Celtic Woman Homecoming Tour Stops in the Rockies in May By Rodger Hara

On March 1, Celtic Woman began their 2018 Homecoming Tour that will make 91 stops in the U.S. including shows in Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs and Loveland in May.  The tour will feature songs from their latest album, Celtic Woman: Homecoming – Live from Ireland, along with many of the other traditional and contemporary songs that their fans have come to love.

Celtic Woman: Homecoming – Live from Ireland, is a 19-track release and the first full-length live album of music recorded at a concert performed at the 3Arena in Dublin in September 2017.  A video recording of the concert is also available and is their tenth DVD.  The music was produced, arranged, and orchestrated by Gavin Murphy and features the Orchestra of Ireland, the Celtic Voices Choir and concert guest singer Anabel Sweeney, who won a competition in Ireland to perform at the concert. The current lineup features lead vocals by Máiréd Carlin, Susan McFadden and Éabha McMahon and the brilliant fiddle playing of Tara McNeill, the newest member of the group. A native of Antrim, Tara joined the group as one of the four primary performers in August 2016 and is only the second violinist since the group began.  A multi-instrumentalist, she played harp in the band for the Celtic Woman: Destiny album and performed on both the violin and harp for the Homecoming – Live from Ireland, the first time a lead instrumentalist of the group performed more than one instrument on one of the group’s DVDs. In an interview on the KGNU radio show Seolta Gael, Tara spoke fondly of the warm reception they received when playing on the Red Rocks stage in June 2017.  In a video posted on YouTube that was recorded onstage before the concert, Tara joins the other three in a lovely, unplugged, four-part harmony rendition of U2’s “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, in tribute to that band’s historic concert there 30 years before.  For the concerts in this region, Tara will perform primarily on the violin and won’t sing – this time.

The Celtic Woman website says it best:” Celtic Woman continues to transcend national and cultural boundaries to celebrate the timeless emotion of Ireland’s centuries-old heritage. A one-of-a-kind live act, Celtic Woman combines the country’s finest musical talents with epic stage production to present a uniquely inspiring live experience. As a touring powerhouse, the group has performed for over four million fans across 23 countries and six continents, with an especially devoted following in America. The show is renowned for its high-quality entertainment, exceptional musical performances and stunning visual productions, enthralling audiences of all ages.”

Nearing the home stretch of their tour, Celtic Woman performs in Albuquerque on May 22^nd in Popejoy Hall at 7 PM, Colorado Springs in the Pikes Peak Center at 7 PM on the 23^rd, the Budweiser Center in Loveland on the 24^th at 7 PM.  The ladies are in Cheyenne on the 25^th for an appearance at the Cheyenne Civic Center at 7:30 PM then go to Salt Lake City for a 7:30pm

Show in the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre.  For more information about tickets and the members of Celtic Woman, please go to https://www.celticwoman.com/tour-dates/ .

May 2018 Ceolta Notes

By Rodger Hara

Celtic Woman is visiting the west on their national Homecoming Tour.  On the 23^rd, they’ll perform at the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs at 7 PM, in the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland at 7 PM on the 24^th and at the Cheyenne Civic Center at 7:30 PM on the 25^th.  Ticket information at https://www.celticwoman.com/tour-dates/ .

Wild Mountain has a busy May starting with a performance on the 12^th at Kline’s Beer Hall in Arvada from 8-11 PM, at Jack Quinn’s Ale House in Colorado Springs on the 25^th from 8:30 PM – 12:30 AM, in Clancy’s Irish Pub, Wheat Ridge on the 26^th from 7:30-10:30, at the Silver Spur Saloon in Lakewood from 8-12 PM on the 27^th and on the Territory Days Festival stage in Colorado Springs from 10:30 AM – Noon.

CaraTrom can be seen and heard at the Arvada Tavern on the 18^th 8-11 PM and at Blue Spruce Brewing in Littleton (Kipling and C-470) on the 31^st from 6-8 PM.

The peripatetic Brian Clancy is live on stage at the Jack Quinn Irish Alehouse and Pub in downtown Colorado Springs on the 3^rd, 10^th, 17^th, 24^th and 31^st at 7:30 PM.

