Off The Record
by Mike FarragherRSS 
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- Amen to Rend Collective Experiment - VIDEO
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Who could blame them? They must be knackered after the successful U2360 tour and the drama around resuscitating the Spider-Man Broadway musical!
Now comes word from Rolling Stone that Jack White, Depeche Mode, Patti Smith and Damian Rice are among the artists on a forthcoming tribute album honoring the 20th anniversary of U2’s Achtung Baby.
I was the first journalist to be let under the tent of the show that Sharon Browne and Phil Coulter created four years ago. I can still see the years in Phil’s ruggedly handsome and weathered face fall away as he described the concept of the show with boyish enthusiasm.
He wasn’t boasting over pints at the pub that night -- that first Celtic Thunder show delivered an overabundance of theatrical delights from new names and faces.
The second album hummed along as well, and then one got the sense that some of the subsequent albums were milking a concept growing long in the tooth.
The band is celebrating the release of their cheekily-titled new album, The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner, a fizzy joyride of synch-driven pop and punk.
“Come on, let’s talk about our feelings/I don’t care if everything you say is meaningless,” singer Mary Kate “Mayday” Geraghty coos on “Let’s Talk About Our Feelings.”
She sounds flirty, bored, and sarcastic all at the same time, a vibe that calls to mind Debbie Harry’s Blondie or Dale Bozzio’s Missing Persons (other female singers that rode the synthesizer riffs all the way to the bank).
I always turn up my nose at the made-in-China plastic green nonsense that they peddle at an Irish festival in favor rewarding unique Irish craftsmanship with my hard-earned cash. Last weekend was no exception. I was at the Dublin Irish festival and amazed by the number of punk rockers wearing the AmeriKilt.
As the name implies, this Pennsylvania company has modernized the traditional Scottish garment. Gone are the tartan patterns that broaden the size of your ass to the naked eye. In this model; the kilts come in colors you’d find at The Gap and they have a number of pockets to accommodate your gadgetry. Ingenious! The owner couldn’t have been nicer as I shook his hand and arrived at a price.
I ditched my board shorts on the spot and began my strut across the fairgrounds. I had heard that wearing a kilt gave new appreciation to the term “stiff breeze,” but wind was in short supply on this midsummer night. The thick, soupy Ohio air made everything hang a bit lower under the kilt--I mean, as low as an Irishman can go and you don’t have to remind me that this is not very low by some standards.
Yes, at the tender age of 45, I am putting an end to an academic career, and let’s just say Albert Einstein never had to look over his shoulder at any time.
After three long years, I attained my master’s degree in management. While I’m proud to say I graduated summa cum laude, ‘tis a far cry from my “Summa Cum Lucky” nightmare that was my undergraduate study!
A boxing demonstration and signing with special guest, renowned boxer “Irish” Micky Ward, will also be featured at these family friendly, all-ages events.
Shamrock ‘N Roll Festival will visit Bangor Maine; Altamont, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; Portsmouth, Virginia, Rochester, New York and Philadelphia. A dollar from every ticket sold will benefit the band’s charity, the Claddagh Fund, and $1 from every ticket sold for the September 11 show in Altamont will be donated to 9/11 charities. For more information, log onto www.dropkickmurphys.com.
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READ MORE:
Drop Kick Murphy’s join Kanye West for ‘Call of Duty XP’ convention line up – VIDEO
Two of the tracks, “Fantasy Man” and “I Have Loved You Wrong,” are streaming now on marketairglovamusic.com, according to Hot Press.
Well, that’s an interesting turn of events! The other half of Swell Season, of course is Frames’ leader Glen Hansard. They are no longer a romantic couple, and in fact Czech Republic native Irglova recently married someone else, which makes the choice of record label so interesting.
If you want to know how it all went down between the couple you might want to check out The Swell Season, an eponymous documentary which premiered as part of the Tribeca Film Festival. It garnered impressive reviews.
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