If you listen closely, you can almost hear the crescendo of the soul-shaking melodies of bagpipes, the drilling of sticks rolling on a snare echoing against buildings and rhythmic pounds on the bass drum as St. Patrick’s Day nears and local parades get into gear.

A long time standard of the Chicago and southlander Irish parades, The Chicago Stock Yard Kilty Band is set to play at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 14 down Lockport Street in Plainfield and 2 p.m. on Oak Park Avenue in Tinley Park.

Beyond the well-known parade routes, there is a more intimate tradition among some of the band members, kiddingly called “pipe-byes.”
 
After the traditional floats, bands, scout troops and politicians break from the end of the parade routes, some of the 60-person troupe of the SYKB will travel to homes and bars.

“Playing in people's homes kind of goes hand-in-hand with doing parades,” said Dan McKee, band manager and bass drummer. “It makes it more fun to stop and hang out with someone afterward, rather than just heading back to the car and going home. The St. Pat's parades have the most parties afterwards but there is usually a party or two after the others as well; Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc.”

Most members of the historic SYKB, which is based in Beverly, consider themselves southlanders.

“Basically, we're a south side band,” McKee said. “We're based in Beverly, but we've got people from all over the south suburbs. Inevitably someone knows someone who's having a party after one of the parades.”

Originally, pipe-byes were a tradition, which began after the South Side Irish Parade in Beverly, which was replaced by the South Side Irish Family Fest this year.

But, McKee expects pipe-byes to continue this year.

"Although the parades we do are also a ton of fun," said SYKB drummer Kevin Ade. "The times I have played at people's places, it usually starts with a friend or family member, but when we play outside sometimes the neighbors would come by and ask us to play over at their party too. Sometimes we get food, drinks, and once in a while a few dollars, which never hurts. Typically, we play maybe three to five tunes and maybe one more tune right as we leave."

At bars, a hat for tips or pints may be passed around in gratitude for the music.

Called the grandfather of pipe bands in the Midwest, the SYKB assembled in the early 1920s. Original leader, Bob Sims, affiliated his British Legion Pipe Band with the Chicago Stockyard American Legion Post #333. Over the generations, the SYKB has grown with friendship and families, such as the McKees, who have kept the musical tradition alive.

Dan’s father, Dave Sr., is the pipe sergeant and has been playing with SYKB for 52 years. Dan’s brothers, Matt, is pipe major, Luke is a piper and Dave Jr. is drum sergeant.  The Gribbon family is also known as a SYKB ficture with Vickey and Mike Gribbon both playing the pipes, said Piper John Barrett. Mike Gribbon, a former piper in SYKB was also in the band until 1998, as well as his brother, Don, a drummer who died of Lou Gehrig's disease. However, Don's son Collin later joined the band as a tenor drummer.

Passing down the drumsticks and pipes are just as important as playing them. The McKees and Kevin and Brian Conry pass down their knowledge to people of all ages and skill sets. Dave McKee Sr. is known for having his door open to lessons at his home every Tuesday night.

For more information on SYKB, go to www.sykb.com.

For more information on the Plainfield Parade, go to www.mainstreetplainfield.org, or all 815-436-5510.

Contact the Oak Park Avenue Mainstreet Association for more information on the Tinley Park parade at www.opama.org or 708-532-9989.

—By Amy Alderman, Triblocal.com reporter