Avourneen hits the road of the 4^th and 5^th to play in the Dubliner Pub in Omaha at 9:30 PM on the 4^th and 5^th, at Avogadro’s Number in Ft. Collins on the 18^th at 9 PM and in the Jack Quinn Irish Alehouse and Pub on the 26^th at 9 PM.  Lead singer and guitarist Adam Goldstein performs at the Clocktower Cabaret at 11 PM on the 12^th and 19^th.

The Grateful Dogs appear at the Alchemy Pub in Colorado Springs on the 11^th at 8:30 PM, perform on the 13^th in the Gold Hill Theatre in Woodland Park at 2:30 PM for the final concert of the Woodland Music Series and play in the Paradox Beer Co. in Divide on the 19^th at 4 PM.

The Commoners are busy in the studio working on the recording their next release, an album of all original music.

The Pine Creek Tippers present their monthly gig at The Margarita in Colorado Springs on the 18^th from 6:30-9:00 PM – maybe on the patio, weather permitting.

The annual Rocky Bards Celtic Benefit Concerts for Wounded Warrior Project in Ft. Collins and Loveland raised over $9,000 with attendance of nearly 450 people.  The organizers extend their deepest appreciation to all who turned out to support their worthy cause and invite you to come back next year.

Jordi Savall (molina-visuals)

Jordi Savall and Hespèrion XXI Present in concert “Celtic Universe” with Special Guest Carlos Nunez May 7 at Newman Center, Denver

 “The thrill of a Savall concert is always a sense of discovery. The performances, deeply informed by scholarship but always fresh, had all of Savall’s hallmarks: richness of color, rhythmic proportion and a joyous sense of spontaneity.” The Washington Post

Jordi Savall is one of the most revered figures of the early music revival. For half a century Savall, the world’s foremost master of the majestic and haunting viola da gamba, has explored early music from around the globe, reintroducing forgotten works with his long-running group Hespèrion. Savall has made a vast repertoire of music accessible and borderless, a gift to be shared. Like Savall, Carlos Núñez has long championed an obscure instrument, the Galician bagpipes from the Celtic lands that are part of northern Spain. “If it’s possible to become a pop star playing traditional music on bagpipes and recorder, Núñez could be the man,” declared the Los Angeles Times.

In the monumental new collaboration Celtic Universe, Savall and Núñez combine their trios for an expansive exploration of Celtic music across centuries and geographical borders. The six musicians shift configurations for eight themed sets that survey the wildly varied sounds of the Celts — some familiar, such as Irish standards like Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch, and some surprising, such as the songs of Galicia. They sample seventeenth-century viol music, reels, and laments from Ireland and Scotland, then play a selection of Basque songs, before closing with a spirited medley of traditional Irish tunes. Celtic Universe is a revelatory reappraisal of Celtic culture’s breadth and wealth, delivered by six instrumental masters.

Friends of Chamber Music, Chamber Series- Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI

Event Date: Monday, May 7, 2018 at 7:30 pmThe Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts2344 East Iliff Avenue, Denver, Colorado Tickets:  $50/$10 for 30 years or younger   Box office: 303-871-7720

Orion’s Benefit to aid Tennyson Center for Children

by Lydia Colligan, aka Nona/Grandma

Orion

Orion’s Benefit to aid Tennyson Center for Children

by Lydia Colligan, aka Nona/Grandma

There is going to be a “Birthday Bash” and the public is invited. Please join in celebrating the life of Orion Gabriel Colligan on April 29th at Scruffy Murphy’s Irish Pub located at 2030 Larimer Street in Denver.

For the past nine years, this will be the tenth year, Orion’s parents Steven Colligan and Vennie Mangus, have honored his memory of kindness and compassion by holding a benefit. Each year they pay tribute to Orion’s selfless nature by raising funds for children. Orion loved to help people, be it the old man in a snowy parking lot, or children without Christmas gifts. This is his parents way remembering Orion’s heart and of gleaning something positive from an unmeasurable loss.

This year, as in the past, all the funds raised will be donated to the Tennyson Center for Children. The Tennyson Center is “changing lives and giving hope” through “empowering children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma to bravely, and safely, change their life story”. This is a wonderful organization that dedicates itself to children in need.

