4 <strong>Irish</strong> <strong>American</strong> <strong>News</strong> “We’ve Always Been Green!” August 2011(ISSN #1085-4053) USPS #013454August 2011 Vol. XXxV 08PERIODICALCover photo by Cathy CurryFounderBob BurnsPublisherCliff CarlsonEditorial Assistant/Art DirectorJoyce EdwardsAdvertising SalesNancy MoorePhotographerCathy Curry - Senior PhotographerPatricia Brach -Staff PhotographerStacy McReynolds - Staff PhotographerEditorial InternKatey MitchellColumns and ReviewsBooks & Theatre - Frank WestTheatre - Terrence BoyleSenior Trad Music Editor -Bill MargesonHealy Law - Martin HealyMick - Mike MorleySafe Home - Heather BegleyChicago Gaelic <strong>News</strong> - Pat HennessyA Word With Monsignor Boland -Msgr. Michael Boland<strong>Irish</strong> Musings - Fr. Michael LeonardHooliganism - Mike Houlihan<strong>Irish</strong> Diaspora - Charles BradyFor The Republic - Chris FogartyFrom the Motherland - Sean FarrellSwimming Upstream - Charles BradyCareers - James Fitzgerald, CPARaised on Songs & Stories - Shay ClarkeReel Jiggy - Deirdre KozickiBoyle The Kettle - Tom BoyleHoroscopes - Theresa Castro<strong>Irish</strong> Connection - Colleen Kelly<strong>Irish</strong> Rover - Jim McClurePiping it In - Jack BakerReal Ireland - Rachel GaffneySpoirts - Mary Margaret O’LearyDaly Investor - John Daly CFPCeltic Traveller - Maureen CallahanCrowley on Kells - Frank CrowleyMeehall Recalls - Michael CarrollWebsite - Cathy Curry<strong>Irish</strong> <strong>News</strong>, Inc. is publishedmonthly on the 1st of monthSubscriptionFirst class deliveryFastest! 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Postmaster:Send address changes to<strong>Irish</strong> <strong>News</strong>, Inc.7115 W North Ave #327Oak Park, il 60302708-445-0700e-mail to:editor@irishamericannews.comPUBLISHERS STATEMENTThe opinions and statementsexpressed in this newspaper areentirely those of the authors, and donot reflect in any way the opinionsof <strong>Irish</strong> <strong>American</strong> <strong>News</strong>.Distribution20,013Founding Member of Original <strong>Irish</strong> Tenors in Chicago SoonBy Cliff CarlsonScheduled to appear at theAuditorium Theatre on September17, 2011 for a one-night-only performance,Anthony Kearns talkedrecently with <strong>Irish</strong> <strong>American</strong> <strong>News</strong>about his career and his future.IAN: You were one of the founding<strong>Irish</strong> Tenors, right Anthony?A: That is correct, the originalof the species! Along with JohnMcDermott and Ronan Tynan.IAN: I remember going to seeyou at the United Center when thethree of you were all together. Thatwas a big show.A: That was a big year for us,back around ‘99 wasn’t it?IAN: Yes. How long have thetenors been together as a group?A: Well, it began really for usaround ‘98. That would be the firstNorth <strong>American</strong> tour in ‘99 andwe are still going strong. There hasbeen a few change ups within theline up since then. At the currentmoment we have Finbar Wright,whose been an <strong>Irish</strong> Tenor for atleast ten years now, and RonanTynan who has returned to the fold,and myself.IAN: You’ve been there sinceday one.A: I never went anywhere. I’mthe anchor cannon. You need someoneto be a good referee to be inthe middle.IAN: What’s it like with all thedifferent personalities? Everyoneget along?A: Absolutely, it’s all good fun.We all enjoy the craic, and the onlyreason people would have left isfor solo opportunities, and thatis understandable. The guys arepushing on a little bit in age, andI a few years on them, thank God.But they were given the opportunitiesand you cannot deny themthose opportunities. But, we areback here chipping away togethernow. I believe we have a nice tourcoming up this Christmas—around17 shows. So we will be quite busyover the December period.IAN: Where will you be overChristmas?A: All over the map, certainly.Starting out on the West Coast inthe state of California, and I knowwe have a few venues in the stateof Florida, as well, and anywherein between. We will be in the EastCoast up around New York andBoston area, and maybe Chicago.I’m not really sure on that one.[Tour Starts December 2-22. Cities:Palm Desert, CA, Phoenix, AR,Houston, TX, Frisco, TX, MemphisTN, Hartford, CN, Avon Park, FL,Fort Meyers, FL, Melbourne, FL,Hollywood, FL, Sarasota, FL,Clearwater, FL, New Brunswick,NJ, Baltimore, MD.]A: There is actually a great audiencebase in Florida. I do a lot ofAnthony Kearnsmy solo shows all over the stateof Florida. And its understandablebecause many of the people spendsix months in Florida and sixmonths away.IAN: So where have you beenthis year so far?A: Mainly within the UnitedStates, partly in Canada, and backhome in Ireland. Performing soloconcerts and opera. I have beenmixing it up a bit with that.IAN: How has the opera beencoming?A: It’s been good, a different kettleof fish as they say. It’s not aboutyou, it’s about the whole show. It’snot like the concerts where you canrole in one day and leave the next.With the opera you have to stayfor at least three weeks. It’s a lotof heavy time needed to work andrehearse, just going over it over andover again just to get it right.IAN: Well, I imagine that is awin-win for you because it allowsyou to work full time and still performyour solo gigs on the side.A: Yes it is, its great. I thinkyou have to take your level of thegame up. You have to welcome yourcraft and work with professionals.It keeps you on your toes. And, Ithink both compliment one another.I think you can take someone offthe