MUSIC |Irish party Before and after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade snakes and jams through the streets of downtown Springfield
starting at noon, two of downtown’s Irish food and beverage establishments, Bennigan’s Grill and Tavern and Celtic Mist, team up for their first annual Blarney Blast
situated in a heated tent on Adams Street from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Parade-goers and others with an appetite for Irish food and music can enjoy
shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, potato soup, Irish and American beers and wine,
and after the parade, the music of featured bands Henhouse Prowlers, playing
American bluegrass, and Exorna, performing Irish folk music. In addition, St.
Andrew’s Society bagpipers and dancers perform, while WYMG will be on hand for three
$100 giveaways and several contests.
St. Patrick’s Day Marching Band Parade
Saturday, Mar 14
12pm
Downtown Springfield
springfieldirish.org
Free
St. Pat’s Blarney Blast
Saturday, Mar 14
10:30am-6pm
Bennigan’s and Celtic Mist
Seventh and Adams streets
217-331-5199 or 708-878-8917
Free
COMEDY | Hilarious history The Reduced Shakespeare Company, a three-man comedy troupe known for
transforming long, serious subjects into short, sharp comedies, perform their
show The Complete History of America (abridged) this Friday at 8pm in UIS Sangamon Auditorium. Learn about 600 years of history
in 6,000 seconds. From Washington to Watergate, from the Bering Straits to
Baghdad, from New World to New World Order, the RSC will take you on a
90-minute roller-coaster ride through the glorious quagmire that is American
history.
Reduced Shakespeare Company
Friday, Mar 13
8pm
Sangamon Auditorium
University of Illinois at Springfield
217-206-6160
$32, $37 adults
BAND SPOTLIGHT | The Emerald Underground This week Springfield celebrates St. Patrick’s Day and that means our resident Celtic-influenced band, The Emerald
Underground, is booked solid. The seven-piece outfit features Hank Helton
(guitar and vocals), Jack White (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Nat Radwine (drums
and percussion), Lori McKenzie (vocals), Bill McKenzie (bass and vocals), Joe
Kath (fiddle, mandolin, vocals) and Theresa O’Hare (flute and Irish whistle) performing jigs, reels, ballads and rockers, plus
songs in a category of their own, all with a lovely Irish lilt unique to TEU.
But it’s not just a Green Day hobby with this band, they play all year long including
2008 gigs in Peoria and Hannibal, Mo., in town shows at the Illinois State
Fair, Music in the Parks and First Night, along with regular appearances at the
Celtic Mist Pub’s monthly Hooleys.
The Emerald Underground
Saturday, Mar 14, 12-4pm
Marly’s Pub
Saturday, Mar 14, 8:30pm-12:30 am
Tuesday, Mar 17, 7-11pm
Lime Street Café
www.myspace.com/emeraldunderground
www.theemeraldunderground.net
This article appears in Mar 5-11, 2009.