This is not a sad event. It is a celebration of the six years of Orion’s short life that we had to enjoy his intelligence, humor, his love of life. It is an event for the entire family with live music, raffles, silent auction, lunch, drinks, bagpipes, a balloon launch, games for the children and birthday cake. Many vendors and business donate items for the raffles and auction so there is something for everyone. It is fun!  Come find out more about a child that touched so many lives in the most positive way humanly possible. Remember, it took a village to raise Orion. It also takes a village to support and heal each other from his loss. Please help keep Orion’s heart alive by joining all his family and friends for this event.. Remember, that is April 29, 2018 at Scruffy Murphy’s Pub. We’ll all be there from 11am until 6pm waiting for you.

For more info on Orion’s Birthday Bash Benefit and Tennyson Center for Children:

https://m.facebook.com/orionsbirthdaybashbenefit/

Tennyson Center for Children is dedicated to helping children who have experienced severe abuse, neglect, and/or trauma so they can bravely, and safely, change their life’s story.

www.tennysoncenter.org : Tennyson Center believes that the spiritual needs of the children and families that we serve are as important as any of their other needs. We are culturally sensitive to each child’s spiritual background. Our Spiritually Integrated Therapy program allows for this work to be woven into the fabric of what we do.  Spiritually Integrated Therapy helps children and families clarify and develop their own values and find their place in the community. For the past 112 years, TCC’s trained professionals have empowered generations of children and families by providing a child-centered, customized approach to healing through our community-based, school, and residential programs. The primary goal of all TCC programs is to reintegrate our children back into safe families, supportive schools and vibrant communities.  TCC is a 501 c3 non-profit.

Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman in Concert April 22 at The Mercantile in La Veta:

Fundraiser for the International Spanish Peaks Celtic Music Festival

Márie Ní Chathasaigh,  Ireland’s amazing harper ,and Chris Newman, brilliant British guitarist, will perform in La Veta Colorado Sunday, April 22 at 2:00 pm for a fundraiser for the International Spanish Peaks Celtic Music Festival . A ceili will follow the concert with tables of treats, whiskey, beer, and wine. Open session playing will be led by the Celtic Orphans, so bring your instruments and join in!

MÁIRE is one of Ireland’s most important and influential traditional musicians, awarded Female Musician of the Year in the Live Ireland 2016 awards and sole harpist recipient to date of Irish music’s most prestigious Award, that of TRADITIONAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR – GRADAM CHEOIL TG4 – “for the excellence and pioneering force of her music, the remarkable growth she has brought to the music of the harp and for the positive influence she has had on the young generation of harpers”. She began to play the harp at the age of eleven. A West Cork background steeped in the oral tradition led her, while still a teenager, to develop new techniques that made it possible for the first time to play traditional music on the harp in a stylistically accurate way. She won the All-Ireland and Pan-Celtic Harp Competitions several times and in 1985 recorded the first harp album ever to concentrate on traditional Irish dance music, The New-Strung Harp – “an intensely passionate and intelligent record and a milestone in Irish harp music”

CHRIS is a “brilliant English master of the acoustic guitar” (THE DAILY TELEGRAPH), a “dazzling player” (ACOUSTIC GUITAR, USA) whose work is “nothing short of brilliant” (DIRTY LINEN, USA). He was Live Ireland’s Male Musician of the Year 2009. He began to play guitar at the age of four and at fourteen played his first paid gig in a folk club. A prolific composer, arranger and record producer, he’s played with luminaries of many musical worlds: folk (harper Máire Ní Chathasaigh and Boys of the Lough), jazz (Stéphane Grappelli and Diz Disley) and comedy (Fred Wedlock) – receiving a silver disc for producing Fred’s international hit Oldest Swinger in Town, to which he also composed the tune and which reached No 2 in the charts in the UK and No 1 in several other countries. As Fred’s Musical Director and bandleader, appearances on such iconic national TV progammes as BBC’s Top of the Pops followed. One day in 1985 he decided he’d really rather play interesting music than pursue interesting paychecks, so turned his back on the commercial world and returned to his folk roots. He has since concentrated on composition and on playing the traditional music of these islands and beyond. In addition to his work with Máire, Chris toured until 1997 as a member of Boys of the Lough in North America, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Denmark, China and Italy. He has been principal guitar tutor for Newcastle University’s Folk B.Mus course since its inception and visiting tutor at the University of Limerick, the University of Ulster and the Carl Nielson Institute, Denmark. His book of guitar compositions and arrangements Adventures with a Flatpick was published in 2001.

