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Kips Bay

Started as a rock trad unit by Pat Kilbride (Ireland), later members from the international folk circuit (John Whelan) and NYC session players ( Kinny Landrum,Richard Lindsey, Steve Missal) joined in the fun until the band, after two projects with John Simon ( The Band) & Steve Addabbo (S. Vega) as producers, went their separate ways...... Both CD's were distributed originally by Green Linnet Records and are available online in various outlets. The band is often credited with expanding the boundaries of "traditional" folk genres. John Mcgann, Tony DeMarco, Zan the man, etc are guests throughout. *** Putting together the right band wasn't so hard for Pat Kilbride, but giving it the right name, well, that's a different story. In 1990, Kilbride needed to get a band together for a party at the New York City club CBGB. He called it Kips Bay Ceili Band. The gig went well, and the group decided to make a go of it and soon was playing regularly at New York nightspots and Irish bars. The problem was they were not a ceili band, which plays traditional Irish dance music. "I used the name Ceili Band as something tongue-in-cheek because it wasn't a Ceili band, it was more of a rock band," Kilbride explained during a telephone interview from his home in New York City. "Some people were confused when they came to see us, expecting a straight ceili band. (Ceili) is a traditional Irish format, which is viewed as a bit corny, you know. It's in the same way that Electric Light Orchestra is not a light orchestra. But the name didn't work for us. We also had our problems with American friends who would pronounce it `seely' (the correct pronunciation is `kaylee'). "Don't forget, Celtic music is still a minority interest. People who know about Michael Jackson and McDonald's don't necessarily know about Celtic music. I got tired of people asking about the name, so we changed it." Shortened to Kips Bay, named after the East Side neighborhood where Kilbride lived when he first came to New York City, the five-member Manhattan-based band, which will play two shows tonight at Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, performs a fusion of self-penned songs and revved-up Irish tunes incorporating rock, blues and jazz. Kilbride is quick to note that the group does not consider itself a Celtic rock band. "Celtic rock is a particular term. It's a genre and we do not consider ourselves to be Celtic rock at all. I would call it roots rock with an Irish accent." Growing up in County Kildare, Ireland, Kilbride played the guitar since he was 10 and became fascinated with American music. When he moved to New York in 1989 "for a change of climate," it seemed like the best place for a musician with his interests. "America -- being the home of great guitar playing, singer-songwriting, rock 'n' roll, blues, and all that good stuff -- it was a logical place to come to, to explore those areas. As a kid I grew up listening to American music like Woody Guthrie and Mississippi John Hurt. My finger-picking style is based on American blues, a folk-blues style. But having said that, I am an Irishman, and also grew up listening to the radio and going to concerts in Ireland. One of my fortes is adapting traditional-style Irish music, normally played on fiddles and pipes, to the guitar." Kips Bay's energetic sound is produced by a stellar cast of individuals. Along with guitarist/vocalist Kilbride, 42, there is Irish accordion champion John Whelan. He's had a good run lately with the release of his solo album, "Celtic Reflections" (Narada), which made the Billboard album chart last summer. Drummer/vocalist Steve Missal may be remembered from playing with Billy Idol in the 1980s, especially for his drum riff on the song "White Wedding." Bass player Richard Lindsey is a popular session player also known in world-beat circles. And the newest member, New Orleans keyboard player Kinny Landrum, has performed with such artists as Jimmy Cliff, Robert Palmer and the Meters and won a Grammy for his work on the soundtrack for David Lynch's TV series, "Twin Peaks." The band's latest album, "Into the Light," is its second release on Green Linnet Records. Produced by Steve Addabbo, the disc combines seven new songs with four Celtic instrumental suites. With an emphasis on easygoing pop melodies and driving rhythms, Kilbride and Missal trade off lead vocals, while producer Addabbo adds to the fray, playing electric guitar. "Steve (Addabbo) produced Shawn Colvin and Suzanne Vega's first album, so we do have an interest -- how shall I say it? -- amongst generic roots-rock producers within the industry in New York City. However, we're a very private band. We don't have big management or big agencies, and we don't deal with big p.r. companies. We just go out and play our music."