November News (2009) Posted: Nov 18, 2009 After not performing for almost two months, we get back at it Thanksgiving Eve at TnC's, our #1 Johnstown area venue. We've added the equivalent of one new set of material since August, much of it in the set list for 11/25. We've got two new original tunes (If I Had a Monkey and El Segundo), a song that I greatly made over (Tavern on the Moon), some jugband/swing songs (Monkey and the Engineer and You're Bound to Look Like a Monkey), and many more! There does seem to be a monkey theme here. Marty and I will be doing three shows in Dixie in December/January. Huey's in Memphis gets back on the calendar, and Jimmie Crosthwaite will join us there on December 20th. We're back at Noble Savage Tavern (Shreveport) for New Year's Eve (that will be super fun) and we're doing a rare (for us) Saturday night show at Fenian's (Jackson, MS) on January 2nd. The 2010 calendar has already begun to take some shape, with McGee's in Anderson, SC welcoming us back July 9-10. I'll get to work on 2010 more seriously in January. Greg

Midsummer Nights News Posted: Jun 29, 2009 Summer 2009 roadtrip #2 is about to ensue. We start off with a bang, five shows in six nights (Kudzus and The Buccaneer in Memphis July 6-7, Fenian's in Jackson 7/9, Enochs in Monroe 7/10 and Noble Savage in Shreveport on 7/11. We will be in Houston the next weekend either playing at a venue or at a private party. The trip concludes with gigs in Bentonville (Celtic Cafe) on Fri. July 24th and in Eureka Springs on Sunday 7/26. Right now, we only have one booking in August (Allegheny Portage National Historical site in Gallitzin, PA on 8/22), but that will likely change. CD #5 is a work in progress with "Black Lung" completed. The old Memphis Jugband tune "Fourth Steet Messaround" is nearly done as is a tune I wrote called "Forget About You". Work on this CD will continue for the rest of the year. Greg

May News Update Posted: May 6, 2009 Well -- just got bad news that Ed can't join us for the I-20 shuffle. So no Ed at Jackson, Monroe or Shreveport - this time. Ed bought a van, with this trip being a primary reason for purchase, only to have the radiator go out, and the replacement radiator break...... We'll carry on. Maybe next time I won't promote his appearance and he'll show up! Greg

May 2009 Posted: May 2, 2009 May 2009 has Marty and I returning to Kudzu's in Memphis on Sat. May 2nd. Jimmy can't play with us this time out, so we're duing the duo there. Ed Hritz will be joining us for the I-20 shuffle from Jackson (Fenian's May 7th) to Monroe (Enoch's May 8th) to Shreveport (Noble Savage May 9th). It will be fun to give the folks at these venues the chance to hear us with the pipes/whistle/concertina/bass in the mix. From there, Marty and I head to NW Arkansas to play in Bentonville (Celtic Grill May 15) and Eureka Springs (Chelsea's May 17). We have no other bookings in May, but we have embarked on a new studio recording, having largely finished off Jack Shaw's "Black Lung". Jack has given us permission to record his tune. More recordings to ensue upon our arrival back in J'town. Greg

March 2009 News Posted: Mar 13, 2009 Howdy out yonder! Just got back from gigs in Winston-Salem and Memphis. In the short term we have a busy weekend/week ahead of us with shows at the Johnstown Inn (first time there) on 3/13, Tulune's Southside Saloon (3/14) and TnC's for St. Paddy's Day. We'll also be doing some school shows that day (St. Patrick's School and Bishop McCourt). After that, we begin to re-load non-Irish material for our summer gigs. Our May tour has largely been booked (shows in Memphis, Jackson, MS, Monroe, LA, Shreveport, LA, Bentonville, AR, Eureka Springs, AR, and Louisville, KY). Ed may well join us for the I-20 shows (Jackson-Monroe-Shreveport). Greg

February 2009 News Posted: Feb 18, 2009 In South Louisiana, Mardi Gras begins in January. With every passing weekend, things build to a wild climax on Fat Tuesday. Well, that's how St. Paddy's Day should be and Friday Feb. 20th, we kick it off with St. Practice Day, otherwise known as Great Guinness Toast Night at TnC's in Johnstown. Marty and I will be off to Winston-Salem (Celtic Cafe) and Memphis (Kudzu's) and return to Johnstown for a St. Paddy's Day trifecta: Johnstown Inn (3/13), Southside Saloon (3/14) and TnC's on St. Paddy's Day. Other tours/events are in the works. May will find Marty and me doing our usual Southern swing. In the Johnstown area, we've got the Irish Celebration coming up in June and a night at the Allegheny Portage Railroad Museum in August. Marty and I hit the road again in July and plans are to add Texas and Colorado stops to that trip. Other dates will no doubt fill in, check our "events" page for updates.

