Patrick Fitzgerald loves to relieve stress by playing the accordion?

[Catherine Vincent]

Nothing wrong with that but I can think of more fun ways to relieve stress. :)

"He was the star of his class at Our Lady Help of Christians. He and his brothers played the accordion at Irish hooleys while his sisters performed Irish dance. Fitzgerald is said to still play the accordion as a way of winding down and dealing with stress."
http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishinamerica/news/fitzgerald-the-untouchable.asp

[Stephanie]

1. Oh my god he's human!

He has a flaw!

:loveya:

[merh]

8. What is another name for an accordian

and what was the name of that Who song? ;-)

[Javaman]

19. Squeeze box...

[...of J.Temperance]

23. There's ANOTHER name too...and that name is...

H..E..L..L.

[RevCheesehead]

77. A Concertina?

That's a keyboard-challenged accordion (buttons only). My grandpa used to play one.

[npincus]

103. isn't that a baby one?

my 3-year old has one (sorry, grandpa!)

[Missy Vixen]

85. Stephanie, hell, yeah!

We like guys that are imperfect! :loveya:

Julie

[Arkana]

2. Well, I like smashing accordions with a bat to relieve stress

so I guess we have the accordion in common. :D

[...of J.Temperance]

15. Oh yes, I like YOUR style MUCH better...smash away! n/t

[whatever4]

3. This guy is too adorable, thanks, that's so cute! nm

[...of J.Temperance]

11. You think that men who play the accordian are ADORABLE?

And cute?

Each to their own I suppose :)

[whatever4]

29. Well...I'm a freak, what can I say.

But what could be cuter? A big time attorney, now world-famous, a guy taking on the White House, I can't image the pressure, can't imagine the risk and the hours, an' he plays accordian? He's musical too? Him and his family doing an Irish jig? Oh I just can't imagine anything cuter. 'cept maybe heavy metal, but still I'm sure the accordian cranks. ;) It sounds like he's from a great family. Plus I think he's cute anyhow, heck, he could play anything he wanted :) I just think it's cool.

[Catherine Vincent]

33. Fitzgerald is a cool kat!

[...of J.Temperance]

42. You're JUST saying that's he's cool because you'd like to SHAG him! n/t

[Catherine Vincent]

43. I rather he SHAG me.:)

Whatever that means. :blush:

[...of J.Temperance]

52. It means

Screw, get it on, f***...although I STRONGLY suspect that Patrick Fitzgerald wouldn't like the phrase:

"Hey, let's f***"...he'd probably have to douse himself in Holy Water and say FIFTY Hail Mary's ;)

I'm a lapsed Roman Catholic myself :)

[Catherine Vincent]

63. LOL!

Thanks. I had a feeling that's what it meant but I wasn't sure. Fitzgerald does seem like he would be a goody two shoes.:)

[...of J.Temperance]

71. You'll have to

Send us a full report, after you've completed your mission...HOPEFULLY NOT JUST in the missionary position OBVIOUSLY ;)

[FreedomAngel82]

94. You never know though

He could be wild in bed though if he wanted. ;)

[...of J.Temperance]

39. You're JUST saying that it's cool because you'd like to SHAG him! n/t

[jbnow]

97. If Fitzgerald does it

it's cute.

[MADem]

139. What, you can resist these HOTTIES?

[Radio_Lady]

99. He is cute, but apparently he lives in a very messy apartment --

and he's single.

[whatever4]

135. He's messy TOO?? What a perfect guy!

I'm serious, I hope he winds up with someone, probably gotten too many letters to even read yet, if I read my contemporary American females correctly, and I hope he's very happy. Messy too, hahaha, love it!

See, when a guy is messy...he might depend on the wife to do all the cleaning or to even know what need to be cleaned (men can't see dirt sometimes, it's a gender genetic thing), but mostly it frequently means he isn't going to be a nitpicking bastard about how the house looks. Won't need to live in picture-perfect wonderland antiseptic clean sterile house. He won't complain about how well she "takes care of it" or anything. To me, it means he won't want a Stepford wife. I know it sounds stupid, but there's something to it, a guy who won't bitch about the house. A guy who doesn't have to look perfect to live with himself, he's less likely to need someone to take care of him like a child, and I think he's more likely to accept her as she is.

