Towards the end of 2022, I had the opportunity to see The Dropkick Murphys do an all-acoustic set in Atlantic City of songs crafted from the unproduced lyrics and unrealized songs of Woody Guthrie. Dropkick fans were familiar with a few of the band’s earlier Guthrie-covered songs, “Shipping Up to Boston” and “Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight”, but the passionate Union Rally cries of Guthrie’s work fit seamlessly along with Dropkick’s Hooligan-Chorus anthems on the plight of the working men and women of Boston.

Anyone that has seen a Dropkick Murphys concert,  can attest the crowd is just a mele of plaid clothing, scally hats and bodies jumping with moshing, swaying and screaming as far as the eye can see. However, during this showcase of Guthrie’s work, the audience was seated, relishing in every note and every story.

The familiar omnipresent energy of a Dropkick show was still palpable, but there was a different reception of that energy. I left fully intending on, not merely downloading the album of these songs, “This machine Still Kills Fascists”, but buying the vinyl record to hear those songs in the format as they should be heard…vintage.


The band recently did a press release letting the world know that they aren’t finished with the Guthrie estate and the venerable vault of material therein just yet. May 12, Dropkick will release a follow up to “This Machine Still Kills Fascists” with another album featuring lyrics of Guthrie’s called, “Okemah Rising”. The first single on the LP is out now called, “I Know How It Feels”. The single, continuing to galvanize the American experience in showing the parallels and common denominators of Irish Folk and Americana.
Dropkick Murphys’ Saint Patricks Day Tour is happening now. They will be making a stop on the tour in our backyard  March 14. The preeminent holiday concert comes to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena with special guests, The Rumjacks and Jesse Ahern. Tickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com 

Dropkick Murphys’ world-famous St. Patrick’s Day show will also be live streamed via Veeps on March 17 at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT. Tickets are available at DropkickMurphys.veeps.com

You can pre-order the new album “Okemah Rising” on the Dropkick Murphys Official Store site, https://dropkickmurphys.store.

Check out the video of the first single off of “Okemah Rising”, “I Know How It Feels” here   https://youtu.be/skX9x0dPdkI  

Dropkick Murphys                                         

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“Dearly Beloved….We Are Gathered Here Today To Get Through This Thing Called Life….”

Fuck. What a predicament we have found ourselves in at this time. You thought every year up to now was crazy? Hell no. 2020 is…just…goddamn. I thought 2016 was for sure going to take the cake. Losing David Bowie AND Prince in a matter of a few months followed by the biggest political shakeup we’ll probably ever see. An absolute whirlwind. Nope. Nothing compared to this.

As I write this, we are all doing the same thing (or at least we should be). We’re stuck in our homes trying to stay away from an enemy we can’t even see. A force of nature the likes of which we haven’t seen in over a century. Quite possibly the only thing that can shut down the entire globe past World War III and I don’t even think that would keep everyone confined to their homes by state and federal mandates. This…this is unprecedented. A virus. A microscopic “fuck you” to the human race. Everything other than essential businesses is closed. Work? Gone. Sports? Gone. Literally being around anyone? Forget about it.

But. We have one crutch to the outside world past binging hours of Netflix and the news telling us how bad things are out there. One crutch that has always been there to provide a spark of light even in the seemingly complete eternity of darkness.

Music. The one constant. Not even a pandemic of worldwide proportions can wipe out our music. The feeling you get from listening to your favorite song. Hearing a brand new song for the first time and knowing “this is special.” Seeing your favorite band play (even if it has to be on the internet right now). It’s the single most special thing we have as human beings. It brings us together, it tears us apart…it is inherently…us. People from all different walks of life. All different backgrounds and upbringings creating music to express emotions that are sometimes the hardest thing to get out without help. Love, heartbreak, politics, a walk in the park, shit, just being alone. There’s a song for EVERY emotion and moment in life. It’s really incredible to think. Everyone can find a song to match what they’re going through at any period in time. Sure it might take a while to find, but when you find THAT song? You hold onto it for life. There are songs I have found at a very young age that I still listen to constantly, just because they have had that strong of an effect on me.

photo credit: Nick Hopton

My Grandmom (Graba as she was referred to), raised me on Motown and the solid gold oldies. You look at me and the last thing you think I’d listen to would be some Four Tops, The Temptations or Smokey Robinson. But goddamn, if those songs don’t hit me right in the soul and send me back to the best times I’ve ever had. Times when life was just, easy. Fun. Carefree. But just as all things in life tend to do, the good times come to an end. But that’s where the music really comes in. A reminder of the good times, the ones that can always come back again.

