Facebook | Gaelic Storm Concert

Facebook | Gaelic Storm Concert

So here it is people! Pictorial proof that I have met Gaelic Storm. In fact, fiddler Jessie came before the concert and taught me how to use the credit card machine. I had a dorky-fan moment because she came up to the booth and asked if anyone had taught me how to use it yet, and I said, "Oh my gosh, you're Jessie Barnes!" Like she doesn't know who she is!

I worked with a very nice young man named Scott and his dad Les who was kind enough to watch the booth so that Scott and I could go see the show. And what a show! During "Me and the Moon" Steve and Patrick divided the crown into 2 groups (difficult with no center aisle): the whiskey group and the light group. I was in the whiskey group. During the line "I brought the whiskey" we shouted out the line and Bob Fossey'd the heck out of our little jazz hands. The other group got the line "he brought the light" and they sang the line and waved their cell phones. In the end my group won the enthusiasm contest based on pure bias, I'm sure. Whiskey? Light? Seriously, who would win that bout?

I was totally enlightened about Patrick's Russell Crowe story. All this time I've been telling it wrong! I owe Paddy a deep apology because all along I've been telling people he punched Russell Crowe in a pub brawl without really knowing who he was. I WAS SO WRONG! Not that he'll ever read this, but I'm sorry, Patrick Murphy, for ever implying that you would have gotten into a bar fight with Russell Crowe. The real story is so much more interesting, and I'm hoping I get enough of the details right here to do it justice.

Patrick used to manage a pub in Santa Monica called O'Brien's and back when L.A. Confidential came out, Russell Crowe, and his people were all there for the wrap party. Mr. Crowe (I can't call him Dickhead, as much as I would like to, since his people might be trolling Internet looking for people who do such things to sue for Defamation of Character, even though everyone knows he IS a dickhead) sat at the bar and lit a cigarette. Now this was right after the law passed that prohibited smoking in bars in California, so Patrick told Mr. Dickhead - I mean Crowe - that he had to either put his cigarette out or smoke it outside. Mr. Crowe said something unintelligible through his cancer stick and his body guards started beating Patrick to a pulp. At some point, Patrick points out that this is an infair fight, beaing that it's 3 against 1. The Gladiator agrees and says, "Let's go, you and me, and I'll even let you ave the first punch."

Patrick, being unsure whether this real, or some sort of sick joke, says, "Really?"

And Russell Crowe, apparently never having dealt with an Irishman before, says, "Yeah. I dare you to punch me."

Hello!!!!!! Dare an Irishman to punch you? What do you think is going to happen???? So Patrick popped him in the nose.

And what does Maximus do? He tells his body guards, "Get him."

Patrick's friend Chucky hands out the most fabulous and completely obvious advice in the history of mankind when he says, "Run!" So Patrick takes off and manages to outrun Aussieboy's thugs.

The whole night was so fabulous, and the band came out to mingle afterwards among the commoners. I came away with a free shirt (my wages for the evening), and my very own copy of the album What's the Rumpus? which includes the song "The Night I Punched Russell Crowe" which I paid for. But I saved my allowance for it like a good little girl so I won't go into debt over a CD. Yay me!

I have a new goal in life. I am going to be the crazy Southern California fan who will always sell merch at Gaelic Storm concerts if they are within driving distance of my home. I will go down in history as the most reliable fan ever. They can always count on me to help out when they're in my area.

Working Concert Merch

Has anyone seen the box office smash "Titanic"? In case you haven't (and I know anyone who said they hadn't was lying so the jig is up), it's about this gigantic ship, which was actually smaller than the "Queen Mary" but they want you to think it's huge, that sank about a million years ago that every now and then makes the news again. You know like when some wacky couple decides to get married on it. Whatev. Anyway, the movie was way too long and if you ask me there were far too many shots of Leonardo DiCaprio, but I digress. The high point (as far as I'm concerned) of the whole movie was a scene where snobby-rich-girl Rose, played by Kate Winslet, meets poor-but-handsome Jack, played by afore-mentioned DiCaprio, in 3rd class (look out folks, she's slumming it!) for what has to be the coolest party on the high seas EVER. Except for that time when that guy pushed his fiancee overboard and then pretended she fell. Yeah right. We're all onto you, dude.

Anyway for those who don't remember (and those of you lame enough to own the movie... like me) there was an Irish band playing the party. This was for a couple of reasons. It was to acknowledge the fact that the boat, though owned by an English luxury line, was actually built in Ireland. It was also to point out the irony that not a single Irish passenger could afford to travel any better than 3rd class, and most of them were actually employees of the White Star Line that owned "Titianic". Sell-outs. Anyway, the Irish band at the party was one called Gaelic Storm. They are fabulous!!!!!!

I have a strange passion for Irish culture and music in particular. Don't laugh, but when I listen to Irish music, I always feel like a little peice of me that was out of sync falls into place. Don't get cosmic, people, it's just a discription. Ever since "Titanic" Gaelic Storm has been my favorite band, Irish or otherwise. And since the movie was their big break, yay for me because it means a new album every year or so.

When the band tours, they ask for local volunteers to work their merchandise booth in exchange for tickets to the show and a free CD or T-shirt. That way they don't have to hire anyone, and a few local fans get to see the show for free. This coming Monday, the 18th, they are playing Pepperdine University and were asking for merch volunteers on their website (more on what a pathetic loser I am for following their website at a later date). Guess who volunteered? Stop looking at each other, it was ME!!!!!! And so far I think I'm working by myself, but whatever. I get to see them for free (a $50 value all by itself), get a free shirt, and meet crazy-goofy lead singer Patrick Murphy.

Words cannot explain how psyched I am about this prospect. I was actively trying to get someone to come with me but since it's a school night and I'm the only one I know who's lame enough to be a Band Aid for these guys, it looks like I will be going alone. It's fine. I will have pictures of my experience to make all of you grown-ups who insist on staying home on weeknights extremely jealous.

At the risk of sounding like a drunken college student: Yay Gaelic Storm! You totally rock! I can't wait to hear "Pina Colada in a Pint Glass" in person! Jessie is a fiddle goddess! Patrick is the coolest dancer in the world! Not really, but he said it once in a concert so it bears repeating. I wish everybody had been "Raised on Black and Tans"! And if Patrick can punch Russell Crowe, why can't we all???

More on my concert experience when I get back.

Can I get a whoop whoop?