Danú? More Like DaDO By Emily Pisacreta

           Quick quiz: What is a bouzouki? What about a bodhran? Or how about a uilleann pipe? No, believe it or not, I did not make those words up, they are all instruments played by Danú at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on March 10^th, 2015.

Danú is a traditional Irish folk band made up of members from all over Ireland: Murieann Nic Amhlaoibh who sang lead also played the flute and whistle, Benny McCarthy who played the button accordion, Oisin McAuley on the fiddle, Eamon Doorley on the Irish bouzouki (which looks like a banjo in case you were still wondering from before) and Donal Clancy who wailed on the guitar while Martin O’Neill jammed out on the bodhran (an Irish drum).  Two artists from outside the band, Liam Flanagan on the banjo, and Ivan Goff who played the uilleann pipes (the Irish version of bag pipes) joined the group. Danú entertained an extremely enthusiastic crowd with songs from all over Ireland, some instrumental others sang in Irish and even more in English.

            In one of his many amusing anecdotes, Doorley told the crowd that Danú has been together as a band for twenty years, and after the concert I witnessed, it was not hard to see why. When the group was not energetically bopping along to the folky fiddle of their lively jigs or swaying to their more emotional songs, they were talking and joking with each other and the audience. It was easy for me to see that this group was on

stage to just have fun and share a piece of their home to a group of people who were very excited to receive it. The crowd was engaged throughout the entire performance, even going as far as to sing along with the group during one of the more upbeat songs, Willie Crotty. The show ended in a standing ovation, which prompted an encore performance that left the audience satisfied. I went into this concert expecting to be bored by weird, old, lackluster Irish instrumental music. Instead, I got to witness an amazing fiddle solo (seriously, McAuley was absolutely incredible), I got to learn a little bit about Ireland, and I got to hear bunch of new songs that I’m sure I will be singing for the next few weeks at least.

            I am officially Danú’s newest fan. I am in love with their upbeat jigs, their slow, emotional ballads and their fun traditional Irish songs. They put on a great show filled with comedy, music and heavy Irish accents. I went into this concert unsure of what to expect, and came out with a list of new songs to download onto my phone. If you get the chance to see this concert live, do not pass it up. Overall, on the 1980’s slang scale of bunk to bangin’, this concert was definitely bangin’.

Danu by Lilly Harvey

            I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I walked into the Shalin Liu Performing Arts Center in Rockport, Massachusetts.  All I knew about the band that we would be seeing is that they were performing folk music, a genre of music that I don’t know too much about.  However, from the moment Danu stepped on stage the entire audience was captivated by this group’s flawless combination of ancient Irish tunes and songs from their new repertoire.   

From the first note that the group played on stage to the very last one, Danu filled the room with energy.  Without even realizing it, after the first song, I begin tapping my foot on the ground.  I noticed as the performance went on that the floor began to vibrate with the tapping of the audience member’s feet against the floor. The energy of the band and the music made it impossible not to move in some way.  The group got reactions out of the audience in other ways as well.  In between songs, the band members always got at least a chuckle out of everyone in the audience as they described the next song. They urged the audience to sing along and cheer for different members of the band as they performed a solo, so that the performance wasn’t just about listening for the audience, but participating as well. 

The band member’s descriptions and stories behind the song really made you think as you listened.  Even when it was just an instrumental song, or they were singing in Irish I could always feel a story behind the piece. Sometimes for a moment during the performance, I would close my eyes and the song told a story.  Even if they weren’t singing words in English the emotion that the lead singer put into the music allowed you to create your own.   

 I was also particularly impressed by the band’s ability to smoothly combine traditional Irish songs with the songs from their new album.  The traditional Irish songs and those written by Danu complimented each other perfectly, without overshadowing one another.     

By the end of the performance, the group had the audience on their feet cheering for more.  For this group, it wasn’t about the audience simply listening as they played folk music, but becoming fully engaged in the performance so that the audience is as much a part of the music as they are.  I think that this is the part of the performance that made it the most memorable for me, and I’m guessing for other members of the audience as well.  Overall, I would highly recommend this band for a fun night of energetic folk music. 

 

Musicians Insult Each Other By Jonathan Coombs

                Set aside the Guinness and pay up the tab, as drinking is no longer the only Irish experience in the States. A cheerful band by the name of Danú spent an evening in the Shalin Liu Performance Center playing Irish folk music and exchanging insults to each other. The band has been together for 20 years, creating a delightful chemistry between the members. The band plays all things Irish, ranging from fast jigs to slow emotional ballets.

                Before going to see the concert, I thought that the concert was going to be entirely jigs and up tempo songs to dance to. This can be attributed to the veritable clichés given to the genre from American television and radio, a culture that I grew up well versed in. This does not mean I thought I was going to have a bad time, on the contrary I was looking forward to it. During the concert the jigs did not disappoint, with the band having energy, the crowd clapping along and the intensity of the fiddler. I say that last one not to mean that the fiddler was the only one intensely playing, as all the band members were, just he was the only one that reached a point where part of his instrument broke. He was playing and having a wonderful time when the hairs of his bow started to come undone. This was a non-issue and did not affect his playing.

                While the jigs did seem to be the main crowd pleaser, the concert had other aspects. There were slow songs that had vocals, there were quicker songs that had vocals, and there were a mix of instrumental slow/moderate tempo songs. Out of these the most memorable song was a song about Willy Crotty, a Robin Hood type of man who was executed. This song stays in mind because it was an example of the band involving the audience, as the guitarist/vocalist taught the chorus to the crowd so we could sing along. I’d like to bring up the chemistry between the band members again, in sake of the title of this review. The band had some playful fun by insulting each other and themselves on stage. From talking about their instruments to announcing the intermission there always seemed time to make a joke about someone in the group. The best example is when Oisin McAuley, the banjo player, started describing the uilleann bagpipes. He asked the crowd if people were familiar with the instrument and a few people started clapping. Without pausing he said “Those who are clapping clearly never heard it.”

Right?

Get it?

Maybe you had to be there, I don’t know. If you’re a musician like me you’ll get it.

At the end of the day the question is: is it good? YES! IT IS VERY VERY very VERY GOOD! The only reason I think someone wouldn’t like it is if they don’t like music at all or are just unable to move outside of their preffered genre. But the energy the band has on stage, the tone they set with each other, and the way they get a crowd cheering speaks for itself.

Rating: 10 acoustic guitars out of 10, because even though it seems like a lot it’s just awesome.