'The Boys From The County Hell' Live Stream St. Patrick's Day Concert

While people won't be gathering in restaurants and bars today, a Cleveland band known for their marathon performances on Saint Patrick's Day will keep the music going. Chris Allen, the leader of "The Boys from the County Hell," said they were making sure the group's devoted fans could continue to celebrate what's become a March 17 tradition.

“We've been playing from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. every St. Patrick's Day for the last 20 years. Our traditional lineup is that we would start at the House of Blues mainstage from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Then we would cross the parking lot and play at Flannery's from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and then cross the bridge over to The Harp and play from 9:00 until we could play no longer,” Allen said.

After two decades, "The Boys from the County Hell" have become a St. Patrick’s Day tradition, with their mix of music inspired by the Irish punk band “The Pogues” along with traditional Irish songs.

“Some people would come with their families before the parade and go to the House of Blues. A lot of people would come up after work to see us at The Harp,” Allen said.

When Boston canceled its Saint Patrick’s Day Parade due to the coronavirus, Allen and his bandmates began wondering if that would also happen in Cleveland. When city officials canceled the Cleveland parade, coupled with state limitations on crowd size, Allen called off their shows.

The group decided to get together to play music on March 17 just for fun, which led them to decide to do a livestream that fans could watch on the band’s Facebook page.

With the help of Clint Holley from the vinyl mastering studio, Well Made Music, "The Boys from the County Hell" will set up shop in a warehouse where they will perform beginning at 1:00 p.m.

“We're going to do multiple sets all day long, then we'll take breaks. We're going to be playing some cards. We might livestream some card games and some interviews with the band, talking about some fun moments from our 20-year history and just make it fun. We're going to keep playing it until nighttime,” Allen said.

While it won’t quite be the same as the crowds packed into bars, Allen hopes people will tune in and enjoy the party from the comfort and safety of their homes.

“We want people to have something to enjoy and look forward to. I know we are. The band's really excited and gearing up. We’ll be wearing our traditional black suits. We'll be dressed to the nines and we'll be playing all day,” Allen said.

"The Boys From the County Hell" live stream a St. Patrick's Day concert March 17 at 1 p.m.