The Evan and Tom Leahy Band will open the 2017 Warm Up Wednesday concert series co-sponsored by the Hiawatha Music Co-op and the NMU student chapter. The father-son duo will play Irish and American folk and bluegrass tunes at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Ore Dock Brewing Company. Free pizza is included with admission, which is $5 for HMC members and $7 for non-members.  

The Leahys are regarded as Milwaukee's first family of Irish music. Tom was one of the founding members of Leahy's Luck, a family band created 20 years ago. He continues to perform with his son, Evan, and together they carry on the tradition of sharing their Irish heritage and music. The duo has expanded into the folk rock genre and combine styles in their shows.

Evan got his musical start playing the Irish drum, the Bodhran, at age 11. He won awards with that instrument in numerous Midwest Fleadhs (Irish traditional music competitions). He went on to compete in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil music competition in 1997 in Ballina, Ireland. Now the guitar is his mainstay. Tom also plays guitar, but has moved more to the acoustic bass and has enriched his vocal training. 

For more on the duo, visit http://www.evanandtom.com.