Wendy Mills welcomed members of Big Paddy into the KGNU studio for a conversation and live performance celebrating the band’s 25th anniversary. The Colorado Celtic music mainstays shared stories about their beginnings busking on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, the evolution of the band over the past quarter century, and their deep connection to Irish musical traditions.
The duo performed spirited renditions of the traditional songs “Sam Hall” and “Black Waterside,” and discussed the rich cultural journey of Celtic music, from Ireland and England to Appalachia and the American West. They also reflected on the enduring power of live music to bring people together and keep traditions alive. (Air Date 3/12/26).
Listen to the studio session here:
Transcript:
Wendy Mills: Here on KGNU. Thank you so much for joining me on the Morning Sound Alternative here on KGNU.
Hear a little rustling in the background? Those aren’t big mice. Even if they were, we’d welcome them because—
Big Paddy: Let the cats out.
Wendy Mills: No, no, no. Joining me in the studio are Jon Sherman and Sean Gaughan.
You guys have been playing around this area and beyond for a long time, and you play some great Celtic music. You have shows coming up all weekend. It’s a big weekend for people who play Celtic music, for sure. We have the duo here right now, but Big Paddy is celebrating 25 years of Irish heritage. We’ll get to all of that, but welcome to the studio here at KGNU.
Big Paddy: Thank you for having us.
Wendy Mills: Appreciate it. Tell me a little bit about how you got together and your vision for the next 25 years.
Big Paddy: Sean and I started out playing on the Pearl Street Mall. We called it “stickin’ and pickin’.” I would play guitar and mandolin, and he would play percussion on benches and whatever else was available. That was around 1998 or 1999.
Then Jimbo from the Pearl Street Pub and Cellar said, “Why don’t you come inside and do what you’re doing out there every Monday night?” We created quite a scene every Monday for many years. That really launched Big Paddy, and we took it from there.
Wendy Mills: Wow.
Big Paddy: We’ve had a lot of great experiences over the years. We were sponsored by Guinness for a while. Not anymore, but it was fun. They gave us a bunch of swag and T-shirts.
Wendy Mills: Did you get any accoutrement with it?
Big Paddy: Absolutely.
Wendy Mills: Just so listeners can tell who’s speaking, Jon, why don’t you say your name?
Big Paddy: My name’s Jon Sherman.
Wendy Mills: And then?
Big Paddy: My name is Sean Michael K. O’Gonn, but everybody knows me as Sean G.
Wendy Mills: Perfect. I just wanted people to know who was speaking as we go forward.
Big Paddy: Thanks, Wendy.
Wendy Mills: Let’s get into the music.
Big Paddy: We’re going to start with a song called “Sam Hall.” It was originally an English folk song dating back to the 1700s. It was adopted by the Irish and covered by The Dubliners, The Irish Rovers, Steeleye Span, and many others.
Interestingly, it traveled across the Atlantic and became a cowboy song. Tex Ritter recorded a version in 1935, and Jonny Cash recorded it in 1965. I love that cross-cultural aspect of music—the way songs travel and evolve. In this case, it started in England, went to Ireland, and then came here.
We recorded our version in 2001 at Red Door Audio. Big shout-out to Steve Copy.
[Performance: “Sam Hall”]
Wendy Mills: There you go. I didn’t need that espresso earlier anymore.
Big Paddy: Good to hear.
Wendy Mills: That is fabulous.
Big Paddy: Thank you.
Wendy Mills: That’s just a taste of what you’ll get this Friday and Saturday at Clancy’s Irish Pub in Wheat Ridge, and also at Nici’s on St. Patrick’s Day.
Big Paddy: That’s right.
Wendy Mills: Jigs, reels, and songs about whiskey.
Big Paddy: Music is medicine, and the world needs us to keep playing.
Wendy Mills: That’s right.
Big Paddy: While we’re talking, I’m going to retune. This next song will be in DADGAD for all the guitar players out there.
Wendy Mills: Absolutely.
Big Paddy: We’d also like to give away a couple pairs of tickets for Nici’s. The first two people who call in can get tickets to see us for free.
Wendy Mills: The number is 303-442-4242. Keep it ringing.
You’ll be able to hear these guys at Nici’s.
Big Paddy: Thank you.
Wendy Mills: Clancy’s has been around for a very long time. I read that it’s the longest-running Irish pub in Colorado.
Big Paddy: It is.
Wendy Mills: Years ago, when I lived in Arvada, I used to go down to Clancy’s. It was the kind of place where moms brought their kids.
Big Paddy: Still is.
Wendy Mills: I still have a picture of a baby teething on an empty Guinness bottle.
Big Paddy: Was it my daughter?
Wendy Mills: No, this was a little lad. But what a great place, and a great place to hear music. Of course, Nici’s is fabulous too.
