125 Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in NYC 2011

In our continuous efforts to "connect the fun to the fun people", we encourage you to visit our annual "Ultimate St. Patrick's Day Listings 2011".
I spend 11 months of the year fighting the stereotype that MurphGuide is only about Irish bars, and one month providing the best NYC St. Patrick's Day listings on the web.

You can check it on-line at:
SaintPatricksDayNYC.com or MurphGuide.com/patrick

Enjoy the day, but don't be a plastic paddy.
Show some respect for the saint (and yourself).
Have a safe one, don't drink & drive.

Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day Bar Crawl

BarCrawls.com present their first "Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day" Bar Crawl.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day Bar Crawl
Featuring 10 east side NY bars. 30 minutes per stop equals a 12 hour non-stop bar party.
Your $10 ticket gets you a 10-ounce souvenir cup, a T-shirt and drink specials at participating bars.
Drink specials:
$1 Bud Light Drafts (10 oz.)
$2 Bud Light Bottles
$3 Mixed Well Drinks
$4 Jameson Shots
Purchase tickets on-line at: BarCrawls.com

There are 3 registration sites, depending on where you want to start the crawl:
(E. 30s, E. 40s or E. 50s):

E. 30s:
Purchase here
Check in 10am - 2pm
at:
Joshua Tree Eastside
513 Third Ave.
(between 34th & 35th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 689-0058
JoshuaTreeBar.com


E. 40s:
Purchase here
Check in 11am - 3pm
at:
McFadden's Saloon
800 Second Ave. (42nd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 986-1515
McFaddens42.com

E. 50s:
Purchase here
Check in 11am - 3pm
at:
Turtle Bay Grill & Lounge
987 Second Ave.
(between 52nd & 53rd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 223-4224
TurtleBayNYC.com



Participating bars:
E. 30s: Mercury Bar, Bar XII, Joshua Tree.
E. 40s: Calico Jack's Cantina, McFadden's Saloon, Peter Dillon's.
E. 50s: The Irish Exit NYC, Turtle Bay, Traffic Bar & Lounge, Copia NYC.

For best prices, and to minimize time spent waiting on line, purchase tickets in advanced.

Produced by BarCrawls.com

St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl: March 17, 2011

Today is day three of PubCrawls.com's three-day series of pub crawls...
Thursday, March 17
Saint Patrick's Day Pub Crawl

$20 per ticket includes:
Admission to all participating bars, and drink specials:
$1 Bud and Bud Light Drafts (10oz)
$2 Bud and Bud Light Bottles
$3 House Mixed Drinks
$4 Jameson Shots
(prices will increase by $2 from 9pm - 4am)

Wear green attire: t-shirts, hats, shamrocks, whatever it is – and come out and enjoy some cheap beer and a world-famous event.
Register 5 - 11pm

There are 10 registration points all over town:

Midtown East:
Register 11am - 5pm
$20 Buy here
at:
T.G. Whitney's
244 E. 53rd St.
(bet. Second & Third Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 888-5772
TGWhitneys.com

-----------------------
Upper East Side:
$20 Buy here
Check in noon - 8pm
at:
Stir
1363 First Ave.
(between 73rd & 74th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 744-7190
StirNYC.com


-----------------------
East Village:
$20 Buy here
Register 11am - 6pm
at:

Village Pourhouse
64 Third Ave. (11th St)
New York
(212) 979-BEER


-----------------------
Restaurant Row:
$20 Buy here
Check in 11am - 6pm
at:
The Village Pourhouse
366 W. 46th St.
(between 8th & 9th Ave.)
New York, NY
212-979-BEER
VillagePourhouse.com
-----------------------
Murray Hill:
$20 Buy here
check in : Noon - 10pm
at:
Van Diemen's Café
383 Third Ave.
(between 27th & 28th St.)
New York, NY
(646) 752-5884
VandiemensNYC.com
-----------------------
Midtown:
$20 Buy here
Register noon - 7pm
at:
Katwalk
2 W. 35th St.
(between 5th & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 594-9343
KatwalkNYC.com

also in midtown...
$20 Buy here
Register noon - 11pm
at:

Croton Reservoir Tavern
108 W. 40th St.
(bet. Broadway & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY
212 997-6835
CrotonNYC.com

-----------------------
Greenwich Village:

$20 Buy here
Registration Noon - 9pm
at:
Thirteen
35 E.13th St.
(bet. Broadway & University Pl.)
New York, NY
(212) 979-6677
Bar13.com

----------------------
Chelsea:
$20 Buy here
check in 11am - 8pm
at:
Chelsea Manor
138 W. 25th St. (between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY
or...

Noon-9pm at
The Lott
55 W. 21st St. (bet. 5th & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY
-----------------------

The Ultimate NYC St. Patrick's Day Month Page

Spotlight Artists: The Moonshiners

Our next spotlight artists are The Moonshiners. I first saw The Moonshiners on the recommendation of mutual friend James Quigley, of Hell or High Water. They were performing at Peggy O'Neill's tent at the Great Irish Fair in Coney Island. Lead vocalist Tom O'Callaghan answers our questions below.

Lineup:

Tommy O'Callaghan - lead vocals

Joe O'Brien - keyboards

Bobby Lee Moller - drums, bohdran

Tommy Burns - accordion, guitar, vocals

Frank Banafato - lead guitar, mandolin, banjo

Meredith Rachel - fiddle

Rick Shields - bass, vocals

How long have you been performing?

The Moonshiners have been together for 15 years. Wow, I can't believe it's been that long!

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):

I came home from the University of Nebraska in the 80's fresh from my first band and started an original rock group with my best friend, Joe. A few years later Joe put together an Irish band for St Patrick's Day for kicks. This became a nine piece off the hook Celtic/punk band, The Flailin' Shillelaghs. We were one of the few New York bands, besides the Pogues, doing that style of punked up Irish music.

We were very popular, played sold out gigs, but were all over the place. It was a crazy time. We ended up breaking up, but Joe and Bobby and I eventually regrouped as the Moonshiners. We recruited bassist Pat Lonzello from a very successful country band and played with a number of very cool players over the years. We went from being a rock band doing Irish music to a true Celtic rock band when we found Tommy B. He gave us a more tradition sound and added vocal and song writing diversity. We always had strong guitar players, but picking up Frank a couple of years ago refined our sound and added more traditional Irish instrumentation.

This is M's first year with the band, but I cannot overstate the impact she has had. She's a formally trained young violinist out of Chicago who has taken us to another level.
Pat recently left to spend time with his family, and we picked up an old friend, Rich Shields, as our new bass player.

Musical influences:

The Pogues, Saw Doctors, Flogging Molly, Great Big Sea, Gaelic Storm, the Beatles (obligatory), Clancys, Wolfetones.

Favorite venues to play:

Madison Square Garden! But unfortunately that hasn't happened. No, we play mostly festivals, weddings, and private parties these days, but we really enjoy the occasional bar gigs. Ulysses' and the Playwright Pub are always a lot of fun. Our favorite gig though has got to be the NYPD Emerald Society post-parade party on St. Patrick's Day at the pier on the Hudson. It's the largest indoor St. Patrick's Day party in the world. They average about six thousand people and you feel like you know each and every one of them.

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?

We will headline the NYPD Emerald Society party on Pier 90 this St. Patrick's Day, and finish the day at the Playwright Pub on 35th St (bet. 5th & 6th) going on at 7:30. After the season is over, we will get to work on our next CD and prepare for the summer/fall festival season. We are also gonna be a part of a compilation CD called "Celtic New York" with Shillelagh Law, The Canny Bros. and other top flight New York Irish bands.

Thursday, March 17, 2011
St. Patrick's Day with
The Moonshiners
7:30pm
at:
The Playwright
27 W. 35th St.
(between 5th & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 268 8868
PlaywrightIrishPubNYC.com

Linkage:

website: TheMoonshinersBand.com

facebook: The-Moonshiners-Band

Youtube: TheMoonshinersBand

Twitter: that for twits

Myspace: so last decade I forget the link

Where can we buy your music?

