the Celtic Roots Stage and the Wisconsin based family band Leahy's Luck playing on the McGouthy's Tipperary Stage. One of the highlights of the evening was seeing Jim stopped in his tracks by the guitar playing of John Doyle.

Leahy delivered as they always do. I have seen Leahy many times over the years and am always struck by the different reactions of seeing them at Irish Fest as compared to in a theatre. In the theatre venues the crowds are appreciative - but somewhat reserved. At Irish Fest the crowds are just as appreciative - but a lot more demonstrative. The Irish of Milwaukee really know how to show their appreciation. After Leahy we had the chance to again see Kansas City's the Elders. This is one fun band that you get more of an appreciation for when they are not confined by the small stage of bars like Ballydoyles.

I had the opportunity to attend the PBS television taping of Soundstage last night in Chicago. My brother (the biggest REO fan I know) won some tickets for the event and I forced him to take me along as his guest. Had he gone with his first wish of taking one of the attractive young ladies he knows he would have been sitting real close. They were picking out the pretty people and sticking them up front and putting people who look like me in the back. This was not all that bad of a thing. Sitting in the back was only about twenty feet away from the stage and allowed a great vantage point. I was able to witness first hand how they filmed this show in high definition. Having designed a website for Steve Herrlin, a Director of Photography, it was interesting seeing the equipment he uses on a regular basis being operated. I can just imagine Steve doing this outside a controlled studio setting.

The show was simply awesome with phenomenal lighting and the best sound I have ever heard at a concert. They had to do a couple of film changes and this allowed for some humorous banter between Kevin Cronin and the audience. Highlights of the show included the spot on vocals of Cronin, blistering guitar work of Dave Amato and some phenomenal drum playing by Bryan Hitt. As always, I really like the classics and they delivered with a fiery version of Golden Country and Bruce Hall's Back on the Road Again.

I had a moment that I can only equate to being at a baseball game and you get a chance to catch a foul ball. I am just glad it did not turn into a Bartman moment. After Kevin Cronin finished singing Don't Let Him Go I saw him toss his guitar pick into the audience. Now this was no simple toss, this pick was flung with the authority of a thirty year rock and roll veteran. As I sat there, I sensed that the pick was being pitched in my general direction and then everything went into slow motion. As the pick was tossed I saw it flip three times in mid-air and I knew just at that moment by calculating the vertical velocity and spin factor that it was definitely coming my way. I was prepared as I got my footing to do battle with the nearby middle aged housewives and classic rock fans with their receding hairlines fronting their eighties mullets. At that split moment I lost visual contact as the hurling piece of compressed polypropylene was lost in the illuminating stage lighting. I could only do one thing when faced with this situation and that was to close my eyes since I did not want to get my eye poked out. As I closed my eyes I prepared for the masses to fling their bodies at the pick as if they were 19 years old and entering their first punk rock mosh pit. Then, the reality of the situation occurred to me, these 30 and 40 something adults either also lost the pick in the lights or did not care to risk life or limb for a five cent mini-Frisbee. I felt something hit my leg and fall to the ground. I exerted the necessary energy to bend down and pick up this rock and roll memorabilia and put it in my pocket. In an act of unselfishness, that would have never occurred in the 1980s, I gave the guitar pick to my brother in commemoration of his thirtieth REO Speedwagon concert. I know this story does not equate to the scrum that developed in pursuit of the 756 home run ball of Barry Bonds, however, this story will be told like every great fishing story.

Set List

• Find Your Own Way Home
• Take It On The Run
• Keep Pushin'
• I Needed to Fall
• Tough Guys
• Can't Fight This Feeling
• Dangerous Combination
• Back on the Road Again
• Smilin' in the End
• Time For Me to Fly
• Don't Let Him Go
• Keep on Loving You
• Roll With the Changes
• Ridin' the Storm Out
• 157 Riverside Avenue
• Golden Country
• Music Man
• In My Dreams

I took my 15 year old nephew to the Jumping Jack Bash yesterday sponsored by WJMK. The show was held at Toyota Park in Bridgeview. The stadium also doubles as a soccer stadium and holds about 25,000 people. I thought the place would be crowded given the list of bands performing. However, the show start time of 4:30 pm and the original ticket prices might have kept a few fans away. I would estimate that maybe a third of the seats were occupied. While it is nice to be able to stretch your legs out it did give the place a cavernous feel. It was also very windy and probably one of the coldest July days in recent history

I grew up listening to these bands and was looking forward to seeing them with my nephew who is the age that I was when started to listen to most of them. The show started with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. I did not know what to expect and was blown away by the band. This lady can really rock and I hope to see her sometime at a smaller venue.

