Before last year, Gaelic Storm’s main claim to fame was an appearance in the Academy Award-winning film “Titanic,” playing the steerage party band in an early scene.

Now, however, the Austin, Texas-based Celtic group has logged another lasting impression on the culture — a Hallmark card that plays its 2006 song “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” when it’s opened.

“It’s a very strange thing if you really think about it,” says group leader Steve Twigger, who’s actually been sent a few of the cards from friends. “We’ve signed quite a few of them.

“It gets really annoying at the signature table; you open them up and (the song) keeps starting and stopping again, like some bad DJing or something.”

The group’s tour brings it to the metro area during St. Patrick’s Day week — but after the holiday. Twigger, 48, says he notices a difference in the behavior of the crowds before, during and after the actual day passes.

“Yeah, it fades a little bit after St. Patrick’s Day,” notes Twigger, who’s started working on songs for the follow-up to Gaelic Storm’s 2008 album “What’s the Rumpus.” “There’s a certain exuberance th at comes from drinking all day. But at the same time you lose a few people then; you see their heads start to nod during the show, when the alcohol is kicking in.

“So we just work harder. We try to keep it energetic and keep everyone awake that way.”





Gaelic Storm performs at 8 p.m. Friday (March 20) at the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Tickets are $20. Call (248) 544 1991 or visit www. themagicbag.com.