And now more than ever, that’s the hope we need. As we look at the outside world from the inside, we need that reminder that it’s always darkest before the dawn. That even though the future is uncertain and bleak, there is always tomorrow. There is always, us.

“War, children, it’s just a shot away…It’s just a shot away”

*Looking into the crowd* “Raise your hand if you’ve ever been to a concert. You. I know you have. Definitely you. Oh, you and I have been to quite a few together. Oh, that guy in the wayyyy in the back? Him too.” If you are living and breathing, odds are you have seen some kind of live performance in your lifetime. Even so much as a talent show during high school. And if you haven’t? Well, shit…my friend, you are certainly not living.

It’s a religion for a lot of us. A place of worship. That certain comfort that can only be found by being surrounded by dozens, hundreds, hell, even thousands of people you don’t know; all brought together by some ethereal sense of magic for a few hours of our lives. It can’t truly be described in words. It has to be experienced. Felt. And now, lost. We’re not able to go to our houses of worship right now. To let out the love, the emotion, the rage. It’s truly the only free place left on earth in my mind. A place where you can just “be.” As someone who writes and performs on a stage at a fairly decent pace, this makes it even worse. That’s my happy place. That’s where my mind just shuts the fuck up for however long I’m blessed enough to be up there for. Where nothing else matters but drowning in the now. Freedom. No drug can match it. No other type of love (at least from what I’ve found so far in life) can match it. It’s one of a kind. Ask any musician out there; it’s an addiction in its own way. Once you get your first taste of the stage, you want to live there. And now, we can’t get our fix. We can’t open the doors to our cathedrals. We can’t live in that moment.

“Digital witnesses…What’s the point of even sleeping? If I can’t show it if you can’t see me…What’s the point of doing anything?”

However, we can still worship. We can still sing. We can still dance. We can still release. Just not together, we have to, for right now, do it separately. But that’s where the true beauty of the internet shines. Ah yes, believe it or not, there is still beauty in the internet. Past all the bullshit, the memes, the trolling, there’s still proper use for it. Artists and musicians around the world have opened their homes and minds to everyone via live-streams, podcasts, and interviews.

I cannot tell you how many incredible bands, even the Philadelphia area, have embraced these methods of sharing on a totally regular basis now. Low Cut Connie, one of the best bands to come out of in a while, (I watched Elton John shout them out at his Philly gig last year. Elton Fucking John.) runs gigs 2-3 times a week from the comfort of their living room. Bright Kelly from The Great Enough is seemingly on every single day busting his ass to share music and love from that big white chair in his den. LauraLea Taraskus, Bryen O’Boyle, Victoria Watts and Kirby San…the list goes on and on.

These are people that I’ve seen live and nearly die on stage for their art, confined to their homes, still spreading love and entertainment in a time where those two necessities of life are so hard to come by. It’s what we need right now to get through, and it’s what they need right now to keep sane. But it’s not just them. I’m seeing countless individuals who have never graced a stage before turning their cameras on to take part in the magic that we are seeing. Getting on that seemingly invisible stage to let their emotions out to anyone who will listen. Finding an outlet. Finding freedom.

photo credit: Nick Hopton

Living.

What I’m getting at is we can still do everything we have been doing, just in a different way.

We can still worship. We can still share an experience. We can still live in the moment.

“Guess who just got back today / Them wild-eyed boys that had been away / Haven’t changed that much to say / But man, I still think them cats are crazy.”

Those moments are what I hold on to now. Memories of blurred nights passed, drenched in sweat, cigarette smoke and whiskey. In the middle of a pit, or on a stage. Pure, unadulterated fun. The nights that we took advantage of, always knowing there will be another night to come; until there isn’t.

Now most times, that means either your body has given up, your life has changed significantly, or the worst outcome: you’ve lost the passion for the music. This situation is new. This is uncharted territory. But I believe that this, while dark and unknown, could be the best thing to happen to a lot of us in a long time.

