Black Oak Shillelagh
The idea of Black Oak Shillelagh was conceived by Roger Graham and Rebecca Grotts. Both already members of a Celtic pub band called On The Doss, Roger and Rebecca also liked attending and performing in garb (costume) at Renaissance Faires and Scottish Festivals. They decided that they wanted to form a band that would be available for performance opportunities at faires as well as in Irish pubs and bars, and invited Kevin Fitzgerald (a fellow Renaissance Faire performer and musician) to join them. (Well, 'invited' might be a bit strong - more like pulled him up on stage and said, "Here, play this." Kevin was a bit shy...)
BOS began rehearsals in September, 2010, and was invited almost immediately to fill an open slot at Sean Cummings Irish Pub in Oklahoma City, providing traditional music during the evening dining hours. A very short while later at Global Oklahoma (an international music and dance festival held annually at Rose State College in OKC), Black Oak made its festival debut, and the band has been off and running ever since.
Black Oak Shillelagh has performed at pubs, weddings, St. Patrick's Day activities, Scottish Festivals and Renaissance Faires, providing stage entertainment and dance music in the Celtic style. Our repertoire includes traditional Irish and Scottish ballads and songs, jigs and reels and other Celtic tunes for dancing, and covers of the music of modern Irish artists such as Christy Moore. We often throw in a few songs from the sea and from places where the Irish immigrated, and we add new material on an ongoing basis, often by request.
We are a Celtic Pub Band...with a twist. Please check our calendar to see where you might find us performing soon!