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With the great Irish holiday around the corner, Gov. Martin O'Malley's formerly-retired Celtic band has been booked for two shows St. Patrick's Day weekend at the Creative Alliance.
O'Malley's March, with the Governor, of course, outfront on vocals and acoustic guitar, is scheduled to play Saturday, March 16 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Shows are $25 for non-members of the Creative Alliance and $20 for members, with proceeds benefitting the Creative Alliance, located on Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown.
O'Malley's bandmates include Jared Denhard (Irish harp, uielann pipes, trombone), Jim Eagan (fiddle), and Sean McComiskey (button accordion).
As The Washington Post noted, it's been years since O’Malley, preparing for his first run for governor in 2006, announced that he was putting his band into retirement. Reportedly, he and his advisors feared that the late-night bar gigs would detract from the voting public's perception of the candidate.
Of course, that's not a problem running for president, as O'Malley is said to be considering in 2016. Bill Clinton famously belted out "Heartbreak Hotel" on the sax during an appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show in 1992. And President Barack Obama's rendition of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" during his recent campaign only seemed to boost his popularity.
Time will tell if O'Malley's "Streets of Baltimore" will produce the same effect.
Last year, by the way, O'Malley and his band played the White House — a one-night gig — just after St. Patrick's Day as part of a reception for Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.
