Irish Bloom

I was working at a Penny Lane record store in the mid-‘80s when I fell in love with Irish band Hothouse Flowers. But their passionate soul music never quite broke in the United States and their intial albums became fondly recalled period pieces for me.

I finally saw Hothouse Flowers last night at the excellent Kansas City Irish Fest. I was disappointed. I’d hoped for a fervent, transcendent experience. They were merely good. You can see that singer Liam O'Maonlai made a valiant effort, but he and audience never quite connected.

The band will try again today at 7:30 p.m. on a smaller acoustic stage at the festival. And I expect that they may bloom in that setting. See if this amateur video of a 2004 Hothouse Flowers performance on the streets of Dublin motivates you to make your way to Crown Center today.