Tag Archives: Michigan Irish Music Festival

On Tap: A virtual Michigan Irish Music Fest, Bell’s fall lineup

3-bottom, Beer, Local Entertainment, Recreation, Upcoming Events,
There will not be this such crowds at this year’s Michigan Irish Music Festival. But there will still be fun and music and beer, we assume. (Supplied/previous year)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Over the weekend originally slated for their 2020 festival, Sept. 17-20, the Michigan Irish Music Festival will host “Keeping Irish In Your Heart … Six Feet Apart,” a virtual event featuring musical performances, cultural presentations, and “other ways to engage in one of the lakeshore’s most beloved fall traditions,” according to a supplied statement.
 

There will be both songs and swag available.

Tune in beginning Thursday, Sept. 17 (through Saturday, Sept. 20) to Michigan Irish Music Festival’s Facebook page for special online performances and cultural presentations to celebrate the “weekend that would have been.” There will be a “Live Takeover” by the folk group Scythian and other mini-concerts throughout the weekend.

Other musical guests expected include Runa, Friel Sisters, Shane Hennessy, Dave Curley, Seamus Kennedy, Conklin Ceili band, Crossbow, Peat in the Creel, Uneven Ground, Ruth & Max Bloomquist, Selkies, Kennedy’s Kitchen, Doolin, One for the Foxes. Blackthorn, Irish Music All Stars, The Kreellers, and more. Cultural presentations include Songwriters Circle with Ashley Davis and Baking with Babies, a kid-friendly cooking presentation by Shannon of Runa.

And even if you can’t make it live, you can pretend in future years. The official “Irish There Were a Festival” t-shirt can be purchased for $20 (shipping included).  But the cotton tees will be on sale for a limited time.

For complete event information visit michiganirish.org.

Bell’s welcomes fall with brew familiar and new

Bell’s Brewery always seems to have something special on tap for fall, but this year Best Brown lovers will need to take notice of a new label on the familiar brew as the fall seasonal will have a brand new look when it arrives on store shelves and in coolers over the next couple of weeks.

The new label is a mix of the old and the new,” Larry Bell, president and founder of Bell’s Brewery, said recently in supplied material. “It hearkens back to our original labels while paying homage to the heritage of the brand, a modernized nod to the history of Best Brown.”

Best Brown (5.8 ABV) — a smooth, toasty beer that offers hints of cocoa and caramel — has a long history with Bell’s fans. It was first released in 1988 packaged in 22 oz. bottle, and featured a plain type label and then a winter pine cone. The owl first appeared in 1993 and has been on the label ever sense, represented in different styles throughout the years.

Other fall brews already available from Bell’s include, of course, its Octoberfest, a Special Double Cream Stout, Expedition Stout (including a very limited special edition version celebrating Bell’s 35th Anniversary. Third Coast Old Ale will be available in mid-September, Sideyard at the end of September, and a Cherry Stout — perfect for those crisp Michigan fall nights — in mid-October.

For more information, visit bellsbeer.com.

Zach Cantalice, WKTV Intern

Michigan Irish Music Festival Celebrates 20th Year

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Recreation, Senior Living, Travel, Upcoming Events, , ,
Courtesy Michigan Irish Music Festival

By Colleen Murphy


The Michigan Irish Music Festival observes its 20th anniversary this year, and what better way to celebrate than by hosting more bands than ever in the history of the event?


The festival returns to Heritage Landing in downtown Muskegon Sept. 12-15 and features Irish and Celtic music on seven covered stages. The festival kicks off Thursday, Sept. 12 with its Pub Preview Party featuring food, beverages, and three bands in the pub tent only. The full festival begins Friday.


In addition to live music, the Celtic Kitchen and beverage stations serve authentic Irish food and drinks. The Tea Room has non-alcoholic choices and treats in a relaxed atmosphere. Other activities include the Irish Market and Irish Store, children’s activities, a cultural center, and a session tent. FEIS, an Irish dance competition, and the Highland Games are held on Saturday. Sunday, Catholic mass at 9am will be followed by a traditional Irish breakfast.