The second band to perform was the Stray Cats. This was the first show for the band in 15 years and they did not miss a beat. I have continued to listen to Brian Setzer's music over the years and look forward to hearing more music in the future.

The middle band to perform was the Pretenders. Of all the bands that performed their music translated the least in a stadium type show. Despite continuous guitar problems and Chrissie Hynde's complaint about a McDonald's sign, that she had covered up behind the stage, the band played an hour set under the large Toyota Park sign.

The final two bands to perform were a couple bands I grew up listening to during the height of their popularity. REO Speedwagon was definitely on their game with their leader and hometown boy Kevin Cronin. REO was also the one band my nephew came to see and I am glad to report that he really liked the show.

Closing out the show was ZZ Top who I first saw live back in 1986. They have a really fine tuned blues rock sound that has aged like a fine wine. These Texas boys can sure rock.

I had the opportunity to attend the 21st Annual Illinois Saint Andrew Society Highland Games and Scottish Festival on Friday evening with my brother Pete and friend Jim. Not only did we get to see some caber tossing (watch out where you stand) and rugby, we saw Enter the Haggis perform. Enter the Haggis again provided their brand of Celtic rock that their building fan base has come to enjoy.

We had the opportunity to meet Brian and James from the band before the show. James told a few funny stories about life on the road.

The Cicadas were special guests at this year's festival. They seem to only appear every 17 years in this area.

Be sure to check out some of the pictures from the show.

I had the opportunity to see REO Speedwagon for ninth time over the last twenty some years last night at the Rosemont Theatre. The show was put on by Chicago radio station the Drive (WDRV FM 97.1) to celebrate their sixth anniversary. The Ides of March opened the show and besides some unfortunate Spinaltapish moments put on a good show. REO put on yet another first class performance. REO showcased some of their new songs and played all the hits the fans have come to expect. Highlight for me included playing the classic songs "Golden Country" and "Back on the Road Again".

On Friday the Thirteenth I had the opportunity again to see Enter the Haggis. This was the second time I have seen them at this bar and it was three times as crowded this time since it was a Friday evening. They put on a great show and I look forward to seeing them again the next time they have a show in the Chicago area. My friend Jim sent along a few pictures that I have posted below. Thanks Jim.

My friend Jim sent me a copy of a brief article that appeared in the Daily Herald and a scanned copy of his autographed CD. Thanks Jim.

Kevin Cronin and Bruce Hall of REO Speedwagon did a mini-concert at the Elk Grove Village Wal-Mart yesterday. This was a bit surreal for me having grown up in the same town with a brother who listened to REO 24/7. They performed for about 30 minutes doing the classics including 157 Riverside Avenue. After their performance they signed copies of their new CD for about 300 fans. Be sure to check out the gallery.

Posted by Pat Moriarty

I had a chance to see Natalie MacMaster again tonight. This time she performed at the Hemmens Cultural Center for the Arts in Elgin. Natalie and her excellent band had another fine show. A highlight of the show was the Volcanic Jig from her new album Yours Truly. Her fiddling and step dancing was as good as it gets - not bad for a lady who is six months pregnant. The seats were not bad either - front row center.

Visit Natalie online at www.nataliemacmaster.com

I was able to see Leahy for the second time in three days at the Raue Center in Crystal Lake. They once again put on a tremendous show. Highlights of the show included Erin Leahy's phenomenal piano playing and chilling vocals on "I Want You To Know" and "Moment". I really think she could put out an awesome solo album in any style of music. Both Donnell and Angus were fantastic on fiddle picking up any slack in the absence of their brother Doug.

I really appreciate the graciousness that they showed at the after show meet and greet to my niece and my cousins who were seeing them for the first time. A special thanks goes out to Maria for taking the time out to write a personal autograph to my friend Jim who could not attend this show.

I look forward to seeing them again next Summer at Irish Fest in Milwaukee.

My good friend Jim and I attended the Leahy concert at the historical Auditorium Theatre in Chicago yesterday evening. The theatre was designed by famed architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler and is historical for the many shows it has hosted since it opened in 1889. To me the theatre is the historical spot where I graduated from Roosevelt University's Graduate School of Public Administration.

Both Jim and I are into double figures for the amount of times we have seen this fine band from Ontario, Canada. They are definitely a band that you have to see in concert to truly appreciate. We had a chance to say hello after the show and they are as gracious as they are talented. Here is a picture of each of us with Maria who plays guitar and step-dances.

