St. Patrick's Day is this Tuesday, when everyone and their cousin will pretend to be Irish (read: drunk) for the day. But, the real celebration is tonight, with a pair of regular trad sessions that are among the city's best. (See here for other regular NYC sessions.)
Slainte, Bowery at Bleecker St. A dozen top-notch musicians around a pair of tables at the front of the bar, mostly fiddles and flutes. Unfortunately, most of the folks here seem more interested in the stupid sports projected on the dozen flat screens around the perimeter, or their own mindless jabber – even when the bodhran player stands to sing "Easy and Slow" a capella. Which makes me want to beat someone.
11th St. Bar, between Ave A & B. Sometimes, smaller is better. The session in this friendly pub is just five musicians, exactly the size you'd find at O'Donoghue's in Dublin: flute, bodhran, bouzouki, button accordion, concertina. And a perfect pint of Guinness to boot. Good craic: something tells me I'll be back here on Tuesday. (More pics below.)