| Fenians Find Fun on the Road
By Mario Raspanti
For die-hard Irish fans, St. Patrick's Day lasts longer than the High
Holy 24 Hours. Some people pull out their green hats and head for the pub.
Others hang with friends. So, really, there is no one-way to celebrate,
remember, or commemorate the great Saint. For the Fenians, this time of
year brings their annual St. Patrick's tour.
"We start our annual St. Patrick's Day tour every February, whether
or not we have a CD. We have one in the works, as yet untitled," explained
lead singer and mandolin player Terry Casey.
For them, this tour, each show and every stop is another opportunity
to celebrate friendships and to meet and forge new ones. The Fenians have
places that they visit each year, although not necessarily at the same
time. They play Chicago's Gaelic Park Irish Festival. They make three or
four stops in Cleveland every year and Western Michigan has been good to
them.
The five-man band has also appeared in Milwaukee several times, including
dates at Shank Hall, Milwaukee Irish Fest and The Dubliner, as well as
in McAuliffe's Pub in Racine. Its resume also includes appearances at the
Stonehill Irish Festival in Boston, The Quays in Galway, the Queen Mary
Highland Games, the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival, as well as numerous other
Irish and Celtic events. There’s also a bevy of Irish pubs around the country.
In addition to Casey, the band features Kenny Cosca on bass and vocals,
David Burnett on whistles, sax, and flute, Chris Pierce of drums and vocals,
and Rob Williams on vocals and guitar.
Since McAuliffe's Pub opened 14 years ago, it has been a place for music
of all kinds, especially alternative sounds. While the Fenians are certainly
a far cry from what teenagers and critics label "alternative," within the
guise of a Celtic band, the group routinely finds ways to defy definition.
"There are some festivals that put us on folk stages and others that
Celtic rock," Casey pointed out. "Our sound is definitely folky with lots
of heavy rock bass. It's really something that is very hard to capture
on CD, which is why a lot of our CDs are live. We're best live where we
can feed off the energy of the crowd."
Not everyone in the band has an Irish ancestry, but they share a love
of all things Irish and of Irish music. Each member brings a different
element and musical interest to the group, which they then blend into
what they play. They incorporate folk, reggae, jazz, classic rock, blues
and, of course, traditional Celtic ideas into their presentation.
"The core sound of the Fenians hasn't changed all that much. We can
absorb what everyone brings to the band, which I think is pretty unique,"
Casey said.
The group is based out of Costa Mesa, in Orange County, Calif. They
began to harness their sound there and got consistent work performing.
"It's a long, convoluted story. I'm the last half of two of an original
duo that began in 1990. Through the circuit, it all started at a great
Irish bar called the Harp Inn. It was a lucky serendipity or a happy accident,"
Casey recalled. "We've been a five-piece for 10 years. By 1995, it was
a solid five- piece group. A few members have shifted out, but the core
remains the same."
The Harp Inn served as a home away from home for the Fenians. It was
also where they built a dedicated following. Casey used to joke that he
should have kept a cot in the back since the bnd played at the place so
often. There were weeks where they would set their gear up for a night
and then leave it there all week. The band still returns to the Harp for
a show now and then, as well as to relax in their old stomping ground.
Before embarking on this year's tour, the band performed on a cruise,
stopping in Jamaica, Cozumel, the Grand Caymans and Key West. About a third
of the people on board were there to see them, Casey added. They also make
a trip to Ireland every year or so around November when the tourist season
has died down. The trip is essentially a vacation option for fans wishing
to travel and sightsee with the group.
After their performance at McAuliffe's Pub, the Fenians pushed on to
play other shows around the Midwest, before traveling to New York and the
Northeast. They concluded their tour back in California, to play at the
House of Blues in Anaheim, as they always do on St. Patrick's Day. Look
for the Fenians to play this summer in Milwaukee at the Irish Cultural
and Heritage Center located at 2133 W. Wisconsin Avenue.
 
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