Just picture it. The first show back. The anticipation, the longing, the light drop. Your favorite band is on stage, right in front of you, and you’re surrounded by thousands of friends you never knew you had, all singing in unison and unloading all that emotion that has built up over the months since you last experienced this feeling. It’s bliss. It’s all new again; just like the first time you felt it. Suddenly, everything that we are currently going through now comes out in a primal, dance and filled fury.

We’re all together again.

That’s the moment we have to keep focused on. The moment when togetherness is no longer deemed a risk to public health, but celebrated as a cure for those goddamn quarantine blues that we’re currently enthralled in. Celebrations everywhere. From the small stages of your favorite local bar to the massive arenas and stadiums that can shake the ground for miles. Millions of voices will exclaim in unison that we, as one people, are back.

But let us never again take advantage of what the future holds. Let’s remember to truly live in these moments again. Because now we truly see how fragile life is. How fast everything can change. Some never realize this until it is too late to change, to enjoy life again. This is a rare opportunity for all of us to change. For all of us to reflect. For all of us to build the anticipation, the longing…

Those lights will drop soon. And when they do…

We will sing. We will dance. We will be together….again.

“Keep Me In Your Heart For Awhile” – Warren Zevon

This past Friday night we had a chance to see Jake Huffman, former drummer of the band McLovin’s, kick start his solo career at MilkBoy on Chestnut. Huffman had been a part of McLovin’s for over 10 years and started with the band at the age of 14. After that, the band went silent. He decided that he wanted to continue his career in music as a solo artist.

The opening band, Rad and Kell, started off the show, and featured Matt Radomile and Kelly McGlynn. Their pop-soul sound comes from inspirations from Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, Adele, Jason Mraz, Weezer, and many others. Their set was a mix of pop tunes and a lot of their original material. One of my favorites from their set was “Dirty Laundry” because of its R&B and pop-fuzed sound that made for such a great feel-good song. McGlynn has such an elegant vibrato that is so enticing, which only complemented her partner, Radomile’s voice. They had quite a crowd out for them, and being a part of that experience was such a special moment for me.

Before coming to Jake Huffman’s show, I had a phone interview with him to hear about his rise as a solo artist.

Jake Huffman: This past year I’ve been working to come up with a sound for myself, wrote a hundred songs and went out to LA to work with Andy Seltzer. He helped me get the ball rolling on my solo project. I also started teaching music at the School of Rock and working at a drum shop to take the time to really revamp my sound, so this was a huge growth year for me.

That Music Mag: How was working with Andy on your album?

JH: Being able to put space between the layers in music is one of the biggest things for me. In the studio, I was able to find my true sound, both for my music and in my actual voice. Once we found my authentic sound, I found that I was singing so much harder and louder than I needed to, and when Andy asked me to sing in the same way that I speak, it was a really cool thing to realize.

TMM: So how did you start getting into music then?

JH: Well, I started playing drums when I was 5 years old and my parents were always pushing me towards that. And I’ve been on the road touring from the age of 17 to 24.

TMM: How was it being on the road at such a young age?

JH: It was awesome! It was a dream come true!

We talked more about how things got moving again since he hadn’t been playing for a little after the breakup of the band.

JH: My first show was in October in New York at the Mercury Lounge and it was really nerve-wracking because I hadn’t played a show since McLovin’s a year and a half ago. I was so excited to get back out there. I’m standing up and singing, I’m playing drums and singing, and a bunch of other things for my shows. There’s a lot of movement and I’m very vulnerable in a new way. Sure, I’m a little nervous beforehand, but the minute I get on stage everything is fine and it’s a whole new situation for me.

TMM: Do you have any favorite moments from your shows on tour?

JH: So we were in Richmond, Virginia for a show and we started playing a song that wasn’t on an album. We looked out and everyone was singing the lyrics and it was awesome! Like everyone’s connected and on the same page.

When I went to his show, I saw for myself what he meant by a lot of movement, it looked exhausting! It kept it fun and exciting and there wasn’t a dull moment in the whole set. Everything from the changeover of instrumentation to his dialogue with his guitarist and the audience was so well planned out. The hard work he talked about was evident that night.

