Columbus Monthly / March 2012 / St. Patty's Day guide

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St. Patty's Day guide

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, which this year happens to fall on a Saturday, meaning partiers won’t have to wait till the clock hits 5 to channel their Irish side. In fact, the merriment will begin the night before, as many pubs around town have bands lined up to play Friday, as well.

For your convenience, lads and lassies, we’ve put together a wee bit of a guide for you.

At the downtown location of Claddagh Irish Pub, 585 S. Front St., Vinegar Hill will perform March 17 at 10 am, the Ladies of Longford will take the stage at 2 pm, followed by Hat Trick at 6 pm. DJ Flovin will perform from 9 pm until close with periodic performances by Irish dancers from the Millennium Academy. In the outdoor tent, the McIans will perform at 4 pm, and headlining at 8:30 pm is One, a U2 tribute band. Cover is $10.

At Claddagh’s Polaris location, 8745 Sancus Blvd., a heated tent also will be set up. During the evening of March 16, traditional Irish music will be performed by FinTan, while doors open March 17 at 8 am. The lineup includes the Gatlin Show at 10 am, Tim O’Connor at 3 pm and the Drowsy Lads at 4 pm. The Columbus Police & Fire Pipes and Drums will make an appearance at 6 pm and then DJ Flair will spin at 8 pm. Cover is $5.

Featured March 17 at Byrne’s Pub, 1248 W. Third Ave., is Knot Fibb’n at 1 pm, followed by 9 Castle Close at 4 pm. The Drowsy Lads take the stage at 8 pm. Cover is $5 until 3 pm, then $10.

At Brazenhead, 1027 W. Fifth Ave., Contagious Til 4 will play at 9 pm Friday night. Starting things off the morning of March 17 is Tim O’Connor at 10 am, followed by Mad Maudlin at 2 pm, the Whiskey Mile at 6 pm and Jenkins and Scott at 10 pm. Cover is $5 starting at noon, and there is no cover Friday night.

There will be two stages at Flannagan’s Dublin, 6835 Caine Rd. The inside stage will feature 88 Keys from 8 to 11 am, the Reaganomics from 11:30 am to 3 pm, Fat Dog from 3:30 to 7:30 pm, Poison’D from 8 to 9:30 pm, Red White and Crue from 10 to 11:30 pm and Three Ton Toad from midnight to 2 am. On the tent stage, Off the Hook will perform from 9:30 am to 11 am, 70 West from 11:30 am to 2 pm, the 17th Floor from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, the Personnel from 7 to 8:15 pm and again from 9:30 to 10:45 pm and Lt. Dan’s New Legs from 8:15 to 9:30 pm and again from 10:45 pm to midnight. Cover is $5 from 8 am to 3 pm and then $10. Included is a breakfast from 8 to 10 am.

 

The horror

Squeamish beware: Hordes of zombies, masked serial killers and bloody beasts are making their way to Columbus. The reason? Braaaaaains! But also to take part in the HorrorHound Weekend, a biannual convention celebrating the films and TV shows that have frightened us for generations, from George A. Romero’s classic 1968 thriller Night of the Living Dead to Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake of Halloween.

Promoter Nathan Hanneman, based in Cincinnati, says that when he started the HorrorHound convention in Indianapolis in 2007, it was meant to promote his magazine of the same name. Now, however, he says the publication seemingly plays second fiddle to the expo.

The three-day event, making its first foray into Columbus March 23 through 25 at the Crowne Plaza Columbus North hotel, will feature roughly 150 vendor booths selling anything from toys and masks to comics and zombie massages. (“I guess the woman dresses up as a zombie and gives people massages,” Hanneman says. “I don’t really know what to expect with that one.”)

 Independent films will be shown and dozens of celebrities will make appearances, such as Elvira, Tippi Hedren of The Birds fame and action icon Pam Grier. Additionally, Hanneman says, there will be about a dozen top tattoo artists from around the country inking folks.

Hanneman says the expo has been to Cincinnati a few times and also to Pittsburgh. “We didn’t want to venture too far from our comfort zone,” he says, adding that Columbus seemed to be a “pretty centralized” candidate to host.

Despite the frights that surely await any who attend, Hanneman says the show is kid-friendly (children 12 and younger get in free). “If their parents let them watch Nightmare on Elm Street, they should be fine letting them come to the convention,” he adds.

Single day tickets are $20 and weekend passes $45. Visit horrorhoundweekend.com for more info.