Paul Brady at City Winery

How it’s New York: City Winery is a NYC venue.

How it’s Irish: Paul Brady is from Co. Donegal.

After a hard four days at the office – yes even four is really too much, I felt in need of something invigorating, I know I thought to myself, ‘Irish music’ – good for my Irish soul, now where will I find it. Then I checked my email and saw a message from Gwen with eBlast for Paul Brady some 30 blocks from the office. It was surely meant to be. 

Paul Brady had been one a few of my go to songwriters in my angsty Irish adolescence … a friend who recently passed favored Christy Moore for his dose of emotional education in an environment otherwise starved of useful ones, but Christy Moore is more political in my opinion but then again so was my friend.  along with van Morrison, Paul Brady reached the crevices of my psyche and sowed seeds of emotional and spiritual awakening. “But paradise is here, it’s time to stop your crying. The future is this moment, and not somewhere out there.” For this I am forever grateful.

Seeing one of your childhood heroes later in life is an interesting experience.., of course I’ve seen him before … first in Dublin at a recording for a show on rte in the late 80s and a few years ago in bb Kings when he shared the billing w Maura O’Connell.

But last night I saw him as a just a man on the stage singing his songs. I still felt the wow factor, but it now had an element of  couple of toes on the floor while the remaining foot and toes remained steady on the pedestal. This is no reflection on the brilliant songster and writer, but rather one on my views of the world at this minute.

He rocked his classics such as: Follow on, Nothing but the same old story, Paradise is here, The Island (whichmight as well be the irish anthem now, it is such a beloved song by the Irish), Crazy Dreams,  and The Lakes of Ponchatrain.

He laughed when he forgot or misplayed some notes on his keyboard and we laughed with him.

The earlier tracks were from earlier more obscure albums and the audience either didn’t know them or didn’t like them, and in the bleachers there was much rumbling and chatting.