Ri Ra offers high-energy Irish music

Ri Ra is, Darryl Conlon explains, "a Gaelic word loosely translated to 'mayhem.' "

Given that, Ri Ra seems a perfectly logical name for an Irish/Celtic band that seeks to create a sense of ordered mayhem at Nine Fine Irishmen at New York-New York.

The band has been playing together for just over six years, says Conlon, Ri Ra's guitarist and singer, and its pedigree is as authentically Celtic as it comes. "Two of us are native Irish, actually," Conlon says, while other members are well-versed in traditional, and not-so-traditional, Irish tunes.

Newbie audience members often are surprised at finding such authenticity on a boulevard not necessarily known for it. "We get that comment a lot. They expect a fake Irish band, but two of us have Irish accents," Conlon jokes.

The nearly authentic, comfortable ambiance of Nine Fine Irishmen doesn't hurt, he adds. "We get a lot of Irish tourists. They come to Las Vegas and see a sign, 'Irish Pub,' and they're usually skeptical: 'Oh, this can't be a real Irish bar.' They come in and see us play, and we know all the songs they want to hear."

Ri Ra also includes Maire Egan on fiddle and vocals, Kyle Turner on bass and vocals, drummer Randy Brungardt and Irish step dancer Tara Reid. The band's musical offerings range from "old Irish songs to more contemporary songs by Irish bands, and some Irish drinking songs and a lot of dance music," Conlon says.

"We try to keep it high-energy, keep it fun and try to keep everybody thirsty so they buy a lot of beer. We try to keep it accessible, too, because some folks are not familiar with Irish music."

And, during the last hour or so of each show, starting at around 1:30 a.m., Ri Ra even moves into "some regular rock songs, anything from Van Morrison to Johnny Cash to AC/DC," Conlon says.

"We kind of do whatever we want. It's not like a structured show. We take a lot of requests, so each night is different for us."

Ri Ra plays at 9 p.m. every day but Tuesday in Nine Fine Irishmen at New York-New York.

-- By JOHN PRZYBYS