Tonight I'm going to see my favorite band to see in concert: Gaelic Storm!
I think I have been going to Gaelic Storm concerts for 19 years at this point, & I've never been to a bad one. Last concert I went to Pat Murphy was losing his voice, but he didn't let that stop him from giving a great show.
I really enjoy the sense of camaraderie & good will that they engender at their concerts. I leave feeling energized & happy.
They are one of the few joys I get to port over from my life as a teen raised in a very limited conservative way of life to who I am now.
It's kind of one of those things that helps me feel whole, ya know? Like I am not the same person I was at 15ish but also I *am* her because she's in me. It's rare that I get to feel that sense of connection, because I've had to leave so much in the past.
The band I WANT to see in concert because I bet they are a real high-energy good time is Gogol Bordello. They actually give me some Gaelic Storm energy but for Eastern Europe instead of Ireland & with a great deal more punk in them.
I dunno... They just seem to me like the kind of band that probably makes every concert a collective experience.
I guess at this point Gaelic Storm is one of the constants in my life. As I've moved around the country over the last 19 years, I've gone to see them in Iowa, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, & Wisconsin.
A week or so after I separated from Husband1, I went to a GS concert with my dad, since I had tickets meant for my husband & me. I was having a rough time, but that night was great.
🐢 & I went with my parents to see them the day before we got married. Definitely an amazing night.
There's something special about the kind of band that is always on tour. The kind of band where the REAL experience is the fun & joy of performing with an audience.
Being on the road & performing so much is a grind to be sure, but you can tell they are doing it because they love doing it & they love their audiences.
I love that kind of band.
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