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Arts & Entertainment

Tickets on Sale for Black 47's "Last Call" at Pearl River Brew House Aug. 9

Black 47, a local roots, rock and reggae band, announced they will be playing a farewell show after more than 25 years of performing together.  

The following is a press release Black 47 sent Patch-- 

Black 47 has played more gigs at Shea Stadium than The Beatles, shut down the city of Hoboken, appeared multiple times on [Jay Leno] Leno, [David] Letterman and [Conan] O’Brien, and most recently the Jimmy Fallon Show for St. Patrick’s Day. They starred in a movie with their fans Matt Dillon and Danny Glover, helped spring the Guilford Four and the Birmingham Six from British prisons, and saved an Irish immigrant church from the wrecking ball. Led by Irish author, playwright, and SiriusXM radio host, Larry Kirwan, Black 47 play a uniquely Irish form of rock 'n' roll that touches on many social and political issues, and yet is never less than entertaining and riveting.

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In November 1989 in New York City, Ed Koch was serving out the last days of his mayoralty and an earthquake had recently hit the World Series in San Francisco when Black 47 set out for its first gig in the Bronx. After 2500 shows and 14 CDs the “house band of New York City” will disband in November 2014 exactly 25 years later. Rather than resting on any laurels, Black 47 released its final albumLast Call on March 3rd. “We decided to go out when we’re ahead and, as always, on our own terms,” said leader, Larry Kirwan. “The band has never sounded better so why not record some songs and explore new ground.”

Black 47 capped off a frantic St. Patrick’s Day season with an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon http://goo.gl/ljb2DW after playing to a sold out house at BB King’s in Times Square and starting their morning as special guests on VH1 where they performed Salsa O’Keefe http://goo.gl/qcKOp7….it was an incredible way to spend their last St. Patrick’s together as a band. Luckily for fans, the tour continues on with shows every week until the finale on Nov. 15th at BB Kings, exactly 25 years after their first gig in The Bronx.

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Formed by Chris Byrne an NYPD detective and Kirwan, a playwright, Black 47 – who took their name from the worst year of the Irish Potato Famine – caused an immediate stir by introducing original music and political context into the Irish bar scene. Black 47 was soon signed to EMI Records,Funky Ceili lit up Alternative Radio and MTV, and the band became a feature on Leno, Letterman and O’Brien.

Geoff Blythe (saxophones), Fred Parcells (trombone/whistle) & Thomas Hamlin (drums) are the other three original members. Joseph Mulvanerty(uilleann pipes/bodhran) joined when Chris Byrne left in 2000, and Joseph “Bearclaw” Burcaw (bass) came aboard in 2007.

Their friend, Joe Strummer, once described Black 47 as “the only band that matters.” 

LAST CALL’ for BLACK 47 is performing the final leg of their final tour after 25 years. Don't miss them at The Brew House, 50 E. Central Ave. Pearl River, NY on Saturday August 9th. Doors at 7:30 p.m., show starts at 10:00p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Click here to buy tickets.

“On ‘Last Call’, Black 47 serves a 200 proof cocktail made with a shot of funk and two fingers of Irish malarkey thrown in for good measure. Larry Kirwan saves the best for last, using roots, rock, and reggae to bring the final curtain down on the most influential Irish American band in history.” The Irish Voice

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