Folk Music with a Rockin' Twist
What does Sportive Tricks mean?
What does our name mean? It's an old term, found in the opening monologue of Shakespeare's Richard III, in which he observes that he is "not shaped for sportive tricks."
If you look it up in an old dictionary, it means "drollery," another term which went out of use about a century ago. It refers to joking around, amusing people, and generally having a good ole’ time.
The name also lends itself to a lot of puns, which is probably the number one reason why it’s stuck.
Folk Rock n' Roll?
Sure, why not? We love music of all kinds and we want to give our audiences a high-energy performance with a bit of the old familiar sound but updated for this fast-paced modern age.
We're more than just folk musicians though. We've performed opera, classical, punk, blues, jazz -- just about anything we feel like playing.
Got something you want to hear? Let us know. We'll make it happen...
About the Tricks
A Southern California Folk-Rock Band with a heavy Irish influence, Sportive Tricks takes great delight in giving traditional music a strong beat and an interesting twist. They also play many original tunes, both serious & silly.
The band started as performers at the Renaissance Faire, but the music you’ll hear only hints at their beginnings. Tricks’ music leans towards bands like Great Big Sea and Gaelic Storm with influences ranging from The Chieftains to Flogging Molly.
Inspired by the rich traditions of Irish, Scottish, & English folk, Cape Breton music, and sea shanties; Sportive Tricks combines traditional instruments with new arrangements, high energy, and a dash of humor for a foot tapping, hand clapping good time.