September 2008 News Posted: Sep 17, 2008 9/17/08 Hey- I've got your news right here! We're not playing anywhere this weekend! That's news. Some form of DIB has played somewhere almost every weekend since April. That's why I haven't posted any news. Been too busy! But there is news. We have a new CD out there. It is an all Irish live recording, featuring six songs of the DIB duo (Greg and Marty) in Jackson, MS (May 2008), four songs of the full band plus Jimmy Crosthwait in Memphis (May 2007) and six more songs recorded at the Dugout in Johnstown with the full band (December 07, January 08 and April 08). I'd be remiss if I didn't thank all the kind warm and fuzzy folks out there that made our summer 2008 shows such fun. So everyone that came out to hear us in PA (Johnstown, Vintondale, Erie, Ebensburg, Windber, Somerset), KY (Louisville), MS (Jackson), Louisiana (Monroe and Shreveport), Arkansas (Bentonville and Eureka Springs), Colorado (Westciffe) and South Carolina (Anderson) - a sincere THANKS! We'd never play anywhere outside of a basement if it weren't for you. Check the calendar for upcoming events. Still working on the December trip and St. Paddy's Daze. Even May-June of 2009 is beginning to take form. May the Good Lord take a liking to you. Greg Faiers

June 2008 Posted: Jun 10, 2008 Damn good May roadtrip. While highlights abounded everywhere, the O'Shea's, Fenians, and Celtic Grill nights had the most boisterous and participatory audiences. Our "new" venues (Brendan's in Louisville, Celtic Grill in Bentonville and Chelsea's in Eureka Springs) were all worth the effort as were the relatively new (O'Shea's in Louisville and Poag Mahone's in Westcliffe, CO). Enoch's in Monroe and Noble Savage in Shreveport were their reliably fun selves. Much of the late July/early August roadtrip is booked with returns to these places (except Poag Mahones - back there next Memorial Day weekend). Lots going on here in Johnstown in June and early July as well. I'd also like to thank the following, in no logical order, for helping me through my near tour-killing back problems early in the trip: Marty Faiers (providing muscle, driving, patience and encouragement), Wayne, Ed, Linda, Dustin and Rob as well as host Pat Holman in Erie, sister Lydia, Dr. Mori, SIL Molly, and comiserator Eric in Shreveport. Those folks and many more made it possible for the tour to continue and for me to be able to drive home. I've been told that I'll be as good as new, well, good enough, in a few weeks. Greg

May 2008 Posted: Apr 30, 2008 If it's May, DIB is on the road. Last year we had the full band experience in Memphis and New Orleans plus an incredible I-20 Jackson-Monroe-Shreveport run (listen to "Time is Winding Up" on the website for a taste of that!). This May, we're doing the full band thing at Molly Brannigan's in Erie to kick off the trip. Pat and Ida Holman will be our main cheerleaders and hosts in Fairview and we've got a decent J'town contingent going up for that gig on May 9th. From there, Marty and I take off south and west. In addition to Molly Brannigan's, the May trip features new (to us) venues in Louisville (Brendan's), Bentonville, AR (Celtic Grill), and Eureka Springs (Chelsea's Corner Cafe). We're returning to venues in Louisville (O'Shea's), Jackson (Fenian's), Monroe (Enoch's), Shreveport (Noble Savage) and Westcliffe, CO (Poag Mahone's). Thanks to all the owners and patrons of these establishments for welcoming us back! We've been assembling a lot of live recordings over the recent months, some of which have appeared on the website and more to come. Lots of new tunes popping up as well which will be incorporated into the sets on the upcoming trip. So - damn the gas prices...full speed ahead! Greg

March News: 2008 Posted: Feb 29, 2008 This won't be the mega-mini St. Paddy's Day tour we did in 2007, but we do have the two dates in Anderson (March 14-15) and the TnC's date (3/17) to celebrate with this March. Much time has been put into the booking of the May trip which features a full band gig in Erie (Molly Brannigan's - this WILL be fun!), followed by duo dates in Louisville (O'Shea's), Bentonville, AR (Celtic Grill), the I-20 shuffle (Fenian's-Enoch's-Noble Savage) and back to Westcliffe, CO for a pair of weekend dates to wrap up the month. A few more dates may fill in as well, so May will be sweet. More Johnstown area dates have been filling in for later in the year as well. Thanks to all for coming out to our recent shows at the Dugout and TnC's. Without your support, we'd never leave the house. Greg

