Everyoneās Irish once a yearāor, at least, they like to think they are. Thatās what Corey Johnson ā88 has observed playing in the band Keep Britain Irish for over 15 years.
Many initial band member connections were made at ĢĒŠÄ“«Ć½, he said, including Jamey Evans ā89 and Steve Brosius ā92.
āMy wife thinks thereās one degree of separation between everything at HC,ā Johnson said.
That only scratches the surface of his Bronco network. Johnsonās parents and grandmother are all alumni, and his father (Duane āBearā Johnson ’57) directed the ĢĒŠÄ“«Ć½ bands for 33 years. All three of Johnsonās siblings also went to HC, as well as his niece and nephew. Coincidentally, Robin Koozer ā76 was also Johnsonās high school choir director.
This story originally appeared in .
While Johnson has always considered himself primarily a vocalist, he also grew up playing other instruments, including the trumpet, french horn and guitar. This strong musical foundation led him to participate in both choir and band ensembles at HC, where he studied religion and sociology.
āOne of the highlights of the choir career there was that we went and performed at the Avery Fisher Hall in a mass choir doing Verdi’s āMessa da Requiem,āā he said. The Avery Fisher Hall in New York City is the home to the New York Philharmonic.
Music continued to play a strong role throughout Johnsonās life, even when he had an office job. After graduating, he moved to Denver, Colorado, where he worked at an adolescent shelter and then Denver Human Services. During his 28 years at the DHS, he performed in weddings and played in a band with his coworkers called the Uncivil Servants.
In 2008, Johnson reconnected with college buddies, including Evans and Brosius, jamming out together in an unfinished basement. Among many different musical tastes, they found a common ground in Irish pub music.
For Johnson, the blending of instruments and harmonies in Irish music are what draw him to the genre. These characteristics also lend a āsingalongā quality to it.
āItās always great when youāre at a gig and you see people singing along with you,ā he said.
The name ā Keep Britain Irish ā is something they came up with so long ago that the origin is almost forgotten. Instead of making a bold political statement, itās meant to be tongue-in-cheek and punchy.
āItās more kinda cheekyā¦the whole idea of the name was, it was to be kind of provocative and ironic,ā Johnson said. āMost of the time we just shorten it to KBI.ā
The band members kept playing together, and after some encouragement, KBI had its first public debut on March 17, 2008āSt. Patrickās Day.
Unsurprisingly, the Irish-American holiday is always what draws in the largest crowds, Johnson said.
āFor us itās always been our best day of the year. Itās always when we have our largest audience,ā he said. āWeāve played for the Denver St. Pattyās day population. Itās a high-energy, high-exposure day for us.ā
KBI, which still has four of its original members, now includes Johnson, vocalist, mandolinist, harmonicist and penny whistler; Evans, vocalist and rhythm guitarist; Brosius, percussionist; Jake Stoudenmire, bassist; and Aaron Langton, guitarist.
Leading the party
The group has evolved over the years to incorporate more than traditional Irish pub songs. The bandās set lists now encompass an eclectic mix including covers from Tom Petty, The Who, Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, Lukas Nelson and Chris Stapleton. Also in the mix are a few original KBI songs that Johnson and another band member wrote.
Through the variety of genres, the through line is the bandās mission statement to ālead the party.ā
āThereās people that have their favorite traditional Irish songs, you see them singing along, youāre doing like a Flogging Molly song, Irish punk style, you see people singing with that. You see people sing āGalway Girlā by Steve Earle,ā Johnson said. āWe choose songs people are familiar withā¦songs people instantly recognize.ā
The band has also slowed down its performance schedule somewhat over the years. Gone are the days of performing a āSt. Pattyās Runā of three to five shows the week of St. Patrickās Day ā āOur voices and our bodies donāt hold up.ā
Over the past summer, KBIās monthly performance schedule included an appearance at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
What keeps the band going after all these years is the simple connecting power of music and the energy of the crowds, Johnson said.
āEvery time we get up there (on stage) it just reminds us of why we enjoy doing it,ā he said.
These connections radiate out to the venues and communities they perform in. Itās been another form of the āHC connectionā for Johnson.
āAnother thing thatās been great is the connections with other ĢĒŠÄ“«Ć½ people. We have a lot of HC people who come to our shows that we stay connected with,ā he said. āMusic brings out something that is very unifying.ā
Editors note: Follow along with KBI at and .