Enjoy a plethora of live music throughout downtown Carson City throughout the entire festival!

The headliner you will see most often is the one and only Black Irish Band playing music that defined the time of Mark Twain.

The Black Irish band defines themselves as a “Hard Hitting Celtic Folk, Gold Rush, and Maritime Music that celebrates the rich stories of the immigrants and working class that built America.” 

You can watch the Black Irish Band in McFadden Plaza Saturday and Sunday during the festival and headline the Steampunk & Steam Trains Underground Ball event at the Nevada State Railroad Museum Saturday, April 22. 

“For 34 years the Black Irish Band has created an original sound that no other band has, singing stories of surly miners, salty mariners, and the men and women of California’s early immigration. With over 600 concert performances to date and airplay around the world, the band has kept very busy spreading their brand of progressive folk music to a large audience. Performing both traditional and original music the band is very focused on presenting acoustic music in a very exciting up-beat way that appeals to all ages.

The Black Irish Band have headlined for major historical events in America and the world- such as; the 100th Celebration of the Alaska Gold Rush, White Pass & Yukon Railroad 100th, 150th Anniversary of the Golden Spike, 100th Anniversary of the United States Forest Service, 150th Celebration of the California Gold Rush, the Singapore World Music Festival, and the Tinkers Trade Faire in Ireland. The band has written and recorded over 96 original songs that appear on many of the bands twenty-nine CD recordings. The five-member band’s musical style captures the spirit of the immigrants of this land (the men and women who tamed the Wild West) and has a large complement of traditional maritime, railroad, and ethnic music in their repertoire. The strong vocals and up-tempo instrumentals breathe new life to old songs and present original material with a distinctive flair. Listeners of all ages find themselves transported, participating in this living history and singing along to this unique group whether it’s their first time seeing them or their 50th.”