The Black Irish Band, a perennial favorite at the Benicia Historical Museum, will be returning to play the Camel Barns on Saturday, Feb. 24. (Courtesy photo)

Like clockwork, the Black Irish Band is returning to Benicia.
The quartet is playing a concert of traditional Irish & Scottish, Italian and American folk music, along with Gold Rush-era songs at the Benicia Historical Museum on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Sonora-based group has been performing for nearly three decades and has been performing at the museum since at least 2000.
It was on the set of the 1990 film “Back to the Future Part III” where lead vocalist Patrick Michael Karnahan and eventual guitarist Richard Restivo meet. While on the set, the idea to form the Black Irish Band began percolating for Karnahan and Restivo, where they recruited fellow member Steve McArthur who had a speaking role in the movie. From there, Jim Nelson joined, forming the Black Irish Band.”
The band has written and recorded more than 96 original songs that appear on any of their 25 albums. Their 26th, “Warriors of the West,” will be released in the winter.
For nearly two decades, the Black Irish Band has played in Benicia and will do so again next weekend to promote their forthcoming CD. The band is one of three Celtic groups that frequently play at the Benicia Historical Museum, the other two being Golden Bough– who will also be returning to the museum in March– and Men of Worth.
Elizabeth d’Huart, executive director at the Benicia Historical Museum, said the Black Irish Band has quite the following in Benicia.
“I have been at the museum for the past six years,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to listen to them every year, and I love their music. One of the things that I really enjoy about them about their concerts is they always have something new. They are responsive to their fans. They are very happy to play the public’s favorites, but they have original music to sing and I really enjoy their original compositions and hearing about the information they include in their songs.”
The Black Irish Band will perform from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Benicia Historical Museum, located at 2060 camel Road. The doors open at 7 p.m., and ticket prices for the concert are $25. Tickets can be purchased at the museum, online at BrownPaperTickets.com or at Bookshop Benicia, located at 636 First St. There will be an open bar. For more information, go to beniciahistoricalmuseum.org, email info@beniciahistoricalmuseum.org or call 745-5435.

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