Big Paddy: Mark and the whole crew there are awesome. We love that stage and the sound.
Wendy Mills: I want to ask you about the love of Celtic music. It seems that once people hear it, it gets into their DNA. How did you first fall in love with it?
Big Paddy: I started playing guitar around age 12 and mandolin around age 20. At the time I was living in Bar Harbor, Maine, which has a very Celtic feel. It even looks a lot like Ireland.
Folk music was really big there, so I started playing Irish music. Before that, when I was growing up in New Jersey, my friends and I would go to a place called The Eagle Tavern in New York, where they had live Celtic music once a week. That’s probably where I first heard it.
Big Paddy: My introduction came through Jon. When we first met, they invited me into the Zydeco Playboys. Then we started doing Big Paddy.
As I began singing more, Jon encouraged me to keep going. That opened up a connection to my heritage. My father’s family came from County Mayo, and I got to learn a lot about my roots.
It’s been a wonderful journey into my history and identity. We’ve had a wonderful time playing music. It’s what we’re meant to do, and we’re going to keep doing it. I love what it does for people. Seeing feet moving on the dance floor brings so much joy.
Wendy Mills: Big Paddy is a different configuration than what we have in the studio today, correct?
Big Paddy: This is actually the original Big Paddy.
Wendy Mills: Oh, okay.
Big Paddy: We’ll have a larger band this weekend. We have a bass player, Michael Mitchell, and the sound gets a bit more rocked up. I play electric guitar and Sean plays a full drum kit. This is more of a scaled-back version, closer to how we started.
Wendy Mills: Do you play plectrum electric guitar, Jon?
Big Paddy: I guess so, yes.
Wendy Mills: The first time I saw you was playing banjo with Orchard Creek. You’re playing banjo almost like a mandolin.
Big Paddy: That’s an Irish tenor banjo. In Ireland they just call it a banjo. It’s a four-string tenor banjo tuned like a mandolin but an octave lower.
I also play in Orchard Creek with your husband, Jerry Mills. The band already had two mandolin players, so Keith suggested I play banjo instead.
Wendy Mills: You two blend beautifully.
Big Paddy: Thanks. It ended up being fun and different.
Wendy Mills: Earlier you mentioned how music travels. Bluegrass and Celtic music have so many intertwined roots.
Big Paddy: Absolutely. Interestingly, the banjo came from Africa. It came to America and eventually made its way back to Ireland through migration. The tenor banjo became a traditional Irish instrument, but its roots trace back through Africa and the United States. I think that’s fascinating.
Wendy Mills: We’re speaking with Big Paddy. They’re celebrating 25 years and have several upcoming shows.
We’re used to hearing a bodhrán in Irish music, but you’ve got a big drum there.
Big Paddy: I prefer the djembe because it provides a bass line. The low end complements Jon’s playing really well.
When I was learning how to sing and manage my breathing, the djembe became my go-to instrument. I play bodhrán too, but this is where our roots are. I also incorporate djembe into my full drum kit. It gives you that nice boomy low end.
Wendy Mills: Let’s hear some more music.
Big Paddy: This next song is called “Black Waterside.” It’s a traditional Irish song. I learned it from Bert Jansch’s playing. Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention did a version, and Jimmy Page adapted it as “Black Mountain Side” on Led Zeppelin’s first album. We’ve blended influences from several versions.
I love this song.
[Performance: “Black Waterside”]
Wendy Mills: Beautiful, gentlemen.
Big Paddy: Thank you.
Wendy Mills: This is going by way too fast.
Big Paddy: We’ve got more.
Wendy Mills: I want to remind everyone we’re listening to Big Paddy. They’ll be performing Friday and Saturday at Clancy’s Irish Pub in Wheat Ridge and on St. Patrick’s Day at Nici’s in Lafayette.
They’re giving away two pairs of tickets to Nici’s. Since we can’t do it the normal way, email me at [email protected] with your name, phone number, and email address. The first two people to do that will get the tickets. Make sure you can attend.
Big Paddy: You’ll just pick them up at will call.
Wendy Mills: Exactly. It’s easy.
This has gone by way too quickly. Thank you so much.
Big Paddy: Thank you, Wendy. We really appreciate you having us on.
Wendy Mills: It’s been a joy.
Big Paddy: Thank you, Wendy. Quick shout-out to all my crew at Sustainability listening right now, and of course my family.
Wendy Mills: Thank you so very much.
Since we were talking about Appalachia and musical roots, let’s go out with something completely different. As Monty Python would say, “And now for something completely different.” Here’s Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O’Connor.
Thank you so much.
Big Paddy: Thank you. You’re awesome.
Wendy Mills: Right back at you.
