When you Google the name of D.C.-based band O’Tasty, you get two main hits: one for the band’s Web site, and another for a D.C. Chinese carry-out.
Coincidentally, the two are related — the inspiration behind the band’s name was the carry-out.
“It was kind of a quirky decision. It just seemed like such a funny name for a Chinese restaurant,” trumpeter/mandolin player John Garder said, laughing. “I don’t even know if they know that we exist.”
» Where: Mick O’Shea’s 328 N. Charles St., Baltimore» When: 9:30 p.m. Friday » Tickets: Free » Info: www.otastyband.com
O’Tasty, which also includes guitarist/vocalist James O’Brien, piccolo player Eric Abalahin, fiddler Paul Binghay, drummer Jim Greif and bassist Tom Lewis, rocks out with a mixture of Celtic punk infused with Irish folk. The band won the 2005 New York City Irish Rhapsody Festival and consistently play venues in Manhattan, Virginia, D.C. and Philadelphia.
Would you describe your music as “Celtic rock”?
Celtic rock is a fair name; we’re definitely inspired by the Celtic punk tradition. I think it has some of the characteristics of The Pogues, Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys. It’s essentially great rock music that’s Irish in nature, with instrumentation from the Irish tradition. People who are music fans of the punk tradition would appreciate it, but those who just get into quality rock song writing would also appreciate our stuff a great deal.
Why do you think audiences are attracted to music with an Irish traditional influence?
I think part of it is the driving rhythm that we shoot for with a lot of our songs. It’s prominent in the Celtic-punk tradition. There’s something almost primal about having a beat that just makes people inherently want to at least tap their feet, if not more. Part of it also is the energy that we and other bands in this tradition are putting out — making it more of a performance than just music itself.
What’s in the future for O’Tasty?
Right now we’re working on our debut album. We’re increasingly writing tunes that are traditional in nature, but I don’t know if we’ll include them. My guess is we’ll probably record at least one traditional song — we have one called “Marta,” which is a straight up traditional instrumental song.
