Terry Walsh and the Belfast Cowboys will be celebrating their new release This Magic Night on May 7. It’s a live album recorded St Patrick’s Day 2020 – an unusual and awesome night, we all hope we won’t need to repeat except through this amazing album.
The Belfast Cowboys (and offshoot St Dominic’s Trio) have been playing together for 19 years. There are 9 members, although those members may be a little roving. Playing 100+ shows a year, they have played more than 3,000 shows together. Throughout the pandemic they kept the tradition going with online livestreams. However, Tuesday (May 4), they will be playing a live show at the Driftwood. It is the first of a continuing residency. (Sounds like it might be tough to get in this week, but next week might work out!)
It’s always fun to hear Terry sing Van Morrison but it was almost as much fun to hear the stories behind the songs. Turns out Bike Ride on 35W is inspired by a story of his brother Jim Walsh getting in trouble for getting a whole little league team to bike on the highway when it was closed for construction. Wonder Why is a more recent song about the hard part of love being the most important thing in the world. It’s a double edged sword when love goes south because the rejection can be overwhelming, regardless of what’s going on in the world. And Terry shares the story behind the song that made his dad cry. You’ll have to listen to the interview to get that story.
We also got to hear about Terry’s nonprofit, Foothold Twin Cities, which provides an opportunity for music fans to donate to folks in need. They give money to support people over a (hopefully) temporary financial barrier. They have donated $100,000, which is amazing. One thing Terry said today was that he loved playing music because it was a to truly live in the moment. It got me thinking that listening to music is the one time I live in the moment – and I can’t wait to get to the Driftwood some Tuesday soon to see him play.
Mostly Minnesota 