Mike Farragher pumps for The Stand

How It’s New York:  Mike had his revelation about the injustice of the world at Asbury park, and the band has fans on both sides of the ocean.
How It’s Irish:  The band are from Dublin.

 I Can’t STAND It!
Why isn’t the band Stand bigger?

I caught yet another breathtaking show at The Saint in Asbury Park last week and once again, I left with my jaw hanging open.
Neil Eurelle (bass, vocal), Alan Doyle (guitar, vocal),  Brian Ellis (drums) and David Walsh (guitar, keyboards) have an inspired anthem sound that made the hair stand at attention on myr forearms; the only thing missing was a swaying cigarette lighter dangling from my head as they peeled off “She Is,” “Full Circle,” and the gorgeous “Olivia.” [Editor’s Note:  We’ll have “Olivia” on the podcast this week!]
I particularly love the vocal interplay between the sunny Eurelle, whose toothy grin is a mile wide as he delights the crowd, and Doyle, a gruff but graceful shadowy presence that calls to mind the deep introspection  Eddie Vedder can offer. 
In front of this small but deeply appreciate crowd, Stand peeled off tracks from their criminally underrated 100,000 Ways To Harvest Hope, a disc chock full of radio friendly hits. The Dublin band has been building a loyal following on both sides of the Atlantic since 1994. Let’s make a community effort here: “like them” on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, , download and listen to songs from bandcamp  or reverbnation and do whatever you do to get the word out here.
With all the country and manufactured pop we’ve heard on American Idol this season, isn’t it high time we took a “Stand” and idolized good old-fashioned rock and roll?

5 COMMENTS

  1. I like that you call their album “criminally underrated”. Thanks for the support. I am no master of grammar, but this description of the publisher is a bit off:
    Publisher: the only New York journalist who writes for both the Forward and Irish Examiner and Irish Music Magazine

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