The long-awaited and world-renowned Irish band Goitse finally made it to Hillsdale on March 8.
“[They’re] that locked glass case up on the top shelf,” said professor James Holleman, chair of the music department. “I’m just amazed.”
This performance was two years in the making after COVID-19 got in the way. In the spring of 2021, the band was not able to return to the United States due to the still-limiting restrictions on travel and large group gatherings for performances.
Holleman organized the event and has remained in contact with the band over the years of attempting to bring its performance on the Hillsdale stage.
“I was so thrilled with the mix of students and community people in the audience,” Holleman said.
The nearly sold-out performance drew a large audience, a diverse mix of the community and students, some even coming from out of town just to see Goitse.
The audience responded to the music with enthusiasm, clapping along to the beat without any prompts from the performers on multiple occasions, and singing along to a song that most had never heard before. The engagement from the audience impressed the band.
“The reception from the crowd was the best one,” said pianist and accordion player Daniel Collins.
The band brought energy to the stage through their high-tempo music and dancing as well as their instrumentals. Their use of unique instruments such as the bodhrán, the bouzouki, and the oud was something not often seen by American audiences.
“I thought they did a great job overall; the bodhrán was my favorite part. They seemed very happy to be here,” freshman Gwen Thompson said.
The concert was not run-of-the-mill, with flashy lights and an overwhelmingly performative stage presence. Instead, it read like a jam session with friends, leaving the audience to be a fly on the wall to a presentation of Irish music and fun.
“People love the music, people love the dancing,” Collins said. “It’s probably more enjoyable to tour outside of Ireland.”
Music and dancing were not the limits of the show. In between sets, the band members would talk to the audience in a stand-up comedy style. They cracked jokes and connected to the audience in a way that left audience members talking about the show in the lobby after the encore.
“One of our most commonly asked questions is, ‘Is your piano/accordion player single?’” said Colm Phelan, the bodhrán player of the group during a set.
Though one of the guitar strings broke mid-song, the band did not stop playing. Instead, Conal O’Kane, the guitarist, restrung his guitar onstage as the band played on, an impressive feat.
“Music is all it was,” Collins said, “but audiences in the States appreciate us, we’re very glad.”
This appreciation was shown throughout the performance with numerous “thank you’s.” The band also stuck around for at least an hour after the show to do a quick meet and greet with audience members.
“It was worth the wait to bring them here in 2022, to stick with it and not give up,” Holleman said.