Whiskey Before Breakfast performs
Irish traditional dance music: jigs, reels, hornpipes and all manner
of toe-tapping tunes and songs. Comprised of Dave Marlatt on fiddle,
Cara Lieurance on flutes, whistles & vocals, Tim McCauley on vocals
and bodhran, and Jeff Mondragon on guitar, Whiskey Before Breakfast
has been performing throughout southwest Michigan since 1994.
Our approach to the music is clear and simple: capture the essence
of the tradition melodically and rhythmically. It’s very
roots-oriented, meaning the melody players, fiddle and flute, learn
the tunes from the old masters as well as musicians we meet at
festivals and workshops. Jeff’s dynamic chord progressions and Tim’s
drum hive the old tunes a bite and driving style. Tim and Cara’s
vocals have earned the band widespread attention. They sing in a
variety of styles, from Sean Nos to love songs, to party tunes and
an occasional nod to the Pogues. We find it irresistibly fun and
appropriate for all sorts of occasions.
Some of our special appearances include concerts at the Cooper’s
Glen Music Festival, the Kalamazoo Irish Festival, the Box Factory
St. Joseph Area Arts Center, LVD’s Concert Hall, IN, and the
Kalamazoo Arts Council Concerts in the Park Series. The band is
regularly heard at Fiddler’s Hearth in South Bend, IN, The Curragh
in Holland, MI, and Kraftbrau Brewery and Bell’s Brewery in
Kalamazoo.
