Alongside these celebratory live performances, the Drowsy Lads is releasing its fifth studio album to commemorate this two-decade milestone. “Time Flies” compiles 20 studio tracks, memorable live sets and newly recorded songs into a special edition, self-released two-disc album.
The album features 20 of the Lads’ favorite musicians and collaborators from around the globe, including fiddlers Fiachra Hayes and Ian King (Socks in the Frying Pan), piano accordionist Tadhg O’Meachair (One for the Foxes) and guitarist Conal O’Kane (Goitse).
“Time Flies” highlights the longstanding relationships the band has had with Celtic festivals across the Midwest, opening with a nearly seven-minute live performance of “Sporting Paddy” from the Dayton Celtic Festival. Performances from the Milwaukee Irish Festival and the Dublin Irish Festival — where the Lads have performed for nearly 15 years — are also sprinkled throughout.
“[Dayton Celtic Festival] is a great festival functionally, but they emphasize getting people connected and having fun together,” said Bryan Brookes, mandolin, flute and whistle player in the Lads. “So we thought, man, we should start [the album] with a track from Dayton, as a thank you to the festival.”
Brookes adds that he believes this is the band’s 10th year of playing the Dayton festival.
The Drowsy Lads lineup includes two brothers (John and Daniel McKewen), a father and son (Phil and Josh Franck) and Brookes, a lifelong friend. Each Lad is a multi-instrumentalist, contributing to a combined Celtic sound that includes fiddle, button accordion, tenor banjo, flute, whistle, guitar, bouzouki, Uilleann pipes, banjo, concertina, bodhran and more.
With myriad instrumentation, the band stays true to the traditional Irish sound and wit while offering occasional original compositions, sometimes mixed with a bit of bluegrass and classical arrangements.
The Drowsy Lads was named “The Best Irish-American Band” by Irish American News in 2018 and continues to offer high-energy live performances that have lifted spirits up and onto dancefloors two decades in.
“It’s incredible to think that The Drowsy Lads have hit the 20-year mark,” said band member Daniel McKewen in a news release. “We’ve had so many unbelievable experiences on the stage and in the studio, all while picking up lifelong friends along the way. We wanted to gather all those memorable moments together in one epic anniversary recording to celebrate the music that brought us all together. We are blessed beyond comprehension.”
The official release for “Time Flies” is Aug. 2, but albums may be available for purchase at the Dayton Celtic Festival.
Recordings universally attempt to capture fleeting moments — on and off stage — though there is a palpable difference between hearing recordings and experiencing performances first-hand, especially with the uniform melodies of Irish music.
“When you get to hear someone tell a story face to face, you get a whole bunch of nonverbal cues — you hear the tone, you can feel the tension at certain points and you catch more of the excitement,” Brookes said. “Similarly, the effect of live music is what people say about our band: they can tell we’re having fun. [The audience responds] to people authentically enjoying each other, which we do. The music is the context for that happening.”
Along with the release of its latest album and summer festival performances, the Lads will perform a special anniversary show Oct. 12 at the Lincoln Theatre in Columbus.
Lifelong friends have happened on stage and in the crowd. Those bonds are heard with every joyous and jig-worthy Irish singalong the Drowsy Lads offers — 20 years’ worth. Time flies, indeed.
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