When it comes to Irish music and dance, most people’s perceptions are shaped by a handful of touring companies, some of which are more concerned with catering to the audience than honoring the art forms’ traditions.
That was the conclusion Kevin Crosby, his brother, Eamon, and a mutual friend, fiddler Michael McClintock, came to after living abroad in the early 2000s.
“It had a very tacky kind of feel compared to what Irish music is at home,” Kevin Crosby said.
When they returned to Ireland, they decided to produce their own street show to provide audiences with a more accurate view of their native music and dance.
They christened their group Music at the Crossroads and began performing in Galway City in 2005, featuring a cast of young, energetic musicians’ performances of rearranged traditional and world tunes. After local businesses complained about their audiences clogging city streets, the city council offered a rent-free deal to perform at a local arts center, where they sold out six nights a week, Crosby said.