For the past 16 years, local ensemble Molly’s Revenge has brought upbeat traditional Irish music to local and national audiences. David Brewer, the only original member of the lineup, says of the group that it “blasts high-energy Celtic dance music in a really lively and entertaining way. It’s a very action-packed show.” Can’t argue with that.
On Dec. 1, however, Molly’s Revenge will show a different side of their music with their holiday Winterdance show. It will feature traditional Irish dancers, and L.A. vocalist Christa Burch will be providing guest vocals.
“The Winterdance show is much more sculpted with highs and lows—everything from really delicate stuff to fast and lively, like people are used to seeing,” Brewer says.
The idea is to bring to Santa Cruz a little slice of how folks celebrate Christmas in Ireland, where a winderdance like this is an informal gathering. A lot of the songs that Molly’s Revenge will be playing will be familiar to Irish audiences, but less so to American ones.
“It’s all very different from what we usually do as Molly’s Revenge. It’s much more of a show than a concert, I guess you could say,” Brewer says. “The biggest thing that people respond to is they see how much fun we’re having. People get absorbed into that joyous effect that it brings. And that’s really our goal. So the traditional stuff is our vessel to do that.”
INFO: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $17/adv, $20/door. 335-2800.