Together Máire & Chris have played in twenty-one countries and given TV and radio broadcasts on four continents.  Their performances are rooted but eclectic, emotional but adventurous: a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, coupled with striking new compositions and Chris’s “delightfully subversive” wit. Of their sixth CD, FireWire, the critics said: “An eclecticism and spirit of adventure that is quite thrilling… bewitching string fantasies and a wonderfully clear and expressive voice” THE TIMES “Dazzling virtuosity… delightful” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH “In a class of their own” THE GUARDIAN “Takes one of the most effete instruments in traditional music and breathes a fire into its belly”  THE IRISH TIMES

Whisky, beer and wine bar available. Suggested Donation $20 at door

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2018, FRO0M 2:00 TO 5:00 PM

at Mercantile (formerly Francisco Crossing) 300 S. Main Street, La Veta, CO

Mary McNicholas steps up again to help start “Connections through Memory Loss” A Gateway to Caregivers and their Loved Ones

Mary and Kevin McNicholas and their family have been helping others in Denver and beyond for decades.  Through their business, K-M Concessions and Continental “Divine” Catering Company, they have donated catering services to many schools, non-profit organizations, and cultural benefits.

The McNicholas children, Sean, Brendan, Shannon and their families, have taken over running the company and the name is now SSA  Service Systems Associates , Inc.   Under their direction  it is growing and are now in Monterrey Bay  Aquarium  ,  Cincinnati Zoo . Oakland Zoo, Zoo Atlanta and Royal Gorge in Colorado.    Through the family TKM Foundation, the McNicholas’ continue to offer scholarships and other services to help prepare young adults to enter the workforce with character, ethics and leadership skills.

The long list of McNicholas charitable giving and work with non-profits have been often recognized.  Kevin was recipient of the American Ireland Humanitarian Award, inducted into the Colorado Restaurant Association’s “Hall of Fame,” recognized by the Anti-Defamation League, awarded the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict at Benedictine College, and was a honoree for the Daniel L. Ritchie Award /Denver University Business Ethics.  Mary, with a degree in PE, is credited for starting several sports leagues, including East Denver Soccer. Her ability to produce successful charitable auctions is legendary. She has organized silent and live auctions for numerous charities including Mt. St. Vincent, Catholic Charities, and the National & Rocky Mountain MS Society. This is just a partial list of achievements and continued giving by the McNicholas’– Their willingness to step up as community leaders and help people in need is unparalleled.

In recent years Kevin has developed Alzheimer’s.  Pastor John Larson (whose mother also has Alzheimer’s) and Carol Mathers of Ascension Lutheran Church in Littleton, Colorado, reached out to Mary on a way to bring caregivers together to share their thoughts and questions.      Thus the group have started  called “Connections through Memory Loss” (A Gateway to Caregivers and their Loved Ones). “ I am so excited to be on this upstarting  of this group” said Mary, “ We are lucky because we can get out and Kevin is happy as I take him somewhere every day and we have family & friends most evenings.  So we are now reaching out to people who are caregivers and inviting them to our first lunch for them and their loved ones at no cost.”

Ascension Lutheran Church, 1701 W. Caley Avenue, Littleton, 80120, will host a gathering of those who have memory loss and their care givers.  The free event is on Tuesday, April 10 from 11:30am until 1:00pm will include a lunch, time with a number of comfort dogs and a time to sing with an Irish singer- Mick Toal from Belfast (father of Aisling Toal Casey and Eimear Toal McNicholas of Celtic Steps).      “Connections through Memory Loss” (A Gateway to Caregivers and their Loved Ones) is designed to be a help to those challenged by memory loss and their care givers.  In addition to the free meal it offers a time of respite, interaction with others, the exchanging of resources and the necessary empathy for all.  If you would like to attend, or would like more information, you can call Pastor John Larson at Ascension Lutheran Church at 303.794.4636 or e-mail at [email protected]

April 2018 Ceolta Notes

by Rodger Hara

(from Colcannon) Cynthia is leaving Colcannon!
After seven years as our flautist/whistler and contributor of fine tunes, Cynthia is leaving Colcannon. Given the uncertainty of the music business and the amount of time that must be spent in rehearsal to keep one’s chops in top form, she’s decided that she needs to step away and make more time for her work in translating. The parting is amicable — no fights or scandals — and we wish her the very best in ‘civilian’ life.
Her final performance with us will be this Saturday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the
Richard F. Celeste Theatre – Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
The concert is free and a perfect chance to bid your farewells

Celtic Thunder’s Neil Byrne and Ryan Kelly return to Denver on the 30^th for a show at the Soiled Dove Underground, 7401 E. 1st Ave Doors: 7 PM; Show: 7:30 PM. Minors Under 21 with Parent or Legal Guardian. Tix $28 – $48 https://www.ticketfly.com

Brian Clancy shares his singing and playing talents at Jack Quinn Irish Alehouse and Pub, Downtown Colorado Springs at 7:30 PM on the 12^th, 19^th and 26^th.