I read a lot into being messy. hmmm. But in all reality, Americans really are too clean, too much, too much time and effort going into sterility of environment. Good to see someone that doesn't fall for that.

editing to say, I think the reason it seems especially nice that he's "messy" is because in his occupation, and as dedicated as he is, what with working 100 hour weeks, he could have been an anal-retentive type of person, a perfectionist, even obsessive-compulsive. Now, I don't pretend to be a psyche major to really understand those terms, and I don't mean that any and all lawyers of his caliber are like that, and I don't mean any insult or to demean those conditions. Trust me I mean no insult. But what I do know is that careers that require such extreme dedication and sheer brains are frequently seen to go hand in hand with folks who are that detail-oriented.

It's not uncommon to find the achievers are ocd or another conveniently labeled trait, traits which can be helpful or harmful, depending on the person. A man like him, imho, I'd be worried about him being overly clean and obsessed with living in a lovely, perfect home. To find out he's not like that, but is instead laid-back with his lifestyle is a good sign of his personality. It's just my point of view. He's either too busy to keep up or lazy; either way, a lack of perfection in that department is acceptable. I'd be worried about someone like him being a perfectionist, and it sounds like he's not, which to me sounds more balanced. My two cents. This is a whale of an edit to add, sorry so silly :)

[Catherine Vincent]

137. Did you read about three week old pizza in the oven?

And the pizza boxes stacked on top of the oven for weeks on end (oven not hooked up)? Clothes scattered all over. Yep, that is someone totally dedicated to his job. That's why he hasn't married, I believe, because he wouldn't be able to put his all into it. But as far as his apartment being messy, I still wonder why he wouldn't pay someone to come in and clean up the place on a weekly basis. Hopefully he's not stingy. :)

[whatever4]

141. I have no response to that

lol :) But I do hope the poor guy gets enough sleep.

[foreverdem]

145. He seems extremely private

He seems to be pretty private, maybe he doesn't want a stranger like a cleaning person poking around in his house.

[Missy Vixen]

162. Another thing I probably shouldn't admit to

>maybe he doesn't want a stranger like a cleaning person poking around in his house.<

We fired a cleaning person for commenting on personal items in our home.

Julie

[Missy Vixen]

150. The housecleaner would probably have to have FBI clearance

Plus, the housecleaner could probably RETIRE at this point from the cash they would be collecting from numerous publications, re: "The TRUTH about Patrick Fitzgerald!"

Maybe I shouldn't admit to this, but everyone living at our house is messy. Well, except the felines.

Julie

[gmoney]

4. Why do we never hear about...

his life partner, Gerald Fitzpatrick?

(cheap shot)

:hide:

[nottabubba]

I'm and accordion player but.......

Do you know the difference between accordion players and terrorists?

Terrorists have sympathizers.

[HereSince1628]

7. terror in the Dakotas is finding an accordian hidden in the back seat

of your car.

[nottabubba]

12. Which is better?

A fiddle or an accordion?

An accordion. It burns longer.

[...of J.Temperance]

20. Could we add the banjo into that too? PLEASE?

I HATE these "instruments", fiddle, accordian and banjo. Oh heck, even THINKING about this is making my skin crawl.

:scared:

[HereSince1628]

41. Banjos???? Hey, I resemble that!!!!!!!!!

I really can't stand bluegrass, but I love Traditional Irish and Irish Rock with Fiddle and Banjo.

[...of J.Temperance]

47. The ONLY banjo I can tolerate, that's the bits of one in Silver Apples

Songs, 'um "songs", and it's MINIMAL banjo and the ONLY reason why I can tolerate that minimal banjo, is because Silver Apples had all sorts of FANTASTICALLY weird shit going on around it...like The Simeon Machine and a near 24 piece drumkit...possibly the BIGGEST single drumkit EVER.

[mcscajun]

54. Twin fiddles are the soul of Cajun music...

and Diatonic Accordions are marvelous in that same genre.

Jerry Garcia played a mean banjo upon a time... :)

They can all be played rather badly...or to play bad music well...but when they're right...they're awesome.

"Accordions don't play 'Lady of Spain,' People Do."

[...of J.Temperance]

62. But I don't like Cajun music...I only like

That Cleveland Crochet "7 of "Sugar Bee"

I can't handle Cajun, Zydecko stuff.

