WILMINGTON — A favorite of the Murphy Theatre returns with their jaunty jigs and fun folk tunes.
The Drowsy Lads will be performing at the Murphy at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18 — after a year away due to the pandemic — for a “Post St. Paddy’s Day Survivor Party” concert.
The Columbus-based band had been performing Irish music for over 15 years and consist of brothers John and Daniel McKewen, Phil Franck and his son Josh, and lifelong friend Bryan Brookes.
According to their website — thedrowsylads.com — they “bring to the stage a concoction of ‘we dare you to hold still’ Irish dance tunes as well as a full emotional gamut of songs and good humor.”
Despite not being able to do much live performing last year, Phil Franck told the News Journal the group was able to “keep the rust at bay” through recordings and online performances.
Franck said the group is excited to be returning to the Murphy.
“We love the Murphy and are fond of these size of venues,” he said. “Even though we’ve played huge festivals in Milwaukee with thousands of people, there’s an intimacy and beauty in that theater. We’re quite addicted to it.”
It’s not only the Murphy that they love, it’s also the locals who come out to support them. Franck said it’s their enthusiasm that fuels the band.
Wilmington is one of their many performances this year including festivals in the summer including in Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.
Attendees can expect some new and fun parts of the show, but can also look forward to seeing some of the crowd favorites.
“We always try to bring a bit of the old and a bit of the new,” said Franck. “There will be fan favorites. The double drum duel is always a favorite, the sing-a-longs, and we try to have a few tricks up our sleeves just to keep things fresh and novel.”
The band hopes that after two years of COVID isolation, people will rediscover the joys of live music with friends.
