Thursday night was a night of celebration in Charleston, and not without cause. Halfway through their set at the Music Farm, Dublin born singer/songwriter and front man Dave King announced that they got wind of a peace talks in Ireland. King, with a Guinness in hand, ordered the crowd to put their “dancin’ shoes on” and celebrate the historic news.

“Loud, Fast and Traditional!” is how Dennis Casey, guitarist for Flogging Molly, described his band to me. The first two adjectives were to be expected for a band with a reputation for rowdy shows and a name like “Flogging Molly.” However, “traditional,” caught me off guard. As the night progressed, I began to see what Casey was talking about. Although they have the stage presence of typical world-class rock stars, their respect for their Irish roots and musicians before them was clear. Many of the instruments Flogging Molly uses can be traced back to traditional Irish music including the accordion, tin whistle, uilleann pipes, mandolin and banjo.

Despite a long night of miscues including car troubles and torrential rain, I made it just as Yonder Mountain String Band was taking stage last Friday night. As I was approaching the Music Farm in downtown Charleston, I felt the buzz of excitement and anticipation from a block away. People, dripping wet, desperately asked me if I had tickets to spare. The show had been sold out for two days, but that clearly wasn’t going to dissuade them. Being from Colorado, I was familiar with the Boulder County based group, but I had no idea that they would be so well embraced in the South.

I pushed my way through the doors and was taken back by how packed the venue was. It was comparable to a Tokyo subway during rush hour. There were over 1300 concertgoers packed into the Music Farm’s modestly proportioned music hall. One of the many unique qualities of this band that I noticed throughout the night was the wide range of people they attract. There was everything from rowdy college kids to grandparents square dancing in the back.