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We have finished the recording of a studio-quality version of our ode to Fitz, “Big Tim Fitzgerald”. Not only is it available for your listening pleasure online via a stream on our audio page, but it’s also available for you to download and keep, for free, right here!

Without further ado, here it is. Just right-click on the link below and “Save Link As” to download it to your computer for playing in iTunes or whatever player you use:

Big Tim Fitzgerald MP3

Special thanks to Hannah from The Langer’s Ball, who played accordion for us on the track.

The Twin Cities has lost a giant. Tim Fitzgerald was one of the most valued and respected members of the Irish community not just here in town but all over America and even in Ireland itself. People knew him everywhere and loved him for his humor, his talent as a singer and piper, his selfless sacrifice for the good of the community, and the can-do spirit that few will be able to replicate.

Fitz was always there to help; his many years at Kieran’s Pub in Minneapolis put him at the center of the goings-on in the Twin Cities Irish scene. If you needed a gig he’d give you one. If you needed help moving furniture he’d bring his truck. If you needed a bagpiper at a wedding or a funeral, your first call was to Fitz.

His are giant shoes to fill, in so many ways. He was so jolly and giving and kind. He was always there to help WCB, and for that we are eternally grateful. It was always amazing to think that a man of his standing in the community, this high profile, popular figure, would always give his time to help us. Who were we? Nobodies, and yet he was always there to help us along.

Thank you Fitz! We will miss you dearly. Heaven is certainly a happy place right now, for you are there singing “the Old Triangle” and “the Parting Glass” and of course your showpiece, “Isn’t it Grand Boys”. It’s grand indeed, Fitz. And so are you.

“Look at the coffin, with golden handles
Isn’t it grand, boys, to be bloody-well dead?

Let’s not have a sniffle, let’s have a bloody-good cry
And always remember: The longer you live
The sooner you’ll bloody-well die

Look at the flowers, all bloody withered
Isn’t it grand, boys, to be bloody-well dead?

Let’s not have a sniffle, let’s have a bloody-good cry
And always remember: The longer you live
The sooner you’ll bloody-well die

Look at the mourners, bloody-great hypocrites
Isn’t it grand, boys, to be bloody-well dead?

Let’s not have a sniffle, let’s have a bloody-good cry
And always remember: The longer you live
The sooner you’ll bloody-well die

Look at the preacher, a bloody-nice fellow
Isn’t it grand, boys, to be bloody-well dead?

Let’s not have a sniffle, let’s have a bloody-good cry
And always remember: The longer you live
The sooner you’ll bloody-well die

Look at the widow, bloody-great female
Isn’t it grand, boys, to be bloody-well dead?

Let’s not have a sniffle, let’s have a bloody-good cry
And always remember: The longer you live
The sooner you’ll bloody-well die”

Well, the polls have closed, and WCB has won the popular vote for the Kansas City Irish Music Association’s “Best Duo” Award for 2009! The public vote is only one part of the voting process apparently (votes by members of the IMA “count for more” somehow), so we’ll see how things shake out, but we feel that showing how much popular support we have is really the most important thing! Thanks to all of you who voted, moblized people to vote and posted such nice comments on www.irishmusicawards.com! We are truly blessed to have your support, and we are honored by it.

The awards ceremony is Wednesday, January 27th at O’Malley’s in Weston so Geno and Adam will probably be in attendance, and who knows… they might just win.

Thanksgiving is now over, which means it’s time to think about Christmas (we here at WCB World HQ refuse to mention or think of Christmas until Black Friday. One holiday at a time, thank you very much)! We are EXTREMELY proud to be involved with “Home for the Holidays, A Minnesota Christmas”, which is a compilation CD of some of Minnesota’s finest musicians, benefiting some wonderful and deserving charities.

The album features 15 “A List” Minnesota artists, like Mick Sterling, GB Leighton, Tim Mahoney, Katie McMahon, and the Blenders. Oh, and Wild Colonial Bhoys too! We recorded an acoustic version of the Pogues’ classic Christmas ditty “Fairytale of New York” (yeah, we changed some of the words) and we’re really excited to have been asked to submit a track for the project!

The CD is available at all Twin Cities area Target stores, AND is online on iTunes for your downloading pleasure. All proceeds go to benefit four great charities– Second Harvest Heartland, Union Gospel Mission, St. Paul Parks Conservancy, and UnderConstruction.

Please pick up a copy at Target or download it from iTunes and support these worthy causes! This is the true spirit of the season, after all…

Here is a little video blurb of the project’s main man, piano virtuoso Phil Thompson, discussing what it’s all about. Oh, and it also features some familiar faces… Just hit the link and click “Holiday Lights”.

AND IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH…

There’s even going to be a live concert! Details…

Home for the Holidays: A Minnesota Christmas
Thursday, December 10th at 7:00PM – Pantages Theatre
Tickets $24 – $31

“Home for the Holidays: A Minnesota Christmas” concert will feature acoustic performances from Minnesota’s Musical A-List as they all come together to share the stage for this incredible one night engagement. All artists performing will feature selections from the the benefit album “Home for the Holidays: A Minnesota Christmas Vol. 1″ which includes the talents of: Tim Mahoney, Katie McMahon, Mick Sterling, Patty Peterson, Mary Beth Carlson, Matthew Griswold, Wild Colonial Bhoys, Cate Fierro, Roster McCabe, Ari Herstand, and Phil Thompson. Don’t miss your chance to experience all of these great artists in this unprecedented line-up of Minnesota’s finest. All proceeds benefitting Second Harvest, Union Gospel Mission, St. Paul Parks Conservancy, and UnderConstruction.

Click here for info and tickets!

We encourage ALL of you to buy a ticket and come check it out. Don’t be Scrooge–it’s Christmas!

Hello hello WCB fhans! We are SO excited to announce that there is FINALLY
some new Wild Colonial Bhoys material for you all! Our new full-band live
album is REALLY sounding good, and we’re going to release it on Saturday,
November 14th!

Called “Live, What’s it to Ya?!”, it features a plethora of WCB classics and
new songs that were performed live in St. Paul, MN back in June. We’ve been
working with our producer and our record label ever since to mix it just the
right way so it will capture how cool that show was. We think we’ve done
it!

So, it’s time to have a party! We’ll be doing a show with Milwaukee’s
celtic rock powerhouse The Sandcarvers at The Fine Line in Minneapolis.

This is our first big band show at a venue that has hosted a ton of national
and even international artists, so we’re pretty excited as you can well
imagine.

Please spread the word, faithful fhans! We want the place to be packed
obviously, so put it on your calendars, tell all your friends, Facebook it,
Myspace it, Tweet it, Skype it, send it by pony express. We haven’t
released an album in over two years so it’s well overdue. Come help us make
this night special!