MUSKEGON, Mich. — In between songs, Irish musician Síomha told a crowd at McGraft Park on Tuesday night that Michigan has come to feel like a home away from home to her. And the crowd at Muskegon's Summer Concert Series showed her that same love right back.
"Síomha is a new kind of sensation in Ireland, and she's turning a lot of heads. We saw her at a showcase, and she just knocked our socks off," said Tom Schaub who serves as the entertainment director of the Michigan Irish Music Festival.
Tuesday night's concert gave crowds a taste of what they can expect when the 25th iteration of the festival comes to Muskegon from September 12 to 15.
"We're one of the one of the biggest Irish festivals in North America," said Schaub, who noted that 25 acts will be performing on six different stages at Heritage Landing during this year's festival.
"One of the big names that people who've been to the festival are going to remember is Gaelic Storm. Gaelic Storm is the band that played in the Titanic movie, and so that kind of launched their career, and they are really at the top of their game. I mean, they play lots of Irish music festivals, and they're a big deal, and they're a ton of fun."
Another highly-anticipated act coming to Muskegon this year is Kíla, who Schaub says he's been trying to book for two decades.
"Kíla is a band that, when they play, every other musician at the festival who doesn't have their own gig will be sitting and listening to them. So that's how you know that's exciting," he said.
The festival has a full list of participating acts on their website. The lineup includes a pub preview party on Thursday night before the festival.
Everyone who works for the Michigan Irish Music Festival is doing so on a volunteer basis. Schaub, who is a founding member, says the final month of preparations can feel like herding cats. But he says he enjoys every minute of it.
"The vibe, the feel, the passion that comes from being volunteers rather than any other, we just love that. And I think that's a big reason why we've been successful, because we're just a group of people who enjoy spending time together, enjoy volunteering, and enjoying showcasing Muskegon, and giving the public something they hadn't thought about," he said.