Killigans head to Knickerbockers for St. Patrick’s Day concert
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BY JEFF KORBELIK / GZO
If a label is necessary, The Killigans prefer “blue collar.”
Not Irish. Not punk.
Not folk or country.
What: The Killigans, Youth in Asia (early show), The Vandon Arms (late show)
Where: Knickerbockers, 901 O St.
When: 6-9 p.m. (all ages) and 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m. (18 and older) Saturday
Tickets: $5 for each performance; 476-6865
These six young men work hard for a living.
The bassist fixes motorcycles.
The mandolin player is an electrician.
Two work with youth, one as a teacher and the other a counselor.
The drummer designs Web sites, and the guitarist, well, he’s the anomaly — he’s a scientist.
“He’s our token white collar worker,” Killigans front man Brad Hoffman says.
The six have one requirement when it comes music: They take their work ethic and apply it to the stage.
It’s common to find the six, usually clad in jeans, T-shirts and sneakers, driving home one song after another.
A log with the band’s name carved on it sits at the front of the stage for each of their shows. Attached to it a bottle opener.
For good reason.
When the Killigans play a fast-paced Irish traditional, often resulting in much hand-clapping and foot-stomping, they raise pints (or bottles of beer) to their appreciative fans, who tend to salute them back.
“We’re a band that wants to make you raise your glass the whole night,” bass player Trevor Nebesniak said.
The band also likes to slow it down to let Hoffman envelop the crowd with his husky voice on a tender ballad.
“We’re not out to change the world,” Hoffman says of the Lincoln band’s music. “We sing what we feel and let people think what they think.”
So far, it’s been working out quite well.
Since 2004, when they ditched their ska music origins for something totally unique to the local scene, The Killigans have become one of Lincoln’s most popular bar bands.
They often pack the house at Duffy’s, The Zoo, P.O. Pears and Knickerbockers.
On Saturday, they will perform two St. Patrick’s Day shows at Knickerbockers. It will be their third straight year at the downtown bar. Last year, their performance sold out.
“We celebrate with our friends and family with our music,” Nebesniak said. “It’s awesome and it’s something we look forward to.”
Why the success?
Band members believe it’s their music, their high-energy shows and blue blue-collar appeal.
The group is comprised of Hoffman, Swift, Zach Stroup (mandolin) and the Nebesniak brothers — Trevor (bass), Pat (accordion) and Chris (guitar). Stroup recently joined the band full time, replacing Greg Dank on fiddle.
Edwin Mukusha makes occasional appearances at gigs and on recordings with his bagpipes.
Hoffman and Pat and Chris Nebesniak were founding members of the Lincoln band Settle for Less. Two years ago, they decided to change their sound to something that blends folk, punk, Irish and Americana.
“We were pegged early on as an Irish band,” Swift said. “We play Irish tunes, but we’re not an Irish band.”
Indeed.
During a KZUM benefit Monday night at The Zoo, the Killigans mixed Irish traditionals with tributes to The Pogues and Hank Williams.
The group likes to use accordion, mandolin, tin whistle and bagpipes to round out their music and give it a different flavor.
“The bands out there are guitars, and that’s it,” Hoffman said. “Our sound we’ve developed on our own. We like it.”
They are particularly effective with their own music. They have one CD, “Brown Bottle Hymnal” (2006), and another in the works, “One Step Ahead of Hell,” which is scheduled for release next month.
The band will give out three-song EPs to the first 300 concert-goers Saturday to promote their new disc.
The first CD was well-received and even got a review in Russia, where the critic liked the working class aspect of it.
In fact, The Killigans’ goal is to expand their fan base beyond Lincoln’s borders. They are playing more regional gigs, including one recently at the Roadhouse in Grand Island.
“Patrick Swayze was not there,” Swift said, a reference to the movie of the same name. “There was a lot of karate kicking.”
The Killigans believe their Web site — designed by Swift — and MySpace page are helping grow their fan base. They recently were nominated in the punk rock category for the inaugural Omaha Entertainment Awards, which celebrated live music, performing and visual arts.
“ We didn’t know that anybody in Omaha knew who we were,” Hoffman said.
Apparently they do.
The Killigans are six hard-working, music-loving guys who love to perform.
“We’re not run-of-the-mill rock,” Hoffman said. “We’re not run-of-the-mill Irish. We’re open-minded.
“We embrace that.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
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