Mulligan Stew stirs it up

A local take on Irish, Celtic music and stories.


How to go

What: Mulligan Stew

Where: Springfield Museum of Art, 150 Cliff Park Road

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday

Cost: Free; food available for purchase

More info: 937-325-8100 or www.springfieldsym.org/lunch.html

They’ll perform Irish and Celtic music. That aside, true to its name, prepare for the unexpected when locally based band Mulligan Stew plays at Friday’s Lunch on the Lawn series.

“You just never know what you’re going to get with us,” said frontman Richard Carey.

Mulligan Stew will perform 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday on the front lawn outside the Springfield Museum of Art, 107 Cliff Park Road. There is no cost to attend.

The series is presented by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

Carey, a Clark County probate court judge, plays keyboards and is front man. He’s joined by his brother, Daniel Carey, a local prosecuting attorney, on the djembe drum; Richard’s son, Joshua, in from Chicago where he works for Teach for America, on guitar; and Tyler Detrick on fiddle, a former Springfield Youth Symphony member and junior at Cedarville University. Tyler is the grandson of Clark County Commissioner John Detrick.

It was a chance encounter six years ago at a Kiwanis club meeting between Richard and Tyler that led to Mulligan Stew.

Richard performed at meetings occasionally and was double-booked with Tyler. They went into the hall to form a plan.

“He pulled up his violin, our tones worked together and Mulligan Stew was born,” said Richard.

The musical roots go deeper than that. Richard’s dad, Norman Carey, also had a community band that performed locally at the Memorial Day parades and other events.

“I had to pick up an instrument and learned early what a great hobby it is,” he said.

Between Mulligan Stew and his Christian rock band, Carey said music is a great way to unwind from the daily stresses of a demanding career.

Along with the music, Carey has become quite a storyteller in the grand Irish tradition that will be part of the show.

“We’ll play a lot of traditional, some modern, some edgy, however the spirit moves me that day.”

Richard added the outdoor setting lends itself to Mulligan Stew’s brand of music. And that the band is proud to be part of a great local arts scene.

“We have a lot of creativity in this community. I hope people will come out in the spirit of our music.”

Attendees can bring their own lunch or sack lunches will be available on site for $6 each while they last. Attendees should bring their own seating or a blanket, and some seats will be available under the performance tent on a first come, first served basis.

The show will move indoors in the case of inclement weather.

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