By Rebecca Russell

Schooner Fare came to Irish Fest for the first time in the festival’s second year. "Some friends of ours who live in Milwaukee," explained member Chuck Romanoff, "suggested to the committee that it wouldn’t be complete with out us. They sent in a tape of our stuff, the committee must’ve liked it because they asked us to come and play." Since that deciding moment 24 years ago, they have become a staple at the festival, playing here 18 of the last 25 years. 

Fans of the group saw a different group this year than in the past, as now Schooner Fare is as seemingly incomplete as that first festival. In 2004, they lost group member Tom Rowe to cancer. The group wasn’t at the festival last year and fans were concerned they might not return. One was overheard telling her friend, "I was so disappointed they weren’t here last year. I really hoped it wouldn’t be the end of the group."

After taking time to grieve, think, and figure out if it was the end, the Romanoff brothers decided to get back on stage and back into the recording studio. "We did what Tom would want us to do," Steve told the fans from the stage, before this year’s show began. Both Chuck and Steve agreed that Tom was not replaceable. But, even without him, they put on a show that had the audience clapping and singing along. 

Schooner Fare’s fans were happy to have them back, and the group was equally as happy to be back. From the beginning, they have enjoyed being a part of a festival that gets better and better each year. "It started off as an excellent project," Chuck Romanoff said of Irish Fest, "and every year it’s grown and attracted more and more people."

From a performer’s perspective, this festival is the benchmark by which other festivals are measured. "It’s the volunteerism that separates this festival from any other," Chuck explained. Ask any volunteer for assistance, no matter the request, and they’re "happy to do it. They take great pride in the quality of this festival. It’s like a family." 

Family is where it all began for brothers Chuck and Steve. They grew up playing music together, playing with their dad, playing with other family members, and with friends. On stage, they joke that the Celtic influence in their music comes from their upbringing in Maine. "Did you know you can see Ireland from Maine?" Steve asks the audience, laughing. The real story behind the Celtic, nautical influence stem’s from Chuck’s college days in Nova Scotia. 

It was there that he discovered the music of John Allan Cameron, a man who has been described as the Godfather of Celtic music in Canada. Chuck describes Cameron as someone who plays "Canadian folk music with exuberance." Cameron recently received the Order of Canada in recognition of over thirty years of effort establishing and growing the Celtic music scene in Canada, and he clearly had an influence on Chuck.

The folk influence, Chuck says, is a growing up in the 1960s. "We really came of age in a time when folk music was everywhere," he explained. "It was a great time to be musical." Among their folk influences, he lists the Kingston Trio, the Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem and "all that Mighty Wind stuff," he said referring to the recent movie spoof of the era.

Their show is made up of half original work and half old favorites. The original work is mostly Steve’s doing. "Writing was very important to Steve," Chuck explained. "From the beginning, he was fascinated with the concept of songwriting." A quick glance at the insert of Schooner Fare’s recent CD, And Both Shall Row, reflects this, as Steve’s name is on half of the songs.

It also shows, for the first time, a picture of a duo instead of a trio. In the album picture, they look like any other duo. But when you see them on stage, the picture seems slightly off center. The music is still wonderful, the jokes are still funny, nothing seems to be missing. It’s a complete picture, really, except that Chuck and Steve are standing on stage, off to one side a bit, as if a third person should be on stage. It’s as if a third person is, because Tom Rowe will always be a part of Schooner Fare, much like the group will hopefully always be a part of Irish Fest.