TMM: So what kinds of things do you use as inspiration for your songwriting?

JH: The biggest inspiration is all the people that I surround myself with. Other musicians, my parents, my girlfriend. I don’t have anyone negative in my life. Every city I go to brings a different vibe. I meet other people and I try to understand their story, where they come from, and it’s one of the nicest things as a musician. I find myself trying to take these small moments with others even longer because I just love connecting with them!”

The rest of the interview consisted of me picking his brain as a songwriter.

JH: Everything is through my eyes and my story, but spun in a way so everyone can take it and connect with it. I’ve had a lot of awesome opportunities, but also a lot of heartaches. Some were my fault and some not. I’ve had crazy experiences through music, but the drive to move forward is what pushes me. I use my art as a way to check in with myself – it’s important to check in with yourself. Depression, it’s very real and as a musician, sometimes you are not supposed to make it go away, but elaborate on it. Sometimes it’s detrimental to your health, but it’s important to get out there because we are the only people that do that for other people. It’s a tightrope to walk to see how far in the deep end you are going to walk and how far can you pull yourself back out to become human again. I really think that it’s all about getting to the next step and creating something for when I’m gone by leaving a trail of music and making sure others that need it, have it, and are not alone.

We spoke more about how songwriting has been an outlet for both of us, and being able to connect with someone on the same level was a hair short of perfection. From the beginning of the show to the very end, I didn’t think there was a single dull moment. Everything felt exciting and new and just like described to me in the interview. The chemistry between him and his guitarists was nothing short of exciting. The musicianship they both displayed was amazing. There was a great mix of genres, tempos, feels, and rhythms that made for such a well-rounded show.

If this is what we have to look forward to from Jake Huffman, I think I will be at every show anywhere near the Philadelphia area!

photo credit: Lauren Max

Seattle’s indie rock band, Ruler, share their new music video for their latest single, “Unhindered Pace.” The video originated from Ruler songwriter and frontman Matt Batey confronting his agoraphobia for months. The video features Batey forcing himself out of his apartment and onto Seattle’s Aurora Bridge, where the majority of the video was shot.

Ruler’s latest record, Winning Star Champion, is out May 25 on Barsuk Records. You can pre-order the record here. Watch the music video below.

Here are the shows in and around Philly that caught my eye this week. Let us know who you’re seeing with #PhillyConcerts.

Friday, October 10

Iceage @ First Unitarian Church:

The Danish punk band is kicking off a two-month American tour behind their third album, Plowing Into the Field of Love, released this week on Matador Records. With Helm and The Holidays.

Foxygen @ Union Transfer:

The California rock duo of Jonathan Rado and Sam France bring their unpredictable live show to Philly this weekend, showcasing songs from forthcoming album …And Star Power, out next week on Jagjaguwar. With Dub Thompson. Catch the band earlier in the day at WXPN’s Free at Noon.

Saturday, October 11

If you’re not tuckered out from Blocktoberfest, the South Jersey Arts & Farm Festival, or the River City Festival, Saturday night holds even more great bills.

Allo Darlin’ @ Boot & Saddle

The London-based indie pop band is releasing its third album this month, We Come From the Same Place (Slumberland). With The Pretty Greens. Look for our writer Tom at the show and check back for his review.

Jeff the Brotherhood / Diarrhea Planet @ Underground Arts

If you really want to get rowdy on Saturday night, this is the show for you. Both of these bands are known for their raucous live performances. With Left and Right and Hound opening. Look for our writer John at the show and check back for his review.

Sunday, October 12

Monday is a holiday for most folks, so take advantage and get out to a show!

Wheat / Roses / The Shivers / The Skis @ Kung Fu Necktie

I love that bands come down from Brooklyn and Connecticut to play at Kung Fu Necktie in Fishtown. All of the bands on this bill have been following their musical passion for years, but I’d especially like to see the interplay of The Shivers’ Keith Zarriello on guitar and vocals and Jo Schornikow on piano.

Check back next Thursday for next weekend’s concert picks, and no matter what show you see, tell us with #PhillyConcerts!

Corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, green beer and the famous Green 17 tour from Flogging Molly are staples for many Americans celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. But this year, the Celtic rock band’s tour is in it’s tenth and final year.

