66 Congress St
Portland, ME 04101
USA
Kick off St. Patrick’s Day week with a soulful night of songs penned by legendary Pogues front-man Shane MacGowan, Ireland’s most storied and respected musical storyteller.
MacGowan died Nov. 30 at age 65, leaving behind a towering body of Celtic-inspired songs centered on the Irish immigrant experience, love, friendship and drinking, including the perennial Christmastime anti-carol “Fairytale of New York.”
On March 10, for one night only, five of Maine’s finest song interpreters are mining MacGowan’s gem-filled back catalog, pulling out crowd-favorite tunes as well as overlooked marvels for sonic consideration. The artists will also talk a bit about what makes MacGowan so important in the pantheon of great 20th century songwriters, as well as to them, personally.
The night of great Celtic music and storytelling features:
Toby McAllister
McAllister is a founding member of the indie rock band Sparks The Rescue and spent his 20s touring the world in a 15 passenger van. Now settled back in Maine, the singer and songwriter is still playing music full time and has two solo albums under his belt. McAllister recently shared stages with the likes of Drake White, Kasey Tyndall, Billy Bob Thornton, Eddie Montgomery, and Rhett Miller and The Old 97’s.
Jim Brady
It’s been more than 20 years since Brady began playing Irish folk music all over New England as both a solo artist and as a member of the Irish rebel band Erin Og. Prior to that, the Berklee College of Music grad spent time living in Belfast, Northern Ireland, studying Irish folk music and history at Queen’s University while learning to play the bagpipes.
Ross Gregor Adam
Originally from Scotland. Adam grew up singing folk songs in his beautiful hometown pub. Now based in Maine, he often performs looping sets, one-man-band style, playing guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin and bodhran all at once. Adam also plays bagpipes and released his first album, “Stories My Mother Told Me” in 2022.
Travis Cote
Cote began playing bagpipes at the age of 10, later adding guitar and tin whistle to his music arsenal. As an adult, inspired by the Pogues, he joined Celtic-punk band The Pubcrawlers. The group was a Maine favorite and toured throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic states. Cote currently performs solo and as a member of the band Bailey’s Mistake.
Troy R. Bennett
Bennett started singing Irish songs in the early 1990s, playing banjo, bodhran and whistle with the four-piece powerhouse Celtic band Rakish Paddy. Then, after a stint spent studying Anglo-Irish literature at University College Galway, he joined The Squid Jiggers, touring the Atlantic coast and midwest. Now, Bennett helps lead the Maine-based Celtic band Bailey’s Mistake.