St. Patrick’s Day in Cedar Rapids, IA (and probably every other place in this fine state) equaled lots of green clothes (and hair, and nails…), loud music, and LOTS of drunkenness!
The day is meant to commemorate the death of Saint Patrick, who (long story short) traveled through Ireland, converting the natives to Christianity in the 5th Century. Over the years, the day has turned from a primarily Catholic holiday into a “Be Irish for a day” celebration. So we have Saint Patrick to thank for March 17th every year, when we all get to sport our green colors, wear “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” t-shirts, and drink ourselves silly!
While I knew an Irish pub (like Mahoney’s) was the place to be on this particular holiday, I wasn’t quite ready for that right off the bat, so I trekked over to Cedar River Landing first… the parking lot was packed, and the music pumped through the air. I walked into a sea of green, and had the pleasure of hearing the band Between Monsters play for the first time. The band was even nice enough to pose for a picture for me (Check out the Cedar Rapids Nite Out Facebook page for all the pictures from the night!) and give me a little shout out during their show! Being drunk definitely seemed to loosen the inhibitions of the bar goers, and the dance floor was packed as Between Monsters did their thing (Marcy Playground and the Cranberries among the artists they sang). It didn’t take long to see that this party was going to continue all night, so warmed up, I decided to brave Mahoney’s!
Again, it was PACKED, and after parking a few blocks away, I walked to the bar, bracing myself for what was inside. If I thought CRL was packed, I was terribly mistaken! Mahoney’s is small in size with a personal feeling, but when you pack as many people into one room as there was Thursday night, you REALLY get up and personal with those around you! Irish music played through the speakers, people were drinking and yelling and talking and just having an awesome time all around! There was no lack of Irish pride inside, and the patrons spilled out into the street and in the parking lot, having a great time. After the Irish music at Mahoney’s I decided I was in the mood for a musical change, so it was to Tailgators that I traveled next.
Swamped as well with green being the primary color of everything, the group Downward Fall were rocking the stage. Two bands in one night that I had never heard, and let me tell you, these guys were awesome! The dance floor was packed and people sang along to the great music. With a larger space than Mahoney’s, there was still room to move around and get comfy, but the atmosphere was the same as the previous two bars… “Let’s get drunk!”
I continue to enjoy exploring our town and meeting all the awesome people that venture out to our bars and grills (that would be YOU, Reader!) and I hope you all showed your Irish pride on Thursday (actually being Irish seems to be the last requirement for this day!!!)! See you on the town!
No comments:
Post a Comment