tecosystems

Happy St Patrick’s Day From Denver

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When I was at the Wynkoop Brewery last year on March 17th it was as part of a trip to look at prospective residences, but today will be my first St Patrick’s day spent in Denver as a full time resident. As Mr. Raible is undoubtedly discovering today, my old town of Boston is slightly more serious about the whole St. Patrick’s day thing (a lot of businesses there close at noon, and don’t bother trying to get into most pubs after 5ish) – which according to this piece (via Edward O’Connor) is mostly an artifact of the mid-nineties. But Denver’s having fun with it nonetheless, with tons of folks wandering around decked out in green, and the foot traffic in here the Lower Downtown (LoDo) unusually high. Fado’s, a pub down the street and across from Coors Field was setting up their tent infrastructure a full week ago when Cote and I ate there. As I’m sitting here eating a portabella sandwich for lunch at the Wazee Supper Club, they’re kindly playing some of the Irish music that I brought over (3 CD’s worth) – and wouldn’t you know it, the bartender Jessica knows the words to “The Jug of Punch” and is singing along.

So although St Patrick’s day may be little more than Ireland’s version of a Hallmark holiday, it’s the one day a year I get to celebrate being Irish, so I’ll take it. The frustration of having countless web forms error out on account of the apostrophe in my last name has to be worth something, after all. Despite the over commercialization and artificial nature of the holiday, St Patrick’s day is fun to me because it’s one of the rare holidays set aside not for atonement, giving thanks or religious reflection – but the celebration, as it were, of the very act of celebration. In a world that’s increasingly occupied by fear, uncertainty and doubt, that doesn’t seem like such a bad thing. And did I mention that there’s beer? 😉

Anyhow, let me repost last year’s track lists so that you can enhance your own revelry with appropriate musical accompaniment (alternately, you can track what I’m listening to at the home office real time via the RSS feed here, courtesy of what was Audioscrobbler, but is now last.fm). My one request? If you do happen to enjoy some beverages of a refreshing nature this St Patrick’s day, be safe.

Enjoy, and I’ll check in with you all Monday live from EclipseCon.

Traditional:

(as for artists, I recommend Makem and Clancy, but the Dubliners, Chieftains and others do very capable renditions of all of the tracks below)

  1. Gallant Forty-Twa
  2. Jug of Punch
  3. The Moonshiner
  4. The Bold Tenant Farmer
  5. Beer, Beer, Beer
  6. Water is Alright in Tay
  7. Drink it Up Men
  8. All for Me Grog
  9. The Wild Colonial Boy
  10. Whack for the Diddle
  11. Reilly’s Daughter
  12. The Jolly Tinker
  13. Red Haired Mary
  14. Finnegan’s Wake
  15. Johnny McAdoo
  16. Isn’t it Grand Boys
  17. Whiskey You’re the Devil
  18. Bog Down in the Valley
  19. Take Me up to Monto
  20. A Nation Once Again

Contemporary:

  1. To Youth (My Sweet Roisin Dubh) – Flogging Molly
  2. Boys on the Docks – Dropkick Murphy’s
  3. Sea Shanty – The Pogues
  4. Nil na La – SOLAS
  5. Tomorrow Comes a Day Too Soon – Flogging Molly
  6. The Irish Rover – The Pogues
  7. Drops of Brandy – Finbar & Eddie Furey
  8. Caught in a Jar – Dropkick Murphy’s
  9. The Flowing Bowl – SOLAS
  10. Rebels of the Sacred Heart – Flogging Molly
  11. The Yellow Tinker – SOLAS
  12. Quart of Gin – The Prodigals
  13. I Ain’t Marching Anymore – 4 to the Bar
  14. Forever – Dropkick Murphy’s
  15. The Ol’ Beggars Bush – Flogging Molly

3 comments

  1. Do you have any background info on that pub “fado”?
    I don’t know if you realise but, Fado is the name of Portuguese Traditional music. Is that place owned by Portuguese people? Does it have any Portuguese background?

  2. I notice you don’t mention either corned beef and cabbage or Irish soda bread as special enhancements of the holiday spirit, we Irish not being noted for our culinary achievements. But you could mention the remarkable contributions of Irish literary greats to the canon of western lit. We’re much more than musical drunks.

  3. So although St Patrick’s day may be little more than Ireland’s version of a Hallmark holiday, it’s the one day a year I get to celebrate being Irish, so I’ll take it. The frustration of having countless web forms error out on account of the apostrophe in my last name has to be worth something, after all.

    Took the words right out of my mouth.

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