Appalachian Celtic Consort: Calendar

What a great venue! The arts center lived up to its name, with the walls covered with art from some very talented youngsters. The volunteers were incredible -- we had a great dinner before with homemade curry, homemade rice, and most of all homemade beer! The hall was filled to near capacity and even the most reluctant among them was tapping their feet by the time the night was over. After an after-concert party, the band stayed at Graceland on the D&E campus. The mansion was a beautiful as we remembered, and upon checking in, who should we meet but Odie Parkins, who will be sharing the stage with us the following Saturday. Small world...

While the weather was a bit gloomy, the crowd was not! We tried to get the crowd to do a snake dance for Dans En Dro, and it started out fine, but you know kids they have to do their own thing. Can you say "Medieval Line Dancing?"

Wow, I wish we had pictures from this wedding! Full-scale medieval! Sentries all around the wedding hall, swordfighting at the reception (yes, Pat those are real swords...)

If anybody who was at the wedding has any photos, we'd love to put them on the website!

This dance was incredible! The crowd was absolutely outrageous, the caller was wonderful, the sound was fantastic, and the hall was filled to overflowing. If you haven't been to a FOOTMAD contra dance yet, you don't know what you are missing. Check out FOOTMAD on our links page or click on the St. John's link above.

Every year the crowds keep getting bigger and better! We had two great sets and even had a couple of local celebrities show up... (you'll have to come to our next gig and talk to us to see who they were!)

Once again the people at Winfield Presby did a great job of hosting and promoting the concert. Thanks so much for the great introduction, great food, and a truly great audience!

The first gig that we had to travel to by boat! Interesting atmosphere -- all period costumes, everything lit by candlelight or oil lamp. I must say, it is a bit more challenging playing in the dark. There was about 400-500 people on the island, and there were several other groups playing at different spots. We played at the eating area, but there were bands in the mansion itself as well as at other places just out in the open. A big thanks to the park ranger who took us back to the mainland on the pontoon boat...

What a great weekend! The Friday night dance was well-attended, and after that we were free to jam the whole weekend. Great weather, good food. FOOTMAD did a great job on their festival!

Festivall was a great success overall, although the crowd inside the theatre where we played was not as big as we had hoped. Can't really blame people -- the weather was beautiful and there were lots of outdoor activities.

A short gig, but very surprising how much attention we got. Our timing was great -- we paraded in front of the Clay Center just as the TV cameras were starting up. There is nothing like Mark's bagpipes to get the attention of the crowd! We went up on stage and sang WV Hills, the state song, and then sang it again for the cameras. Considering Pat came up with a harmony 5 minutes before we played, it sounded pretty good!

We set a new record for playing the most music at a single gig -- 4 sets! My fingers were sore...

Had a nice turnout even though it was rainy. Great stage at the Wild Bean. Lewisburg is great town for a festival!

Wow! What a wild and crazy St. Patrick's day! Blues was HOPPIN! We started playing around 6 pm to a packed room. All the tables were taken -- we recognized some folks from previous shows -- thanks for coming to see us again!
As the night wore on, some of Mark Watson's (Professor Watson) students showed up and were determined to get everyone dancing. They did a pretty good job, too! That, along with leading a singalong of Country Roads (Almost Heaven, West Virginia), really got the party rolling in high gear. Meanwhile Jay and Kay kept us supplied with some great Harpoon Hibernia ale and Guinness stout, along with some of their signature barbeque quesadillas and spicy cream cheese nachos. We also had a wee taste of some of the best Bushmill's I've ever had. We were pretty tired after playing for five hours and started packing it in around 11, but were convinced to stay for another short set. (Part of the convincing involved a young lady imitating Girls Gone Wild...)
Thanks Jay and Kay, for having us, Mark's students for passing the tip jar, and you-know-who for a very unique tip!

What a great show! The venue was packed, the people were friendly, and we finally got to share a gig with THE all-female celtic band, Mountain Thyme.
MT went on first and then we took the second half. At the end both groups took the stage for a combined rendition of the song "Wild Mountain Thyme"

Who would have guessed the public library would be such a great place for a concert? When the TV cameras show up, you know it must be a good gig.
We snuck in a little education at this concert, just because it seemed appropriate, and because... well, people were just so darned attentive!