stage, but you can’t take thestage out of the person. And theaudiences are pretty much the samewith the crossover as well, so it’s awin-win.IAN: Do you have a feel for whatthe audience likes when doing yourown concert?A: I do. The bottom line for me,and my focus, is that people havegot to have fun. They are spendingmoney to go out, to let out thesteam and just have a good ol’ time.That’s what you have to do, allowthem to have that time. I usually doa cross between Neapolitan sounds,to classic <strong>Irish</strong> sounds, to operaticsounds. I try not to get to heavy inthe concerts with too much opera,but I mix it up. And then I throwcomedy in there as well. It’s a mixfor everyone that they can enjoyall night.IAN: Well, Ronan is alwaysgood for cracking jokes and makingpeople laugh.A: True, we have to put a muzzleon him!IAN: I noticed you have beenpretty active this year, PR wise.Your kind of a catalyst for thegroup. And you’re making morethings happen this year, which isgood to see.A: Well, before I was always thequiet one of the group. You had thebig man on my left, Ronan Tynan,and you had, in the very beginning,John McDermott. Both men weregood PR machines and I was justlearning the ropes. Then Finbarjoined the group and now he is thequiet one. But he has also beenaround the block and had a good15 year career before he even joinedthe <strong>Irish</strong> Tenors. When I came in Iwas completely green, but I’ll becoming up to 14 years next month.So there is no harm investing inyourself and keeping things flowingfor yourself as well as the group.You need to be doing it whenyou can do it. There is no point inwaiting to do it when you’re playingwith the opera and the symphonyorchestra.I’ve been doing a lot of soloprojects recently and I’ll be makingmy way to Chicago soon enough,September 17 actually. I’ll be partof the show there on Broadway.And they are selling extremelywell there in Chicago. We areperforming in Cincinnati on the6th of August. It’ll be more like ashowcase I suppose, based on performanceswe recorded in Prague.Musicals in a concert setting andit is fantastic.IAN: So your from Wexford inIreland?A: Right along the SoutheastCoast.IAN: Sean Keane from thatsame area?A: Sean, no, he would be Westof Ireland.IAN: Maybe he just sings aboutthe East of Ireland.A: He probably sang some rebelsongs that came from that area.That’s where all that stuff in ‘79kind of erupted. When they all tookarms up against the English. Sameold song and story...IAN: You know your history.A: Yeah, my great-great grandfatherwould have been first cousinswith Father Mogue Kearns. AndJohn Kenney would have been firstcousins also. It’s a small area sowere all connected; I’m from thevillage of Kiltealy, which is justtwo miles away from Killanne, thehome village of John Kenney andthe famous Rackard brothers. TheRackard brothers were famous inthe 50s in Ireland for Hurling.IAN: So how long have you beencoming to the states?A: My first trip was in ‘94, Ithink. I’ve been coming on and offever since. And I spend about sixmonths out of the year here now.IAN: Married?A: No, single man. I’ve been sobusy I really haven’t had time. It’sa selfish business and you need agood strong woman who can put upwith a man that travels from city tocity all over the world. I’ve covered48 of the 50 states, all but Alaskaand Hawaii. Lot of miles on theclock over the last 13-14 years.IAN: Anything else you wouldlike to say to the people here inChicagoland?A: I’m hungry to get backto Chicago in a solo capacity. Iwould really like to get back outthere soon and put on a concert,just a solo one probably. It’s beena while since I did that and I wouldlike to go there and meet up withthe old crew. Coming from a placewith the strongest gathering that Ihave found, a bunch of people arein Chicago. Not a lot in New Yorkor Boston but in Chicago, that iswhy I enjoy it so much when Igo there.
August 2011 <strong>Irish</strong> <strong>American</strong> <strong>News</strong> “We’ve AlWAys Been Green!” 5Local New Lenox Rider Qualifies toRepresent Illinois at World ChampionshipAisling Griffin, daughter of Jim and EileenGriffin (well known local musical duo “TheGriffins”), hasqualified to representIllinois at the<strong>American</strong> QuarterHorse AssociationYouth WorldChampionship inOklahoma Cityin August 2011.Aisling qualifiedin PerformanceHalter Geldings,Hunter UnderSaddle, Hunt SeatEquitation andWestern Horsemanshipand isan alternate forShowmanship atHalter. She hasbeen a semi-finalistand finalist atthe AQHA Congressin Ohio, a national competition withmore than 9,500 competitors from the US andProposal at <strong>Irish</strong> FestCanada. Pictured below is Aisling with herhorse, Talkin Texan, at a recent 6-day show inIowa where sheearned NoviceYouth 18 and UnderHigh Pointunder 6 judges,3 Circuit Awardsand 2 ReserveCircuit Awards.Aisling boardsher horse andtrains with KKTPerformanceHorses in Peotone,IL. Aislingis a recent graduateof LincolnwayWest HighSchool and willattend the Universityof SouthCarolina in thefall where shewill major in InternationalBusiness Management, Financeand Spanish.Aisling Griffin and “Talkin Texan"Kerry Brennan (St. Patrick’sDay Queen 2010) wassurprised by now-fiancePat Doran - who proposedto her at this year’s <strong>Irish</strong>Fest at the <strong>Irish</strong> <strong>American</strong>Heritage Center.Congratulations and Best ofLuck !Enjoy our SummerSizzler Menuon thePatio!Photosby StacyMcReynolds.Enjoy OurBeautiful Patio!
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