Album Notes

Craic Wisely... what does that mean? Craic is a Celtic word that more or less means ‘good times.’ That is probably the best way to define who we are as a band. Our music, combined with our fans, all mixed up in the right establishment means good times. So for our second release, we decided to record a live show. So sit back, relax, and prepare for some good craic. We’re glad you visited, and we hope to see you at a show soon.

Craic Wisely is now a five piece band based out of West Michigan. Starting on Pearl Harbor day 2001, the band grew from two, to three, to four, to five, back to four, and finally back to five again. In those early days, Dave and Todd had only a few things to run with: 1. Friendship. 2. An appreciation of Irish music. 3. Two voices that blended well. 4. The notion that bar bands get free beer. It was our need to put on a show, and our lack of virtuoso instrumental skill that forced us to run with what we knew we could pull off; High energy and solid harmonies were the laurels we rested many a free beer upon. Not too long after Dave and Todd kicked things off, Jonathan Laughlin joined the band to add a third voice, and a much needed skill at the 12 string guitar. The three of us gelled pretty quickly and defined the sound that drives Craic Wisely today. It was that spring that we entered the studio to record our first album: Shame Us. That’s the beginning. In the mean time we’ve played more shows than we’d like to count, added two members, and built a fan base that we now love more than the free beer. Now thanks to Tim Debruine and Mike Tryc (our mandolin player and drummer respectively) we not only have the high energy and rich vocals that defined our sound from the beginning, we also have the instrumental talent to take us to a much higher level. Live Wisely will entertain you with Tim “Crazy fingers” Debruine’s mind-blowing mandolin riffs as well as get you rocking and singing along to some of your favorite traditional Irish tunes. We hope you enjoy yourself. Say hello at the next show. Cheers!

-Craic Wisely