[mcscajun]

83. To each his own, then...

I can't get enough of it, especially from Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys or Beausoleil.

Allons Danser!

[...of J.Temperance]

124. I was

Just saying that I'm not a fan of Cajun music, except the odd tune here and there.

But I'm glad that you greatly enjoy it and Allons Danser ;)

Me, I'll stick with Cleveland Crochet and Eddie Shuler...oh and Johnnie Allen's "South To Louisiana" and Rufus Jagneaux's "Opelousas Sostan"

[Joe Chi Minh]

148. But I don't like duelling banjoes.

[mcscajun]

153. The only dueling banjoes I ever could tolerate

were the ones from that tune from Deliverance, "Dueling Banjoes"

:rofl:

but in a good bluegrass band, I can enjoy just one banjo fine. :)

[Joe Chi Minh]

161. I think I'll call Fitzgerald, Burt....

[Bridget Burke]

130. Surely, you know the definition of Perfect Pitch?

That's when you throw an accordion into a dumpster & it hits a banjo.

(Just a harmless joke--some of my best friends play accordions or banjos!)

[...of J.Temperance]

133. Hey that was funny though

It was :)

[Chiyo-chichi]

131. two words....

Bela Fleck.

[...of J.Temperance]

134. Two more words...

Bela Lugosi.

[Chiyo-chichi]

140. Lugosi was not half the banjo player

that Fleck is.

[...of J.Temperance]

144. Granted, but Fleck isn't half the

Spoons player that Lugosi was...so THERE :)

[mcscajun]

154. Oh yeah! He puts the lie to all the negative remarks on banjoes

:)

[central scrutinizer]

44. there was one guy in North Dakota

who was driving around with his accordion in the back seat. It was a hot summer day so he had his windows rolled down. He parked downtown to do some shopping. About five minutes, he realized to his horror that he had left the back windows rolled down. He ran back to his car and his worst fear was realized. In the back seat was two or three more accordions!!!!

[Catherine Vincent]

45. LOL!

[Mnemosyne]

55. Sooo, accordians spontaneously

breed in hot cars?! :evilgrin:

Peace
V

[mainer]

155. What's the difference between an onion and an accordion?

cutting up an onion makes you cry.

[mainer]

156. What's the difference between a dead accordion player...

Q: What's the difference between a dead accordion player on the road and a dead skunk on the road?

A: The skunk had a gig to go to.

[mcscajun]

50. "Accordions don't play 'Lady of Spain,' People Do."

Seen on a T-Shirt at a Cajun/Bluegrass festival

Cajun musicians playing Diatonic accordions are cool....and Zydeco artists playing piano accordions ROCK OUT!

[whatever4]

136. LOL!

I have to admit, I like bagpipes better. Everyone likes bagpipes, right?

One time, my work was having a party picnic at a park, and from way off a group of bagpipers was playing, coming toward us, walking slowly. It was awesome. I never wanted it to end. And oddly enough, one of the peole with us played bagpipes himself, so we got to talk about that, it was interesting.

But the accordian is pretty too.

You have a fan :)

[HereSince1628]

5. I suspect that's an Irish button accordian rather than a Lawrence Welk

polka monster.

[...of J.Temperance]

6. Oh Jaysus

I HATE squeezeboxes...'um EXCEPT on Cleveland Crochet's 1961 "7 "Sugar Bee" on Goldband Records.

Accordian's are NOT cool, I just have to comment this, I'm sorry.

Then again, I don't find Patrick Fitzgerald attractive, so what the heck do I care.

On Edit: "Sugar Bee" is a Cajun tune.

[whatever4]

143. "Then again, I don't find Patrick Fitzgerald..."

I think it must be a mitigating factor. hehe!

This is too silly. Better than actually reading the news, I guess.

[kenny blankenship]

9. Hey accordion music isn't all "Roll Out The Barrel"

and polka shit. He could be playing some soulful tangos and milongas on that thing, you don't know!

[Catherine Vincent]

18. Hey, I'm not putting down accordion playing.

Zydeco music uses accordions and I like some Louisiana zydeco. Maybe he likes zydeco.:)

[kenny blankenship]

49. It might not be polka stuff- i mean look at that face!

uh....
Ok, it probably is polka music, but maybe...uh...maybe he does it with irony! You know like, look how goofy and whitebread my background is, I think this is fun and all.