Celtic Chaos plays at the Celtic House Pub in Parker on the 14^th from 5-7 PM.

Avourneen entertains in the Quinlan Cafe, downstairs at Swallow Hill in Denver at 7:30 PM on the 5th. Tickets start at $10.  At 8 PM on the 14^th, they play at Jack Quinn’s in Colorado Springs then on the 28^th they play for the Westminster Contra Dance in the Westminster Grange, 3935 West 73rd Ave at 7 PM. Admission starts at $10.  Adam Goldstein does his solo act at the Clocktower Cabaret on the 7^th and 21^st.

After a busy March, Chancer’s Hooley takes it easy until the 28^th when they perform at the Blue Spruce Brewing Company in Parker starting at 4:30 PM.

The Pine Creek Tippers make their monthly appearance at The Margarita in Colorado Springs on the 20^th 6:30-9:00. PM.

Wild Mountain opens the month with a show on the 6^th at the Sheabeen Irish Pub in Aurora at 8 PM, travels to Colorado Springs for a gig at Jack Quinn’s on the 13^th at 8:30 PM, plays at Local 46 in North Denver on the 20^th from 9:30 PM – 12:30 AM then closes out the month at Clancy’s Irish Pub in Wheat Ridge on the 21^st from 7:30-10:30 PM.

The McDeviants rock out at Jack Quinn’s, downtown Colorado Springs on the 5^th from 7:30-11:30 PM

The Colorado Tartan Day Festival is on the 14^th and 15^th at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont.  Angus Mohr and the Colorado Youth Pipe Band will provide the music, the Renaissance Scots reenactment demonstrations and Scottish and Irish Clans will offer historical information.  Food trucks, vendors, face painting and the Wicked Claymore Pub round out the offerings.  Free admission for all ages.

Scottish fiddler and vocalist, Eilidh Shaw, and Scottish guitarist, Ross Martin perform in concert on the 5^th at 7 PM in the Henry Strater Theatre in Durango. The couple embarked on a long-awaited duo project last year after a mere 10 years of discussion! Eilidh is best known for performing with The Poozies and Ross with Daimh. Tix $14-$19.  For more info see: durangocelticfestival.com

Tim O’Brien –Profile

Colorado, Ireland, Music

By Rodger Hara

In a homecoming of sorts, Tim O’Brien and his partner Jan Fabricius played to packed houses at Swallow Hill in Denver and The Armory in Ft. Collins for two nights at the end of March.  There his many fans heard old and new songs in Tim’s open, relaxed and eminently accessible style with Jan’s lovely harmony supporting many of them along with stories told in his humble, self-deprecating way.

After leaving West Virginia with stops in Chicago and Wyoming, Tim had first come to Colorado in early 1973 to visit friends and returned in the Fall of 1974 and worked at a record store in Boulder called Folk Arts Music.  Having played guitar since he was 11, he had picked up the fiddle, learned mandolin and become a multi-instrumental song writer and singer by then.  (In a recent interview on KGNU, he said that being left-handed, he was glad that he learned to play right-handed because it’s a lot easier to borrow a right-hand guitar than a lefty.) Along the way, he recognized that the country fiddle songs he had learned in West Virginia as a Doc Watson fan had Irish and Scottish roots.  In the KGNU interview, he spoke of hearing songs that he knew like McLeod’s Reel in the background of Barry Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby movies and how hearing Kevin Burke playing Sailor’s Bonnet on a friend’s Arlo Guthrie album led him to discover the playing of Joe Burke and the Bothy Band.

