Per usual, St. Patrick's Day unofficially began earlier this month when Cleveland's Boys from the County Hell, a local Pogues tribute act that makes the most of the holiday, played a special warm-up party at Music Box Supper Club.
The Boys will again be plenty busy this year. They start off St. Paddy's Day at 9 a.m. at House of Blues, where they play an epic three-hour set. From there, they head to Flannery's Pub, where they will turn in another epic five-hour set that starts at 1 p.m. They end the night with a performance at 9 p.m. at the Harp that lasts until the bar closes or they pass out from exhaustion — whichever comes first.
The Boys from the County Hell will be just one act at House of Blues, which hosts its 14th annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration. If you've never stopped at the club on St. Paddy's Day, you've got to give it a go. Bands will perform in both the Music Hall and the Cambridge Room. DJ Sparky B will perform at noon and then from 4 p.m. until the club closes. In the Cambridge Room, local Irish rockers Craic get started at 9:30 a.m. Billy Likes Soda will take the stage at noon and DJ Gene will perform from 2 p.m. until the club closes. The restaurant and bar will open at 10 a.m., and the Foundation Room will open at 11 a.m. Because House of Blues doesn't charge admission, the place will be packed.
Over at the Music Box Supper Club, the Shamrocks & Dreadlocks St. Patrick's Day Party features local acts such as Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band and the Portersharks as well as local DJ Packy Mally. The musical performers will all undoubtedly bring a party vibe to the show, which starts at 7 p.m.
Elsewhere downtown, expect all the bars to be part of the holiday's festivities. Wilbert's opens at 8 a.m. and features happy hour specials all day long. The local folk-rock act Cats on Holiday perform after the parade from about 3 to 6 p.m.
On the East Bank of the Flats, the Big Bang Bar opens at 8 a.m. with dueling pianos from 9 a.m. to noon. It'll also serve up a special pre-parade breakfast buffet. Also on the East Bank, "long-time favorite" Donal O'Shaughnessy will perform at 11 a.m. the Flat Iron.
Over in Ohio City, Great Lakes Brewing Company will open at 10 a.m. on St. Patty's Day for its annual St. Patrick's Day party. Appropriately, Conway's Irish Ale will be on tap, and the brewpub will offer a special menu of Irish food specials all day. A shuttle will provide complimentary rides to the downtown parade. The local Irish act the Portersharks performs at 3 p.m., and the Cleveland Firefighters Memorial Pipes and Drums Band plays at 6 p.m.
Kamm's Corner in West Park regularly draws a giant post-parade crowd. Doors open at 7 a.m. at PJ McIntyre's Irish Pub. The first 100 patrons will receive a "commemorative collector's" T-shirt, and Irish dancers and pipers will perform all day long. The place will then host a "Hair of the Dog" party on March 18.
Over in Lakewood, Vosh Lakewood will host a St. Patrick's Day party featuring performances by Pompous Ass at 10:30 a.m.., Irish Cottage Boys at 4 p.m. and Harp City at 7:30 p.m. At the Winchester, DJ Sam Sinister will spin Celtic punk beginning at 10 a.m. and live music starts at 3 p.m. with Duo Decibel System, Obsidian Earth, Survivors, the Venus Flytraps, Biitchseat and Sweet Lil.
The local Celtic music group New Barleycorn returns to Nighttown this year for St. Patrick's Day. They'll play shows at 1, 5:30 and 8:30 p.m.
The Grog Shop hosts a Z107.9 FM All Green Party that starts at 4 p.m. The station will broadcast live from the Cleveland Heights club during the event, and DJ KNYCE and DJ Incognito will be on hand for the event. Admission is free. Then, at 10 p.m., the club hosts a special St. Patrick's Day edition of its Saturday Night Mash Up. That's a ticketed event, and admission costs $10 in advance, $20 at the door.
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