Old Forest Jamboree at the Hi-Tone on February 18!

While it may not be all that Celtic, this is to benefit a good cause. Naomi Van Tol sends us this:

Hellooo, all you Old Forest lovers!

If you need a break from the winter doldrums, please join CPOP for a foot-stompin' benefit concert to mark the first anniversary of the Teton Clearcut. We figure the best way to pay tribute to four acres of lost old-growth forest is by celebrating the 150 beautiful acres that survive.

The first annual Old Forest Jamboree will begin at 7:00pm, Wednesday, February 18 at the fabulous Hi-Tone Cafe, 1913 Poplar Ave. The cover charge is $10 and all proceeds will support the work of Citizens to Preserve Overton Park.

Here's our awesome lineup -- visit their websites to hear music samples!

* Jimmy Davis - http://myspace.com/jimmydaddy
* Giant Bear - http://myspace.com/giantbear
* Bluff City Backsliders - http://myspace.com/bluffcitybacksliders
* Hoots & Hellmouth - http://myspace.com/hootshellmouth

We are thrilled and grateful that so many talented musicians are willing to give their time and support to the Old Forest. Y'all come dance with us, and don't forget to invite your friends and neighbors!

Thanks for your support,

Naomi

P.S. Don't forget that we offer free public nature hikes in the Old Forest of Overton Park on the second Saturday and last Sunday of every month. Hikes meet at 10am at the east end of Old Forest Lane, next to the Rainbow Lake parking lot. Everyone is welcome!

FGF - Celtic Style

I saw this band at the Folk Alliance last Feb. and enjoyed the little that I got to see. Here are The Strangelings.

Road Trip!

Each year as the New Year begins, the Cracker and I begin planning our assault on the North Texas Irish Festival. Their website has the list of performers up. This festival always provides a great weekend of entertainment. We head down on Friday, stopping in Texarkana to get the Cracker his Whataburger fix. On Friday, we'll either head down to Fair Park for the evening's music or hang out at the hotel to listen to the seisuins.

Seisuins (or sessions), for those who don't know, are where musicians gather together for the joy of playing. Sometimes the most amazing music comes out of seisuins; sometimes new bands are formed at seisuins. I have this great memory of Eileen Ivers playing at a seisuin in Dallas with a family of youngsters. At NTIF, you just wander the ground floor of the host hotel and you're likely to find seisuins in empty meeting rooms, hallways, nooks and crannies, anywhere there is a space big enough for a couple musicians.

Then there's the actual festival! We go at the beginning and stay until the end, or close to the end. We may do a little shopping with the vendors and the CD booth, but it's mostly about hearing as much music as we possibly can. Oh, visiting all the doggies with the different rescue groups--Irish Wolfhounds, Greyhounds, and little dogs too.

Here's a video that gives a flavor of NTIF from 2007


This one shows more of the dancing, but we usually don't see a whole lot of that:


NTIF is a time when we get to see friends that we only see once or maybe twice a year. I have been going to NTIF since 1999, without missing a year. The Cracker didn't travel with me for only 3 of those years. Anyway, we highly recommend this event.

In addition to the music, the seisuins and the old friends, we also get to eat at one of our favorite eateries, Cafe Brazil. Yummy!

We'll see you in Dallas, March 6-8!