Laois musicians take US by storm

An Irish music festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, saw Laois musicians take centre stage in front of a 'record-breaking' crowd. 

Well known Irish trad/folk band The High Kings are currently on their 2024 World Tour, and performed at Milwaukee Irish Fest on August 18.

Rathdowney musicians The Finns were also playing the festival, dominating the Snug stage over the weekend.

Paul O'Brien, the Rathdowney-based member of The High Kings, invited his fellow Rathdowney musicians The Finns to the main stage for an epic performance.

The festival organisers have said that they drew 'a record-breaking crowd.'

"We were so delighted to have been asked on stage," said Hugh Finn of The Finns.

The duo recently wrapped up their US tour, which took them along the East Coast and through to the Midwest.

"We played the Snug stage at Milwaukee Irish Fest, and Paul [O'Brien] asked us to join him on stage for 'The Rocky Road'. Knowing that there were a good few Laois lads playing throughout the weekend, I carried a Laois flag with me for these exact moments!" Hugh said.

"We built up a fairly large American following during the pandemic," Mr Finn explained.

"We would livestream on Facebook and play, we would never mention the pandemic. Our following doubled because of this," Mr Finn said.

Pictured: The Finns with Portlaoise's Colm Phelan, bodhrán player in Goitse at Milwaukee Irish Fest.

"I think that people wanted a break from hearing about it, to just listen to some music and the chats.

On our current US tour, we had people coming up to us and explaining how much our music means to them- it really is an absolute honour," Mr Finn said.

"Every gig was packed, but my favourite highlight was definitely playing with The High Kings."

"They had the crowd in their hand," Mr Finn said.

"Once Paul saw the flag, he told me we had to bring it up.

"The High Kings have a joke- wherever they play, there's always a Rathdowney person in the crowd," Mr Finn said.

The group also took to the main stage with fellow performers for a touching tribute to Sinead O'Connor.

"We sang with The Screaming Orphans, who originally toured with Sinead O'Connor back in the 90's," said Mr Finn.

"It was very cool- they're really nice girls," he said.

Pictured: The Finns- brothers Hugh and Ciaran Finn.

"They asked us to come up and sing with them- it was very special. We sang one of Sinead's earlier originals, 'thank you for hearing me'." 

The Finns are currently working on their third studio album, which is set to focus on original songs.

Watch: The Finns take to the stage with The High Kings at Milwaukee Irish Fest.

"It'll mainly be original stuff," explained Mr Finn.

The brothers each have a particular method when it comes to writing music, which blends and compliments each other well.

"We write separately," Mr Finn explained.

"I come up with lyrics and basic basis of a song, Ciaran then takes it and twists it to make it shine," he explained.

"He loves the producing side of it, I love the writing side of it. We can both do both, we just do what we prefer."

Paul O'Brien of The High King's said that they were 'delighted' to have the Finns on stage with them.

"We got the lads up on stage  to do a song with us- we were playing on different stages, so it was great to perform together," said Mr Paul O'Brien.

"We performed The Rocky Road, the lads were delighted to be on stage with us," he said.

Pictured: The Finns and The High Kings at Milwaukee Irish Fest.

"Luckily, Hugh actually had a Laois flag in his back pocket, so we got amazing pictures. It's great for three lads from Rathdowney!" said Mr O'Brien.

In total, there were seven musicians from Laois playing at the American festival. The band 'Drops of Green' had two members from Durrow, along with performances from Jim Ring of Abbeyleix, and Portlaoise's Colm Phelan.

Mr O'Brien expressed his delight over the resounding success of the group's world tour.

"The theatres are full, all of the Americans love Irish music," he said.

"If they're not fully Irish themselves, their parents are. Everyone has Irish in them, and would've grown up with the likes of the Clancy Brothers in the sixties. The Clancy Brothers set the stage for everyone else really," Mr O'Brien remarked. 

Having joined The High Kings in July of 2019, Mr O'Brien has seen the group's popularity across audiences of all demographics.

"You see people in the audience holding babies in their arms, and children aged three or four dancing with people into their 80's and 90's," he explained.

"When people tell us about what our songs mean to them, it really is very touching," he explained.

On September 10, the group will be flying out to the infamous Notre Dame university in Indiana. The High Kings wrote the song, 'Glorio (for Notre Dame)', which is now played before each of the university's home games of American football.

The university have invited the group for a performance.

"It's nearly become their anthem now, so they invited us over from September 10 to 14," Mr O'Brien said.

"It's a real honour. Touring is just another part of the job, you tour and that's just part and parcel of it," Mr O'Brien said.

The High Kings will kick off their Irish tour on January 3. For dates and venues, see their website.