Black Irish at Music in the Parks Aug 1 in Valley Springs

CAPTION:  From left to right; Richard Restivo, Jim Nelson, Patrick Karnahan, and

Steve McArthur.

Black Irish Band Heats Up Valley Springs.

     The Black Irish Band of Sonora will bring its unique musical style to the town of Valley Springs on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, when the Calaveras County Arts Council presents one of its free "Music in the Parks" concerts.

     Starting at 6:30 pm, on the grounds of the Valley Springs Ball Field, The Black Irish Band will bring history to life with their creative songs, amazing instruments, and energetic antics.

      Bring your picnics, chairs, and friends with you to share this crowd-pleasing band.

     When you take Celtic, Spanish, and Italian Music, and mix it up, you get the true nature of the Black Irish.

     For over two decades, this band has had a musical style that is as timeless as the rugged landscape of the Wild West and the spirits of its immigrants, the men and women who tamed it.

  Their music is a tribute to those people whose lives were spent building the world we now take for granted.

      The band has a large compliment of traditional maritime and railroad music, as well as ethnic tunes in their repertoire.

      With over 500 concert performances to date and airplay around the world, the band has kept very busy spreading their brand of progressive folk music to a large audience.  

     The band has written and recorded 96 original songs that appear on many of their twenty-one CD recordings. Many of the original works written by the band are based on Celtic history.

     Patrick Michael Karnahan and Richard Restivo met on the set of "Back to the Future III" in 1989. This is when the idea of the Black Irish Band began to first bloom.

     Both Patrick and Rick were in the "Hill Valley Brass Band," while future band mate Steve McArthur was given a speaking role as festival man #1.

     During filming breaks, Patrick and Rick began to formulate the idea for a traditional folk group that would cross cultural and musical boundaries... an acoustic folk band with no limits!

      At the first band meeting the name Black Irish was chosen. The strong vocals and up-tempo instrumentals breathe new life into old songs and present original material with a distinctive flair.

     The original songs of Patrick Michael Karnahan have received considerable airplay on various folk-rock and public radio stations.

     The Valley Springs Ball Field is located off Highway 12 in Valley Springs. From the 4-way stop, turn north on Laurel Street and then left on Daphne Street, and then drive up the hill to the Ball Field.

   For more details about Music in the Parks, visit www.calaverasarts.org  or call  (209) 754-1774. END