Dealing craic with The Sandcarvers

All work and no play makes Tom a dullard. So we decided to hie over to beautiful downtown Waukesha, Wis., for a spot of craic with The Sandcarvers at the House of Guinness, as well as a pint or two.

My son Jay was on the soundboard as Jeff and the guys (and one gal on the whistle) ran through a rollicking three-hour session of tunes with a traditional base but kicked up a notch.

On a visit to Las Vegas Jay was all excited to tell me about this band he’d been working with called The Sandcarvers. I held up my iPod and said, “These guys?” After all, when half the 7,000-plus songs on it are Celtic, the chances were good.

Check out their latest CD, “Whisky Tango Foxtrot” (supposedly there is a story behind the title, but I declined to ask) and this sample. (Warning: It is a tad naughty.)