[Missy Vixen]

58. Ahhhh...tango music

It's the bandoneon that's being played if one is playing, for instance, the works of Astor Piazzola. If you'd like to find out more about a tango sexteto, (there are twelve left in the world,) please go to www.tangoheart.com.

Julie

[Journeyman]

61. "Graceland," Paul Simon's seminal work from 1986. . .

was built around the accordion. It featured music inspired by Clifton Chenier:





and featured, among many South African musicians, the work of Los Angeles' Los Lobos:

[Catherine Vincent]

64. My dad used to perform with Clifton Chenier when he was

first starting out. :)

[kwassa]

102. I love Zydeco accordian, and Chenier was king

[KoKo]

65. Fitz is a Male Capricorn....they are always a little "off the beaten path.

They have stuff that keeps them going...but it usually doesn't get overly kinky or weird....it's just that they are "a little different."

From a DU Astrology Forum Participant ...who has Capricorns in their household and family and has learned to deal with them. :D

[foreverdem]

142. I don't think we'd mind

I don't think any of us would mind if he was "overly kinky". :evilgrin:

[Missy Vixen]

149. Okay, now we must know

>who has Capricorns in their household and family and has learned to deal with them<

Let's hear it: What is it about male Capricorns? I'm curious.

Julie

[mcscajun]

89. They were on two of my favorite tracks from that album

"That Was Your Mother"

and

"the Myth of Fingerprints"

[mirandapriestly]

10. Just when I thought he couldn't get any cuter...nt

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. I love Irish style accordians

the way they are played is far different than the Welk style.

[gatorboy]

14. A polka fan maybe?

Or They Might Be Giants?

I wish I had taken up the accordian. :P

[mark11727]

25. The Shmenge brothers -- The Happy Wanderers...!

SCTV

[peekaloo]

92. LOL! Cabbage rolls and coffee!

Good times!

:D

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. Well I suppose it could be worse

he could have taken up bagpipes.

Actually the accordion in Irish music can be quite bearable. Especially if it's one of those little squeeze box types. At least, I hope that's what he's playing.

[...of J.Temperance]

35. Bagpipe's, yuk...I'm telling you what a COOL instrument is

The Theremin...FUCK that's a totally cool thing. Godspeed You Black Emperor use one, I'm CONVINCED that they do. Here, it also has a FASCINATING history:

http://www.horror-wood.com/theremin.htm

On Edit: The Theremin is also one of the FEW instruments that's "played" WITHOUT touching it. Actually, it might be the ONLY instrument that's "played" WITHOUT touching it.

[LifeDuringWartime]

115. im pretty sure that GY!BE dont use theremins

the sound you are hearing is actually screwdrivers on the guitars. it's a similar technique to playing pedal steel slide guitar, except the screwdrivers are just held down on the strings over the fretboard. i'm having trouble finding a picture of it at the moment.


edit: ah-ha, found one!

[...of J.Temperance]

129. I see you've got used to the adjusted exclamation mark!

Yes, I've heard the screwdriver on fretboard many times with Sonic Youth in particular. On the GY!BE track "Murray Ostril: They Don't Sleep Anymore On The Beach" (track 1 on Disc 2)* when they get going, that high-pitched noise, the one that ALMOST at times sounds like a female Soprano...I just thought that sounded incredibly like a theremin...as I've got some Clara Rockmore Theremin records, and that high-pitched noise on that particular GY!BE tune sounds eerily similar...but I'm probably wrong.

Towards the end of the tune "World Police And Friendly Fire" (track 2 on Disc 1)*, I recognize that screwdrivers are being used across the fretboard.

You're the musician, I defer to you ;) But I thought I'd say what I thought sounded to me like a theremin.

* LP = "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven"

[Pithy Cherub]

17. Guess, Fitz has to squeeze something for stress relief.

A kush ball is definitely cooler, but hey if that helps him, play on, Dude!:P

[FreedomAngel82]

96. LOL

He just hasn't met me yet. :P

[musette_sf]

21. in "ongoing investigations"

he can just play "Lady Of Spain" till the perp cracks!



and can't forget DA MAN of "Lady Of Spain"... the one! the only! DICK CONTINO!!!