January 2008 News Posted: Jan 4, 2008 Hello out there! Happy New Year! Ours started off wonderfully in Shreveport at the Noble Savage Tavern. Thanks to all involved for making the end of 2007 and the start of 2008 such fun. January of 2008 will be rather slow for us. Marty and I are going to Staunton VA to visit musician buddies there MLK weekend. The band will be back in action at the Dugout in Johnstown on Saturday Jan. 26th. I will be devoting a lot of time this month to planning the May and July-August road trips. I'll be trying to avoid things like the wild four-gig, five-day zig zag we did in May of 2007 (Thursday in New Orleans, Friday in Baton Rouge, Sunday in Memphis, Monday back in New Orleans). As much as we like to travel, that was a bit much. Hope 2008 is off to a good start for everyone. Greg Faiers

December 2007 Posted: Dec 18, 2007 December finds Dead Irish Blues playing in five towns, including the home base of Johnstown, PA. On 12/8, the full band does a show at The Dugout in the Woodvale section of Johnstown. Maybe it's the impact of the empty mills in the area, but for whatever reason, we do a lot of blues there. Then Marty and I take off for Memphis (12/16), Jackson (12/20), Monroe (12/28), and Shreveport (New Year's Eve). We do have the live, all Celtic CD for sale on this trip. Happy Holidaze! Greg

July 2007 News Posted: Jul 2, 2007 Lots going on at the moment. We've got two Johnstown area gigs coming up this month (Marion Center on July 6 and the St. Gregory's Picnic on July 8). After that, Marty and I hit the road with gigs currently scheduled in Memphis (7/15), Fayetteville (7/18), Westcliffe, CO (7/21), Seattle (7/27) and Shreveport (8/4). I'm working on getting a live CD out from our June 9th performance at the Johnstown Irish Cultural Celebration. We've been asked often for an "all-Celtic" CD and this will serve that purpose well. There are the usual live hiccups (I had a coughing fit on Welcome Poor Paddy Home...most of which Wayne covered for), but it has way more energy than any studio recording. In addition, another live CD from our Memphis gig (May 12th, 2007) should be a go after we get back from this trip.

MAY 2007 NEWS Posted: Apr 27, 2007 May of 2007 is going to be fun, exciting, taxing, exhausting, and wutnot. Marty and I are embarking on a roadtrip which will find us playing in Fayetteville, AR (5/4), Van Buren, MO (5/05), New Orleans (5/10), and Baton Rouge (5/11). Wayne and Ed will join us in Memphis and we'll actually play as a 5-piece (with Jimmy Crosthwait) at Huey's (May 13) and then the four of us will play in New Orleans on May 14th. Ed and Wayne fly back to PA while Marty and I go on to wrap up the trip in Jackson, Monroe and Shreveport. Some folks live for the weekend, sometimes I feel like I live for May! Greg

April News Posted: Apr 6, 2007 We'd like to again thank our Dead Irish Blues St. Paddy's Daze Tour winners: Jake and Sharon Johnson, Gary Quinn (and friends from DC), Jeff Rusin, Molly Sizer-Stephenson, Patty Derrick and Linda MacEwan for their commitment to such a good time (making 3+ of our shows despite bad roads., etc.). Jeff, Jake, Sharon, and Linda went 4 for 4. April finds us at four Johnstown area venues, two of which are firsts for us (Ground Round and The Dugout). Check out the "performances" page. May will find us out of town for most of the month. More news on that soon.

March News Posted: Mar 13, 2007 After returning from gigs in Memphis and South Carolina.... IT'S SAINT PATRICK'S DAZE! We're playing four more gigs this month....all within a 30 hour period beginning at 7pm Friday 3/16 at Jim and Jimmies and concluding at midnight on 3/17 at TnC's Lounge. Check out the schedule for details. After this weekend, we're recovering for a few weeks!

FEBRUARY NEWS Posted: Jan 31, 2007 We have two performances in February and they both should be fun nights. Feb. 2nd we're performing at Tulune's Southside Saloon in Moxham from 10-1. We'll be debuting a few new songs and highlighting tunes from our recently released "Gone" CD. In addition, Our Town will be recording the gig for their profile on us as their "Artist of the Month" for March. Feb. 16th we're at TnC's (it a DYNOMITE place to be) for Guinness Toast Night. Nuff said about that...should be a nice warm up for the St. Patrick's Day marathon. More to come on that later...check our schedule for a preview.

