Mike Gallagher is all set to fill the role of grand marshal at the 149th St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, but he’s the wrong person to ask about anything parade-related.
“I’m always singing in the pubs when the parade goes on,” he says.
That goes all the way back to 1973, when the Sheraden native, one of eight kids, started performing as a folk musician, following in the footsteps of his father, John, who had a show singing live on Pittsburgh radio station WWSW-FM during the Depression years.
“I guess they didn’t have tapes in the ’30s,” he says. “I would like to have heard some of that.”
When Mike first started, as a teenager, he was just doing covers, like his favorite James Taylor and Kingston Trio songs. By the time he released his first two records, 1983’s “Allegheny Home” and 1987’s “Tomorrow’s A Road,” he was doing mostly original songs, delivered in his soothing tenor.
“A friend of mine and I were trying to make money writing songs,” he says laughing, “so we wrote some pop stuff, a little bit of rock.”
He knew the Irish music well because his dad would lead big Irish singalongs in the house with the family and neighbors when he was growing up, particularly around St. Patrick’s Day.
“I did a little bit of Irish music in my shows, but I got more and more demand for it,” he says.
Eventually, he became a regular at the Blarney Stone, Riley’s Pour House and other Irish pubs. In 1987, he tapped into that, releasing “St. Patrick’s Day,” a cassette loaded with traditional fare like “Wild Rover,” “Danny Boy” and “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda,” famously covered by the Pogues.
“I made more with the Irish recording in one day,” he says, laughing. “I sold that for years. But, like Andy Stewart used to say, I was continuing a family tradition of not making any money.”
He did some touring back then with the Scottish singer and released CDs in 2000 and 2003, including more polished versions of previously recorded songs.
With four kids of his own, though, music has been secondary to day jobs working at the Gateway Clipper office, at a church and a renewable fuels company.
For the past two years, he’s been slowed by a battle with bladder cancer, but he still makes his way out to play a few times a month.
While quiet ballads are his true love, he’s also handy with drinking songs, like “Whiskey in the Jar,” which are essential this time of year.
“Parade day has really gotten crazier and busier,” he says. “More and more people every year. I usually like to play a place that is family friendly.”
On those parade days, he’s been known to play for 10 to 12 hours, doing up to three gigs.
This year, he’s doing 3 to 5 p.m. at Riley’s Pour House in Carnegie, followed by his son, Johnny Gallagher, a Pittsburgh firefighter, who has taken up the family tradition.
Mike will start the day on the streets Downtown as the grand marshal, a role he figured he can handle.
“They have a car for me, and I’ll be waving to people, I guess,” he says, cracking up. “I’m kind of shocked they actually picked me.”
PARADE ROUTE
The 149th St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 11th Street and follows Grant Street to the Boulevard of the Allies to the reviewing stand at Stanwix Street, ending at Commonwealth Place.
It will feature more than 22,000 participants, including marching bands, Irish dancers and Irish heritage groups.
The 2019 Miss Smiling Irish Eyes is Maggie Byrnes, and Erin Joyce and Anne Garvey are the Miss Smiling Irish Eyes Court Maidens.
Alcoholic beverages are not permitted along the parade route and will not be permitted in Market Square this year. The Low Kings perform there at 10 a.m.
STRAIGHT FROM DUBLIN
Pittsburgh singer-songwriter and Ireland native Mark Dignam — who is the real deal, having busked on the streets of Dublin — will present his 8th annual Calm Before the Storm concert at Club Cafe on Friday.
He will perform traditional Celtic music and contemporary songs, joined by folk-rock band Brewer’s Row, singer-songwriter Nathan Zoob, Ben Shannon and Morgan Erina (Wreck Loose), flautist-singer Jess Hohman and poets Leslie Ann McIlroy and Joanna Lowe.
It begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15; clubcafelive.com.
PARADE DAY AND ST. PADDY’S DAY MUSIC
Claddagh, SouthSide Works
Saturday: Inside: Tres Lads (10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.); The Low Kings (1-3:30 p.m.); Tim Vitullo Band (4-7 p.m.); The Birms (7:30-9:30 p.m.); Pickup Line (10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.); DJ Mike (12:30 a.m.-close). Outside: The Delaneys (noon-3 p.m.); Weekend At Blarney’s (3:30-6:30 p.m.); Trinity Wiseman (7-10 p.m.)
Sunday: Abbots Cross (10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.); Cue Ball (1-3:30 p.m.); The Low Kings (4-6:30 p.m.); Zig Daniels (7:30-9:30 p.m.); DJ Mike (9:30 p.m.-close)
The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls, Millvale: The Cheer’ly Men with Craic. 8 p.m. Saturday.
Hard Rock Cafe, Station Square: Wild Geese, 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle, Strip District
Saturday: Inside: Mark Guiser (noon-4 p.m.); Whiskey Limerick (4-8 p.m.); Skipper O’Johnson Band (8 p.m.-1 a.m.). Outside: Donnie Irish Band (1-5 p.m.), Talleycavey (5-7:30 p.m.); Guaranteed Irish (7:30-11:30 p.m.)
Sunday: Mark Guiser (noon-4 p.m.); Skipper O’Johnson Band (4-8 p.m.); Guaranteed Irish (7:30-11:30 p.m.). www.harpandfiddle.com.
PointBreezeway, Point Breeze: Devilish Merry, 6-8 p.m. Sunday, $20; www.pointbreezeway.com.
Rex Theatre, South Side: Bastard Bearded Irishmen with Brave The Sea and Latecomer, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, $13 advance / $17 day of show; www.rextheater.net.
Park House, North Side: Jon Bindley and Black Velvet Band with Young Fool, 8 p.m. Saturday; parkhousepgh.com.
Riley’s Pour House, Carnegie
Saturday: Inside: Dan Hanczar (4-8 p.m.), Larry Connolly (8 p.m.-midnight); Pavilion: Mike Gallagher (3-5 p.m.), “Young” John Gallagher (5-8 p.m.), The Wild Geese (8 p.m.-midnight).
Sunday: Inside: Casey O’Reilly (5-7 p.m.), Mark Guiser (7 p.m.-close). Pavilion: “Young” John Gallagher (1-2 p.m.), Casey O’Reilly (2-5 p.m.), Larry Connolly (5-8 p.m.), Donnie Irish with Ricky Manning (8 p.m.-close).
Tequila Cowboy, North Shore: Kin Faux and The Wild Geese, begins at 8 a.m.; tequilacowboy.com.
The story has been updated to indicate that alcohol will not be permitted in Market Square.
First Published: March 12, 2019, 2:37 p.m.
