With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Friday this year, and Bellingham’s downtown parade happening Saturday, March 11, we’re coming up on a solid week-plus packed with Irish and Irish-adjacent music. I thought I should round up some of the highlights so you can make your plans.
There are two big concerts happening, both in Skagit County. Teada is playing the Littlefield Celtic Center on Thursday, March 9 and The Jeremiahs play McIntyre Hall on Friday, March 17. Both of these would be good choices for high-octane modern Celtic music, with Teada being a little more traditional-sounding, and all instrumental.
Although there are no touring Celtic acts coming to Whatcom County, a great concert is happening at the FireHouse Arts and Events Center the night of Saturday, March 18, featuring locals Gallowglass with openers Schmid and Guest. Getting advance tickets for that would be a smart move. The duo of fiddler Cayley Schmid and pianist Aaron Guest are also playing a morning concert at the Jansen Art Center on March 17.
As far as the bar scene goes, without Uisce around, Boundary Bay will be the undisputed hub after the parade on the afternoon of March 11, and all day on March 17. Both days will feature a full lineup of bands both inside and out, plus Irish step dancers. Make reservations in advance if you want to be inside. Additionally, a sea shanty sing-along hosted by The Good Time Girls happens at 5 p.m. March 11. Robert Sarazin Blake and friends will be doing their popular annual St. Pat’s show in the beer garden at 5 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day proper.
I’ll include the full bar listings in the calendar for next week, but some of the other highlights for March 17 include The Wandering Seas at the Honey Moon, Calaskan at Kulshan, and The Devillies at Temperate Habits in Mount Vernon. (Conflict of interest acknowledgment: I’m playing twice at Boundary with the Moving Hats.)
Another very cool, live music-related event happening this weekend is the “circus noir” event hosted by the Bellingham Circus Guild March 10–12. Titled “Chronopolis: Crime in Time City,” it will feature live music by Hot Damn Scandal in addition to circus acts and a mystery. There are 21+ shows Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and all-ages shows Sunday at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. This also might be a good one to get advance tickets for.
One new local release I wanted to mention: Simon Evans’ album, “Something Real,” is out now. The singer-songwriter’s new full-length features his haunting voice and intriguing lyrics, with a mostly acoustic instrumental backdrop that blends rootsy twang with some electric flourishes. Highly recommended for fans of sparse, atmospheric folk.
Live music listings
Tuesday, March 7
Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam
Wednesday, March 8
Blue Room: 8 p.m., Perfect By Tomorrow, Grandmasters, JAM & The Good Vibes
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., George Colligan Trio (jazz)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Rockfish: 6 p.m., Andre Feriante (classical/flamenco/jazz)
Shakedown: 8 p.m., The Sadies, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs (alt-country/rock)
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., The Sweet Goodbyes (folk)
Thursday, March 9
Blue Room: 6 p.m., Open Mic; 8 p.m., Jam:30 (open jam)
Brown Lantern: 8:30 p.m., Open Mic
Farmstrong: 6 p.m., Brittany Collins (folk)
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Yankee Drivers (bluegrass)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Tenderpile’s Smile Aisle (jazz)
Lincoln Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Walter Trout (blues)
Littlefield Celtic Center: 7 p.m., Teada (Celtic)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
Wild Buffalo: 8 p.m., A Hundred Drums, Lotus Drops, Keags (electronic)
Zeeks: 7 p.m., Adrian Clark Duo
Friday, March 10
Aslan: 8 p.m., Bob Fossil (rock)
Blue Room: 8 p.m., Madrona, Collins Beach, Apollo Suns (rock)
Big Stick: 5:30 p.m., Adrian Clark Duo
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Rob Hutchings (folk)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Andy’s Whatcom Co. Mainlanders (folk/old-time/Hawaiian)
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Purest Feeling, Glitchlette, The Hobby (rock/electronic)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Mt. Fog, Cumulus, Marlo Mudd
Skylark’s: 8 p.m., 1967 (rock)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Andy Frasco & The U.N., Big Something (rock)
WinkWink: 6:30 p.m., Boxcutter PNW, Ignorati, Kids on Fire, Dead Streets (punk)
Saturday, March 11
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Sandy Rowe
Black Fern: 6 p.m., Morhaf Al Achkar (Arabic)
Boundary: Noon, The Moving Hats, Rosin & Reed, Lindsay Street, Flattery, pipers, dancers; 5 p.m., Good Time Girls Sea Shanty Sing-Along
Brown Lantern: 9 p.m., Pay Dirt
Conway Muse: 8 p.m., JoMamma (blues/rock/country)
Corner Pub: 6 p.m., CraigO’s Planet Groove (jam rock)
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Alicia Dauber (jazz)
Fireside: 4 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., The Moving Hats (Celtic)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Leo Morningstar (folk)
Jansen Art Center: 7:30 p.m., Matthew Ball (boogie-woogie piano)
Make.Shift: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Menace: 3 p.m., J.P. Falcon Grady; 8 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Mount Baker Theatre: 7:30 p.m., 3 Track Mind (folk/rock)
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., The Naughty Blokes (rock)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Inpathos, Serpent Rider, Ent (metal)
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Flattery (Celtic folk)
Skylark’s: 8 p.m., J.P. Falcon Grady (folk/rock/blues)
Underground: 9 p.m., SpaceBand (R&B/hip-hop covers)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Whethan, Pacifix (electronic)
Sunday, March 12
Kulshan: 5 p.m., The Devillies
Main Street: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., Pacific Twang (country)
Monday, March 13
Blue Room: 7 p.m., Tenderpile’s Smile Aisle (jazz)
FireHouse: 3:30 p.m., Jazz Axiom
Kulshan: 6 p.m., The McHughs (folk)
Tuesday, March 14
Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Boundary: 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Greene’s Corner: 6:30 p.m., Old Time Fiddle Jam
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam
Ranch Room: 9 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Before heading out to listen to live music, check with individual venues to make sure the event is still taking place as scheduled.
Jesse Stanton’s music column, The Beat Goes On, runs Wednesdays. Email: jsbhammusic@gmail.com or Twitter: @JSBhamMusic.
