Legendary Traditional Irish Fiddler, Gerry O’Connor performs with local instrumentalist, Richard Mandel
Thursday, March 2, 9pm Location: Plough & Stars Irish Pub, 116 Clement Street @ 2nd Avenue, San Francisco. Tickets: $15/door (no advance ticket sales)Hailing from a family of musicians in Dundalk, County Louth, Gerry O’Connor has won numerous All-Ireland titles. He has played and recorded with highly-regarded groups such as Lá Lúgh and Skylark, as well as having toured and recorded with members of all the legendary groups including Planxty, Bothy Band, De Dannan, Boys of the Lough, The Irish Rovers and the Chieftains. His solo album, Journeyman, was counted in the top five Albums of the year 2004 by The Irish Times and was heralded as a significant milestone in recording the music of the “Oriel” region of South Ulster. His 2006 live album, In Concert, recorded with Gilles Le Bigot was a celebration of the cultural links between Ireland and Brittany. Jig Away the Donkey, an album focusing on the music and song of South Ulster with Martin Quinn and Gabriel McArdle was released in 2010. With Nuala Kennedy, Martin Quinn and Gilles Le Bigot, Gerry released the album Oirialla in 2012 at the Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton, Canada. This band is currently touring and entertaining audiences around the globe.
Richard Mandel (guitar, tenor banjo) has been a mainstay in the San Francisco Bay Area Irish music scene since the mid-1990s. He can be found guitar and tenor banjo with the traditional Irish group Tipsy House and other local Irish music groups. Richard has played back up to numerous legendary Irish performers including Paddy Keenan, Tommy Peoples, and Andrew MacNamara. Richard can be heard on Christa Burch’s CD Love of the Land, Radim Zenkl’s, Restless Joy, and Tipsy House’s CD, Sets in the City.