FESTIVAL
Longitude
Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 4pm €149.50/€59.50 ticketmaster.ie Also Sat/Sun, Dublin
Summer seems to be here for a while, and so it’s a high-five to one of the best city-based open-air music events this year. Too many names to list here, but best bets include Ibeyi, Young Fathers, The Vaccines and Hozier (tonight); Girl Band, Years & Years, Caribou and Alt-J (Saturday); and Tove Lo, Wolf Alice, Wild Beasts, James Blake and Chemical Brothers (Sunday).
BIRTHDAY
Lauren Lane
Opium Rooms, Dublin 11pm €10 facebook.com/opiumrooms
The venue formerly known as The Village (and the Wexford Inn, Mean Fiddler and Mono back in the day) celebrates a year in the Opium business this weekend. Lauren Lane’s big room expertise comes from her time at Sound in Los Angeles, where her deep house and tech grooves have kept feet moving, while releases for Saved and Visionquest have brought her to the attention of those beyond Hollywood. Tomorrow, it’s the return of local notable Krystal Klear, last seen in action working with Nile Rodgers on the new Chic album.
FESTIVAL
Be Sound, Lush On!
Temple House, Sligo €50 (also Sat and Sun) templehouse.ie
The Lush and Be Sound crews join forces with the Hotbox crew for a three-day, three-stage affair in Co Sligo. Acts performing over the weekend include Italian dub and electronic musician Gaudi, new-school Bristol house proponent Rektchordz, Bastardo Electrico boss Jamie Behan, Ben Remember, DaveCue, Kenny Tynan and many more Irish and international names. If that line-up sounds like your thing, there are also the temptations of fireshows, bespoke decor and a shisha bar.
TRAD
Andy Irvine
The Pillar House, Ballinasloe, Co Galway 8pm €20 thepillarhouse.ie Also Sat, Kerry; Sun, Clare; Mon, Down; Wed, Waterford
Few artists in any genre put the road miles under their belts that Andy Irvine does. A veteran of Planxty, Patrick Street and Mozaik, to mention but a few, Irvine’s own songs paint a picture of life in Ireland (and well beyond) over the past five decades that’s in equal parts picaresque and piquant. His musicianship is still the envy of countless emerging players, and his easy live performance style puts many more limelight-hungry artists in the shade.
TRAD
Dermot Byrne, Floriane Blancke and Brendan O’Regan
Monroe's Live 1pm €8 giaf.ie
The happy marriage of button accordion and harp is one that is all too rarely celebrated these days, but Donegal’s sublime box player (and founding member of Altan) Dermot Byrne saddles up with his partner, Breton harpist Floriane Blancke, for an intimate lunchtime session, just in case the Galway International Arts Festival was in any danger of losing its midday momentum. With mandolinist, bouzouki and guitar player O’Regan accompanying, expect much by way of lithe and lissome tunes, and precious little grandstanding.
QUEEN OF SONG
The Art of the Song – Carole King’s Tapestry
National Concert Hall, Dublin 8pm €25 nch.ie
US singer-songwriter Carole King's second landmark album – as well as many other songs she co-wrote with her husband Gerry Goffin – are given a stylish going-over by the likes of Cathy Davey, Jennifer Evans, Bronagh Gallagher, The Lost Brothers, Mary Coughlan, Gavin Glass and a house band par excellence. Your host and MC? Irish Times writer Tony Clayton-Lea.
TECHNO
Subsession
Cork Community Print Shop 6pm €5 skirmishblog.net
Subsession is the night out from the folks behind the Skirmish electronic music blog, an event where they get to showcase the music, art and visuals they’re most excited about at the moment. Tonight’s Subsession line-up is heavy on the techno with Scidley Rott, Adam Sixs, Gary Fitz and Olan firing out heavyweight bangers left, right and centre.
JAZZ
Listen at Wellington
Wellington, Baggot St, Dublin 7pm €10 listen.ie
Composer Dylan Rynhart’s monthly salon is a perfect chance to catch up with what’s fresh and rising on Dublin’s creative music scene. This month’s high-quality bill includes a rare appearance by analog keyboard guru Justin Carroll, now a long-term New York resident but home for the summer for work and play. Also on this month’s bill, a sax-piano duo from Cathal Roche and Izumi Kimura, South African saxophonist Chris Engel’s trio, songwriter Miriam Ingram and poetry from Dave Rock with pianist Greg Felton.
