ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – For many U.P. communities, last week’s blizzard put St. Patrick’s Day celebrations on hold. On Tuesday, Bay College’s Escanaba campus ensured the public got its fill of festive music, food, and fun.
The college kicked off this year’s Lunchtime Live concert series with a St. Patrick’s Day-themed performance by local Celtic band Fáilte.
“We play traditional Celtic music from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales,” said Trevor St. John, the band’s bodhrán player. “We’ve been around since 2021 as the result of a music co-op. This is just something that we all decided, ‘Nobody else is doing this. It’s fun. Why not give it a try?”
The band has become a staple at many local St. Patrick’s Day events.
“It’s a lot of fun sort of being the only show in town, as it were, and it creates a lot of conversations,” St. John said. “People recognize you. It’s just a lot of fun and joy.”
The musicians of Fáilte play an assortment of instruments. Some are more recognizable than others.
“I always like to say I’m probably the best bodhrán player in Delta County, because where else are you going to find something like that?” St. John laughed. “A bodhrán is a big drum made out of wood and a goatskin. It’s a very traditional Irish musical instrument. You hold it in one hand, and you play it with what’s called a tipper—it looks like a stick—in the other hand.”
For Tuesday’s performance, the band was joined by members of the Queen City Dance Co-op.
“What I’ve been trained on is Scottish Highland dancing,” said dancer Helen Gokey. “We’ve kind of blended it all together.”
The addition of dancers created a full experience, with their dynamic imagery accompanying the songs.
“All these different groups never would have normally been able to have been together,” Gokey said. “I really love that we found each other and now we’re able to just get together and dance and play and just have a little bit of fun and music.”
Even though the calendar said March 24, between the music, dancing, and themed lunch menu at Café Bay, the college community was certainly in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit.
“I don’t think all the snow in the world could keep us away from playing our music,” said St. John. “It feels really good—even if we’re a week late—to be continuing on with the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and keep the music going.”
To see where Fáilte is performing next or to book the band for a performance, click here.