In the summer of 1976, Tim traveled to Ireland and spent several days at the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann at Buncrana, County Donegal then made what he called an epic journey to Galway in a Volkswagen bug that a friend had bought for 50 Punts then on to Dublin where he met and played with Joe Burke. In 1977 he recorded a solo fiddle album on Biscuit City Records in Denver that included his first Irish tunes. He formed the bluegrass band Hot Rize (and their country/western alter ego band Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers) in 1978, played with that band until 1990 and in 1994 began what became an annual tour of Ireland where he made many friends across the country.  While in Ireland in 1998, he visited County Cavan to explore his roots. His great grandfather had been born in a small townland called Muff, in the east of County Cavan between Kingscourt and Bailiborough, which, for you Irish geography buffs, is east of Cavan town and northeast of Balleyjamesduff and is known for an annual horse fair that has been held there since the 17th century.  There, Tim had encounters that he described in a humorous Dylanesque track called “Talking Cavan” from his 1999 album “The Crossing.” On that album, Tim and his guest artists showcase the roots of Irish and Scottish songs in the music of Appalachia in 16 tracks of traditional and original music.  A fine storyteller in the seanachie tradition, the songs “The Crossing” and “Lost Little Children” written by Tim eloquently describe the experiences of Irish immigrants.Two years later, he released another album with more Irish tunes called “Two Journeys” that included an interesting mix of traditional Irish, original compositions and “Norwegian Wood.”  A bluegrass song about another trip to Ireland called, appropriately enough, “Me and Dirk’s Trip to Ireland” is a highlight.

When asked on the KGNU interview what his favorite experience was in Ireland, he told of a time when he and his sister Mollie were playing for Tom Stapleton in Roscrea, County Tipperary before the smoking ban.  They asked that no one smoke in the first three rows and near the end of the show had played a few requests and Tim said that he wanted to play a tune of his own at which point someone in the first three rows said, “Does that mean we can smoke now?”.  Tim said that it’s the people who make Ireland great, not just the things that you see.  His advice to people going to Ireland is to find a pub and visit it more than once and you’ll have friends there the second time you go in. He observed that, “There’s a festival in Baltimore where I like to play and when I’m in Dublin I like to drop into Hughes’ for a nice session – and Teddy’s is a nice bar in Hollywood.”

His latest album, “Where the River Meets the Road” is his sixteenth solo album and each of the 12 tracks has a connection to his home state of West Virginia.  Ten of the songs are ones that he has played as a member of the house band for the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame (into which he was inducted in 2013) that he decided to record with friends since he was playing them and wanted to memorialize them.  Two of the songs are his original compositions – “Guardian Angel” pays homage to an older sister who died when he was a toddler and the title track, “Where the River Meets the Road” tells the story of his great-grandfather’s arrival in Wheeling, West Virginia from Ireland in 1850 and work in the steel mills there.

Tim left Colorado in 1996 and has settled in Nashville where he writes, records and produces recordings for other musicians.  From that base, he also tours, plays reunion gigs with Hot Rize, sits in with Lunasa and has his own band.  He says he misses “…the weather and the scenery and the people” here.

In response to a question about how many songs he’s written, he said “I’ve written more than people have heard.  Some of them you won’t hear because they just aren’t that good.  I write maybe 5 or 10 a year and I’ll end up liking 3 or 4 of them.”  Regarding how he writes, he said that like all writers, “I’m always observing – always on input about the quirks of life and our situations as human beings.  And you need a little phrase that draws it all together and crystallizes it.  Like when I came up the phrase “Walk the way the wind blows”, I knew that guy had the blues and was just going to go the way the wind took him.  Sometimes a phrase will suggest a melody and every once in a while, I’ll have a musical idea that just won’t let me go and I wait until I find the right tune to go with that lyric.  I just keep doing this – it started a long time ago.  I loved the music and making music and the art of it and wanted to learn more about it in any way I could do it.  It didn’t matter what the situation was – I’d be eager to play.  Now it’s really evolved over the years – it’s more about the people I meet – the people I see and play for.  It’s less internal and more external.  I’m more interested in communicating with them from the stage and off-stage.  It’s a little more complicated – more holistic and feels more right.  I feel like I’m in a pretty good zone right now and performing is like having a communal experience.”

He returns to Colorado often for shows and festivals – like Telluride in June with the Tim O’Brien Band and Rockygrass in Lyons in July with Hot Rize.  And in a manifestation of his eclectic interests and talent, he is working on a project here with jazz guitar greats Dale Bruning (with whom Tim had studied guitar and music theory in his early years in Boulder) and Bill Frisell.  Stay tuned for the next chapter – it’s sure to be entertaining and very, very good – like everything Tim O’Brien does.

