Fenians Ring in New Year with Celtic Flair

By John Roos, Patch Poster

The Fenians have been crowd-pleasers for more than 25 years with their blend of contemporary and traditional Celtic music. What set the Orange County quintet’s Harp Inn concert in Costa Mesa on New Year’s Eve apart from those in the past was that, as the title of one of their songs suggests, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

As a year of political acrimony and intolerance finally drew to a close, how refreshing it was to see folks blending together in the sheer joy of experiencing a 3 ½ hour performance of dance-inducing songs and ballads. From traditional Irish songs (“Raggle Taggle Gypsy,” “Galway Girl,” “Danny Boy”) to unexpected rock covers (“Prince’s Purple Rain,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”) to classic Fenians-associated fare (“Casey’s Jig,” “Whiskey in the Jar” and “Take Her in Your Arms”), the band played with such a humble, playful exuberance that it was impossible to not get swept up in the evening’s feel-good vibe.

The Fenians – including lead singer-mandolin-guitar player Terry Casey, bassist-vocalist Brendan Harkins, drummer-vocalist Chris Pierce, horn and whistler player Tardu Yegin and guitarist-vocalist Rob Williams- champion numerous Celtic-rock-punk hybrids and paid tribute to several with well-chosen and expertly-crafted covers of the Waterboys’ “Fisherman’s Blues,” the Pogues’ “Dirty Old Town,” the Saw Doctors’ “N17” and Flogging Molly’s “If I Ever Leave this World Alive .“ Bravo to the Fenians for honoring the spirit of the original versions while simultaneously filling each with their own character and style. Not an easy thing to do, my friends.

The band’s friends and family in attendance added further warmth to an already intimate pub setting on this special occasion as hugs and kisses were exchanged during the short breaks between sets. The Irish contingency was well-represented at the gig by about a dozen or so folks who partook in last October’s Hooley Holiday in Ireland, an 11-day band-and-fans trip across the Emerald Isle with stops in Kilkenny, Dublin, Galway and Kinsale. Can you imagine the sweet beauty of a trek like that?

The freewheeling, informal nature of the performance brought these five lads into our living room, kind of like a house concert but with lots more alcohol. (The Harp is an Irish Pub after all). Although the sound could have been better as Casey’s vocals were muffled in the mix, particularly early on, this night was never about perfection. It was a celebration of endurance and renewal, a time to reflect on persevering through the ups and downs of 2017 as we all embrace the challenges of an unpredictable new year.

As the clock struck midnight, who better to share that moment with than the one you love--and the Fenians?

Photo by John Roos