Wild Colonial Bhoys at The Dubliner Pub

The Wild Colonial Bhoys began as a side-project idea for two young veterans of the Minneapolis rock scene. Adam Coolong and Geno Carlson hail from different backgrounds thousands of miles apart (Adam is originally from Pennsylvania and Geno calls Saskatchewan home) but found common ground with a shared Irish heritage and a desire to reinvigorate the local Irish music community. They played their first show in November, 2003. Since then, The Wild Colonial Bhoys have garnered quick attention and much respect in the Twin Cities Irish music scene. They recorded their first EP Graffiti on the Wall in May of 2004 and released it to an enthusiastic public. They sold over 1000 copies in just six months, all thanks to the strength and energy of their live shows. “ Graffiti on the Wall was by design a small sampling of our perspective on Irish music,” says Adam. “It features rebel ballads, contemporary Irish and Irish American radio hits and a few things in between. We wanted to showcase different types of Irish music and play them all with our unique style.” And “unique” is certainly the way to describe it. To have an American and a Canadian playing Irish songs without the use of traditional Irish instrumentation provides the listener with a fresh take on songs they may have heard a thousand times. “Adam grew up hearing Irish music, I didn’t,” Geno explains. “I think that the combination of those backgrounds helps us sound original and new. We have a simple live set-up. Two acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies. We don’t use tin whistles or button boxes or anything you’d expect to find in an Irish band. But you’d be surprised at the full sound we get from that simple approach. It helps us to sound very contemporary and still maintain ties to the original sound of the music.” That contemporary take has allowed them to chart their own course. They’ve had a busy year playing in every Irish pub throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, as well as several major festivals. These two young talents have injected passion and a fiery spirit into every show. 2005 promises to be even busier. Shows are planned in Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha and even a few in Ireland, all in addition to the Minneapolis and St. Paul pub circuit. They have added new flavor to the local Irish music scene--with their energetic guitar playing and infectious vocal harmonies, theirs is definitely a show to see!