“Being an insider it’s bittersweet,” says guitarist Dennis Casey. “It’s the end of something we did for so long, but the beginning of something new that we can do.”

The Green 17 tour certainly has grown and evolved since it began. What was once a 17-day tour now spans over two months and the entire country. It’s a concert series that many people go to year after year and new people check it out as well, of course. Most bands cannot claim to have a ten year tour and Casey is grateful Flogging Molly can.

Casey’s favorite memory of the tour was a stop in front of 5,000 people where his dad first saw him play as part of Flogging Molly. “It was  great because he was always telling me to turn my guitar off when I was younger,” jokes Casey. “I remember when it was done I asked him what he thought and he was like ‘you were okay.'”

The tour means a lot to Casey and the band. Over the past ten years it has introduced them to many new people and helped them see friends and family while they were on the road touring. Meeting fans and reconnecting with old friends has been one of Casey’s favorite parts of the touring.

Green 17 may be ending but Casey says though there are no set plans right now the band will definitely be touring again. “It may not even have a name, it may just be the Flogging Molly Tour. But, we will definitely be touring.”

That isn’t the only news from the band. They’re about to start work on their sixth studio album. No release date is definite yet, but fans can look for it in 2014.

In it’s final year, Flogging Molly is serving up something that all fans, from veterans to newbies, will appreciate. For 2014, the band will be playing a bunch of older songs they haven’t included in a few years as well as songs they’ve never played during Green 17 before. Make sure you stop and see the final performance of the Green 17 Tour in Philadelphia on the 24th at The Electric Factory.

“This is not the end,” says Casey. “This is only the second chapter. It’s just turning the turning of a page.”

Dr. Jaffe (L) and Dr. Einhorn (R) Ready to Rock

BH: Were you musicians first or doctors? I assume musicians…but with all the studying to become a doctor, when did you find the time to rock out?
KE: Yes, both of us were drummers before we entered medical school. Dr. Jeremy Jaffe (my Co-Creator/Chair) was very active playing with his band playing on the Jersey shore music circuit. I played with bands more on the local scene where I grew up in northern New Jersey. One of the premises of starting an event like these stems from the fact that many doctors throughout time have also been accomplished musicians. It’s been hypothesized that playing music provides a creative outlet and diversion for the ordered scientific side that physicians exhibit “on the job.” It’s essential that we have an energy release like this in our lives, or else we’d go crazy!
BH: Tell me about the bands that will be playing the Electric Factory show. Are they all bands you know from being friends with other doctors? Or did other doctors contact you to participate once they heard about Rockin Docs?
KE: We are extremely excited about the bands we have this year- not only from the tremendous talent of each band, but also from the level of enthusiasm and energy they possess. Osler Circle is a Beatles-cover band which include five doctors from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Rose’s Cross is a hard-rockin band (featuring orthopedic surgeon Dr. Guy Lee from Doylestown Hospital and Abington Hospital) and play songs from the 70s to 90s, as well as originals. My band, Amblur, plays tunes predominantly from year 2000 on. Dr. Jaffe’s band, Rightback, is a soulful rock and R&B band playing many of the songs that made them popular along the Jersey shore years ago. We are especially excited to have with us this year Dr. Suzie Brown (cardiologist from Einstein Medical Center) who was named “Best of Philly” for music talent by Philadelphia magazine in 2010. Suzie is a country/folk/rock singer/songwriter and a rising star emerging out of the Philly music scene. For our first event last year, our core was predominantly doctor-musicians we knew and reached out to. With the success of our first show last year, we had the privilege of being contacted by several doctor-musicians, some of which we could not accommodate this year.

BH: How did you and Jaffe meet? I understand you both have children with type 1…did you meet at an event regarding the children, or at work?
KE: As we both spend a good deal of our time in the Abington Memorial Hospital OR, we have know each other several years. I always knew Jeremy had type 1 diabetes himself, but did not realize both of his children had it until I talked with him at length after my youngest son was diagnosed as well. I can tell you that we both came up with pretty much the exact same concept for this event while sitting together at a JDRF annual Gala fundraising event.

