Bagpipe-A-Rama

My pick for Feel Good Friday is this selection from Teribus, a pipe and drum ensemble that is quite unlike the usual marching pipe and drum groups. Teribus, from what I understand, is rather fluid in its make-up, but in this instance is E.J. Jones, Richard Kean, and Kevin Hartnell on drums. E.J. and Richard are two of the best pipers I've heard. Both have played with the traditional pipe and drum bands and have won numerous prizes at those competitions. E.J. has played with numerous bands over the years, including Clandestine, The Rogues, Jiggernaut and The Willow Band. I've seen Richard with Jiggernaut and Poor Man's Fortune, but also know that he has played with Needfire and a medieval band whose name escapes me. Kevin Hartnell is with The Rogues. There's a whole backstory about bands named Clandestine intertwined with The Rogues, but you'll have to research it on your own.

Texas--Celtic-Style!

In one month, the Cracker and I will be heading to the North Texas Irish Festival in Dallas. This is the 2nd largest Irish Festival in the US. We've been going to the festival, one or the other of us for 11 years and is it worth the trip! In addition to the music at the festival, which is held at Fair Park, the host hotel is the scene of some great seisuins! Every meeting room, bar, hallway, nook and cranny will have a group of folks making music! (A group of our friends in particular tend to favor a back hallway.)

The festival itself is nothing to sneeze at. They offer 11 headlining acts and 28 featured acts, filling Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday with Irish music (well, actually they throw in a little Scottish and even Breton, or French Celtic). For you dance aficionados, there are several dance schools in attendance and the local feis coincides with the festival. They have a stage just for the little ones and lots of vendors selling their wares (I've been known to start my holiday shopping here).

Performers include the following:
Liz Carroll & John Doyle
Mairtin de Cogain
Jimmy Crowley
Seven Nations (ROCK ON!)
Ed Miller (the "Token Scot")
Needfire
Jiggernaut
"Scottish" Rogues (kick-ass drumming & piping!)
Poor Man's Fortune & Bourree Texane (the Brittany connection)
Jim Flanagan
the triumphant return of Memphis favorite--Clandestine!
and many more!

Here's a video that gives some of the flavor:



We'll be stopping for the requisite Whataburger on the way down, and eating at one of our very favorite restaurants--Cafe Brazil--probably several times while in Dallas. It's a great event, not a bad drive, and awesome music! Join us!