Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Morgan O'Kane

Music...is there anything better, or anything more powerful on this earth?  David and I were in NYC for a week for the holidays, and on an afternoon stroll walked right into the highlight of our trip.  We were snapping photos on an insanely warm January day in NY and almost to the Washington Square Arch...and David said "Do you hear Mumford and Sons?"  I paused...and I did hear some folksy magic drifting over the honks and city clamor.  We kept walking towards NYU and ran right into the arch and such a wonderful gift underneath....Morgan O'Kane.  http://www.morganokanemusic.com/music

There were about 200 people circled around two scruffily stylish men strumming their hearts out; Morgan beating away on a banjo and stamping  the suitcase he was sitting upon with a drum pedal; and Zeke Healy on the Dobro.  We stopped, feeling that fleeting phenomenon you feel when you happen upon a "moment."
The instrumentals were simply put...fantastic. I put "banjo" on my wish list the minute I heard him play, similar to the feeling I had about Ukuleles when I heard Ingrid Michaelson live for the first time.  What is talent for if not to inspire the rest of us?  In my non-too professional opinion the sounds echoing over the park were in my mind one part Irish folk, one part bluegrass, one part pure instrumental genius.
I told David after standing in awe for about 5 minutes...their music makes me want to dance.  Not shake my booty-Dance.  Throw my arms up and dance a jig kind of dance.  Sure enough minutes after my admission to David, a girl of about three did just that.  She planted her feet just behind their banjo case full of cash and CD's for sale and danced her little heart out.  She did not have my ridiculous adult sensibilities and simply did what her body told her when she heard the music.  It was in that moment, that I reaffirmed my belief that music is the most awesome entity in this world we live in.  I glanced around at the crowd as the little girl shamed us with her joy and reckless abandon-"dancing as if  no one was watching."
We were all stomping our feet, bobbing our heads, snapping photos, and taking videos.  But no adult just did what I believe we all wanted to-rejoiced in the gorgeous music coming from these two talented guys and moved like our hearts and ears were telling us to.
Needless to say, I dropped my $15 and grabbed Morgan O'Kane's latest CD: Pendulum.  I can't ever re-create that beautiful hour I experienced listening to them in the middle of the park-but for a week straight every morning on my commute I have pushed play and tried.























Do yourself a favor and like them on Facebook, check out their website, and buy their music. Raw talent in all it's glory. 


1 comment:

  1. that's awesome. good for you. i forgot you had a blog. i'll be on here more often.

    ReplyDelete