The Bowery Presents

The Mercury Lounge upcoming shows

The Craic Festival featuring...

Paddy Casey
11:00
Foy Vance
9:30

Colin Devlin
8:45
Fairplay Collective
8:00

Due to VISA issues Duke Special will not be appearing. Paddy Casey has added a special encore performance to close the festival!
Venue:
The Mercury Lounge
Date:
Sat 3/14
Notes:
21+
Doors: 8:00 PM / Show: 8:00 PM
$12
Tickets
Paddy Casey
official website
myspace
Irish singer/songwriter Paddy Casey's years as a busker on the streets of Galway and his home town of Dublin served him well. Not only did it allow him to associate from an early age with future breakout artists like Glen Hansard (of the Frames), Mundy, and Mark Dignam, but he developed a keen instinct for the type of melody and songwriting that are immediate and arresting, but with a natural intimacy not often heard in conventional pop music. Though an admitted pure soul devotee, Casey performs music that is heavily informed by its medium -- the singer and his acoustic guitar -- coming across as if Bob Dylan had taken to imitating Nina Simone, with elements of Prince and Public Enemy thrown in for good measure.

Casey began busking on Dublin's streets in the early '90s while still in his early teens. In 1998, the earnest street musician became a cog in the major-label machine, signing to Sony subsidiary S2 Records at the behest of Spencer Davis Group bassist turned A&R man Muff Winwood, who had spotted Casey performing in Dublin and quickly became enamored. Heading into the studio later that year just to transfer some basic ideas to tape, Casey inadvertently wound up recording his debut album, Amen (So Be It). Released in June of 1999, the album debuted in the Top Twenty of the Irish albums chart, eventually going triple platinum, and was awarded the Best Debut Album award at the Hot Press Irish Music Awards. Perhaps an overly self-conscious statement of the artist's diverse palette, the album was nonetheless accomplished, with a range of styles integrated into his folky soul core, from jazz to funk to reggae, and with hip-hop beats and scratches subtly incorporated; however, Amen (So Be It)'s most endearing moments were its simplest, and Casey soon became well known for his Dylan-esque protest song "Sweet Suburban Sky," which was featured prominently on U.S. television show Dawson's Creek. -Dave Donnelly, All Music guide
Foy Vance
official website
myspace
Usual tags such as ‘singer-songwriter’, ‘folk-soul’, ‘troubadour’ are perceived with a considerable amount of cynicism these days, especially since the music scene has been saturated with middle of the road artists, marketed as such by traditional record label formulae. Someone with a discerning ear and trust in their own taste should be able to spot who’s the real deal and who’s not.

Leaving tags aside, Foy Vance operates in his own parallel universe. His music is an evolving journey, a constant search for artistic expression captured in the moment, operating well away from industry standards. Surely you’ll hear echoes of Otis Redding, Richie Havens, Tom Waits and Van Morrison in Foy’s music, legends he’s already being compared to and definite influences. An ever so modest Foy will laugh at these comparisons, but then again that’s what makes him so special.
Colin Devlin
official website
myspace
Colin Devlin’s Democracy of One is not a debut– it’s our reintroduction to an Irish songwriter who has crafted unforgettable soundscapes for over a decade. Led by Colin Devlin and his brother Peter, The Devlins refined their cinematic rock sound via a series of internationally- acclaimed albums that generated tracks used in dozens of film and television productions. Their 1993 debut, Drift, received a four-star review in Rolling Stone, and subsequent efforts won praise worldwide. Now, singer Colin Devlin strikes out on his own with a warm, intimate album of personal reflections helmed by producer Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan, Rufus Wainwright) and featuring drummer Matt Chamberlain (Tori Amos, Morrissey, Kanye West), with assists from Fred Bouchard, Tom Sokoloff, Emm Gryner and Lloyd Cole.

While The Devlins’ atmospheric grooves consistently transcended both genre and era, Democracy of One takes Colin Devlin’s reputation for erudite simplicity to another level. Devlin’s new songs explore the language of a seasoned songwriter both lyrically and sonically: lush arrangements play out like beautifully-choreographed battles between the inner self and the world outside, as that voice – part raspy speak-singing, part unpolished tenor – mingles with the surrounding guitar, piano and strings to reveal untold emotional nuances.
Fairplay Collective
official website
myspace
FairplayCollective is an organization/company/movement formed in the spring of 2006 in New York City's Lower East Side. Its founding members, Irish immigrants and US natives, initially came together to promote themselves as a new vanguard of singer/songwriters around Greenwich Village.

This revival of great songsmithery is spearheaded by Mark Dignam, Jenna Nicholls, Michael Brunnock, and Brendan O' Shea. These four; excellent performers in themselves, have come together and have invited friends forming one collective, to share, ideas, resources and costs freeing up members to concentrate on the creative processes of writing and performing.

"Many hands, make light the work"!

The individuals create an exciting synergy and a slightly left of center, improvisational environment featuring unique harmonies and supportive instrumental voicings.

FairplayCollective aims to present a collective front, both in terms of performance and within the music industry itself. We maintain a forward view of becoming one voice, reflecting many talents on upcoming shows and future projects.
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