TheMoonshinersBand.com (best price)

CDBaby.com

Amazon.com

Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.

We only work off a set list for the festivals and weddings. The bar gigs are fun because we never know exactly where we will go. Joe and I (mostly Joe) call songs out and eventually the audience tells us what to play whether we know the song or not. Playing with these guys is amazing because they will usually figure it out. They don't remember what they had for lunch but can recall a Stones song they haven't played in 15 years.

The Moonshiners performing at Ulysses'

Any advice to someone just starting out?
Write, write, write!!! Discover your creativity when others are screaming "Freebird!"

Can you recommend another act we should feature on MurphGuide?

The Headlocks out of Staten Island. They are the best original local act I have heard in years. Big following, too.

Below is a video of The Moonshiners performing "Brennan on the Moor":

Gin Mill: 15th Anniversary - March 15, 2011

Congratulations to Ted, Michael and all of our friends at The Gin Mill and Eat, Drink & Be Merry on their 15th anniversary. They are celebrating tonight with half price drinks.

photos via Eat, Drink & Be Merry

The Gin Mill has been a popular sports bar on the upper west side since 1996. It is a casual environment with lots of TVs to watch your favorite sporting events (22 TVs: 2 HD Projectors and 20 Large Flat Screen). Good pub grub, sidewalk seating and a private party room help make it a destination for college alumni (home to the Gotham Gators football game watch parties) and softball teams coming from Central Park.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
15th Anniversary of The Gin Mill

1/2 price drinks All Day and Night
at:

The Gin Mill
442 Amsterdam Ave.
(between 81st & 82nd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 580-9080
NYCBestBar.com/ginmill

Spotlight Artist: Mike Ferraro & the Young Republicans

Our next spotlight artists are Mike Ferraro & the Young Republicans. We were introduced by our mutual friend, Joe Janish, who writes an excellent blog about the NY Mets called MetsToday.com. Mike & his band have recently released their full length debut, "What's Yours is Mine". The singer & songwriter answers our questions below...

all photo credit: Sarah K. Andrew

Band Lineup:
Mike Ferraro--guitar/vox
Ralph Capasso--drums/vox
Jonathan Andrew--bass/vox

How did your band's name come about? Has it ever caused confusion with your audience, or with actual young Republicans?
It started as a gag. I don't remember why. At our first show someone suggested we introduce ourselves that way, and it sorta stuck from there.

All this really to avoid playing under just my name, which feels right for the songs, but is unfair to my bandmates, I think, since their contributions are significant and unique to the presentation of the songs...I mean, I have band names stockpiled, but none of them felt right for this band.
As the primary songwriter, I guess it’s natural I feel this way to some extent...a snappy band name feels somehow too impersonal for a project that revolves around my songs, which are typically written by me, alone, on acoustic guitar. That, and I guess I’ve always liked the sound of guy-with-band-name band names...Tom Petty, Neil Young, Ted Leo etc.
Hands down, Emmett Miller and his Georgia Crackers is my fave of that ilk. Anyway, given the name we chose, confusion is inevitable, and I welcome it, frankly. It’s certainly a conversation piece. I think it’s pretty clear from the album title alone, WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE, that the band name is tongue-in-cheek, but people are awfully literal-minded, to put it mildly.


How long have you been performing?
Been playing music publicly since fall 2003--starting right here in lovely downtown Manhattan, which looked pretty diff then than it does now, come to think of it.

Past lives (i.e., previous bands, your early years, etc.):
I’ve never been in anyone’s band but my own. and don’t have any real inclination to do so to be honest. There have been a few different incarnations, but it’s always been my songs that I’ve been interested in playing.
In ‘03 it was Jon and I, first as a duo, then as a trio, under the name Ciampi (pronounced champy; my mom’s maiden name). Jon, a non-drummer, played drums, which indicates the depths of our frustrations to find a competent player who wasn’t a total sub-human. Then a few years later after Jon and I went our separate ways, Ralph and I linked up and played together, mostly as a duo, and recorded an EP, AWFUL KILLERS. But MF/YR was born when Jon eventually returned to the fold on the eve of the release of the aforementioned EP.

