(Tim Kirk. Boston Irish).
Back in early 2020, we had tickets to see Christy Dignam, the legendary lead singer of the ‘80s and ‘90s band Aslan, play at the Olympia. Then the pandemic hit, and everything everywhere was canceled. We were still hoping to have the chance to see him after the shutdown but, sadly, Christy’s rare blood cancer that had been in remission came back with a vengeance. He canceled his comeback shows and entered palliative care before passing away on June 13, 2023, at 63, joining Shane McGowan and Sinead O’Connor on a grim honor roll of beloved Irish musicians lost during the year.
Christy’s relatives and friends organized a tribute concert for last month. The Vicar Street venue was already fairly packed when we arrived and as we entered, we were handed a small card with Christy’s face, the dates of his birth and death, and a short inscription on the reverse side.