Scene Snapshot: Irish Rocker Larry Kirwan of Black 47 at the Literary Festival (+ Bonus MP3s)

By JASON HARPER

If you can look more jaunty with your jacket thrown over your shoulder while strolling through the Plaza than Larry Kirwan did this past Saturday, then you should run for office. I encountered the author and legendary leader of Irish/Bronx-based rock band Black 47 at the Bloomsday Books tent, where they were selling Black 47 CDs and DVDs, plus copies of Kirwan’s book Green Suede Shoes. Kirwan was in town to discuss his memoir and the art of non-fiction writing at the Kansas City Literary Festival, which lasted most of the day and occupied a good portion of the Plaza’s southwest corner.

Kirwan looks a bit like Larry David in a wig and is just as smart and funny but is fearlessly political (and politically fearless). I quickly bought up a copy of his band’s 1993 major-label debut, Fire of Freedom. Kirwan gave me change for my $20 out of his own pocket and talked about working with album producer Ric Ocasek as he signed the insert of my CD. Nice as hell, that Kirwan.

MP3s & more shenanigans after the jump