My life growing up was your standard narrow-minded suburban existence, replete with all the intellectual and spiritual stagnancy such blight breeds. Being near the city helped--it provided a modicum of escape early on, at least. I read a lot, which widened my perspective considerably. For a kid of my temperament, this was crucial. Anyway, from there it seemed like a logical step to want to develop a voice of my own. That became really important to me and remains my focus, and so, here we are.
Musical influences:
My strongest influences come from my reading; the goal being, as Flaubert says, ‘to move the stars to pity.’ An impossible task, of course, but one worthy of the effort.
That sounds awfully pretentious but it’s the truth...and is the only reason for doing anything creative in my view. That said, there are too many bands to recite here as influences. besides, it’s not as my influences are not readily apparent to anyone with even a reasonable grasp of pop/rock music history of the last say 50-60 years.

Favorite venues to play:
I’m none too particular really--I’ll play anywhere, anytime; usually the stranger the setup the better for my taste--for example, we’re playing the Best Buy on Union Square this month in addition to regular club dates and I’m looking forward to it--should be a somewhat surreal experience at the very least.

As far as more traditional rock venues go--Maxwell’s in Hoboken is great, they treat bands really well. In the city proper, Sidewalk Cafe is a good joint...honestly I prefer smaller rooms, like local neighborhood bars, because they tend to operate differently. The meat market mentality that dominates the booking strategy of most NYC clubs is usually less severe or altogether non-existent.

Blatant self-promotion: What would you like to plug?
I’ve already done a fair bit of that already, haven’t I? Our record is now available online at most digital retailers. We’re really proud of it. please buy it online or better yet come out to a show and buy a CD from us. To that end, we will be at Best Buy in Union Square on Wednesday, 3/16 and Trash Bar in Brooklyn on Friday, 3/18. Check mikeferraro.net for more info.

Friday, March 18, 2011:
Mike Ferraro & The Young Republicans
Open bar from 8-9pm with $8 admission
8pm
at:
The Trash Bar
256 Grand St.
(bet. Driggs Ave. & Roebling St.)
Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY
(718)-599-1000
TheTrashBar.com

How long did it take to record your new album "What's Yours Is Mine"?
Too long. we did it whenever our schedules permitted it--the next one will be much faster; I am raring to go on it, actually. Considering the span of time, it has a remarkably unified sound, which makes sense since we did it all ourselves on the cheap with the help of some talented and kind friends along the way.

Mike Ferraro & the Young Republicans: What's Yours is Mine

Linkage:
website: mikeferraro.net
facebook: MikeFerraroYR
Youtube: mikeferraromusic
Twitter: @MikeFerraroBand
Myspace: mikeferraro
Reverb Nation: mikeferraro
Sonic bids: mikeferraro

Where can we buy your music?
iTunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, eMusic, CD Baby
Tell us a story or anecdote about performing live.
Our first show together, ralph and I randomly opened for el madmo, Norah Jones’ (now defunct?) glam-rock side project. We didn’t know till we loaded in to the club and her tech informed us. I of course was filled with dread and panic at the thought of sharing the mic with the esteemed chanteuse on such short notice. They were all super nice. The whole thing was really hush hush.

Any advice to someone just starting out?
Clearly, someone just starting out should be giving me advice. But I will say this: do it because you don’t want to do anything else. otherwise, don’t bother...the rest simply does not matter.

The Moon and the Yew Tree, 2002 by Mike Ferraro
(inspired by the Sylvia Plath poem of the same name)

I saw some of your paintings on your website, dated '00 and '02. Do you still paint? Is that your artwork on the album cover?
It is, thanks for asking. It’s an old acrylic from round that time. When we decided on the album title, of all the stuff I had laying around, it seemed to fit best.
I do still paint; though less than I would like to, for a variety of reasons. I mostly do oil pastels now; they’re cheaper and cleaner...it's all of a piece to me...art, music, writing, reading.
The doing is the thing, whatever the task at hand.

