Field Day

History of a Defunct Band

Jode and Kate Dowling formed the band Field Day in 1996, pulling together old and new influences in the local scene. These included Tom Klein from the band formerly known as the Clumsy Lovers, Sean Egan, whom Kate and Jode knew from Chicago, where he played with Baal Tinne, and Eric-Ryan Johnson, whom we met at the regular session at Kieran's.

Here's some text from the March 1997 Cedar Cultural Centre Newsletter, where Field Day performed a concert/ceili:

Field Day

Field Day has quickly become one of the premier Celtic Music bands in Minnesota, with its reputation reaching out across the midwest. Based on an Irish-influenced repertoire, the group also plays music from Brittany, Scotland, Galicia and Sweden. Field Day explores complex arrangements of traditional material, experimental instrumentation and driving energy. Built on a basis of fiddles, whistles, piano and guitar, the music is intensified by the use of clarinet, uillean pipes, didgeridoo, saxophone and even the occassional spring-water jug. And the innovation will not stop there; Field Day is a young band, ever exploring the use of additional instruments and styles.

Members of Field Day include Jode Dowling, soundly rooted in traditional Irish fiddle playing, and a previous member of the Clumsy Lovers; Sean Egan, a past member of Baal Tinne from Chicago, playing clarinet and piano among occasional other instrumental surprises; Tom Klein (another player from the Clumsy Lovers) on an array of wind instruments including whistle, uillean pipes and didgeridoo, as well as guitar; Eric Ryan-Johnson on violin, who also teaches at MacPhail Center for the Arts and adds his complex arrangements and harmonies as well as original material to this band; and Kate Wade, a most accomplished tin whistle player, who studied under Noel Rice in Chicago and previously played with Baltiorum.

Sounds

Both of these tracks were recorded at the Cedar Cultural Center by Chris Frymire in 1997. We arrived early to the gig mentioned above to do the recording.

The Pipe, the Pitchfork and the Priest

I am researching this now, but this track may have appeared on a compilation CD put out by the Irish Music and Dance Association. More information to follow.

The Meadow, the Mad Cows of Connaght and Anna Livia

The Meadow was released on the CD "Hunger No More: A Gift of Irish Music and Song" copyright Eire Arts, 1997. Proceeds from this benefit compilation went to support Minnesota FoodShare. This is one of the best compilation CDs to come out of the Twin Cities and captured the late '90s scene very well. I do not think it is available anymore, but if you run across it, I recommend purchasing it.

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