There's definitely one big advantage to working at UT Austin. That was lunch time with Lunasa.

On Wednesday (I think this was the last of the season), the Cactus Cafe hosts love music outside of the Texas Union when the weather is nice. The weather wasn't great today, so instead, I spent my hour long lunch in the Cactus listening to one of the hottest traditional Irish bands around. They're in Austin for three nights sharing their love of pure drop Irish music, beautiful airs and rocking reels, jigs, and you name it.

I've been wanting to see Lunasa for a long time now. I've heard a lot about them, but what really struck my interest was the fact that they don't have a singer. The typical Irish music group formula features some hot instrumental tunes broken up by a female vocalist singing beautiful ballads. It works well for keeping the audience engaged.

I've also seen a number of groups who just have horrible stage presence. While their music may be good, the performance is boring. You'd just assume own the CD and not watch their live show.

That was not the case with Lunasa. The music was spectacular, and Kevin Crawford, the front man, kept us engaged with very short stories and a lots of fun Irish wit. It was a winning combination all around.

Lunasa is playing their final show tonight at the Cactus Cafe at 8pm. You can find details at the Texas Celtic Music Network website.

Labels: articles_2004

Posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, October 20, 2004.
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