Screaming Orphans

Rooted in traditional Irish music, Celtic pop-rock band Screaming Orphans draws from a diverse set of influences to focus on melody-driven songs with pop and rock strains and to explore new and exciting songwriting and performance concepts. These four sisters are known for a powerful, award-winning sound that combines their own original melodic old-school pop songs with a unique and modern take on traditional Irish music and song.

Leinie Lodge Bandshell Stage Schedule

Sept. 1 & 2 Screaming Orphans
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm, 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm

With so much to do at the “Great Minnesota Get Together,” it takes a lot to capture the attention of such a huge crowd at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell stage. The Screaming Orphans said it themselves after their first set that they would understand if we didn’t make it back for their second set … but with talent so pure and in spades, I wanted to see both sets from 1 – 1:45 and 2:30 – 3:15 pm on the last day of the Minnesota State Fair on September 2, 2024.

The band consists of four sisters – Joan, Angela, Gráinne and Marie Thérèse.

The two blondes spoke mostly and explained that the two brunettes do the “playing,” that they were the musicians; however, the whole family was encouraged to play anything they wanted while growing up. And yes, they do have parents, they neither do a ton of screaming nor are they actual orphans. In fact, they asked the crowd to scream at one point because it would make the violin player play even faster. It was a name brought up by a friend and they liked it. Their mother sang ballads so a lot of their sound has that background rooted in tradition but they have a mix of pop and rock. The punk band Flogging Molly was pumped through the speakers prior to their soundcheck.

Too many times had they heard “Danny Boy” butchered covered in bars by other bands so instead they sang for us “Step it Out, Mary.” They ended the first set with a cover of The Turtles’ “Happy Together.” The second set ended with a cover of The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” with a plea to the audience to sing the post chorus part in the original song that goes “Da-Da da da” as “Shot of Vodka, shot of vodka, and a rum and a rum and a coke.”

There were a lot of people who had donned their Screaming Orphans T-shirts for the show. We just missed them in Kansas City. They have been here in Minnesota before for the Irish Fair. They regretted that they couldn’t stay after the show as they were jet setting to Pennsylvania, then overseas, then back to Ireland and wouldn’t return to the states until December. They are working on a Christmas album next, so hopefully if we do catch them again, there will be more new music to listen to.