Irish band Bua brought the audience to their feet in Biedenharn Recital Hall Thursday night. The Chicago-native band performed traditional Irish music played on the horn pipes, flute, fiddle, and Irish reels among other instruments.

Although lead singer Brian O’Hairt explained that most Irish songs are sad in nature, Bua stuck to up-beat melodies that had the audience clapping and tapping their feet.

O’hairt sang in both Irish-accented English and the indigenous Irish language of Gaelic. In addition to singing, O’hairt also performed traditional Irish dance in a rhythmic tap style resembling Riverdance.

The band traveled from Minnesota to Nashville and then to ULM by tour bus last week. Flute player Sean Gavin said they were excited to be in the South. “We thought when we crossed the Mason Dixon line the crowds would be crazy, but the people in Nashville were very stoic. We finally found the rowdy crowd,” Gavin said with a laugh.

Biedenharn Recital Hall had very few empty seats that night. The audience was very diverse ranging from music students and professors to families with grandparents and small children. All ages gave Bua a standing ovation at the end of the night.

Radu Marian, a junior Marketing major from Moldova, said he really enjoyed the concert. “It was the first time I’ve ever attended an Irish concert. The atmosphere was really nice. I felt like I was really in Ireland instead of America,” Marian said.

The band was contacted by Doyle Jeter, owner of Enoch’s pub, about performing at ULM as a preview to Monroe’s annual Celtic Fest. Jeter said that ULM is the only university in the state that holds an annual Irish concert.

Fiddle player Devin Shepherd said that the gig fit nicely in their schedule since they were traveling to Jackson, MS, the following day to perform at their Celtic festival. “We like playing at Universities in particular. We don’t get to do it a lot, but we really enjoy it,” Shepherd said.

The Monroe Celtic Fest will take place October 6 at Kiroli Park in West Monroe.