Jonathan Ramsey

St Louis has a lot of activities for this St Patrick’s Day. Check out a few of the fun St Pat’s stuff, some family friendly, some not so much. The madness, this year, is a bit more than usual, since St Pat’s is on a Saturday. That means both big parades are on St Patrick’s Day, instead of the Downtown parade being the Saturday before.

So, if you want to run a race, walk in a parade, watch either of them, or just enjoy corned beef, cabbage, and, if you’re over 21, a pint or two at an authentic Irish pub, St Louis has a lot to offer.

• Downtown St Louis Parade - http://www.irishparade.org
• Dogtown Parade - Ancient Order of Hibernians - http://www.stlhibernians.org/events.htm
• St Patrick’s Day Parade Run - http://www.irishparade.org/run
• John D McGurk’s - 1200 Russell - http://www.johndmcgurks.com
• O’Malley’s Irish Pub - 1900 Cherokee - http://www.omalleysstl.com
• Dubliner Pub - 1025 Washington - http://www.dublinerstl.com/
• Dylan’s Bar, 675 Jeffco Boulevard, Arnold, MO will offer free Irish breakfast with a drink purchase.
• The Stratford Bar & Grill, 800 South Highway Dr, Fenton, MO will offer a complimentary Irish buffet, all day Saturday.
• Malone’s Neighborhood Grill & Pub, 3336 Pershall Rd, Ferguson, MO; and 8742 Watson Rd, Crestwood, MO will have green eggs and ham, Friday evening.

So, sleep well Friday night, grab your friends in the morning for a big breakfast out, loads of Irish music and dance, parades, pipers, and one of the best celebrations in the world.

I will miss these fine festivities, here, since I have shows in western MO, all day. Please take some pictures, and tell me about it on Tuesday.
Cheers!

Tags: irish st+louis saint+louis st+patricks+day st+patrick’s+day st+pat’s ancient+order+of+hibernians parade irish+breakfast green+eggs+and+ham

Those of you going out to the parade in Kansas City, or hoping to keep dry in Harling’s “overflow” area on the roof, rejoice. As of this afternoon, the weather forecast remains promising: Partly cloudy and 59 degrees.

Check out http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/weekend/64111?from=dayDetails_topnav_allergies for info on the coming weekend.

I’ll see you at Lew’s and Harling’s in Kansas City!

Tags: saint+patrick st+paddy st+patrick st+patrick’s+day weather kansas+city missouri mo harlings parade irish+music

This weekend, I’ll head to western Missouri for three performances in Kansas City.

Right after the parade, I’ll be at Lew’s Grille and Bar for my 3rd year. It has been a great place to start off my Saint Patrick’s Day performances.

From 4PM, I’ll be at Harling’s, Westport Rd and Main St, for my 7th straight Saint Patrick’s Day performance. I’ve made a lot of friends in this pub, so come join us at the epicenter for Kansas City Saint Paddy’s Day fun!

Sunday evening, I’ll be at the home of Kansas City’s best restaurant hamburger, The Westport Flea Market. I once lived around the corner from this joint, and had many grilled chicken sandwiches, and evenings of steel-tip darts, there. So, come eat, and walk off your St Pat’s stiffness with me, this Sunday.

Here are the stats:

• Saturday, 17 March 12PM - 2:30PM, at Lew’s Grille and Bar, 7539 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO. 816-444-8080. http://www.lewsgrillandbar.com/
• Saturday, 17 March 4PM - 1AM, at Harling’s, 3941-A Main St, Kansas City, MO. 816-531-0303.
• Sunday, 18 March 9PM, at The Westport Flea Market, 817 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO. 816-931-1932.

Tags: irish+music saint+patricks+day st+pats st+patricks+day saint+patrick’s+day st+paddy’s+day bar pub restaurant live+music kansas+city missouri

Just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day, my friend Kelli from Kansas City, aka Clover Grrrl, has done some cool, and a little risqué, artwork. My wife and my manager both showed me this, so I had the dispensation to look at it and approve it.

I’ll get some of these from her to sell at Harling’s and O’Malley’s, this month.

art graphic+design t-shirts photography irish+music st+patrick’s+day

We all know clover, those few members of the pea family that love to out our nitrogen poor soils. Recently, in passing, I commented on Shamrocks vs. Four-Leaf Clovers. I’m almost surprised that I didn’t receive any hate mail as a result of my dismissing four-leaf clovers as not being shamrocks.

Perhaps luck is the reason people tend to think of the four-leaf clover. Of course, we have the “luck” of the Irish. That luck thing always reminds me of an old toast, “Here’s to the Irish; doubly cursed. So far from God. So close to the English.” Hundreds of years of “Saxon” rule or part or all of the island, have never been viewed as lucky by most of Ireland. Perhaps, though, having a culture survive such caustic rule and cultural suppression is a sign of incredible luck.
Back to the shamrock. I saw a trailer for a new show on NBC, “The Black Donnellys”. Its logo is a black four-leaf clover. My naive, laissez-faire side believes this is intentional use of a four-leaf clover. It does look cool, all black, and jagged. Very punk rock it is. Maybe confusing the 4-leaf for a shamrock is punk, too. I don’t know.

Tags: shamrock ireland nbc black+donnellys four+leaf+clover

In the states, two popular obsession-slathered events occur during Lent. First, college basketball tournaments, the biggest being the NCAA Championship. Second, Irish America’s monochromatic answer to Mardi Gras, Saint Patrick’s Day.

On Saint Pat’s, rivers and beer flow ignominiously green, bad green afro wigs and hair accessories abound, along with green beads, green tees and hoodies. Sounds like a Doctor Seuss book. And don’t forget the shamrock, as well as the well-intentioned, but improper four-leaf clover. [Seeing a four-leaf clover used as an Irish national icon always reminds me of the high school celebrating 70s Week with a poster featuring the Mercedes logo, intended to be a peace sign. Sorry, Shawnee Mission East class of 1987, I’ve outed you.]

As you make your trip to Party City or Target to collect your lead-laden, plastic, made-in-China, green stuff to don, next month, don’t forget to come back to my site for more info to come on Saint Patrick’s Day fun.
Tags: saint+patricks+day irish+culture

Yes, we’re in that fast and furious season, again. March 17th, I’ll return for a third year at Lew’s in Kansas City, MO, followed by my seventh Saint Pat’s at Harling’s, 4 PM to 1 AM. I’m also working on a show for Friday, 16 March. The time and place for that is yet uncertain, but I hope to have details soon.

Lew’s, southeast corner of 75th Street and Wornall Rd, in Kansas City, MO, serves great food and drink, and throws a fun, family-friendly, post-parade party. They’ll have a tent outside. You can watch college basketball, and enjoy an afternoon and evening of Irish music and Irish rock. The Lew’s staff knows how to have a great party.
For the uninitiated, Harling’s in Westport, Kansas City, MO, is always quite a bash for Saint Patrick’s Day. It has long been a harbor for Irish Music as well as blues, punk, ska, and jam bands. I played every Thursday night at Harling’s from November 2000 to May 2005, enjoyed many great crowds, and made lots of friends there. Saint Patrick’s Day is never an exception to the fun at Harling’s. They have the best –21 and over- party in town, with great prices, a friendly, helpful staff, and, of course, great music!
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