Irish Eyes are Smilin'

With dozens of hand-crafted beers, and traditional Celtic music performed live this Friday,March 4, House of Guinness 354 W. Main Street in Waukesha, will open its doors for a perfect evening of dancing and authentic Irish flavors, just in time for St. Patrick’s day.

Featuring Atlantic Wave at 9 p.m., House of Guinness will treat guests to the band’s traditional tunes and songs of Ireland, Scotland, Cape Breton and Nova Scotia. The group is made up of two fiddlers, Kaitlin Hahn and Ed Paloucek, a guitarist/singer, Barry Houlehen, and a bouzouki/bodhran player, John Karr, who perform high-energy jigs, slow airs, strathspeys and marches, as well as classical, original and contemporary Celtic selections.  The show starts at 9 p.m. and there is no cover.

Hahn, the female star of the group, began her musical experience at age six with violin lessons in the Suzuki program at Stephen Bull Fine Arts Elementary School in Racine. Four years later she began piano lessons, and at age 18 began focusing on Celtic fiddling. In 2002, Hahn became a faculty member at Irish Fest School of Music, where she is currently a teacher.  She has recorded an album, “Nice to Meet You,” and has also studied at Cape Breton.

On her website, she writes, “When I play here [in Wisconsin] with Irish musicians, I’m told that my style sounds like Cape Breton music, but when I play in Cape Breton, I’m told that my style sounds Irish. All I can say is that I definitely play Celtic.”

Judith, a server at House of Guinness, said Atlantic Wave are regular performers at the establishment. Even though no food is served at the bar, the band has as good a following as the selection of beers.

“On tap we have 24 imported beers and no domestics,” she said. “Atlantic Wave usually plays from 9 or 9:30 p.m. to about midnight.”