Bonnie Paine-Elephant Revival

Boulder-based Irish duo celebrate the release of their second Album with a CD release concert at the Rialto Theater in Loveland on Friday, March 30th. Adam & Jon will be joined by special guest Bonnie Paine from the band Elephant Revival.

Adam & Jon’s new album, entitled “Ceol na gCarad,” is a follow-up up to their 2014 debut release, “Suantraí”. “Ceol na gCarad” means “Music of Friendship” in the Irish language. You can listen and download the new album on Bandcamp here: https://adamandjon.bandcamp.com/releases.

Adam Agee & Jon Sousa formed through the Boulder, Colorado Irish session music scene in 2003. They played together in various configurations over the following years, before moving to Ireland in mid-2008 to further immerse themselves in the music, land, and culture of Ireland. Moving back to Boulder in 2009, they started to focus their work as a duo. They regularly teach and tour nationally and internationally.

“This fiddler and guitarist from Colorado are creating waves across the States and beyond. Not only do they play the music of the Auld Country with sensitivity and soul, they also bring their own brand of modernism to the Irish tradition.” —Irish Music Magazine

Bonnie Paine, originally from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, is a founding member of the popular Colorado folk band, Elephant Revival, which formed in 2006, and who will headline Red Rocks Amphitheatre this May. In addition to her powerful vocals, Bonnie performs on stomp box, washboard, djembe, cello and musical saw.

“The ethereal voice of Bonnie Paine is one of the most instantly recognizable pieces of the musical experience that is Elephant Revival. Her multi-octave range and haunting, hushed tones is complimented by her skill on a wide variety of percussive and bowed instruments, from the washboard to cello and many points between.” —Rex Thomson, Live For Live Music

Tickets: http://www.rialtotheatercenter.org/adam-agee-jon-sousa

www.adamandjon.com www.elephantrevival.com

Riverdance… 20 Years and still going strong!    March 27 – 29 at the Pikes Peak Center

Riverdance 20th Year!           Celtic Connection (Denver, March 2018 issue)

Back by popular demand, Riverdance – The 20^th Anniversary World Tour returns to Colorado Springs with a strictly limited engagement at Pikes Peak Center from Tuesday, March 27 through Thursday, March 29. An innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song, Riverdance draws on Irish traditions. The combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures.

Riverdance began its journey as the interval act in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, produced for television by Irish entrepreneur Moya Doherty. This electrifying and innovative seven-minute dance piece was then developed into a full-length stage show by Doherty, Composer Bill Whelan and Director John McColgan.  For over 20 years, nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance. With its fusion of Irish and International music and dance, Riverdance broke all box office records during its world première run in Dublin in early 1995. When it transferred to London, the reaction was unprecedented. A hugely successful tour then started in New York in March 1996, with eight sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall, heralding the start of 16 years of non-stop touring by Riverdance companies throughout North America. Since its inception, Riverdance has packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia, Europe, South Africa and South America.

“The success of Riverdance across the whole world has gone beyond our wildest dreams,” said Doherty. “The fact that the show continues to draw and excite audiences is a tribute to every dancer, singer, musician, staff and crew member who have dedicated themselves to each performance. This 20^th Anniversary Tour is a thank you to our audiences and a celebration of what has been an incredible journey across two decades.”

For three days during the last week of March, the world-renowned show will feature new costumes, new lighting, new projections and the addition of a brand new number, “Anna Livia,” showcasing the female members of the Irish dance troupe in an a cappella, hard-shoe number.

Tickets for Riverdance at Pikes Peak Center start at $45 and are on sale now at PikesPeakCenter.com, the Pikes Peak Center  box office or via phone at (719) 520-SHOW.  They can also be purchased at The Broadmoor World Arena box office or at BroadmoorWorldArena.com.

