The Guggenheim Grotto is a folk-pop band originally from from County Mayo, Ireland but who currently reside in Brooklyn, N.Y. Don’t miss the chance to catch the band tonight at 9 p.m. at Spike’s Beach Grill as they make a stop in Warsaw along their tour throughout the Midwest. Tickets are $12 at the door.

Special local opening set is by Sebastian Coria from Fair Fjola and Megan King.

Guggenheim Grotto has a unique sound, characterized by an emphasis on piano instrumentals supporting their harmonies.The Hartford Courant described their style as “folk-influenced indie-pop” and said it fit well with other music popular on college and public radio, such as Rufus Wainwright, Crowded House and Kings of Convenience. The music varies from rock, to pop, folk and even soul.Their influences include Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits.

Brandmembers Kevin May, Shane Power and Mick Lynch all participated in the Dublin music scene that produced musicians like Damien Rice. May and Lynch have been playing as a duo since 2003. In 2004 they approached Power, a musician and producer with a successful studio, about editing their self-recorded “A Lifetime in Heat” EP. Power was impressed with their work, and later joined the group as their drummer and also produced their next album. All three play multiple instruments.

The Guggenheim Grotto was well received when they came to the United States in 2006. In 2006, and again in 2009, the band performed at South by Southwest Festival. The band’s debut album “…Waltzing Alone” was self-released to immediate critical acclaim in Ireland on Sept. 9, 2005, and their first promotional single “Told You So” rapidly climbed to No. 12 on the Irish National Airplay Chart.

Early in 2007, The Guggenheim Grotto’s A Lifetime In Heat won The 6th Annual Independent Music Award for Best Folk/Singer-Songwriter Song. Songs from their first album have been used in major network prime-time TV shows like “One Tree Hill” and “Brothers And Sisters,” and the album received positive reviews from U.S. national publications like “Paste Magazine,” as well as regional press like The Boston Globe and The Washington Post.

The band’s second album, “Happy the Man,” was released digitally for a limited time in the U.S. and Ireland on October 7, 2008. Former member Shane Power’s studio experience has been credited with giving the album its more expansive, experimental sound. On “Happy,” The Guggenheim Grotto’s sound is more akin to Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles and Leonard Cohen. Intricate acoustic guitar work is the centerpiece for most tracks. The sound is more like Crowded House than Jack Johnson, with electronic influences reminiscent of Radiohead. The album reached No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes Folk Chart.

“The Universe Is Laughing,” which Lynch and May recorded themselves, was released in 2010. The band is currently working on another album.

For more info on the band, go to The Guggenheim Grotto website.