Columbus Irish: And the Bands Play On
By Molly Truex
We know Ohio Rocks, and we’d like to take this summer lead up issue to introduce you to two new Columbus area bands, that rock-n-reel with the best of them.
The Pints
OhioIANews: How were The Pints formed?
Ed Tatum, Carol Metheny and Matt Dixon performed together previously, with the addition of Jeff Kanel, we formed The Pints in late 2019.
OhioIANews: Have each of you always been musicians?
Each of has played music much our entire lives, as well as performing on stage. It was important to us that The Pints include experienced performers. That helped us to rapidly build a repertoire, innovate on the instrumentals and get out into the Columbus music scene within a month of forming the band.
Matt Dixon makes his living with music gigging with a number of Columbus musicians, as well as developing the music for the dance programs at Dennison and OSU. He also has an electronic dance project, “Mr. Molly.” Matt plays drums, bodhran, marimba, cajon and more.
Carol Metheny is a talented veteran of the Columbus music scene. She continues to play fiddle in General Guinness in addition to playing in the Pints.
Ed Tatum is our lead vocalist and guitarist. Ed performed for over 20 years with Uisce Beatha, a Richmond, Virginia Celtic group. Ed’s resonating voice carries the band across every style of music we play.
Jeff Kanel plays mandolin and fiddle, in addition to vocals. He also plays in Ballybeg Banter, another Columbus Irish band.
OhioIANews: What has been your most memorable gig?
Our first performance was at Tara Hall, which is always special, given the intimate and acoustically superb venue, as well as the family of musical friends the Hibernians have cultivated.
The Pints is just getting started in Columbus, unfortunately, the COVID-19 shutdown has already canceled several gigs and we expect a few more to be canceled before it is through. We are playing at the Dublin Irish Festival 2020, so we’re praying the show goes on.
OhioIANews: What is your best memory, non-show related?
Our best memories so far have been practicing at Ed’s house. Everyone was committed to putting in the time so that The Pints would have an inspiring sound. Once a week we climb two flights of stairs to Ed’s finished attic-slash-recording studio. We explored many different genres of music and go to know each other’s styles.
We also deeply appreciate the strong support and welcoming nature of the Columbus musical scene. While Carol and Jeff have been in Columbus awhile, Matt and Ed were newcomers. We were able to meet and play with many folks in the Columbus folk and Celtic scene. And, of course, that’s how we got together.
OhioIANews: What genre of music do you play the most?
The Pints aim for a Celtic-America niche genre. We are all Americans, growing up playing different styles of music. But there are deep interrelationships and commonalities between British Invasion rock, Blues, Bluegrass and traditional Celtic and American folk. The Pints are taking traditional Celtic pub songs and American Folk and melding them with jigs and reels.
OhioIANews: What is your dream gig?
We love interacting with our audience and performing, no matter what venue. It would be exciting to play sometime on one of the larger Dublin Irish Festival stages. Right now, our focus is getting into a regular rotation of Columbus music venues and then expanding into the regional festivals.
OhioIANews: Where can we find listings of your shows?
Our Facebook page is facebook.com/thepintsband/ with music videos and a list of upcoming events. Hopefully we can all get together this summer!
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Fialla
OhioIANews: How was Fialla formed, how long have you been together?
Jake: Stephen and I played together until a few years ago in a sort of Irish trad / pub band mashup, along with Stephen’s sister Renee (who is my wife) and our friend Byron. After that group’s parting, Stephen and I went searching for someone full of talent, inspiration, and integrity to round out a trio, and found those qualities in abundance in Katie. The three of us first started tossing around musical arrangements in the summer of 2019, and finally took the stage for a Christmas special at The Rambling House, where all the proceeds went to a local ministry for new mothers in difficult circumstances.
OhioIANews: Have each of you always been musicians or just started?
All three of us were born into extremely talented families, thanks to whom we are all unfairly blessed with a kind of musical foundation built into our respective DNA. None of us have dedicated our lives or careers to music, but it’s definitely something we all love to tinker with (a hilarious percentage of the instruments we play in our show are ones we have picked up just for that specific song), and it’s a big part of what we find ourselves drawn to in our free time. We are each blown away by the privilege of playing in the company of the other two, and we hope that that excitement and fondness comes through on stage.
OhioIANews: What has been your most memorable gig?
Stephen: My most memorable gig would have to be the Shamrock Club in January. Everyone there was so supportive and genuine. We were all blown away by the kindness of the Irish community and it left us feeling so excited to continue playing. I think this gig was where we started to really believe people enjoyed our music, which is such an honor. Playing for a similar audience at Tara Hall was also incredible. We owe a lot of our momentum to the gracious people at these venues and are excited to keep getting to know them!
OhioIANews: What genre of music do you play the most?
Traditional Irish music, decorated with some fresh (but not too fresh) ideas. Sometimes there’s some American folk and even bluegrass tossed in there as well.
OhioIANews: What is your dream gig?
Jake: If I ever had the chance to collaborate with Matt Molloy, Paddy Moloney, and Kevin Conneff, I think that would be the pinnacle of my musical experience.
OhioIANews: What does the name “Fialla” mean?
Fialla is a mutation of an old Gaelic word for kinship, which we feel is a good heading for our trio. Even at a time when we are unable to share music together in person, that kinship remains the foundation of our friendship.
For show listings, find Fialla on facebook.com/fiallamusic or fialla.com
