"Ireland-St. Patrick's Day A Celebration" Review
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theatre

THE DAVID MUNNELLY BAND ROCKS
KERRY RECORDS ST. PATRICK’S DAY CONCERT

The Kerry Records shows never fail to have at least a surprise or two, even for those who keep coming back to them season after season. The St. Patrick’s Day show in Thousand Oaks was no exception. In addition to the pleasure of regular performers like Kathleen Keane, Redmond Gleeson, Patrick D’Arcy, Sheelagh Cullen and the talented Irish dancers one has come to expect at these rousing shows of drama and music, the second half of the concert featured The David Munnelly Band, a Dublin group of musicians who very nearly blew the roof off at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

Margaret O’Carroll has a remarkable ability to seek out and present musicians and musical groups with talent rarely seen in these parts. She has done this over and over again so that one has to assume she has her pulse on Irish music like few others, presenting them on CD and at this regular series of Irish shows. This was no different in the St. Patrick’s show dedicated to the memory of accordionist and musician Des Regan, who was bringing authentic Irish music to Southern California audiences before some of the performers on the stage were born.

The David Munnelly Band features Irish button accordion sensation David Munnelly, who started things off with a bang, playing his instrument with consummate skill and bravado until he very nearly had the conservative audience dancing in the aisles. This was hard music to keep still about and it resonated even in the aircraft hangar that is the Janet & Ray Scherr Forum at Thousand Oaks Plaza. Those who were unlucky enough to be absent for this truly astonishing performance will have to content themselves with trying to get hold of the new hit albums the group has recorded abroad.

It was another full capacity house for a Kerry Records concert and that tells you about everything you need to know. A good time was indeed had by all.

Aidan Flynn. April 2007
The Irish Herald