Resilience and Reinvention: A Review of Katey and the Illicit

Katey O’Callaghan’s musical journey has been one embodied by changes. She got her start playing acoustic guitar at dive bars in her hometown, but when she realized a band could create the fuller sound she was searching for, she found a bassist and drummer. The original Katey & The Illicit lineup featured Katey on vocals and acoustic guitar, Jon Morse on drum kit, and Joe Skahan on bass. In this era, the band played punk-influenced songs with an acoustic twist. But then, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed Boston’s live music scene. Katey spoke to us about how the lockdown made people less inclined to pre-purchase tickets or go out on weeknights. “It’s not how it was a couple of years ago,” she explained. “The venues that I was playing at aren’t open anymore; the connections I had for booking aren’t there anymore.” 

But Katey and her band have made the best of these shifting dynamics. After taking a few years off for the pandemic, Katey picked up an electric guitar for the first time. “It just felt right,” she describes. “That was the missing piece, at least for this part of us as a band.” Now, although the group is largely playing the same songs, they’ve proudly adopted a new indie rock sound that fuels their creativity. Excited to be back and playing shows again, Katey explained how the electric guitar reignited the “itch” to perform live.

On stage, the effect that music has on Katey and her band is clear. During nearly all of her songs, you’ll see Jon and Joe rocking their heads back and forth with the beat and closing their eyes, just savoring the moment. The musicians’ energy translates to the audience, too. At one point, Katey told the audience, “I appreciate you,” to which they collectively replied, “We appreciate you!” It’s no wonder — the stories and messages she shares are insightful, engaging, and wise. With ideas like “We are metaphors of something deeper” and “The storms that I’ve been chasing have in turn been chasing me,” Katey shares her experiences while also imploring her audience to reflect on their own lives. “Futures” ends with the repeated refrain, “If that ship is sinking, let it go, let it go.” As the whole band sings along, the energy and emotion in these lines is palpable, and each time you hear it, the same words seem to say something a little bit different. Katey, Jon, and Joe are masters of evoking multiple meanings and feelings in a single moment.

Despite all the musical evolutions she’s undergone, one thing remains constant in Katey’s life: her love of music. “It was the thing that I needed to breathe. Once you get that feeling, you need it. And I don’t know if that ever goes away.” As a result, she makes sure that she leaves time for music in her life, even when it entails a trade-off. She remembers missing time with her friends growing up to play shows, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I sacrificed parties and nights out with my friends to go play for 5 random people at a bar, and I don’t regret it at all,” she recalls. Katey & The Illicit’s performance was a testament to the power of embracing change while keeping the things and people you love close.

The Burren, 5/25/24