PSUB presents traditional Irish
music, food in concert
By Heather Holman
Summer
Reporter
The front lawn of the Purdue Memorial Union seemed
more like an Irish pub last night compared to the usual concert atmosphere.
The third concert of the Purdue Memorial Union Summer
Concert Series featured a traditional Irish music band called Toss the
Feathers.
"I think this one (concert) is different," Sara Solloway,
program director of the Purdue Memorial Union, said. "The Irish food and
music is something Lafayette doesn't have that often."
Gail Wiley and her sister are the founders of the
group; however, her sister no longer is a part of it. The two attended
a week long workshop in West Virginia 5 years ago.
"It was a total submersion of Irish culture and dance,"
Wiley, vocalist and button accordion player, said. "It bit us bad."
The band mixes up all the music that it plays. It
has thousands of songs dating back to the 1600s which the band spices
up by adding jazz harmonies and rhythms on the guitar and some added percussion.
Toss the Feathers plays tunes ranging from old traditional
pub songs to ballads. The themes of music tend to be about the Irish's
harsh history, songs of immigration, drinking and others.
"We've heard these guys (Toss the Feathers) before
and we really like them," Mona Martinek said.
The chairs, benches and even the available grass
filled with smiling, laughing, hungry with young couples, parents, children
and people even brought their dogs along for the evening.
The smells of Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage,
cod cobbler, scalloped potatoes with leeks and Irish soda bread filled
the dusk time air. The line of people wrapped itself around the curving
sidewalk as they waited to indulge themselves in the delicious cuisine
and wash it down with a glass of tea or lemonade.
Martinek said she comes to the concerts for the "Good
food, good music and a good time."
Lafayette Area String Quartet will be performing
at 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 27 on the front lawn of the Purdue Memorial
Union. This French-American theme evening will be the final concert of
the series.
For information about Toss the Feathers call Gail
Wiley at 463-1968.
For more information about the PMU Summer Concert
Series call Sara Solloway at 494-8907.
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