If furniture stores can celebrate Christmas in July, then why can't Present Music go all green for St. Patrick's Day in September?
Milwaukee's new music ensemble kicks off its 26th season with "Irish Stew," a Celtic-themed concert at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave., in Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
The show is preceded at 6 p.m. by a pre-concert party.
This is a one night only concert that will combine a variety of Irish/Celtic music in way never experienced before in Milwaukee -- moving back and forth between traditional, pop, dance, storytelling and daring new Irish concert music," says Artistic Director Kevin Stalheim.
"To experience this variety with great acoustics in one room over two hours will be unique and exciting for Irish/Celtic music fans and new music fans in general."
The concert -- which takes place in the lovely and acoustically fine former church that houses the ICHC -- features Nova Scotian singer Mary Jane Lamond and violinist Wendy MacIsaac and finds Present Music performing "Piano Quartet #2" and "Triorchic Blues" by Gerald Barry, Linda Buckley's "Do You Remember the Planets" and Andrew Hamilton's "Frank O'Hara on the Phone Piece."
Also collaborating in the concert are, among others, Trinity Irish Dancers, Shamrock Club Color Guard Pipes and Drums, storyteller Eamonn O'Neill.
The Celtic band Cè performs at the pre-concert party. After the show, the party re-ignites.
Tickets are $16, $27 and $37 and may be ordered by calling (414) 271-0711. They will also be available at the door.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
