Cherish the Ladies Returns To The Odeum

The world-renowned Irish music band Cherish the Ladies is performing at the Greenwich Odeum Sunday night after a several-year hiatus.

The gap, for anyone who hasn’t been paying attention, was because of the Odeum’s closure in 2008. Cherish the Ladies played the Odeum to sold-out crowds twice before that, as well as headlining one of the Summer’s End concerts with the Rhode Island Philharmonic.

“It’s fantastic to be coming back,” said Joanie Madden, leader of the band, in an interview Thursday. In addition to the band’s five musicians (you can read more about them here), there will be three Irish dancers, including Declan McHale, Irish folk singer Cathie Ryan, and a few other surprises, she said.

For Madden, it’s a bit of a homecoming, because her brother Joe lives in East Greenwich with his family. The Maddens grew up in the Bronx, children of Irish immigrant parents. Their father, Joe, was a champion accordion player and music was always a part of their lives. He’d hoped someone would carry on the tradition and that someone was Joanie.

A whistle and flute player, Madden too has earned numerous awards through the years. Most recently, she was given a $50,000 USA Artists Fellowship Grant.

Cherish the Ladies is nearing its 30th anniversary. In addition to a brand new CD – An Irish Homecoming – the band is also featured on a PBS special airing this month. 

"It’s going fantastic," Madden said. In East Greenwich, she'll spend time with her brother, hang out with her nephews, and share a little music with some old friends.

Cherish the Ladies performs Sunday, March 10, at 8 p.m. at the Greenwich Odeum. Tickets are $30 and are available here.