A Saint Patty’s Musical Wish: The Irish Rovers Live

April 6th, 2012 by The Professor

The Irish Rovers share their charm to entertain loyal fans

by Radio RockonTour host Timothy Tilghman

2012 is being touted as signifying the numeral 50. There’s quite a collection of musicians celebrating their Silver Anniversary as musicians on stage. The Beach Boys, The Moody Blues, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Pete Best, The Quarrymen, Status Quo, Roger Daltrey, Bob Dylan, Eric Burdon, Van Morrison, and Phil Lesh are all ready to hit the road to entertain their individual fan constituencies.

Rumors are rife that The Who anticipate launching another tour performing their 1973 mod-rock opus Quadrophenia later in the year. Still British contemporaries like Ray Davies, Jack Bruce, and The Yardbirds are presently in between touring engagements. July 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of England’s enduring export: The Rolling Stones. The word is that the classic rock icons will tour anew in 2013 now.

The Irish Rovers formed initially in 1963, but 2012 is curiously identified as their 47th Anniversary year. Two original members remain, George Millar on acoustic guitar and Wilcil McDowell on accordion. Bassist Ian Millar is the son of retired founding member Joe Millar. Sean O’Driscoll plays banjo and mandolin, and Fred Graham plays bodhran and drums. John Reynolds was absent from the stage lineup at the Barns of Wolf Trap for this date.

Appearing in Vienna, Virginia, on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, The Irish Rovers performance perfectly prefaced the impending Saint Patrick’s Day holiday on the immediate weekend. The band was promoting their recently released album Drunken Sailor. They delivered a total of seven salty songs on stage from their new disc.

The in-between-song banter and spirited interaction among the musicians was highlighted by a series of amusing exchanges and shared roadweary tales from their global touring experiences. Although the group attracts an exceedingly elderly audience, the rousing ethnic instrumental reels of The Irish Rovers engage the energy of the spectators who clap in time to the jaunty jigs.

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic which struck an iceberg on April 14, 1912, George Millar composed a moving memorial to the Irish shipbuilders in Belfast who constructed the pride of the White Star Line and the 1507 souls who lost their lives a century ago within the waves of the chilling Atlantic waters.

The Canadian gents dusted off three tunes from their 1967 record including the title track “The Unicorn”, which was an uncommon hit for a folk song all those years ago. The biggest surprise of the evening was a cover of “Lily The Pink” taken to Number One in England by The Scaffold with Mike McGear in 1968.

With the modern miracle of advances in medicine, people leading health conscious lives, and the physical stamina to perform live, it’s a true blessing that seasoned musicians who continue to age also continue to tour. Every band in this demography has either lost members to retirement or death sadly. You are as young as you feel and good vibrations will surely keep us all young for many years to come!

The Irish Rovers, Barns of Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA, March 14, 2012 setlist: Irish Rover * Boys Of Belfast * Ireland Boys Hurray * The Gracehill Fair * Dan The Cobbler > I Will If I Can * Brady Of Strabaney * Whistling Gypsy * Lewis Bridal Song * Sweet Anne * Willie Hunter > Dennis Murphy * The Titanic * Lily The Pink * intermission * The Orange And The Green * Dear Ould Ireland * When The Wife Is Mad * The Girls Of Derry * Black Velvet Band * Shamrock Shore * The Clare Hornpipe > Reconciliation * Whores And Hounds * The Unicorn * Dark Island > The Mason’s Apron * The Dublin Pub Crawl * Encore: The Drunken Sailor

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Making Mersey Beat Waves: The Mahoney Brothers Live

April 2nd, 2012 by The Professor

The Mahoney Brothers: Mach Shau in make up

by Radio RockonTour host Timothy Tilghman

Time and time again, it’s been said that imitation is the best form of flattery. Although Beatles tribute bands are all too common today, one Fab act crests above the many carbon copycats performing on the touring circuit. The Mahoney Brothers have a musical pedigree that stretches all the back to the original Beatlemania stage production from the late 1970s.

The Mahoney Brothers’ Long Live The Beatles presentation comprises three individual sets that refashion separate creative periods within the Beatles recording career. The first musical phase has the group dressed as 1965 Mop Tops. The next transition represents their Flower Power psychedelic uniforms from 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. And finally, the lads tart themselves up resembling the 1969 Abbey Road album cover attire.

Brian Mahoney plays both electric & acoustic guitar and keyboards as Smart Beatle John Lennon. Tim Mahoney plays Hofner bass guitar as Cute Beatle Paul McCartney. Mike Mahoney plays the drums as Funny Beatle Ringo Starr. Joining the Mahoney trio to complete this PreFab Four unit is Jay Swanson on lead guitar as Quiet Beatle George Harrison. All four members sing lead and harmony vocals in addition to playing additional instruments during the course of their typecast program.

Highlights from the first set included “I’ll Cry instead”, “I’m Happy Just To Dance With You”, and “The Night Before”. The classic psychedelic numbers from 1967 and the 1968 rockers were high points from the second set. The biggest and best surprises of the concert were a cover of Ringo Starr’s 1971 hit single “It Don’t Come Easy” and the poignant 1995 Fab reunion single “Free As A Bird”. The show closed with the signature Beatlemania anthem “I Saw Her Standing There” that had everybody bopping to the beat.

The Mahoney Brothers appeared on a brisk Saturday evening igniting the intimate stage at the Recher Theatre in Towson, Maryland. Mersey Beat fans of all ages and backgrounds turned out to experience a melodic Fab recreation complete with choice brotherly harmonizing. Addressing the audience in cheeky Liverpudlian accents, the Mahoney Brothers even kinda look like their individual Beatle personas.

Beatles music has proven to be timeless with new generations of fans being born every year all across the globe. The outstanding compositions of John, Paul, George and Ringo reverberate unrelenting with a universal appeal promoted by a contagious catalogue of exemplary material that has generated an enduring legacy unchallenged by almost all of their British Invasion contemporaries.

The Mahoney Brothers, Recher Theatre, Towson, Maryland, March 31, 2012 setlist: She Loves You * Please Please Me * All My Loving * Roll Over Beethoven * If I Fell * Can’t Buy Me Love * I Should Have Known Better * Yellow Submarine * HELP! * I’ll Cry Instead * I’m Happy Just To Dance With You * The Night Before * Twist And Shout * intermission * Drive My Car * Day Tripper * If I Need Someone * Magical Mystery Tour * Strawberry Fields Forever * Penny Lane * With A Little Help from My Fiends * Fool On The Hill * A Day In The Life * Back In The USSR * Birthday * Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise * intermission * Blackbird * Two Of Us * Something * It Don’t Come Easy * Free As A Bird * Get Back * Come Together * Hey Jude * Revolution * The End * Dizzy Miss Lizzie * I Saw Her Standing There

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