Celtic folk/rock band Craic in the Stone make their Boulevard Music debut this weekend, so band member and manager Scotty McKay Bodhran told the News about what they have in store for Culver City…
When did you start playing and performing? How did this band form?
Some theater friends got together in 2013 to play a few Irish songs at a one night fundraiser for a local theater. After the first couple rehearsals, we thought something special was happening so we recorded our 12-song set in a home studio and a week later, in March of 2013, we had our first performance, sold our home-made CDs, and the band was born. The following year, we wrote and produced a musical theater production called A Celtic Holiday with Craic in the Stone, which sold out 10 performances at The Chance Theater in Anaheim.
Describe your sound/style?
Craic in the Stone is a six-piece band with a unique sound, because we feature two female vocalists and use violin as our lead instrument. So we’re primarily a vocal acoustic band. We also use the Bodehran–a hand drum which is at the heart of Irish music–as our primary percussion, rather than an “American” drum kit. We add Cajon, spoons, mandolin, and various other instruments to provide variety.
Celtic folk/rock is the genre that best describes us. This encompasses traditional Irish and Scottish songs, ancient Celtic tales set to music, and modern British Isles pop/rock covers from bands like The Cranberries, Proclaimers, Dropkick Murphys, Pogues, Fleetwood Mac, U2, Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, all with our own spin. We have several original songs like “It’s Guinness” and “We Drink When We’re Dry,” which are real pub pleasers.
What are your career highlights so far?
We have had the pleasure of sharing concert stages with The Young Dubliners and the Fenians at SoCal venues including the Coach House, St. Rocke, Canyon Clubs, and at many Irish festivals over the past decade. We have also headlined at the biggest Scottish festivals on the West Coast, from Phoenix to Fresno, and last year, performed on Center Stage at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas. We loved performing for the Newport Beach Film Festival’s Irish Spotlight event this year, to celebrate Irish film makers. And we enjoy a monthly residency at Muldoon’s Irish Pub in Newport Beach.
What recorded music is available — particularly the most recent?
We have released four studio CDs, the most recent being Pub Tunes released in 2021, and our second EP, Sláinte, released in 2023. A new studio CD is in post-production now, and is expected to drop this spring. We’ll also be recording shows for a live album this year. All of our music is streaming worldwide, and yes, we even have followers in Timbuktu.
Have you performed at Boulevard Music before?
This will be our first performance at Boulevard Music, and we are excited to bring our love of performing live to this iconic and intimate venue.
What can the audience expect from the set this time?
We plan to play a wide variety of styles, from traditional story-songs and ballads to up-tempo pub songs and rock covers, all done with unique arrangements and instrumentation. It’s hard to share all of your best music in just two sets, but we’ll try.
What else do you have coming up?
The band is gearing up for our St Paddy’s Tour starting in late February through the first week in April.
Craic in the Stone performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 18 at Boulevard Music. Go to boulevardmusic.com for more information.
Elsewhere this week
The Culver Hotel will be hosting the likes of Sylvia & the Rhythm Boys, and Scotty Bramer. Go to culverhotel.com for more info.
There’s a full program of music at the Cinema Bar this week, as usual. The Hot Club of Los Angeles plays every Monday, and Wednesdays are singer/songwriter and open mic night. Other artists performing this week include Chris Hawley, The Sallys, David Serby, Talkin’ Treason, Sons of the Engineers, America Patrol, The Marine Layers, Cats on the Bandstand, and more. Go to thecinemabar.com for more info.