Saturday night marked the first time Gaelic Storm, the world-renowned Celtic rock band, first made famous by its appearance in "Titanic," performed at Notre Dame. Even still, they were met with an audience full of fans, both young and old, anticipating a great show.
As the band members took the stage, they were welcomed with a standing ovation before they had played a single note.
The concert kicked off with a lively rendition of their song "Scalliwag" from the album "Bring Yer Wellies." From the first, the audience was encouraged to sing and clap along.
This was not a tall order, considering the infectious and upbeat nature of the music.
Even the most apathetic audience member found it hard to keep from tapping his foot.
The band continued with several songs off their newest album "What's the Rumpus?" including "Darcy's Donkey" and "Slim Jim and the Seven Eleven Girl."
By mixing instrumental songs with light-hearted ballads, Gaelic Storm kept the audience entertained.
The music was distinctly Irish in theme. It included stories of pretty lasses and amusing characters from small Irish villages.
And if nothing else, the band succeeded in persuading the audience that there is nothing more enjoyable than heading down to the local pub for a pint of beer.
The show had its fair share of highlights, not the least of which was the witty banter of Patrick Murphy, the group's lead singer as well as accordion and harmonica player.
Between jokes about Angelina Jolie and beating Gaelic Storm's nemesis - Celtic Women - in the charts, Murphy delivered a fantastic performance. He conquered the often ridiculously fast lyrics with relative ease.
Equally impressive was Pete Purvis on the bagpipes. He gave the music a distinctly Celtic flair with his skilled melodies.
The standout performance of the night was Jessie Burns on the fiddle. On such tracks as "Death Ride to Durango" and "Floating the Flambeau," Burns was able to display her clear mastery of the instrument.
Something about the light and playful sound of her fiddle made an already enjoyable performance particularly memorable.
When the band came back on stage for an encore, they performed their song "Kiss Me I'm Irish." The sentimental melody and clever lyrics were especially appropriate on a campus where everyone likes to consider themselves at least a little bit Irish.
All in all, Gaelic Storm delivered an enjoyable and fun performance. They managed to get the majority of the audience up out of their seats and dancing - quite a feat considering the large number of older members of the audience.
Although this was the first time Gaelic Storm performed at Notre Dame, one can only hope that they will be back soon
