Tom O'Carroll ~ 2023 March 9 ~ Centerville Public Library, Centerville, MA
Review
For the second show in a row, I was treated to a musical entertainment combined with stories about the experiences of an ethnic group. My last concert was by Reggie Harris, who talked about African American history, mixed with songs. This afternoon's show was by folksinger Tom O'Carroll, originally from Dublin, Ireland, who played about a dozen songs in a little over an hour, in a program he calls "Dublin in Song and Story." He focused on particular episodes from the rich drama of Irish history, playing songs that illustrated or dated from those times. He started with a "Molly Malone" singalong.
As well as being an informative and often witty teller of tales, Tom is a very talented singer with a rich, pleasing baritone voice. He played guitar on most songs, the bodhran on one (he taught the audience how to pronounce the name of this Irish drum), and the Irish penny whistle on one.
The show was held in the afternoon of a weekday, appealing largely to an audience of Cape Cod retirees. The Centerville Library chose to host this show in the St. Patrick Day season, which made it all the more fun. Just about every seat was taken in a room that seated about one hundred. Like some of the other Cape Cod libraries, this is a genuinely good place to see a show, very casual and friendly, and free, funded by the Friends of the Library. While there, Concert Going Partner and I also took advantage of the library's onsite bookstore and donated some books.