Mark Petrie is somewhat embarrassed to tell the story of how he picked out the name of his band.
Angela Kershner / The Citizen
Tathu band members include Lougee on the bass, right, Erik Petrie on the guitar and Mark Petrie on the mandolin.
Tathu band members include Lougee on the bass, right, Erik Petrie on the guitar and Mark Petrie on the mandolin.
He's sketchy on the details, but let's just say that he spent some time in Borders leafing through an Irish Gaelic dictionary.
For how long?
“I don't want to tell you,” he said with a laugh. “I got to ‘t.'”
The word that caught his eye was tathu, meaning to coalesce, to come together. About two years later, Tathu (pronounced Tah-hoo), a trio of musicians that performs instrumental Celtic tunes, helps people to do that at coffeehouses and libraries throughout central New York.
In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, the group, comprised of Petrie, his son Erik and Adam Lougee will be performing for the first time in Auburn Friday at Yesteryear's Coffee House.
Those who attend can expect traditional Irish music with a modern-day twist - emphasis on the traditional.
“We wanted to be truer to tradition,” Petrie said, “but at the same time make it more contemporary.”
The trio puts its own spin on several classic Celtic songs, including “Cup of Tea,” “Bloom of Youth” and “Banish Misfortune.”
Tathu is a solely instrumental band, with the elder Petrie playing the mandolin and Irish whistle, Erik on guitar and Lougee on base guitar.
Lougee and the Petries first played together just for fun, but when they decided to form a group, they didn't know the type of music on which to focus.
They tried bluegrass, acoustic and rock, but when the elder
Petrie heard a Celtic group called Lunasa, he knew what he wanted to do.
Ironically, Petrie didn't find out that he had Irish roots - his great-grandmother's last name was O'Sullivan - until after he started playing Celtic music.
“I am feeling like it really kind of resonates with me on some deeper level,” said Petrie, who holds a bachelor's degree in music education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.
Since forming in 2004, Tathu has played a variety of local venues, from festivals to Starbucks to nursing homes. Such small venues don't bother Petrie, who enjoys these more intimate settings.
“We don't mind being background music,” he said. “If we want their attention, we know how to get it.”
A sampling of some other St. Patty's Day events in the area:
- Springside Inn, Route 38 South, West Lake Road, Auburn: St. Patrick's Day Celebration, including music by Bob O'Piorun & The Convertibles, dinner buffet with corned beef and baked ham, Friday.
- Witches Brew, 53 Genesee St., Auburn: The Murrays, a keyboard and flute duo performing traditional Irish music, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, no cover.
- Creekside Books & Coffee, 35 Fennel St., Skaneateles: Irish tunes of Rory O'Bannion, 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, no cover.
- Ancient Order of the Hibernians, 79 VanAnden St., Auburn: On Thursday, Irish dinner, videos and dancing beginning at 5 p.m.; corned beef sandwiches and other sorts of food starting noon Friday.
- Carousel Center, Syracuse: Repercussion, a family band from Victory, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, free.
- A look ahead: The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra will present “Cherish the Ladies,” an award-winning and internationally renowned Irish music and dance group 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Mulroy Civic Center at Oncenter.
If you go
What: Tathu
When: 8 to 10 p.m. Friday
Where: Yesteryear's Coffee House, 24 State St., Auburn
Cost: $3
Staff writer Linda Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or linda.ober@lee.net
For how long?
“I don't want to tell you,” he said with a laugh. “I got to ‘t.'”
The word that caught his eye was tathu, meaning to coalesce, to come together. About two years later, Tathu (pronounced Tah-hoo), a trio of musicians that performs instrumental Celtic tunes, helps people to do that at coffeehouses and libraries throughout central New York.
In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, the group, comprised of Petrie, his son Erik and Adam Lougee will be performing for the first time in Auburn Friday at Yesteryear's Coffee House.
Those who attend can expect traditional Irish music with a modern-day twist - emphasis on the traditional.
“We wanted to be truer to tradition,” Petrie said, “but at the same time make it more contemporary.”
The trio puts its own spin on several classic Celtic songs, including “Cup of Tea,” “Bloom of Youth” and “Banish Misfortune.”
Tathu is a solely instrumental band, with the elder Petrie playing the mandolin and Irish whistle, Erik on guitar and Lougee on base guitar.
Lougee and the Petries first played together just for fun, but when they decided to form a group, they didn't know the type of music on which to focus.
They tried bluegrass, acoustic and rock, but when the elder
Petrie heard a Celtic group called Lunasa, he knew what he wanted to do.
Ironically, Petrie didn't find out that he had Irish roots - his great-grandmother's last name was O'Sullivan - until after he started playing Celtic music.
“I am feeling like it really kind of resonates with me on some deeper level,” said Petrie, who holds a bachelor's degree in music education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.
Since forming in 2004, Tathu has played a variety of local venues, from festivals to Starbucks to nursing homes. Such small venues don't bother Petrie, who enjoys these more intimate settings.
“We don't mind being background music,” he said. “If we want their attention, we know how to get it.”
A sampling of some other St. Patty's Day events in the area:
- Springside Inn, Route 38 South, West Lake Road, Auburn: St. Patrick's Day Celebration, including music by Bob O'Piorun & The Convertibles, dinner buffet with corned beef and baked ham, Friday.
- Witches Brew, 53 Genesee St., Auburn: The Murrays, a keyboard and flute duo performing traditional Irish music, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, no cover.
- Creekside Books & Coffee, 35 Fennel St., Skaneateles: Irish tunes of Rory O'Bannion, 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, no cover.
- Ancient Order of the Hibernians, 79 VanAnden St., Auburn: On Thursday, Irish dinner, videos and dancing beginning at 5 p.m.; corned beef sandwiches and other sorts of food starting noon Friday.
- Carousel Center, Syracuse: Repercussion, a family band from Victory, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, free.
- A look ahead: The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra will present “Cherish the Ladies,” an award-winning and internationally renowned Irish music and dance group 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Mulroy Civic Center at Oncenter.
If you go
What: Tathu
When: 8 to 10 p.m. Friday
Where: Yesteryear's Coffee House, 24 State St., Auburn
Cost: $3
Staff writer Linda Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or linda.ober@lee.net
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