Entertainment

Pittsburgh-based Bastard Bearded Irishmen is one of the most entertaining and energetic live shows today. Their sound is an original, ferocious blend of traditional and contemporary Celtic music, mixed with punk, gypsy and high-energy rock n’ roll.

Bastard Bearded Irishmen, or BBI, was originally intended to be a one-night-only tribute for a dear, departed friend. Jimmy Bastard and Ben Jaber shared a passion for Irish music and enlisted Dan Stocker on drums and Danny Rectenwald on mandolin to form the nucleus of the band.
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What began as a tribute in local pubs, turned into three records, constant touring, and sharing the stage with everyone from The Rumjacks to Gogol Bordello. They have one of the best St. Patrick’s Day shows in the country. They’re hard-partying and always in good spirit. The group’s lineup is rounded out by Paul Dvorchak on fiddle, Ryan Warmbrodt on rhythm guitar, and Sean-Paul Williams on bass.
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The Prodigals are one of the iconic Celtic rock bands. They have released ten albums, the most recent in 2022, and have headlined major venues across the United States and Ireland.

The Prodigals’ sound retains authentic Irish traditional melodic roots, while embracing eclectic world rhythms infused with NYC energy.

Venues have ranged from Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, and Webster Hall in New York, to the House of Blues in Las Vegas, Cleveland, and Boston, to Whelan's in Dublin and Dolan’s Warehouse in Limerick; festival appearances range from the Guinness Fleadh, to Music Midtown Atlanta, to the Dublin, Milwaukee, Austin, Chicago, Michigan and Montana Irish Festivals, and many more.

In 1989, Joey (Father) and Shawn (Son) started a band with their friends. Over the last 30 years they have played their brand of Celtic/Americana Folk Music at festivals, theaters and pubs all across the country. Finding themselves incredibly fortunate to have played on the Mumford and Sons, Gentleman Of The Road Tour and having received an Irish Music Award Nomination for "Top Traditional Band in a Festival, Theatre, Pub". Currently, Father Son and Friends can be heard on countless radio stations and television programs/documentaries including The American Woodshop on PBS.

On The Lash formed in early 2021, with their very first set of shows being a tour through PA and DE. Since then, OTL has been busy performing at festivals and concert venues across the US, as well as sharing their unique background and experience in the genre through educational workshops. Some notable festivals include the KVMR Celtic Fest in Grass Valley, CA; the Yachats Celtic Fest in Yachats, OR; the Longs Peak Highland Fest in Estes Park, CO; and the Celtic Classic in Bethlehem, PA. Their recorded work includes the 2022 single Dog in the Distance, with a five song performance EP to be released in 2024.

As Pittsburgh’s premier Celtic rock band, The Low Kings have opened for international acts like Gaelic Storm, The Rumjacks, Young Dubliners, Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Screaming Orphans, and are fixtures at regional venues and Celtic festivals.

Vocals, guitar: Shawn Melvin Bagpipes, whistles: Adam Valenti Bass: Tom Bayley Guitar: Doug Heckman Guitar, vocals: Terry Engelman Drums: Jeff Moore

Andrew McManus, Mark Whalen Jr and Tessa Thistlethwaite make up the Andrew McManus Trio. Andrew a singer-songwriter from Armagh, Northern Ireland. Growing up at the tail-end of the Troubles near the ancient Celtic site of Emain Macha, Andrew was heavily influenced by the local myths and legends of Irish literature that were set there; the tales of Cú Chulainn, Queen Macha, and the epic saga of the Táin Bó Cúailnge. These stories deeply inspired his creativity and a love for Irish folk tunes which led him to producing artwork and music with a distinctly Celtic and ethereal quality.

Nikki Custy and Samantha McNamara are based in Cleveland Ohio. They play an exciting blend of music from old traditional ballads to original songs and modern covers and their driving tunes will make you want to get up and dance. They currently perform all around the Northeast Ohio region and are looking forward to visiting new cities and broadening their audiences!

Eimear Arkins and Eileen Gannon have been lighting up the Irish music scene in St. Louis for the past several years. They have played numerous sold-out shows across the midwest and beyond.

Eimear is an award-winning singer and fiddle player from County Clare with eleven solo Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann (World Irish Music Championships) titles to her credit.

Eileen, a St. Louis native, is one of the top Irish harp players in the world. She has won numerous accolades including the highly coveted Senior Harp title at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann.

Robert Mouland is a multi-instrumentalist who performs a wide varietyof unique presentations in both historical and Irish music. His most popular offering over the past few years has been Dancers On A String which presents a cast of different characters called marionettes a laplanchette, or jig puppets. But he still has been known to do performance lectures with 18th century instruments, background music for corporate events (which he did for years at Philadelphia’s City Tavern and Carpenters Hall), storytelling with or without his rolleaux transparent (modern people renamed it a crankie) and stage presentations such as his Legacy Of The Irish Harp. He can be found playing Irish traditional music with friends at sessions around the Philadelphia area when his full time music career doesn’t have him travelling about.

All photo credit belongs to: DELAWARE STATE NEWS/LOGAN B. ANDERSON

Steeltown Acoustic Instruments Experience (SAIE) is an interactive, educational and a “play music on the spot” experience for people to show their musical talent and to learn about a variety of instruments and how they connect to Celtic music.

For the past ten years Jim and Sue Borowski have exhibited and shared their personal collection of instruments with the outside public. The collection includes violins, violas, Cello, mandolins, guitar, bouzouki, harp, autoharp, lap dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, bodhrans, Small pipes, Highland Bagpipes and Uilleann pipes. Many people have commented that the SAIE inspired them or someone in their family to learn to play an instrument.

Friends, Musicians, and OSAS alum who have found a love in gathering and performing music on their smallpipes. The group plays both traditional and modern compositions. The group looks forward to gathering at events where they can enjoy making collective music and educating the public about the music and instruments they appreciate.

The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society (RSCDS) exists to promote and develop Scottish Country Dancing worldwide for the benefit of present and future generations. Our dedicated and passionate membership community aims to promote traditional Scottish Country Dance and Music for current and future generations to enjoy, and are always welcoming to new dancers. To get in touch and inquire about dancing, membership or any of our events please visit our website.

The Leneghan Academy, under the direction of Catherine Leneghan Fox, is celebrating it's 30th year of Irish Dance instruction in the Cleveland area. The studio holds classes in Euclid, Parma Hts and Westlake. Dancers have opportunities to train for fun and fitness, for performance and for competition.

Leneghan Academy has been successful nationally and internationally and is well known locally for exciting performances. If you know anyone who would like to join our school please visit our website or see anyone at the side of the stage for information.

If you hear Irish music and it makes you want to skip or kick your heels, then Irish dancing may be perfect for you!

The Brady Campbell Irish Dance School welcomes new students—beginning at age 4—all year round to join their family. The school welcomes everyone join in the dance!

They have two locations on the west side of Cleveland for classes. Their teachers have a long history of sharing the traditional steps while intertwining creative choreography to tell tales of the old country. Their students dance and win awards all over the world, but they know that Cleveland, and its special Irish community, is their home.