Friday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day)
O’Toole’s Restaurant and Pub
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! If you’re looking for a spot to go listen to some Irish music while you enjoy a pint, there are a number of places, but O’Tooles should have local bagpipers appearing throughout the day at the Forest Hill location. A word to the wise: Bars today will be filled with March Madness folks, especially for the VCU game at 2 p.m. so plan accordingly. 4800 Forest Hill Ave. Another great spot to go for Guinness on tap if you’re downtown: Rosie Connolly’s traditional pub in the heart of Shockoe Bottom at 1548 E. Main St.
Afro-Zen Allstars at Starr Hill Beer Hall and Rooftop
Wearing green, enjoying a Guinness and a shot of Jameson’s, while grooving to some Ethiopian jazz funk? Works for us. This St. Paddy’s day jam on the Starr Hill rooftop in Scott’s Addition starts at 7:30 p.m. Food truck onsite.
The Big Payback: A Tribute to James Brown at the Broadberry
Can I tell ‘em? Get up, get into it, get involved! Come enjoy St. Paddy’s Day with Richmond’s premiere James Brown tribute act, led by the one-and-only funky drummer/singer Kelli Strawbridge. If you can’t dance, just keep it on the one, like Bootsy said. With DJ Billy Crystal Fingers and Jonathan Brown. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show lifts off at 8:30 p.m. $15 advance/$20 day of show. Tickets available here.
Yeni Nostalji, Chris Whiteman Trio, Classical Revolution RVA and members of Miramar at Gallery5.
Read our preview article here. Doors open at 7 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance ($15 at the door) and can be purchased at gallery5arts.org. A hundred percent of proceeds will benefit earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria organized by AHBAP (ahbap.org) and the Syrian American Medical Society (sams-usa.net).
Sunday, March 19
The English Beat at the National
Originally the co-frontman for a British band known as The Beat, lead vocalist and songwriter Dave Wakeling has lived in the U.S. for a while now. A charming guy with distinctive, soulful vocals, Wakeling and former partner Ranking Roger (R.I.P.) infused the Beat with a winning, highly danceable mix of ska, reggae, pop, Latin and soul with a touch of punk. Known for classic songs such as “Save it For Later,” “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Stand Down Margaret” as well as the popular 1980s radio hit “Tenderness” (with his later band General Public), the English Beat as they’re now known always put on an enjoyable, high-energy show that leaves folks smiling. Check out our interview years ago with Wakeling here.
