The Wild Colonial Bhoys began as a side-project idea for two young veterans of the Minneapolis rock scene. Adam Coolong and Geno Carlson hail from different backgrounds thousands of miles apart (Adam is originally from Pennsylvania and Geno calls Saskatchewan home) but found common ground with a shared Irish heritage and a desire to reinvigorate the local Irish music community. They played their first show in November, 2003. Since then, The Wild Colonial Bhoys have garnered quick attention and much respect in the Twin Cities Irish music scene. They recorded their first EP Graffiti on the Wall in May of 2004, and released their second effort Almost Live… Seven Second Delay on St. Patrick’s Day, 2005. Since then they have sold over thousands of copies of each, all thanks to the strength and energy of their live shows. “Both albums were by design a small sampling of our perspective on Irish music,” says Adam. “They feature rebel ballads, contemporary Irish and Irish American radio hits and a few things in between. We wanted to showcase different types of Irish music and play them all with our unique style.” And “unique” is certainly the way to describe it. To have an American and a Canadian playing Irish songs without the use of traditional Irish instrumentation provides the listener with a fresh take on songs they may have heard a thousand times. “Adam grew up hearing Irish music, I didn’t,” Geno explains. “I think that the combination of those backgrounds helps us sound original and new. We have a simple live set-up. Two acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies. We don’t use tin whistles or button boxes or anything you’d expect to find in an Irish band. But you’d be surprised at the full sound we get from that simple approach. It helps us to sound very contemporary and still maintain ties to the original sound of the music.” That contemporary take has allowed them to chart their own course. They’ve kept busy playing in every Irish pub in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, as well as in Kansas City, Omaha, and even a few in Ireland, as well as several major festivals. These two young talents have injected passion and a fiery spirit into every show. They have added new flavor to the local Irish music scene--with their energetic guitar playing and infectious vocal harmonies, theirs is definitely a show to see!