GONE released Posted: Dec 15, 2006 The new Dead Irish Blues CD Gone is now available to all. The CD features 16 songs, half of them are original. The song sequence is roughly divided into thirds, with a jugband/original opening set, a Celtic middle, and a Louisiana/original final set. Songs include the original songs Midnight Trial, Hey Hey Tomatoes, Mister E Song, The Beer Baby, Cross the River, Uncle Buster Don't Like It and the title track Gone. Jugband songs on the CD are Ain't Nobody Here But Me and Mister Crump Don't Like It. Celtic tunes are Ed Hritz' Introduction to the Second Set, Trip to Sligo/Lark in the Morning, Roddy McCorley, Irish Volunteers, and Lord Byron's Favorite. Wrapping up the CD is the traditional song made famous by Leadbelly: Pick a Bale of Cotton. The CD is available at our shows, by snail male (contact us through this website) and we hope to have it available on CD Baby sometime in early 2007.

August News Posted: Aug 22, 2006 NOTE - anyone who contacted us over the past few months using "contact" on this website, didn't receive a response from me. This is because AOL blocked all e-mails from this site. This problem is now alleviated. So, I wasn't ignoring you....feel free to contact again! Recording is moving slowly along. Rather than rushing the recording sessions, the 2006 process, using new equipment for better sound and more tracks, will be a slower one than those sessions for Gnarly Roots, Never Here, and The More Things Change. Still, plans are to have the CD complete by the end of the year.

Summer 2006 Update Posted: Jun 27, 2006 July of 2006 will find us playing at two of our favorite J'town venues (Katie's Place on July 7th and Tulune's Southside Saloon on July 29th). In addition, there will be a "Greg Faiers originals" night at Bottleworks on Friday July 21st. This is part of a series featuring local singer/songwriters and poets and will give me the opportunity to "explain myself" ..... and the songs. Also, we'll begin recording our 2006 CD. Our plan is to record traditional and original songs we've incorporated over the last year AND record tunes originally released in the "out of print" Warts and All. We plan to record up to 20 songs, of which 12-15 hopefully make the cut. These songs include the originals Beer Baby, Cross the River, Uncle Buster Don't Like It, Gone, Lester Gash is Dead, Midnight Trial, Mystery Song, and Concrete Builds Better Roads. Celtic tunes up for recording are Trip to Sligo/Lark in the Morning, Roddy McCorley, Lord Byron's Favorite, and Irish Volunteers. Americana tunes Rye Whiskey, Pick a Bale of Cotton, Ain't Nobody Here But Me, Adam and Eve, Mr. Crump Don't Like it, Milwaukee Blues and Goodbye Booze are also on the list. The bulk of the tracks should be recorded in July, additional tracks recorded in September with a release sometime later in the fall months. August finds us on the road much of the time (see performance list) with extended weekends in South Carolina, Louisiana-Mississippi-Tennessee and a mid-week show in Fayetteville, AR.

Memphis Commercial Appeal review of Never Here CD (by Bill Ellis) Posted: Jan 28, 2006 Three Stars (out of four) "Celtic allusions aside, acoustic duo Dead Irish Blues comes most from the perspective of a '60's folkie (that would be Bluff City-born leader Greg Faiers). A reading of the Memphis Jug Band's 'On the Road Again,' done with a nod to pre-Grateful Dead outfit Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, tips you off to the true spirit here, a rambling world view that encompasses Scottish laments, polkas, country ballads, old-timey tunes, blues, spirituals, and whatever else happens to hit their folk alliance fancy. With Fayetteville-raised partner Marty Faiers on fiddle (a Galax contest winner no less), Greg Faiers fronts the couple on a mix of traditional and original material, notably the kazoo romp "Bunkie" and the spiritual-turned-topical closer "Time is Winding Up," with adapted lyrics about 'Osama, Saddam, Bush, Cheney, Durnkards and Pot-heads."

Welcome! Posted: Jan 21, 2006 I'd like to welcome ya'll to our new home! Like everything in life, it is a work in progress. Tunes will be added, new gigs posted, photos, and more to come. Hope you enjoy the new site, enjoy the tunes and we hope to see you out there at one of our shows!