My idea of a great night: Pat and Dick jammin'!!!

[nottabubba]

38. Don't forget Those Darn Accordions

"Accordions don't play Lady of Spain, people do."

[musette_sf]

79. I love Paul Rogers

he makes my Christmas merry every damn year with Christmas Jug Band!

When he and Audie DeLone crank up the mighty twin accordion barrage, look out!

[mcscajun]

91. Just went to their website...cool Bumper Sticker Available

Blue-and-white vinyl stickers say, "Pro-Accordion & I Vote!"

[thebigidea]

57. bwhahaah, someone mentioned Dick Contino before I did!

he's a great guy, I met him a few years ago and he did a scene for my garage band movie. Tons of stories about being blacklisted for opposing the Korean war...

if I ever get a wad of cash, I'm going to film Ellroy's great novella, "Dick Contino's Blues"

"Rock candy baby you're mine... HAAAAAAAH!"

[musette_sf]

80. saw him at the Cotati Accordion Festival a few years back

If ya wanna see geriatric groupies, check down front during Dick's set. He was the coolest thing I've seen in years. Love the "bellows shake"!! And LL Cool D fer sure, fer sure... the grammies with the "I Love Dick" buttons and their 1965 model casette recorders held high during his set.

Dick's set was followed by Polkacide. You never saw a bunch of senior citizens haul ass so fast in your life, as they fled the vicinity.

[rucky]

22. It's official. He has no life.

and that's just what I like to see in a special prosecutor.

[patricia92243]

46. LOL - I have no life - but I've always been partial to the piccolo. n/t

[Sanity Claws]

24. His availability?

I listened to Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me on NPR on Saturday and they talked about Fitz being the new heartthrob in DC. Somebody on the show apparently did some snooping and found out he's dating a woman in Chicago.
That was the word, "dating." Not involved, not living with...
Maybe he's available, maybe not. Better hurry, though...

[...of J.Temperance]

26. Well no wonder he's 45 and he's never been married

We now know why don't we? It's because he plays the accordian...IN PUBLIC SETTINGS NO LESS.

[Sanity Claws]

32. LOL

He probably took up the instrument because his mother made him do it. I went to a catholic school in the Diocese of Brooklyn the same time as Fitz. We did not get instrument or any real musical training in school. Catholic grammar schools in Brooklyn offered real basic education.
So whatever music he learned, he learned by his family sending him to private lessons. I doubt he had a choice of instruments. If he was not the oldest child, he probably had a hand-me instrument from an older brother.
Give the poor guy a break.

[...of J.Temperance]

59. Okay, I feel sorry for him now...HOWEVER

People who play the accordian have no right inflicting this monstrosity on innocent people...by playing the thing in public settings.

Therefore, WHEN I'm PRESIDENT, by Executive Order I'm going to ORDER EVERYBODY that insists on playing the accordian, they have to play it ONLY in the following:

The basement

Any barn, providing it's in the MIDDLE of a cornfield in Indiana OR Iowa

ANYWHERE in Utah OR Idaho

At Bush family gatherings

At EVERY SINGLE Republican National Convention FOREVER MORE *

* The last one, THINK how many votes we'd get, the population would be saying:

"Jesus God, they've got a posse of ACCORDIAN players...how MASSIVELY uncool and annoying...that's it then, we're voting Democratic from now on FOREVER MORE!"

[Catherine Vincent]

66. But I don't think the article said he plays it in a public setting.

Only when he was a kid.

[...of J.Temperance]

70. Well, nowadays he's probably playing his accordian in

The basement, and rightly so in my humble opinion :)

[WritingIsMyReligion]

27. Love that show!! :D nt

[Catherine Vincent]

30. Yeah, I read the article about the lady in Chicago. She's a lawyer.

She better marry him quick!

[ElectroPrincess]

28. Why am I getting a visual of "Weird Al Yakovich"

http://www.ilovewavs.com/comedy/Music/Yankovic/polkaeye.wav

Still Waters Run Deep Baby?!? :P

[gulfcoastliberal]

31. Public people have to be careful...

Seems like any "fun" they have could be put in a dossier to be used against them. Maybe a bit paranoid but look what happened to Bill. I'll believe the accordian story. Fitz is too smart to "go down" the Monica road.