As it celebrates the extraordinary milestone of 20 years of unprecedented success, here are a few facts about this Irish sensation:

FACTS ABOUT 20 YEARS OF RIVERDANCE

• The production has travelled 750,000 miles (or 30 times around the world), performing more than 11,500 shows
• Riverdance has played throughout 47 countries across six continents
• The show has been seen live by more than 25 million people in more than 515 venues worldwide
• A global audience of 300 billion people has enjoyed Riverdance on television
• 1,693 participants created the “Longest Riverdance Line,” receiving a Guinness World Record

From Pouring Pints to Pulling Prints

( photo: Serious looking artist by day, Brendan Dorney creates custom drinks with a smile at the Irish Rover by night)

After you have had a week to recover from St. Patrick’s Day, why not parade around town visiting the studios of the many printmaking artist in and around Denver. Come participate in the Studio + Print Tour on Saturday, March 24th from 10am-4pm. This is just one of many events that are part of “Mo’Print, Month of Printmaking”. Print makers of all kinds will be hosting open studios giving you an opportunity to see into the printmaking process.

Be sure to stop by Moyles Dorney Studio at 1450 Logan Street in Capitol Hill. The studio is run by artist, Brendan Moyles Dorney, who may be familiar to some of you from his time pouring Denver’s best pint at The Irish Rover Pub. Brendan opened his studio in 2010 and has been screen printing, illustrating, and designing concert posters for national tours and shows at some of Denver’s favorite venues like The Ogden, The Gothic, The Bluebird, and Red Rocks.  “Printmaking incorporates so many ways of creating an image, using elements of drawing, photography, and digital design along with color, transparency, and layering- it just feels limitless. I like the process involved in printmaking, especially screen printing. It’s something to constantly learn, improve, and experiment with.”, says the artist.

The studio also works with other artist, designers, and businesses creating screen printed goods for a range of projects and promotions.

In addition, Moyles Dorney Studio offers monthly printmaking classes for beginners as well as advanced classes for the more ambitious student.  “I really enjoying teaching people the process of screen printing. I like that most people can be taught the basics and create their own prints in a relatively short time frame. It’s great to see someone’s face light up when they start to get the hang of it.” Brendan’s work can be found at the studio website www.MoylesDorneyStudio.com and on Instagram with the user name @RabiesBabies_ He hopes to see you at the Mo’Print open studio event.

Mo’Print is a celebration of the art of making original prints to inspire, educate and promote awareness through a variety of public events and exhibitions in the Denver metropolitan area, the Front Range region, and throughout Colorado. Mo’Print is supported in part by the Invisible Museum, a Denver-area non-profit dedicated to providing opportunities for visibility within the arts. 2018 marks the 3rd biennial celebration, taking place in March. More details about the non-profit, as well as to view a calendar of events can be found online at www.MoPrint.org.

The Denver Brass and Friends Go Celtic in March: Performance on 10,11,16,17,& 18

Founded in 1981, The Denver Brass ranks itself as one of Denver’s largest and longest-running nonprofit performing arts organizations. Their concert schedule encompasses a diverse mix of classical, pops, jazz and family programs, along with extensive community outreach efforts.  Every March the award winning group “Celtic – Ups” with wonderful Irish/Scottish themed shows for the whole family.

On March 10 & 11 (3:00pm) will offer “Echoes of the Emerald Isles” with Celtic Colorado Pipes & Drums and Rick Seaton on Pipe Organ. Experience unparalleled Celtic inspiration in an acoustically magnificent setting. Pipe organ, brass and bagpipes come together to create a riveting and emotional celebration of Colorado’s Celtic heritage. If it’s goosebumps you’re after, this is the concert for you!

Selections from: Amazing Grace, Skye Boat Song (Theme from Outlander), Highland Cathedral, Steam Train to Mallaig, Ye Banks and Braes O’Bonnie Doon. Shows will be at Bethany Lutheran Church – 4500 E Hampden Ave, Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113 Tickets starting at $22

Brass, Bagpipes & Co.: Off Kilt-er will be the big show at the Newman Center March 16 & 17 – 7:30pm, March 18 – 2:00pm.  With Celtic Colorado Pipes & Drums, Wick School of Irish Dance, Rocky Mountain Highland Dancers, Todd Teske – Tenor, Joanna & Iain Hyde – Fiddle & Guitar, It will be a full-blown St. Patrick’s Day extravaganza. If you’re looking for a weekend of non-stop fun, don’t miss this annual sold-out show, you’ll be guaranteed a grand time with great company.

Selections from: Firedance, Loch Lomond, Celtic Air on a G String, Ancient Threads, Megalomania Finale and more!

Newman Center for the Performing Arts – 2344 E Iliff Ave, Denver, CO 80210 Tickets starting at $30 303-832-Horn(4676) newmantix.com/denverbrass