We were introduced via a mutual friend, Joe Janish. How do you know Joe?
I met Joe through my drummer Ralph. He’s been nice enough to ask us to do a version of MEET THE METS for his blog. We’re working on it now and it will be up and ready mid-March, just in time for opening day...

Below is a video for Mike Ferraro & the Young Republicans' song "What's Yours is Mine":

The Green Mile Bar Crawl: Saturday, March 12, 2011

BarCrawls.com present their first Green Mile Bar Crawl.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Green Mile Bar Crawl
Featuring 22 east side NY bars. 30 minutes per stop equals a 12 hour non-stop bar party.
Your $20 ticket gets you a 10-ounce souvenir cup, a T-shirt and drink specials at participating bars.
Drink specials:
$1 Bud Light Drafts (10 oz.)
$2 Bud Light Bottles
$3 Mixed Well Drinks
$4 Jameson Shots

Participating bars:
E. 20s: Stone Creek
E. 30s: Mercury Bar, Bar XII, Peter Dillon's,The Junction, Joshua Tree,
E. 40s: McFadden's Saloon, Calico Jack's Cantina, The Irish Exit NYC, O'Neills Irish Bar, The Mad Hatter Saloon, Public House.
E. 50s:
Turtle Bay, Jameson's, Opal, Murphy's Pub, Sutton Place, Traffic Bar & Lounge, Black Finn, Redemption Grill, Copia NYC

Purchase tickets on-line at: BarCrawls.com

There are 3 registration sites, depending on where you want to start the crawl:
at:
Bar XII
206 E. 34th St. (Third Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 545-9912
Bar12.com
Purchase here


McFadden's Saloon
800 Second Ave. (42nd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 986-1515
McFaddens42.com
Purchase here

Turtle Bay Grill & Lounge
987 Second Ave.
(between 52nd & 53rd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 223-4224
TurtleBayNYC.com
Purchase here

For best prices, purchase tickets in advanced. (tickets also on sale the night of at the registration sites).

They are also hosting another bar crawl on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2011. (with 10 bars participating in this one).

Luck of the Irish Pub Crawl - Saturday, March 12, 2011

Today is day two of PubCrawls.com's three-day series of pub crawls...
Saturday, March 12
Luck of the Irish Pub Crawl

$20 per ticket includes:
Admission to all participating bars, and drink specials:
$1 Bud and Budlight Drafts (10oz)
$2 Bud and Budlight Bottles
$3 House Mixed Drinks
$4 Jameson Shots
(prices will increase by $2 from 9pm - 4am)

Wear green attire: t-shirts, hats, shamrocks, whatever it is – and come out and enjoy some cheap beer and a world-famous event.
Register 5 - 11pm

There are 10 registration points all over town:

Midtown East:
Register Noon- 3am
at:
T.G. Whitney's
244 E. 53rd St.
(bet. Second & Third Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 888-5772
TGWhitneys.com
Buy here
-----------------------

Upper East Side:
$25 Buy here
Check in 1pm-Midnight
at:
Stir
1363 First Ave.
(between 73rd & 74th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 744-7190
StirNYC.com


-----------------------
East Village:
$30 Buy here
Register 12pm - midnight
at:

Village Pourhouse
64 Third Ave. (11th St)
New York
(212) 979-BEER


-----------------------
Restaurant Row:
$25 Buy here
Check in 12pm - 6pm
at:
The Village Pourhouse
366 W. 46th St.
(between 8th & 9th Ave.)
New York, NY
212-979-BEER
VillagePourhouse.com
-----------------------
Murray Hill:
$25 Buy here
check in : Noon - 10pm
at:
Van Diemen's Café
383 Third Ave.
(between 27th & 28th St.)
New York, NY
(646) 752-5884
VandiemensNYC.com
-----------------------
Gramercy:
$25 Buy here
Register 12pm - midnight
at:
Sidebar
120 E. 15th St.
(bet. Irving Pl. & E. Union Sq.)
New York, NY
212-677-2900
SidebarNY.com