[Catherine Vincent]

36. How was the sax used against Big Dog?

[...of J.Temperance]

68. It wasn't I don't think...and lot's of cool people have played saxophone

Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan and John Coltrane to name a few.

[beingthere]

34. Our German shepherd loved to howl to accordion music.

BTW, isn't it spelled with an o in last syllable?

[applegrove]

37. Lawyers need something. They have the most stressful jobs around

at times. Like trials.

[Captain Hilts]

40. Is it true he's a Mets fan? I hope so! nt

[Snotcicles]

48. Hey what do you get when you mix cosmetics and Lawrence Whelk

Avon, and a two.

[Missy Vixen]

51. cat_girl, you are the PF information compendium!

I don't know how I feel about accordions. We like bluegrass, and we listen to a lot of Natalie MacMaster around here. www.nataliemacmaster.com. She's amazing. We saw her and her band in August; she was six months' pregnant and step dancing!

Back to PF. He could be a polka champion, build teeny wooden ships in a bottle, or read the dictionary for entertainment and I would still be enthralled.

Julie

[Catherine Vincent]

88. I aim to please!

:hi:

[ClayZ]

53. We need to hook him up with JASON WEBLEY

http://www.jasonwebley.com/

My favorite Accordion Player

[Matariki]

75. I LOVE Jason Webley!!!

he played a show at my studio a couple times. He made borscht for everyone at the show. He is awesome!

[ClayZ]

81. I have known him since he was in 4th grade....

He used to busk at Pike Place Market and huge crowds would gather. He is SO GOOD! You can hear his music on his website! AMAZING!

[Matariki]

93. hey! fellow Seattlite!

did you happen to see his show at 'Rocket Science' a few years ago? it was awesome, as are all his shows.

[NashVegas]

56. In Praise of Accordians

Buckwheat Zydeco
They Might Be Giants
Siouxsie & the Banshees
Talking Heads
BoDeans
Brave Combo
Barenaked Ladies
Jump Little Children


and many, many more.

[suffragette]

76. Add Lo'Jo to that list

Love their French-Algerian meld.

[blogslut]

82. here here

Brave Combo is the party band of the Gods.

http://brave.com/bo/

[mcscajun]

84. A few of the many more...

Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
Beausoleil
the late Boozoo Chavis
Bruce Daigrepont
Wayne Toups & Zydecajun
Gene Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas

Yee-ha!

[Jed Dilligan]

86. The Pogues! nt

[LetsGoMurphys]

109. Shane McGowan is the man n/t

[kwassa]

105. I've seen most of these people in concert (Boozoo is my fave)

I've seen Beausoliel five times in concert

[mcscajun]

107. Concert, shmoncert! I see them at dances!

:woohoo:

Just kidding...anywhere you see them is great. :)

Dances, festivals, club appearances, concerts...whatever. It's all good.

[Jose Diablo]

128. Don't forget John Candy the comedian, sadly deceased now n/t

[Marr]

60. Well, that explains why he's single, I guess.

:P

[Hamlette]

67. off my lust list, still on my greatly admire list.

and dang, that was a great new pick. At least KO won't be jealous.

[Catherine Vincent]

87. Why scratch him off your lust list?

Playing the accordion makes a person dull or is that just a turn off?

[Hamlette]

111. both n/t

although I do hear he has a good sense of humor...that is a counter balance...but not enuf.

[Cleita]

69. So did my husband.

What's with the Irish and their accordions? Although my Irish husband also played a pretty good flamenco guitar too.

[6th Borough]

72. "A female friend described how she found three-week-old take out pizza...

in the oven". Gotta love this guy :toast:

[frogmarch]

73. Four types

of "squeeze boxes" commonly used in Celtic music are: melodeon, concertina, piano accordian, and button accordian. When played "Celtic-style," accordions sound nothing like what was heard on Lawrence Welk's show. My family and I play Celtic music using a variety of instruments, including piano accordian, concertina, Uillean pipes, Irish whistle, Irish flute, mandolin, guitar, cello, violin, harp, bodhran, and most recently, the hammer dulcimer.

