Page 16 - Irish Examiner USA

entertainmentexaminer
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2019 T THHEE IIRRIISSHH EEXXAAMMIINNEERR

28th, M MUUSSIICC AANNDD EENNTTEERRTTAAIINNMMEENNTT

August

| G GUUIIDDEE:: RROOCCKK,, CCOOUUNNTTRRYY,, JJAAZZZZ,,
EXAMINER T TRRAADD,, FFOOLLKK,, BBAALLLLAADDSS,, BBLLUUEESS,,

IRISH C CLLAASSSSIICCAALL AANNDD LLOOTTSS MMOORREE pop, alt-country and funk playing. They are a band’s band around the NYC Irish scene
and will remind you of Fleetwood Mac or the B-52s with a heavy dose of Saw Doctors
Welcome to our regular music and entertainment guide, brought or Stockton’s Wing.
AAnnddyy CCoooonneeyy, with his outstand-
to you by Paddy McCarthy for your reading enjoyment ing voice and dynamic stage pres-

Yes she has done it again! That is ence has always been a favorite
TTaayylloorr SSwwiifftt who won big at MTV’s among American and Irish audi-
2019 Video Music Awards on Monday ences everywhere. His talent and
night. In all, Swift took home three of versatility provide the ability to
MTV’s coveted moon men trophies, deliver a song directly to the
including the much-sought-after Video hearts of his audience. Andy is
of the Year award for “You Need to surely one of the greatest singing
Calm Down,” which Swift performed sensations on the stage today.
at the show with cast members from Christened “Irish America’s
the video. Favorite Son” by The New York
SShhiilleellaagghh LLaaww was born out of the Times, is a title he truly deserves.
close-knit Irish American neighbor- From his Sell Out performances at
hoods of Yonkers and The Bronx. New York’s Carnegie Hall to per-
After a few years of wandering around forming in big and small cities
after graduating college, Terence across America, Andy Cooney is a
Brennan, Richard Popovic and house hold name in every Irish
Stephen Gardner re-connected over their mutual love of old Irish songs. American home.
They had known each other since elementary school, although their musical tastes Some of Andy’s latest successes have included his 9th sell out appearance at Carnegie
growing up were more geared towards heavy metal, hardcore/punk and grunge. Hall last December with The New York Tenors and The Irish Tenors. Andy will be at
Indeed the three of them played in a band together for a few summers which was a Carnegie Hall again on December 9, 2019 with the New York Tenors and Larry Gatlin
weird mix of those three genres. But even then, back in 1993-94, a heavily distorted and the Gatlin Brothers.
version of Wild Rover found its way onto their set list, which left a few people scratch- This will be Andy Cooney’s 22th Annual Cruise of Irish Stars. “It all began in 1998.
ing their heads but many more singing and slamming along. We’ve gone from a few hundred cruisers to as many as 1700! Let’s keep this great Irish
Party at sea going for many years to come!”
JJoohhnn NNoollaann was born and raised in the Bronx section of New York. His first introduc-
tion to Irish music was listening to his father playing a Baldoni D/C# box. His first
formal training came from John Glynn and later Martin Mulvihill, but he later learned
and continues to learn from all musi-
cians through sessions, recordings and
close personal friendships.
John started his musical career in the
Catskills in the mid 1970’s with the
great fiddler Pat Keogh. In August of
1982, he became the first American to
win the Senior All-Ireland
Championship on both the two-row and
three-row button accordions.
By the time they sat back down together in 1998, Terence was playing the bodhran, a John has been featured on over a dozen
skill he learned during his year abroad at University College Dublin. Steve had recordings, including two of his on pro-
swapped his guitar for a bass and Rich had traded in his electric guitar for his beloved duction – “A Taste for the Traditional”
Martin acoustic. But although the instruments had gotten more traditional, the fast and “A Rake of Reels”.
and rowdy liberties they took with old Irish standards gave the songs new life and Then in 2009, he was inducted into the
dragged them kicking and screaming into the light of a new day. Comhaltas Hall of Fame. Besides keep-
C Ceellttiicc CCrroossss is the legendary NYC seven-piece band fronted by Kathleen Fee, a talented ing a busy performance schedule, John
singer-songwriter and her brothers John (accordion) & Kenny (fiddle) Vesey. They are currently teaches, sells accordions and
joined by a group of accomplished and skilled NYC players Wally Ensor on guitar, Pat has developed a tremendous business –
Dineen on bass/keys, Frankie McCormick on mandolin/banjo, and Ryan Cavan on “Buttons & Bellows” –tuning and
drums. repairing accordions from his home in
Products of Irish parents, traditional Irish music roots, and American pop radio, Celtic Rockland County where he lives with his
Cross puts it all together in a very different way than what you will hear from most wife Mary, daughter Maura and son
Celtic acts. The band’s music tells great stories using the traditional on top of sassy Brendan. C