Issue of Dec. 20-31, 2007
Issue of Dec. 20-31, 2007
Ringing in, singing in 2008
The band with a Catholic heart hosts its second
New Year’s bash at Washington’s
historic Carnegie Library.
A gong and a chain link fence.
If you can’t put those two items together and come up with anything that
makes sense, you’ve never seen Scythian.
The fun-loving, D.C.-based band mixes Celtic tunes and a hodgepodge of instruments — soon
to be including, you guessed it, the two above — with a whole lot of crazy
to draw regular crowds to their Chinatown gig at Fado Irish Pub Thursday nights.
Lots of those regulars are Catholic young adults, and it’s this fan-base
that Dan Fedoryka, who mans the guitar and accordion for the group, said formed
the heart of last year’s Scythian-sponsored New Year’s Eve party: “It’s
a Mad, Mad, Masquerade Ball.”
They hope that this year will be no different.
Held at the historic Carnegie Library Building in Washington (801 K St., N.W.)
from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., the second annual masquerade ball will be all over the
place, with a New Orleans jazz band, a movie theater playing Looney Toons, an ’80s
cover band and a magician. And, of course, Scythian.
In an interview last week, Fedoryka said the band wanted to create a classy event
that would be inclusive to all.
“We (tried) to figure out: what’s something the women would
love and the dudes could get behind?” he said. “Masquerade is something
everybody can get excited about.”
The average age is 25 to 35, with some a little older, some a little younger.
Not fans of ringing in the New Year by playing in a basement bar, Scythian’s
all-male quartet decided three years ago to take a risk and throw a big party
instead. The masquerade ball is the product of that risk.
“It was a lot of our friends in the Catholic community last year that really
got the word out and helped,” Fedoryka said. “We have a great fan
base. It’s kind of like a Theology on Tap without the theology.”
This base stems from the Catholic ties that Fedoryka; his brother, Leks, who
plays the fiddle, bass and harmonica; and good friend Joe Crosby, who also plays
fiddle and bass, formed while attending Franciscan University of Steubenville
in Ohio. Drummer Mike Ounallah isn’t Catholic, but having that diversity
is “awesome and enriching,” Fedoryka said.
Fedoryka said he thinks Scythian’s music appeals to Catholic young adults
because they know from where the band’s endless energy originates. They
also try for a wholesome feel.
“It’s obvious where our spirit is coming from,” Fedoryka
said. “The source of all joy for me is Jesus.”
Joan Harris, a parishioner of St. Louis Parish in Alexandria, said she likes
the idea of supporting people who are faithful Catholics. She became connected
with the band through some friends who went to Christendom College with Fedoryka,
and she appreciates the clean fun that the show offers.
“You don’t have to worry about going to the show and having any swearing,” Harris
said. “They joke around, but there’s nothing off-colored.”
And the band is just plain fun, she said.
“When they’re live, they have a lot of energy, and they bring the
crowd into it. The crowd’s up there jumping around and singing along with
the songs.”
This energy best describes Scythian’s style — or what Fedoryka called
their “feel.” They want to make people dance, no matter what.
“Some people say we have musical Tourette’s,” Fedoryka said. “You
have no clue what we’re going to play next. We’re always throwing
curveballs.”
Scythian’s eclectic music is hard to describe — although Fedoryka
threw around the word “hoedown” a couple of times — and the
band has the ability to sing not only English, but Spanish and Ukrainian on any
given night. How? Because all members are first-generation sons of immigrants
(the origin of the title of their newest CD, “Immigrant Road Show”).
The Fedorykas’ parents are from Ukraine; Mike’s dad is from Jordan;
and Joe’s mom is from Austria.
“There’s really a culture streak in each of us,” Fedoryka said,
adding that being children of immigrants has strongly affected their work ethic. “We
don’t know where we’re going, but we just know we have an obligation
to do our best because a lot of people don’t have this opportunity.”
Scythian is making the most of the opportunities given to them. They are touring
full-time, with 22 shows in 30 days to kick off the New Year — a far cry
from their humble beginnings playing on the streets.
But it was this time at the beginning of their career where they learned how
to entertain crowds in a way that keeps people like Harris interested.
“You have to engage,” Fedoryka said. “You could be playing
the most amazing piece, but if people aren’t open to you, it won’t
affect people.”
This engagement is strikingly different from what the quartet learned in their
classical and jazz training. Where they were once reserved on stage, they now
jump up and down and crack jokes — anything to keep the energy up and involve
the fans.
“We try to do anything we can to make people feel at ease,” Fedoryka
said.
That includes hosting a New Year’s party where their friends can come,
relax and just have fun.
“That’s why I like this New Year’s event so much, because we
are controlling the environment,” Fedoryka said. “This is our party,
and this is basically an extension of our beings. It’s a really cool experience.”
Gretchen R. Crowe can be reached at gcrowe@catholicherald.com.
Find out more
www.scythianmusic.com