we're here!

Hi everyone--

We've just arrived safely into Dublin. Look for daily postings.

"If God Will Send His Angels" Scene

Finally...I finished my scene for my "Across The U2niverse" concept.

Here's the background of the scene:

The protagonist, David (that guy who looks strangely like me) just got done having a conversation with his best friend, Jess. They both kind of have a romantic interest in each other but neither has said anything to the other about it. Both are seniors in high school and Jess gets upset when David puts off making any sort of decision for what he is going to do the next year (Jess mostly wants him to come to the same school as her). He has applied to colleges but half of him does not even want to do. Jess accuses him of living only in his own technological retreat-world. This scene depicts David trying to make sense of things as he deals with what to make of the technological world that he is ever becoming more fascinated with--it's 1997, he has just gotten a laptop (a supreme rarity at that time for a high school student), and he is discovering the wonders of the Internet, AIM, and other related phenomena.

I have a feeling the idea makes a lot more sense in my own head...I hope this video at least communicates something that relates to what I just described.

Irish Music at the Ark

What I remember most about the performance, and it seems most people in the class agree, was how young the performers were. Before the show, I was looking around at the audience, and almost everyone was over the age of 50. That told me that 1) This was going to be a boring show and 2) I probably wouldn't like it. Thankfully, neither of those things turned out to be true.

My past history with "real" Irish music doesn't go very far beyond PBS specials that my parents and grandparents made me watch, and all of these shows emphasized on the historical side, and how Irish music was. What I really loved about this performance is the large emphasis that the group placed on how Irish music is.

Sure, there were old songs, and historical background to accompany them, but there were also a lot of innovations, crossovers, etc. and I really think that the group's desire to perform this music authentically and well shone through, making for a great performance and a great reflection of what Irish music is.

Fintan and Irish Dance

Sorry for the late post! I wanted to explore why Irish dance has made such an impact in America. Fintan talked about how traditional Irish dance wasn’t extremely popular in Ireland, but became a success in the US. America is such a diverse, heterogeneous culture; a true hodge-podge of different cultures and traditions. As such, I think many Americans seek out characteristics/customs of their unique heritage in an attempt to identify with their native culture. In a sense, I believe this is some of the appeal of traditional Irish dance in America. Irish-Americans may feel more connected to their native land by watching Irish dance. They may think of Irish dance as “authentic,” because the tradition is originated directly from Ireland. Fintan also describes the dance as an expression of displacement, which speaks to the offspring of Irish immigrants. For native Irish people, this form of dance may not seem as novel, and probably seems rather archaic. For Irish Americans, it is a mode for connecting with their ancestry and heritage. I know this rings true for my family and home community. The people in my community practice Irish customs, such as traditional dance and involvement in the Catholic Church, to feel connected to Ireland and to their heritage.

Irish Bands

After Sara played the Dropkick Murphy's song, "Shipping up to Boston," I've been listening to it constantly for the past two days and trying to analyze the lyrics. Besides the Irish melodies of this band and their associations with Boston (which is one of the most Irish cities in America) their isn't anything particularly Irish about them that I can find. The lyrics to "Shipping up to Boston" seem to have no Irish meaning (or even any meaning in general) that I can find. So what makes this band so Irish and what draws people to them? The only explanation that I can think of to this question is the sound of the band. The dropkick murphy's have a distinct Irish sound to them that reminds me of Irish folk music. Now, most people are no longer interested in Irish folk music so why would so many people be drawn to this band? The answer to this question is the murphy's new twist on Irish folk music, turning it from a soft sounding music to a loud and metal like music that is more appealable to music audiences today.

Stealing My Own Thunder

Not that anyone's going to read this by the time I give my presentation in a few hours...but I'm kind of giving away part of my presentation...Bah! Oh well...

U2 has, in a way, always had the idea that they do not want to sound quite like anyone else. That's why they've reinvented themselves about a dozen times in thirty years. More on this in a bit...;)

Seriously, though, U2's real roots are themselves. Their inspiration is whatever they want it to be. It's not predetermined. U2 is very particular about what music they put out--they have hundreds of songs basically stuck in the archives that leak out here and there that are really good but that they don't want to release because they are not about fulfilling a set profile on each album--they are about forging into new territory.

Traditional Irish bands are rooted strongly in being Irish. It's what they fall back on. In one sense it's just as wonderful as U2's desire to always be changing, this being strongly rooted in tradition. It's hard to find something as rich as a tradition like that on your own. It's resting on the shoulders of a giant--whatever way you want to take that.

I feel like I more or less said what Natalie said...but that's basically what it is.

The Night My Social Interaction Skills Were Shattered

Like others have mentioned, our night at the Ark was a wonderful experience. I, along with most other people, have been exposed to Irish music before, be it on Pandora radio, St. Patrick's Day inspired car commercials, or my friend's dance recitals. Hearing it live, however, proved to be completely different, and soaking up the musicians' energy was an exhilarating feeling.

That said, the musicians themselves were probably the most surprising part of the night. As I said in class, I didn't expect them to be Irish. I know, the idea of a traditional Irish band made up of Americans seems ludicrous now, but it made sense at the time. It was probably some of the themes we've talked about in class that made me feel this way, like not fully relating to a culture because one grows up with it or Ireland's insecurities. To me, it made more sense for a group of rugged, elderly American men to be playing the music, nostalgic for the "good old days" in a country they've most likely never been to. The fact that young, energetic Irish musicians are genuinely excited to play their country's music was shocking but almost refreshing; it's rare, after all, to find young Americans playing traditional music with so much enthusiasm. I mean, these musicians travel the world playing their music, songs they've probably grown up with. I, on the other hand, have come to loathe certain songs I felt were forced upon me as a kid. If anything, the concert made me feel less touristy and romantic for being interested in traditional Irish music and culture. If it's still relevant to the youth of the country, it must not just be a tourist trap.

It's late and I'm rambling, so I won't get into one of the most embarrassing moments of my life that took place after the music. I won't mention making extended akward eye contact with the cool Chicago piper or blushing obviously while being introduced to the cool Irish musicians. No, I'm not going to swallow my pride that much tonight. For the record, though, I still feel socially awkward.