BH: What else can be expected at the show beside the awesome bands?
KE: First and foremost, we are fortunate to once again have WMGK’s Andre Gardner back as host and MC for the show. He is fantastic and his enthusiasm is limitless. We may have a few other guest DJ appearances. Also, people will have the opportunity to bid on CD’s autographed by Van Halen and Carlos Santana specifically for this event as well as a special auction item by Merril Reese (the Voice of the Eagles). We’ll have concert T-shirts for sale like last year. All proceeds go to JDRF as we continue the fight against diabetes. Lastly, there will be tables with educational information about JDRF, type 1 diabetes, and diabetes in general.
BH: This is the 2nd annual event you’re doing for JDRF. What other events have you done? What’s coming up?
KE: All of our energy (outside from Medicine, of course) is focused on making Rockin Docs for Diabetes Cure a Philly annual tradition. We have ideas for evolving the concepts of the show  in the future, but our undivided efforts are on this year’s event. One thing is for certain, our goal will always be the same- no family should ever have to deal with the pain and anxiety in learning a loved one has developed diabetes. And no one should ever have to carry the heavy burden of this disease throughout their lifetime. By raising money for JDRF towards research for a cure, we know one day our goals will become reality.

Tickets can be purchased in advance or day of the show. All money goes to JDRF.

Sunday, April 29th, 1:30-5:00pm at the Electric Factory.

http://www.rockindocs.org

I blame Canada. Specifically, The Glengarry Bhoys.

If you’ve ready half the articles I’ve written for Origivation magazine over the past few years, you know how much I love music festivals and bands who drive for hours to come to this area and play two shows, just to drive hours back home at the end of the weekend. You know that my day job comes second to bands like this and I’ll gladly take non-paid days off to spend an extended weekend with my Bhoys and similar bands I’ve discovered over the years.

I found the Bhoys accidentally, in 2002, at a Celtic festival in Lancaster. I was there for the first time, to see someone else, and thought it was an interesting and somewhat strange place to be. With no plans of going back to a festival like that ever, I stumbled upon the Bhoys. And I haven’t left their side since. I’ve returned to that festival and hundreds like it since then to see them and many other friends and musicians I’ve met as a result of getting to know the Bhoys.

The band’s from Ontario  and they fuse together a whole bunch of sounds I had rarely heard before. Traditional Scottish, pipes, fiddles, French-Canadian, etc. Who knew I’d love dancing to fiddle tunes, completely sober. After hearing the Bhoys for the first time, I stopped being a music snob and gave every band a chance. Here I am, filled with ten years worth of stories from countless bands, music festivals, concerts, road trips to the middle of nowhere, and late night bar and hotel misadventures. I met one of my best friends, Jane, at a bar in Maryland when we were both there to see the Bhoys and whether those guys are around or not, she’s always my partner in crime. I have fiddle and shamrock tattoos. I’ve spent too  much money on digital cameras because I can never find a good one to capture the band in motion. There are a million things that tell the story of me as a result of meeting the Glengarry Bhoys.

Though the line up has changed numerous times over the years, I’ve always remained faithful to Graham and his choice of musicians. Drinking half warm beer and listening to the guys tell a bunch of semi-inappropriate stories in a parking lot this past Saturday night was no different than being in a field in the middle of West Virginia with the band six years ago trying to figure out how to get back to our hotel. Some of the faces may be new, but the atmosphere never changes. The band as a whole has always made me happy and every musician who was able to tour with the Bhoys at some point has never ceased to amaze me. I never thought I’d ever be so obsessed with a bunch of Canadians, fiddles, bagpipes, and just Irish/Scottish music in general. And I never thought all of that would lead me to realizing what I wanted to do with my life- I’m in charge of a music magazine, I love it, and the Bhoys helped me figure that out.

As always, they KICKED ASS this weekend in my home town, Bethlehem, for some St. Paddy’s weekend celebrations. The crowd is a mix of little kids all dressed in green, pressed up against the stage and crazy old men trying to dance with whoever is sitting next to them while trying to balance their Guinness with one hand. There’s never one specific type of crowd at a Bhoys show. Everyone is drawn to them.

Though I’ll beg for them to show up before the fall, The Bhoys will be back in the area this September for Celtic Classic (which is a great festival to check out if you’ve never been to anything like it before). Then they’re doing a week-long tour of Scotland in conjunction with Celtic Classic…and all the fans are invited. So, Bhoys- does this press coverage gain me a free plane ticket? Just think about it and get back to me. I’m obviously not opposed to taking time off and I already have my passport.

