Paul Brady- You're the One

No more.

The proverbial luck of the Irish found me drinking beer in London's Trafalgar Square on St. Patrick's Day. When my associates asked me the name of the Irish folk singer performing before the throng of revelers, I mistakenly told them it was Paul Brady.

Blame it on Vincent Van Gogh. My head was swimming less from beer than from seeing many of the world's most famous paintings in the adjacent National Gallery. The entertainer was actually Luka Bloom. He annoyed much of the crowd by endorsing the reelection of Mayor Ken Livingstone and by playing too many morose songs. And it was "feckin'" cold, to borrow one of Bloom's phrases. He did manage to inspire the crowd with a mean cover of Bob Marley's "Natural Mystic." I'd moved on by the time this fan footage was shot.

Brady is best known to Americans as a hit songwriter for Bonnie Raitt, Brooks & Dunn and other mainstream acts. But he has a long history in traditional Irish music. This song from 1995's Spirits Colliding combines those elements.

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Renaissance man Peter Lubin recounts signing Steve, Bob & Rich (a.k.a. The Rainmakers) in this wonderful tale.

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Kansas City Click: I'm so ashamed! I just discovered that I've never recommended an Eddie Delahunt gig at There Stands the Glass. Our city's most celebrated Irish troubadour is at Mike Kelly's Westsider this evening.

Saturday's concert at the Gem Theater with Mary Stallings, Karrin Allyson and Bobby Watson holds extraordinary promise.

The Record Bar claims that legendary second wave British ska band Bad Manners will appear on their stage Sunday night. No offense guys, but I won't believe it until I see Buster Bloodvessel's distinctive mug with my own two eyes.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)