Meet Irish Fiddler Colm O’Riain

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s day than going to see an Irish Fiddler? Colm O’Riain can help with that! He is playing at Keys Jazz Bistro in San Francisco on Friday March 15^th and Sunday March 17^th. You simply must go.

I met Colm last St. Patrick’s Day at the Great Star Theater. Colm keeps all of the good things about traditional Irish music and then he quadruples the experience by weaving other musical styles into it. He is engaging, witty and seriously talented. Other musicians collaborate throughout the performance as Colm leads his audience though a unique journey. His energy is magnetic and the wealth of experience that he draws from gives us all we could want and more.

Website: colmoriain.com

Where are you from originally?

Ireland but more specifically … 

There once was a fiddler from Limerick, 

Whose bowing was lively and quick. 

With a flick of the wrist,

His notes would insist, 

In rhythm, the whole town would click

What brought you to the Bay Area? 

While pursuing graduate studies (in AI) in upstate New York, I set up a website that covered European Soccer in up to 29 languages, which drew the attention of multiple organizations —  including a video game company here in the Bay that was making a soccer game for the European market. Ask a soccer-mad Irishman if he’d like to be paid to move to one of the most beautiful cities in the world to make a soccer video game to be the best seller in Europe and well … come on, really? 

How do you find the musical scene here?

Musicians-wise, there’s a ton of talent which leans more toward collaboration than competition. Audiences are warm though it’s also a good training ground for the world — after San Francisco, other audiences seem almost … easy! 

What instruments do you play? 

I have 3 violins — acoustic, electric and hybrid , including two 5 strings. I can play piano and if needed, I’ll beat a bodhrán, the Irish frame drum — goats have for millenia had the unfortunate inbuilt disadvantage of being the basis for some great instruments in numerous cultures. 

What are your musical influences? 

Too many to mention even a fraction but let’s start with … Bach, Itzhak Perlman, Stephane Grappelli, Gustav Mahler, Brad Mehldau, Didier Lockwood, Martin Hayes, …

What is your background in music? Growing up in Ireland, the youngest of six in a super-musical family, I concentrated on western Classical Music, doing the whole winning prizes thing and was appointed Concertmaster of the National Youth Orchestras in my teens. In tandem, my family would spend a couple of weeks in summers in Gaelic-speaking West Kerry — we speak Gaelic/Irish in the home — and during this time, I’d excitedly join my siblings in all-night traditional Irish music sessions in pubs & hotels. Amazing energy. 

Where will you be playing next?

I’m glad you asked 🙂 This weekend is St.Patrick’s Day and to celebrate, I and my Band are doing 4 shows at Keys Jazz Bistro in North Beach, one of San Francisco’s shiniest new music venues with a super intimate energy. Two shows on Friday, March 15 (7pm & 9pm) and two more on the sainted day itself, Sunday, March 17 (5pm & 7pm). It’ll be a soulful , even humorous exploration of the connection between Ireland and a host of other musical cultures.  West African percussion underpinning plaintive Middle Eastern melodies, Flamenco duende driving jazz improvisations and Gospel Blues, some great singing and all topped by fiery Irish fiddling for a sparkling, modern take on this most Irish of days. And oh, tickets are selling briskly so … 

Your music spills over into many different genres as well as traditional Irish. It makes for a more dynamic show. What are your favorite ways to collaborate and fuse other musical styles?

Ah, my favorite question so far! More and more, I just follow my instincts and play with people I like, people I love — from all different musical backgrounds and cultures. When hearts are open, so are ears and then anything can happen. There are SOOO many bridges that you can build with music, often in situations where words simply fail. 

Something you love about San Francisco?

I count myself super lucky to live in North Beach, one of my favorite neighborhoods in the world. During the pandemic, it thrived in many ways and a lot of this was down to music and community – for example my Thursday night gigs at Belle Cora on Green St. Keys Jazz Bistro is a new and highly significant addition to this community and is very much worth checking out this weekend

Checkout Colm at the Keys Jazz Bistro in San Francisco on Friday March 15^th and Sunday March 17th

Tickets here