The band could be a headliner of a festival with thousands of people in front of them or they could be doing a sit-down acoustic set for a handful of hardcore fans. Either way, a Bhoys’ show is something to anticipate. I don’t care where they are or what venue they are playing at, if it’s in Pennsylvania or any state that touches PA, I’ll be there.

Goodbye hugs and kisses are the worst because the Bhoys don’t tour as much as they used to (it’s a good thing for my credit card) and it’s usually a few months before I know when they’ll be back. I’m fairly certain I’d go crazy if I saw them on a regular basis, though- being one of the only girls around at after parties, I do tend to roll my eyes at them and their conversations a lot! But at the same time, I go crazy without them. They’ve been one of the few constants in my life for the past decade and every time I see them I’m so thankful that I stopped to listen that first time. In a “one thing leads to another” sense, there are A LOT of people and places that wouldn’t have crossed my path if I never met the Bhoys. I am who I am today because I decided they were worth my time.

It’s important, as a music lover (and that’s everyone), to listen. If someone hands you a CD and tells you that you’d probably like it, check it out. If whatever music player website you use offers suggestions, click on them. When someone on the street or at a show gives you their demo, pop it in on the ride home. Always spend a few minutes checking out the new artist section of iTunes, the local music store, or whatever magazines you read. Never turn down a song. It could actually shape who you are.

I love you Bhoys. Come back soon. I need a nap first, though. This weekend was rough.

If you’ve read a lot of the articles I wrote for That Mag/Origivation before I was trusted with this new editor job, you’ll know that I’m madly in love with Celtic/Folk music and I’m always running off to Irish and Scottish festivals to spend a weekend in a kilt. Last year, at the area’s largest and greatest festival (The Midwinter Scottish and Irish Festival ), I got to know Debbi Shaffer. She’s from Virginia but travels all over to support musicians and festivals. We had crossed paths a bunch of times before, but when the power went out at this festival for a few hours and she begged for some of the coffee I was able to get a hold of before chaos began, we became friends.

Debbi is a co-founder of Audacious Divas, a team who raises money for breast cancer research and awareness. So far, they’ve raised over $40,000, an amazing amount. But Debbi wanted to do something more and she called on all of our friends in the various bands we’ve met over the years to help out.

Celtic Pink Ribbon is a multi-disc compilation album that will be released this month.  There’s a very good chance you’ve heard of some of these bands- many play in this area and travel an incredible distance to get here. Albannach comes from Scotland, Brother from the West Coast, Searson, Enter the Haggis and The Glengarry Bhoys from Canada. Scythian plays around here, a lot, too. Look at the list below…I know everyone reading this must have seen one of these bands before. And one is more than enough of a reason to pick up this awesome soundtrack for a cure.

The idea was born while Debbi was selling merchandise for Seven Nations, another band who shows up in the Philadelphia area many times a year. She ran her idea by one of the band members.

“He was very supportive and encouraging. I know quite a few of the bands, so I started with who I knew and branched out from there. I traveled to a dozen different festivals last year talking to different bands about the project and the support was overwhelming. Every band I approached wanted to participate . The difficult part was deciding on the songs, getting the files and legal releases together.”

I know that a lot of That Mag’s followers aren’t necessarily into this type of music, but if you’re willing to take a chance and listen to some of these artists, this CD set is a great start. You’ll be surprised. I was, too, ten years ago when I accidentally met Brother at a bookstore performance. And if it weren’t for that run in, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I would not be your editor at this magazine. There are a hundred or more bands I got to know and experience because of that one bookstore visit. Broaden your tastes and experiences in music. Do it now by taking a listen and reaching out to help cure something. You’ll feel good…after all, Valentine’s Day is coming up and whether you have someone to share the day with or not, it’s still a great time to spread some love.

Thanks for all your hard work, Debbi. More people should take a chance like you did. See ya at Midwinter! And if someone who regularly follows this blog happens to like what they hear, make sure you introduce yourself to Debbi and I at the festival in March! A few of the bands on the CD will be playing there.

Click on the image to purchase the CD.