-----------------------
Greenwich Village:

$25 Buy here
Registration Noon - 9pm
at:
Thirteen
35 E.13th St.
(bet. Broadway & University Pl.)
New York, NY
(212) 979-6677
Bar13.com

----------------------
Midtown:
$25 Buy here
check in noon-7pm
at:
Legends
6 W. 33rd St. (between 5th & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY

-----------------------
Chelsea:
$25 Buy here
check in 11am - 9pm
at:
Chelsea Manor
138 W. 25th St. (between 6th & 7th Ave.)
New York, NY
or...

Noon-9pm at
The Lott
55 W. 21st St. (bet. 5th & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY
-----------------------
Their third pub crawl will be on St. Patrick's Day, Thursday, March 17.

The Ultimate NYC St. Patrick's Day Month Page

Joe Hurley's Irish Rock Revue 2011

MurphGuide is a proud sponsor of this year's Irish Rock Revue.
Our friend Joe Hurley once again produces and hosts his annual All-Star Irish Rock Revue. This show is the highlight of the St. Patrick's Day season. With an all-star line-up of professional singers & musicians, you are bombarded with one stunning performance after another. Each artist sings one song from "the great Irish songbook", backed by the amazing house band lead by Music Director Jon Spurney (Passing Strange), with Sal Maida (Roxy Music, Cracker), Mark Bosch - guitar (Ian Hunter), Steve Goulding - drums (Mekons, Elvis Costello), Kenny Margolis - accordion (Cracker), Megan Weeder - violin and downtown's own Tish & Snooky - backing vocals.

The shows co-hosts, Joe Hurley and Edward Rogers take turns introducing performers as they fearlessly take on the classics of Thin Lizzy, U2, Van, The Undertones, Sinead O'Connor, The Pogues, Declan MacManus (aka Elvis Costello), Boomtown Rats, John Lydon, Morrisey, The Dubliners and more.

A scene from last year's All-Star Irish Rock Revue

Each year includes its own unique cast of characters, and this year is no exception. The stellar lineup includes winners of Oscars, Tonys & Grammys, plus two members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class of 2011, to be inducted next week.

The list of talented artists scheduled to perform include 2011 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Dunaway of The Alice Cooper Band, Tami Lynn (Stones, Dr John), Asbury Juke Horns, La La Brooks (Crystals - 'Da Do Run Run'), Tony Garnier (Bob Dylan), Rock & Roll Hall-Of-Famer Gene Cornish of The Rascals, Albert Bouchard (Blue Oyster Cult), Darren Beckett (Brandon Flowers), Joe Piscopo, Ellen Foley, Garland Jeffreys, Adam Roth ("Rescue Me"), Ricky Byrd (Joan Jett), Jeff Kazee (S-Side Johnny), SNL's Christine Ohlman, Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris, National Book Award winner Colum McCann, Irish consul Noel Kilkenny and more to be announced.

Saturday, March 12
Joe Hurley's 12th Annual
All-Star Irish Rock Revue
General Admission (Standing room)
Tickets $20 in advance, $25 day of show
VIP booths (6 people) $30 per person
Tickets can be purchased on-line at Highlineballroom.com
Full dinner menu available

Doors open at 6pm
7pm show
at:
Highline Ballroom
431 W. 16th St. (bet. 9th & 10th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 414-5994

Links:
Joe Hurley
Irish Rock Review (facebook)
Joe Hurley's Music Channel (youtube)
Joe Hurley's Irish Rock Revue (The New Yorker)
Joe Hurley's Irish Rock Revue (Photography by Peter Marney)
Edward Rogers
HighLineBallroom.com

Below is a video from last year's Irish Rock Revue: Joe Hurley, Adam Roth, Willie Nile and band performing Jim Carroll's classic: "People Who Died". (Roth was Jim Carroll's guitarist).

The Ultimate NYC St. Patrick's Day Month Page