Couple of Rogues: Duo puts twist on Irish music

By Rebecca Sloan

entertainment@vindy.com

Although musicians Matthew Boser and Nelson Crain were born and bred in America, their music has the merry kick and jovial spirit of something spawned upon the craggy shores of the Emerald Isle.

Boser and Crain are the rollicking lads of the local Irish folk duo The Rogues of Rafferty, and their delightful brand of Gaelic singsong is winning them a loyal following in the Mahoning Valley.

“We enjoy Irish folk music because of the stories the music tells,” Boser said. “We like to see the audience smile and hear their reactions. It’s great to see them having fun, and we have a lot of fun as well. Most of our songs are upbeat.”

Boser, 23, sings lead vocals and plays guitar, and Crain, 21, sings back-up vocals and plays the bodhr °n — a type of Irish frame drum — as well as the penny whistle and banjo.

Both young men are students at Youngstown State University where Boser is majoring in classical guitar, and Crain, a lifelong drummer, is majoring in computers and business.

The duo is recording a CD titled “3,456 Miles to Ireland,” which will be ready by the end of the month.

“In case you didn’t guess, it’s that many miles from Youngstown to Ireland,” Boser said.

Boser and Crain have known each other since their days at Howland High School, where they met in marching band and became fast friends.

After graduation, the pair started playing at summer festivals where there is a demand for Irish folk music, such as the Great Lakes Medieval Faire and the Renaissance Faire in Columbus, Pa.

They have been playing together as The Rogues of Rafferty for about a year.

“Rafferty is an Irish clan name,” Boser explained. “We chose the name because we liked the alliteration, and also because our friends concurred that it was a perfect fit for us.”

“There are a lot of people playing Irish music, but not a lot of people doing it the way we do it,” Crain said.

The way they do it is to incorporate lots of traditional Irish tunes — such as “Row Me Bully Boys, Row,” “Back Home In Derry,” “Spanish Ladies,” “The Night That Paddy Murphy Died,” “Star of The County Down!” and “The Dreadnaught” — along with a sprinkling of folksy, well-known modern songs such as “The Unicorn Song” and “The Edmund Fitzgerald.”

The Rogues also throw in occasional pop hits such as “99 Red Balloons” and naughty little ditties such as “The Knight and The Shepherd’s Daughter,” a medieval tune.

The end result is an irresistible mix of old-timey fun, bawdy humor, deft guitar strumming and an infectious beat tatted upon the taut hide of the bodhr °n.

The duo also is adept at buttoning up the bawdy and playing more subdued numbers for weddings and birthday parties.

“We are also planning to expand a bit into country because Nelson plays the banjo,” said Boser, who, in addition to being a student at YSU, teaches classical guitar at Spider Web Music in Howland.

Crain teaches percussion at Brookfield High School.

For more information on The Rogues of Rafferty, visit their Facebook page.