Black Oak Shillelagh

Black Oak Shillelagh strives to create an immersive experience. We talk about ourselves, we talk about the history of the Irish and Scottish traditional music that we play, and we try to find ways to engage our audiences.

All of us in BOS have Irish and/or Scottish heritage, and all of us grew up listening to traditional music, along with music from all genres and eras. We have been to Ireland as a band, and have performed in pubs over there. (They liked us - they even bought us drinks, which is high praise indeed!) We understand the power of music as a force of history and heritage.

We are an acoustic band, but we know that many venues need amplified sound for best results, so we have sound equipment that will handle most average-sized venues. We have also worked with sound engineers who provide equipment for large-scale venues.

We try to arrange our music sets in 45-60 minute sections. We can play multiple sets, either back-to-back (with short breaks in between each set), or we can alternate sets with other performers/acts. When doing all-day events (such as Renaissance Festivals), we generally plan to do 3-4 sets each day, and can also offer opening and closing music as needed.

Our Facebook page has many past events listed, along with videos of some of our performances. Feel free to check us out at (link hidden)

The idea of Black Oak Shillelagh was conceived by Roger Graham and Rebecca Grotts. Both already members of a Celtic pub band called On The Doss, Roger and Rebecca also liked attending and performing in garb (costume) at Renaissance Faires and Scottish Festivals. They decided that they wanted to form a band that would be available for performance opportunities at faires as well as in Irish pubs and bars, and invited Kevin Fitzgerald (a fellow Renaissance Faire performer and musician) to join them. (Well, 'invited' might be a bit strong - more like pulled him up on stage and said, "Here, play this." Kevin was a bit shy...)

BOS began rehearsals in September, 2010, and was invited almost immediately to fill an open slot at Sean Cummings Irish Pub in Oklahoma City, providing traditional music during the evening dining hours. A very short while later at Global Oklahoma (an international music and dance festival held annually at Rose State College in OKC), Black Oak made its festival debut, and the band has been off and running ever since.

Black Oak Shillelagh has performed at pubs, weddings, St. Patrick's Day activities, Scottish Festivals and Renaissance Faires, providing stage entertainment and dance music in the Celtic style. Our repertoire includes traditional Irish and Scottish ballads and songs, jigs and reels and other Celtic tunes for dancing, and covers of the music of modern Irish artists such as Christy Moore. We often throw in a few songs from the sea and from places where the Irish immigrated, and we add new material on an ongoing basis, often by request.

We are a Celtic Pub Band...with a twist! Please check our calendar to see where you might find us performing soon!

Black Oak Shillelagh can provide sound equipment for a small space, including a mixer, standing speakers, microphones and stands. Let us know what the room specifications are, and we can tell you if our equipment will be appropriate for it.

Black Oak Shillelagh is quite comfortable performing in a strictly acoustic area as well.