This year’s festival, expected to draw 40,000 patrons, will host a record 26 bands. Here’s a sneak peek at 10 of the bands on tap:


GAELIC STORM

After two decades and more than 2,000 live shows, this multinational Celtic band returns to the festival for the first time in five years. Gaelic Storm attributes their continued success to a diversified fan base from several musical genres: country, bluegrass, Celtic, and rock. Gaelic Storm, which has gained a reputation as a genre-bending Irish rock band, has topped the Billboard World Chart six times, appearing at mainstream music festivals and headlining the largest Irish festivals across the country.


THE HIGH KINGS

The band’s most recent release, Decade-Best of The High Kings, garnered rave reviews, and their recently completed U.S. tour sold out many of its venues. The High Kings’ unique contemporary style and arrangement to songs of yesteryear are sure to delight.


AOIFE SCOTT

The singer and songwriter from Dublin was named the 2018 winner of the Best Irish Folk Act at the Irish Post Music Awards. Her music has a broad creative scope but is largely influenced by her own roots in folk and traditional Irish music.


ONE FOR THE FOXES

This exciting and dynamic transatlantic trio presents a rousing blend of Irish and American folk music. They offer both traditional and newly composed music, presented in an energetic and engaging manner.


JIGJAM

The award-winning quartet from Ireland blends the best of traditional Irish music with bluegrass and Americana in a new genre, which has been branded as “I-Grass” — Irish-influenced bluegrass.


DOOLIN’

Doolin’ is one of the most innovative bands of the Irish music scene. Formed in Toulouse in 2005, the band comprises six accomplished and eclectic musicians. French in origin, this sextet brings a fresh approach to Irish music. Doolin’ combines instrumentals, vocals, and original compositions in a resolutely modern style. The arrangements at times taking their inspiration from pop-rock, folk, jazz, funk, and even rap.


PIGEON KINGS

Pigeon Kings draws from Celtic and rock influences, but they’re not Celtic Rock. There are traditional elements, but they’re not a traditional band. With elements of Americana and Bluegrass, they have a sound and persona all their own. Pigeon Kings offers a high energy stage show backed by unique compositions, honest lyrics, and experienced showmanship.


THE DROWSY LADS

Jack Baker of the Irish American News named The Drowsy Lads the “Best Irish American Band of 2018.” The Lads, out of Columbus, Ohio, have won over both casual music lovers and those steeped in hardcore traditional Irish music. They’re fond of creating their own spirited arrangements and offer occasional original compositions (even mixing in bluegrass and classical), but that never gets in the way of their obsession with the pure old Irish tunes, songs, wit, and friendship that has defined Irish music for centuries.


CONNLA

After winning New Group of the Year (Chicago Irish American News) and Best New Group (Live Ireland Music Awards) in 2016, Connla has been quickly making an impact on the folk/traditional scene. More recently, Connla won Album of the Year for 2019 at both the ALSR Celtic Music Awards and the Livvies Awards. Songlines magazine named Connla their “must-see act” for their UK tour and proclaimed, “A band this young shouldn’t be this good.”


THE CONIFERS

The five young musicians that make up The Conifers met while studying traditional music at the University of Limerick. They have since developed a lasting friendship, which is evident in their music. In 2018, The Conifers, whose music is energetic and lively with a wholesome sound, won first place in the prestigious Michigan Irish Music Initiative competition in Dundalk.


Advance tickets and passes for this year’s Michigan Irish Music Festival are available online (patrons save $5 per ticket online vs. the gate price). The festival offers an Early-In Free promotion on Friday only from 5 to 6pm, sponsored by Family Financial Credit Union. Other major sponsors of the festival include G&L, Van’s Car Wash and Budweiser. The Delta Hotels by Marriott and Shoreline Inn are host hotels for the festival. For complete festival information, and the announcement of additional bands, visit www.michiganirish.org. Find ticket into here.