I went to see the French Canadian band Grand Dérangement with my good Friend's Jim and Karen yesterday at the McAninch Art Center on the campus of the College of DuPage. Grand Dérangement is from the Saint Mary's Bay area of Southwestern Nova Scotia. They are a combination of folk, Celtic and rock music combined with aspects of traditional Acadian culture. I hope they appear in this area again soon at a festival where I can get some pictures of them in concert. We were fortunate to get a few pictures at the meet and greet after the show. I highly recommend them seeing them in concert.

I have finally had the time to update this website and register the domain name - www.TheConcertStage.com. I have had some requests that I add more details about the shows that I attend and will try to do this since I will be seeing four concerts in the next few weeks. I will be seeing Grand Dérangement for the first time tomorrow and Natalie MacMaster in a couple weeks. In between these shows I will also be seeing Leahy a couple of times. They are the band that really introduced me to fiddle/Celtic music during the last decade.

Here are some of the highlights of shows I photographed at Milwaukee Irish Fest, Chicago Celtic Fest and Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Fest.

I went up to Milwaukee Irish Fest last weekend. I had a fantastic time yet again at this first class festival. I got to see some new bands (Gaelic Storm and Young Dubliners) and some old favorites (Enter the Haggis and the Elders).

I have added two new galleries from the Chicago Gaelic Park Irish Fest. The galleries are for Enter the Haggis and Eileen Ivers.

While on vacation last week I was able to attend the annual Christmas for Kids concert at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

The concert consisted of sets by the Charlie Daniels Band, Phil Vassar, Lonestar, Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Amber Digby and 4Runner. Highlights of the show included the sets by Lonestar and Phil Vassar. Most acts performed their hits and some Christmas music.

I think the main highlight for me was seeing a concert at the famed Ryman Auditorium.

This was my first time seeing C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band and it sure was a good time. Matter of fact, this was my first time seeing a zydeco band and I must say I hope not the last.

C.J. is a second generation zydeco accordion player following in the footsteps of his father Clifton Chenier.

This was my second time seeing a concert at the Ramsey Auditorium at the Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. The crowd for this concert was a little more lively than the previous show I attended in Batavia. The energy in the room was like the energy of a particle accelerator with the people dancing in the aisles.

I had the opportunity to see Kansas in Naperville this past Friday at the last Fling on Rotary Hill. It is nice to see an older band touring that actually has the original members. Check out the new gallery.

posted by Pat Moriarty

I had another great weekend at Irish Fest in Milwaukee. I was able to once again see Leahy who again were phenomenal. For the first time I was able to see Off Kilter who I have been listening to for several years. They put on an energetic awesome show.

On St. Patrick's Day we decided to travel two hours to see REO Speedwagon and Styx in concert at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois. REO definitely carried this show as the home team. Kevin Cronin was definitely at the top of his game as a singer and a showman. The core of REO Speedwagon (Kevin Cronin, Bruce Hall and Neil Doughty) have been together for over twenty-five years and still play with passion. Sitting in the eighth row I was struck by the guitar playing of Dave Amato, who is considered the new guy despite some 15 years with the band. This is truly one of the best guitar players I have seen live and he was definitely on his game.

Styx's performance, while professional, was not up to the standard set by REO. They really need to patch up their differences with Dennis DeYoung. The new animated singer seemed like a tribute artist to DeYoung. I did not appreciate his performance as I did original members Tommy Shaw and James Young.

I look forward to seeing REO again next summer.

I attended my second Leahy concert during the past two weeks at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. Again, Leahy blew the crowd away with their electric performance. We had the opportunity to meet them again after the show and it is always great to meet people who are as kind and gracious as they are talented.

My brother took his daughter to today's show as a Valentines Day gift. They both said it was one of the highlights of this new year. My niece was so excited that they performed her favorite song "Moment". I could not attend the show today as I was having a great day spending time with my other nieces and nephew. I look forward to seeing Leahy the next time they come to Chicago or up to Milwaukee.

Next show is Natalie MacMaster in April. That is unless any number of acts come to town before April... Blues... Big Band... even Metal. I hear John Mellencamp will be touring soon. Nice thing about getting older is you appreciate a wider variety of music.

Yesterday evening I was able to attend the Leahy Concert at the Main Stage Theatre on the campus of the College of Lake County. Once again Leahy did not disappoint. This band from Ontario, Canada seems to get better with every performance. I have been to six of their concerts and they are a little different each time I attend. I highly recommend their show if they come to your area.