Here's a soundclip of some Celtic music. Maybe this is the kind of tune Fitz plays.

http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/5mc2-08.m3u

Irish flute is the main instrument heard at the beginning, and accordian can be heard during the last third of the clip.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

147. Thank you for pointing out the use of the "accordion" in Celtic music.

I am not in the least bit surprised that Pat Fitzgerald plays some sort of instrument. His parents were both from County Clare in Ireland and some of the best musicians in the Celtic traditon come from that part of Ireland.

As the great Christy Moore says in his song Lisdoonvarna, "if its the music you want, you go to Clare".

As I posted in another thread about Fitz, the more I read about him, the more he reminds me of many people I know and respect. He never forgot where he came from.

[Matariki]

74. if any of you people Tango - you'd know how SEXY the accordian can be

[sepia_steel]

78. Better than:

coke
booze
oxycontin
prostitutes

etc

:P

[FreedomAngel82]

90. Aw

Wow. What a neat person he is. :loveya:

[Daphne08]

95. My husband is half-Irish and half-Czech.

He loves the accordian! :D

[Kurovski]

98. Accordion playing is a fine Chicago tradition.

We Polski's love it to.

Everybody Polka 'til you puke!

My ma once dated a nice boy who played the accordion, but opted to marry my dad, the bad boy!

Accordion players are not usually the wildest member of your average Polka band. So it makes sense to me that Fitz should be so inclined.

Edit: too many prepositions.

[mod mom]

100. Wow, Fitz and Tom Waits-too cool! Whodda guessed?

[mcscajun]

101. But...What's he *building* in there?

We have a right to know...

:)

[JJackFlash]

104. Why so enamored, DUrs?

The man is repugnican!

[Catherine Vincent]

108. Do you have any proof of that?

He'd spit fire if he heard you say that. He claims to be Independent.

[JJackFlash]

110. Nominated for Illinois DA by a repugnican Senator ...

"An experienced prosecutor with a Republican pedigree, Fitzgerald has a reputation for being willing to take on politicians of either political party in corruption probes. Currently, Fitzgerald's office is prosecuting a former Republican governor of Illinois."
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:K6mAtmOg2yoJ:news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051014/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/cia_leak_investigation_32+patrick+fitzgerald++republican&hl=en&lr=lang_en

Maybe he's independent, but if he's not it's more likely that he's repug than Democratic.

[mcscajun]

114. And this is why he was nominated....

Fitzgerald frequently makes crime-fighting headlines in Chicago, where he took over the U.S. attorney's office just 10 days before 9/11. What's surprising is that he got the job at all. A New Yorker born and bred, Fitzgerald knew hardly a soul in Chicago, which was precisely the idea. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (no relation) was looking for an outsider to battle the state's notoriously corrupt political apparatus.

(snip)

Peter Fitzgerald said he wanted "someone who couldn't be influenced either to prosecute someone unfairly or protect someone from being prosecuted unjustly."

(snip)

"I thought, 'He is the original Untouchable,' " Peter Fitzgerald says. "You could just see it in his eyes that he was a straight shooter. There were no levers that anyone had over him. He had no desire to become a partner in a private law firm. He has no interest in electoral politics. He wanted to be a prosecutor."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55560-2005Feb1?language=printer

[Catherine Vincent]

117. That doesn't mean anything.

I'll admit I had my reservations about him because I was reading it seem republicans were the ones hiring him for prosecutorial jobs. Regardless, he appears to be fair and apolitical. He may not even vote just to keep himself apolitical. Jim Lehrer is the same way.

[Missy Vixen]

119. Just a question here --

How "Republican" can someone be who had no interest in becoming a partner at a private law firm, and continues to work for the government? Considering the fact he basically has no personal life while doing this (and he's probably not getting rich, either, despite working a zillion hours a week,) he's most likely more an independent than anything else.

Julie

[Catherine Vincent]

120. I agree.

And did you read in one of the few articles about him that his parents wanted him to work for a fancy law firm to make a lot of money but he didn't want to? He preferred to work for the government. :loveya:

[sepia_steel]

138. Actually he claims NO party.

He changed his registration to Independent - until he realized that 'Independent' is an actual party. SO he re-registered adn declared NO affiliation.

