Whiskey Before Breakfast

Listen to their music

Whiskey Before Breakfast performs Irish traditional dance music: jigs, reels, hornpipes and all manner of toe-tapping tunes and songs. Comprised of Dave Marlatt on fiddle, Cara Lieurance on flutes, whistles & vocals, Tim McCauley on vocals and bodhran, and Jeff Mondragon on guitar, Whiskey Before Breakfast has been performing throughout southwest Michigan since 1994.
 
 Our approach to the music is clear and simple: capture the essence of the tradition melodically and rhythmically. It’s very roots-oriented, meaning the melody players, fiddle and flute, learn the tunes from the old masters as well as musicians we meet at festivals and workshops. Jeff’s dynamic chord progressions and Tim’s drum hive the old tunes a bite and driving style. Tim and Cara’s vocals have earned the band widespread attention. They sing in a variety of styles, from Sean Nos to love songs, to party tunes and an occasional nod to the Pogues. We find it irresistibly fun and appropriate for all sorts of occasions.
 
 Some of our special appearances include concerts at the Cooper’s Glen Music Festival, the Kalamazoo Irish Festival, the Box Factory St. Joseph Area Arts Center, LVD’s Concert Hall, IN, and the Kalamazoo Arts Council Concerts in the Park Series. The band is regularly heard at Fiddler’s Hearth in South Bend, IN, The Curragh in Holland, MI, and Kraftbrau Brewery and Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo.