Labor Day Weekend Entertainment Recommendation
I promised a recommendation of Irish entertainment for this weekend.
It’s something I’m asked a lot every Labor Day Weekend. If you could see just one act, what would it be? Just one.
It’s actually a very easy question to answer this year.
There is a giant of Irish folk music playing in Kansas City this weekend. Such is the nature of folk that many of its giants are quiet people, which may mean that thousands of miles away from Ireland you might not be overly familiar with them. But you should strive to see them none the less - if an interest in Irish folk and traditional music is your thing.
From Cork, Jimmy Crowley is one such national treasure, a man unique in his talents and responsible for so much else that you hear in the world of Irish songs. If you live in Kansas City and are only Irish twice a year then you have already heard the influence and impact of Jimmy Crowley.
Given his stature in the history of Irish music the thing that flabbergasts me, still now as it did when it was first announced, is the venue that Crowley is playing. Jimmy Crowley plays Kansas City today inside in Crown Center’s atrium.
Intending no disrespect to any performers who have played there before or will play it again, I still cannot understand why Jimmy is scheduled to play there.
Is it because he is one man? Would Christy Moore or Liam Clancy be scheduled to play Crown Center’s Atrium? Were they still alive would Luke Kelly or Tommy Makem or Joe Heaney be scheduled to play there? Because that is the level we are talking about.
It’s as if whoever scheduled Jimmy Crowley to play indoors at Crown Center simply has no idea who Jimmy Crowley is.
You can see Jimmy play today at 2:30.
See Also:
• Irish Entertainment Links
• Different Drums of Ireland in Missouri
• Jimmy Crowley in Independence, MO: Emerald Autumn
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