You don’t have to be Irish to love this Festival!

Entertainment, Food, Kids Activities, Senior Living, Travel, Upcoming Events, ,

Courtesy of Michigan Irish Music Festival

 

By Colleen Murphy, Michigan Irish Music Festival

 

Following record attendance three years in a row, the Michigan Irish Music Festival is expanding its grounds. The festival’s seventh covered stage will be positioned on The Point at Heritage Landing, space previously inaccessible to festival patrons. The Belfast Stage will feature live music, new dining options, beverage offerings, and more.

 

The Belfast Stage is named for the capital of Northern Ireland, a fitting choice since The Point is the northernmost location at Heritage Landing. Festival-goers will find everything they need near the new stage, including powder rooms with running water, a Blarney Bucks station, a bar, and two food vendors new to the festival. One such vendor is downtown Muskegon favorite Curry Kitchen, who will be serving butter chicken, samosas, and other Indian cuisines. The second vendor, Camzie’s Pizza, will offer two-topping wood-fired pizzas, as well as an Irish pizza option.

 

The Michigan Irish Music Festival runs from Sept. 13th-16th. MIMF will kick off the 2018 festival with a Pub Preview Party on Thursday night. The Pub Party will give patrons a preview of the weekend with food, beverage, and three bands in the pub tent only. Admission is $5 (cash only Thursday). The full festival opens Friday, featuring over 30 bands on seven covered stages and an extensive selection of food, beverages (domestic beer, Irish whiskey, Irish cider, and local craft beer), shopping, and cultural offerings – including some returning favorites:

  • The Celtic Highland Games All day Saturday, the Celtic Highland Games return with competitors, both men and women, participating in the stone throw, sheaf toss, 16-lb. hammer toss, weight for height and distance, and the ever-popular caber toss (a log approx. 18’- 20’ long).
  • John “Red” Shea The author of New York Times bestseller Rat Bastards returns to the festival after captivating audiences back in 2012. Shea talks about his life in the notorious Boston Irish mob, a compelling story of one of the most powerful Irish mobs in American history.
  • Celtic Beard Bout Presented by Lumbertown Beard Barons, this family-friendly beard and mustache competition celebrates facial hair of all shapes and sizes and the cultural significance of beards in Ireland.
  • Celtic Canines Come to meet the dog breeds that originated from the Emerald Isle and learn about what each breed was originally intended to do. If you’re interested in owning one for yourself, chat with the owners to find out if the breed is right for you!
  • Limerick Contest Awaken the poet within you, or just come and enjoy one of Ireland’s most popular literary traditions. Not for the faint-of-heart, experience our local authors’ pithy and humorous takes on subjects such as sex, politics, love, death, and more.
  • Learn How to Play the Bodhrán This all-ages hands-on presentation is a great introduction to the bodhrán, a percussion instrument traditionally made with a wooden body and goat-skin head and played with a double-headed stick.
  • How to Speak Gaelic Through presentations and an ongoing exhibit by West Michigan Gaeltacht, patrons can enjoy learning and speaking the Irish language.
  • Session Tent Festival musicians are joined by walk-in amateurs as they participate in impromptu jam sessions, carrying on the Irish tradition of “session music.” Bring your instrument and join in the fun!
  • Wake House Visit Cathy Jo and Steve Smith for a glimpse into the cultural traditions of an actual Irish wake. Much more than a funeral, an Irish wake is a celebration of life with three days full of dancing, drinking, and singing.

Advance tickets and festival passes are available online through Wednesday, August 29th, after which tickets are only available at the Heritage Landing box office starting on Thursday, September 13th. Patrons can save $5 per ticket versus the gate price when they buy online. The festival offers an Early-In Free promotion on Friday only from 5-6PM, sponsored by Family Financial Credit Union. Other major sponsors of the festival include G&L, Van’s Car Wash, and Budweiser. For complete festival information, visit michiganirish.org.