Belltown Messenger

Technically, Haggis is Scottish not Irish, but local Irish folk favorites the Haggis Brothers are ready to perform another riveting St. Patrick's Day in Seattle. This year's annual green reign of song and dance will include a performance in Belltown.

It was St. Patrick's Day 1997 when the group first banded together. The legend began with the fiddling friends Joe Ross and Lou Alexander accompanied by Monty Banks on accordion, and Terrence Dunn, on percussion, who put together an improvisational group they called the Irish Posers. (The name inspired by Ross' favorite the Irish Rovers.) The lads enjoy performing and get the audience caught up in the show.

Every year since the group has put a band together, under various names. In 2000, Ross and Alexander formed Merle Haggis and the Drifting Highlanders and, in addition to St. Patrick's events, began playing more gigs, including the University Street Fair. Over the years the band transmogrified into the quirky, crowd-pleasing unit seen today, but Ross claims they still never practice. They just show up to play gigs. Besides Ross and Alexander, the full Haggis Brothers ensemble includes Sean Wheatly, bass, Matt O'Toole, mandolin, and Mike Collins, drums.

St. Patrick's Day still is by far the busiest for these brothers. Last year, the Haggis Brothers began at 11:00 a.m., playing two retirement homes, did an early show at Finn McCools, then to West Seattle for another retirement home, and back to Finn McCool's, before heading to Belltown's Whisky Bar to play a full set.

The Infamous Haggis Homies are planning something similar again this year.

Ross has been playing his fiddle in nursing homes since 1994 and still really enjoys it. The two Haggis Bothers, Ross and Alexander, frequently play gigs in local retirement communities and encourages other performers to do so as well. "Just call 'em up." Ross jokes.

It was Belltown's Lava Lounge where the band started drawing big, regular crowds. After St. Patrick Day of 2002, Merle Haggis and the Drifting Highlands were invited to be part of the Lava Lounge's Monday Night Country Night, with DJ Louis L'Amour. Beginning what they call their trail of beers' through Belltown.

"We played that St. Patrick's Day and everyone loved us so much that Sylvia [Lava Lounge Bartenderess] offered us $40 if we agreed to return weekly," recalled Ross.

Wiedemann explained how having the Haggis felt natural. They already had an "old country" night and Alexander was an employee at the time. Ross' unique talents and storytelling ability brought a down-home, funny, talented musical ensemble into the place.

"When they started playing here they made me feel like I was in a small Montana bar," said Wiedemann. "Even though I'd seen them before, they surprised me each time. Lou Alexander is amazing with his fiddle." For the last three years the Merle Haggis and the Drifting Highlander's current line-up in place has remained intact, continuing the trail. Ross jokes lately, when it is just he and Anderson playing they call themselves "The Dukes of Haggis."

From the Lava the trail moved on to include: a seven month stint at the Frontier Room, and a variety of performances including weddings, parties, Roc La Rue, O'Shay's, the Owl and Thistle, and the lads pursue a variety of endeavors.

Last year the Haggis Brothers played their first night at Belltown's Whisky Bar, (Second Avenue and Virginia). Since then the Whisky has become the new home to Haggis. Their raucous weekly sets begin Thursdays, around 10 p.m. The revelry brings spectators and fogs up the windows until closing, sometimes repeating favorite songs. "Whisky in the jar" is a frequent favorite, along with standards like "The Battle of New Orleans"and various Irish folk songs. The crowd gets into it, dancing and shouting requests.

Colin and Brian Pickering, the brothers who took over the corner spot in June 2003, have slowly been making it their own, whilst looking to the neighborhood for inspiration. They are glad to include Haggis in their repertoire. The bothers appreciate the eclectic nature of the neighborhood and realize it is not a necessarily a "martini" crowd.

"It's just easier to sell beer," Colin says in his easy Macum accent. "And we enjoy the diverse crowd a guy in a suit sitting at the bar with some punks on the other side. It is so different every night."

The brothers from Sunderland, England are steadily making their corner spot more accommodating: Lengthening Happy Hour (3-9 p.m.), including $1 PBRs and $3 martinis; slyly expanding down the hall, adding a pool table, fuse ball tables and some games; and having nightly entertainment. Colin Pickering claims they'd been thrown out of all (or most) of the pubs in Belltown, so it was time to buy their own. A rambunctious nature amplifting the Whisky's festive environment. All adding up to make it the perfect habitat for viewing Belltown's indiginous Irish-American Haggis Brothers, this St. Patricks Day, or any Thursday.