Thursday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.—BARNARD—Karan Casey, Irish singer-songwriters and a leading advocate for gender equity in the Irish music scene, will take the stage at Feast & Field on Thursday, Sept. 1. The concert is presented by BarnArts as part of the Thursday Night Music Series at Feast and Field. The show begins at 6 p.m., and info and tickets ($5-20) are available at barnarts.org.
Karan Casey will perform Thursday in Barnard.
Casey was among the vanguard of the Irish music revival’s “third wave” of the late 1980s/early 1990s and a founding member of the seminal Irish American band Solas before launching her solo career in 1999 and going on to record 11 albums. Though steeped in Irish traditional and folk music, Casey has long followed an eclectic path, whether studying classical music, fronting jazz bands or working with Frank Harte, a much-revered folk/traditional singer from Dublin. The list of artists she’s performed with is similarly diverse: James Taylor, Maura O’Connell, Karen Matheson, the Boston Pops Orchestra, Tim O’Brien, The Chieftains, The Dubliners, and Béla Fleck, among others.
On her September 2022 tour bringing her to Feast & Field, Casey will be accompanied by a pair of accomplished musicians, both members of popular Irish band Beoga: Niamh Dunne (fiddle, vocals), who comes from a rich family heritage of Irish traditional music; and Seán Óg Graham (guitar), a talented arranger, composer and producer who is in great demand as an accompanist.
Casey’s concern for the marginalization of women led her to spearhead the #FairPlé (“Fair Play”) campaign in 2019 to promote gender balance in the production, performance, promotion, and development of Irish traditional and folk music. #FairPlé (“plé” is the Irish word for “discussion”) prompted the rise of a movement called “Mise Fosta (Me Too),” which aims to address concerns about women’s personal safety and security in Irish music circles, from performance situations to recording studios to touring.
“We started a conversation that needed to take place,” she says “I am proud of the work that we’ve done. It’s not been without difficulty, and disappointment, and I was perhaps a little naïve about how entrenched some of the attitudes are toward women. But the idea behind #FairPlé wasn’t to make people feel bad. It’s to the benefit of everyone if women feel safe, feel equal, and feel included.”
Her passion for storytelling through songs, her ability to give centuries-old lyrics and themes a universal, modern setting, and her belief that music can help change the world have enabled Casey to forge a deep connection with audiences everywhere.
Feast & Field is held at Fable Farm, 1525 Royalton Turnpike, Barnard. (Put “Fable Farm” into your GPS.) Gates open at 5:30pm. Food and drink are available for sale from the Feast & Field farmers, including tacos, mac & cheese and fresh-made ice cream. Some picnic tables and chairs are available, but lawn chairs and blankets are welcome. No outside food or drink are permitted.
