When it comes to his performances, Pat Broaders doesn't really care who’s watching.
“I sing these songs for me, not necessarily for who’s listening to me,” he said. “If they want to listen to me, great. And then if they listen to me and they like it, they’ll go and research it themselves. That would be my goal, is to make people pique their interest.”
Broaders and two other musicians are hoping to pique some interest at a concert at Kenai Peninsula College on Friday. The show, called “An Evening of Traditional Irish Music,” is sponsored by the college and KDLL, as part of the station’s annual meeting.
The concert has become somewhat of a tradition in itself. Broaders has been playing shows in Alaska for years, alongside fellow Dublin-raised musician John Walsh.
Walsh previously lived in Anchorage, which is when he started bringing up other Irish musicians to play shows in Alaska. He plays the tenor banjo and Broaders plays bouzouki, a teardrop-shaped guitar. Rose Flanagan, who will be joining the pair onstage Friday, plays fiddle.
Today, all three live in the Lower 48. Broaders said the trio is used to playing shows together, in New York and Chicago, where he lives.
The trio plays a mixture of traditional dance tunes – including jigs, reels and hornpipes that come from old collections and recordings. Broaders said some are songs his father used to sing.
But even though the music is steeped in tradition, he said every musician has their own take, which he said can be especially influenced by a player’s sense of place and belonging.
“You listen to the people you like listening to, that play the music that you like, and you take the best bits of all of those and then you put that together,” Broaders said. “And if everything is lined up in the universe — a slightly different version will emerge. ’Cause you’ll be putting your life experience into that particular piece of music.”
Dave Atcheson is Showcase coordinator at Kenai Peninsula College. He said the music, often upbeat, is a good antidote to the doldrums of winter.
“They’re real personable, they tell a lot of stories, they talk about the history of the songs they’re playing and they really connect well with the audience,” Atcheson said.
Broaders said it’s a two-way street.
“Oh, I mean, so receptive up here,” he said. “It’s nearly embarrassing. But it’s great.”
Music kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Admission is free, since the concert is supported by a grant from the Damon Foundation.
Stay tuned at intermission for a reception, which will double as KDLL’s annual meeting.