[mcscajun]

113. Nope, he's an independent...

"Fitzgerald is careful to be apolitical in his targets and his public life alike. He registered to vote as an Independent in New York, only to discover, when he began receiving fundraising calls, that Independent was a political party. He re-registered with no affiliation, as he did later in Chicago."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55560-2005Feb1?language=printer

[kwassa]

106. Flaco Jimenez, with Ry Cooder

one of the best concerts I have ever seen. It was free, too.

one of the great El Norteno accordianists.

[kineneb]

112. so, what is wrong with that? I play Baroque organ music

to recharge and de-stress. Nothing like a bit of Bach or Pachelbel to clear out my head. If he likes the accordian, more power to him. Bet none of the BushCo crowd can even carry a tune, much less really play an instrument. And by the pictures I have seen, Georgie is not a guitar player...more like a guitar holder.

[Catherine Vincent]

116. Nothing is wrong with it.

I basically used the accordion thing as an excuse to start a thread on Fitzie. :hi:

[mcscajun]

126. Ooohhh, You sneak, you!

That's okay...sneaky is good. And it worked. :)
Although it's almost as much about the accordion as it is about Fitz, which is good, too. :bounce:

[AspenRose]

157. Addict!

12 step group, STAT! ;-)

[Scout1071]

118. I've known some hell'a fun Zydeco accordion players.

My favorite is Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band:

www.chubbycarrier.com

Never miss him when he gets to town.

[fearnobush]

121. Dad was an excellent accordian and squeeze box player in the Irish

tradition. God bless his soul.

[lostnfound]

122. To be nobody but yourself in a world which is ...

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955

[Liberty Belle]

123. So he likes putting the "squeeze" on, in more than one way.

[mod mom]

125. I saw Clifton Chenier at a blues bar "Fitzgeralds" in Chicago back in the

early 80's which was owned by a cousin of a guy I was dating at the time. I wonder if any relation.

what a great show! His passing a couple years later (I believe from diabetes) was a great loss to zydeco music!

[Jose Diablo]

127. Saayyy, that is interesting

I wonder if he'd like to be in a polka band, plays each saturday night at the bowling alley.

Let's make this guy the next attorney general.

I like him already.

[Bridget Burke]

132. I see a lot of anti-accordion prejudice here at DU!

Of course, others have mentioned Brave Combo, Clifton Chenier, Flaco Jimenez & Astor Piazzola. I've seen them all; except for Sr Piazzola, they all come from Texas. Clifton Chenier invented modern Zydeco while living in Houston--he added R&B styling to Creole traditional music & played for homesick Louisiana folks in Frenchtown clubs. And for amazed hippies, too!

Every Spring, Texas Folklife Resources presents "Accordion Kings" at Houston's Miller Theater--Free! Accordion based Texas music includes Central European polkas, Tejano (with more polkas) & Louisiana traditions--Cajun & Zydeco. Etc.--like the occasional Klezmer band.
www.texasfolklife.org/events/accordionkings2005.htm

And we just missed San Antonio's International Accordion Festival. Their roster included the aforementioned regional styles--plus Augie Meyer (whose cheesey Farfisa was the accordion-substitute for the Late Great Sir Douglas Sahm)--& Houston's own Los Skarnales. The festival also features international players from Quebec, Colombia & Ireland. I need to catch this show next year--San Antonio knows how to throw a Fiesta. (Edited to add: This is another Free event.)
www.internationalaccordionfestival.org/site2005/artists2005.htm

Don't mess with Accordion players!

[Joe Chi Minh]

146. It must be the Frenchie in him, and why he hates Murrka.

It all makes sense, you know.

[Bethany Rockafella]

151. I heard from a friend of a friend that he's good in bed.

:)

[Lisa]

152. cool! Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) also plays accordion ...

And so does my mom. (I'm from the Rust Belt -- polka country -- so the accordion may be viewed with more respect there than in other regions.)

[Catherine Vincent]

158. This thread hasn't died yet?

:)

[npincus]

159. Mama's got a squeeze-box, Daddy never sleeps at night....

[RazzleDazzle]

160. I think we're due for an accordian revival

or something.

[myrna minx]

163. Maybe I could seduce Fitz to visit

The Museum of Accordion and Concertina repair with me. There was a major at Red Wing Techinical Collage for accordion & concertina repair. I'd love to take him on the tour. :loveya: :loveya: ;-)

http://museum.accordionworld.org/Landmark%20Events%20for%20A%20World%20of%20Accordions%20Museum.pdf