Concert Review: Scythian @ ShamrockFest 2018 (3/17/18)

Your favorite DC band rocks ShamrockFest!

I enjoy a good Scythian show, and their set during 2018’s edition of ShamrockFest was a stand out.

I experienced all the live bands on the Gold and Green Stages at ShamrockFest, save one (something, something shenanigans with a few drunken revelers). From Kilmaine Saints to Barleyjuice to Reel Big Fish to Carbon Leaf to Less Than Jake to Shaggy to Sum 41, I still enjoyed Scythian’s set the most. Other highlights of the day were Barleyjuice (Guinness whispered in my ear that the lead singer, Kyf Brewer, was a dead ringer for Christopher Walken); and I did enjoy Sum 41 despite being skeptical. I realize I know more of their songs than I thought.

Scythian are DC natives, and started playing on the DC streets, then at local Irish pubs, Finn McCool’s and Fado, before getting big enough to travel around the country. The band includes siblings Alexander, Danylo and Larissa Fedoryka, along with Nolan Ladewski and Fritz McGirr (drums).

Their high energy live shows usually focus on Celtic and Eastern European traditions, with some local Appalachian music.

For some reason Scythian gifted 15 minutes of their set to a local Irish dance troupe, and that’s fine. We can enjoy a good jig. The announcer of the troupe had a baby strapped to his chest, and thought he would show us some moves, much to the baby’s chagrin.

Scythian started off with an instrumental song, strumming their fiddles and Larissa showing off her skills on the electric cello (Google it).

Then they played a bunch of favorites, like “New York Girls”, singing about ‘my poor Annie’, “Jack Dempsey” and “Hey Mama Ya”, which is their most fun song (and least for me).

Later, they led into a series of five or so short burst cover songs, taking us back to ‘when David Hasselhoff ruled the world.’ Each song got progressively better, until they ended with “Call Me Al” and “Come on Eileen”.

Thanks Scythian for another great show. I’ve lost count of all the times I’ve seen them, but I can say 10 times in the last eight years. And every time I’ve been to ShamrockFest! That equals five times.

If you sign up for their email list at http://www.scythianmusic.com you can get a FREE album download! It’s their favorite album, American Shanty.

I’d also like to plug their annual roots festival, Appaloosa. The festival takes place in Front Royal from August 31 to September 2 (Labor Day weekend). Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but they start at $45 for an adult weekend pass.

Now that you know Scythian loves to play at ShamrockFest (read our highlights of 2018), be sure to get in on the action in 2019!

Here is my poor attempt at the setlist…

Setlist
(instrumental)
New York Girls
(instrumental)
Jack Dempsey
Hey Mama Ya
(instrumental with Irish dancers)
Dance All Night
(unknown)
(I Just) Died in Your Arms (Cutting Crew cover)
Lean On Me (Bill Withers cover)
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson cover)
Call Me Al (Paul Simon cover)
Come on Eileen (Dexys Midnight Runners cover)
(instrumental – the fastest song they know)