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Hello AmeriCeltic Reader, • On Friday, November 5th, at 12:30 AM Pacific, Srùbag, the free monthly world-wide Gaelic Song Session, returns with special guest, Genevieve Galarneau, of Ireland's sean-nós tradition, streaming live, Online via Zoom. Then, on Saturday, November 20th at 10:00 AM Pacific, Linn Phipps conducts another of her Learn Scottish Gaelic songs Workshops. (See Below)
• On Friday, November 5th, 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM PDT it's Accordion Fridays, with Live from New York, NY, with Celtic accordion masters streaming Online via Facebook Live. (See Below)
• On Monday, November 8th at 7:30 PM, Folksong Sensei Shay Black will be beginning another 'Expand your Folk Song Repertoire' series of six weekly classes Online via Zoom from Berkeley, CA. (See Below)
• From Thursday, November 11th — Thursday, December 9th, 11:00 AM PST each morning, Clifton House, Belfast is offering Irish History lectures available to anyone, anywhere Online via Zoom. (See Below)
• On Friday, November 12th, 8:00 PM PST, Celtic All-Star Grateful Dead Jam Band Wake the Dead, performs at B Street At The Sofia in Sacramento, CA. (See Below)
• On Saturday, November 13th, at 6:00 PM PST, Blame the Whiskey will be live and in person at S27 Alehouse & Brewery in San Jose, CA. Perhaps more importantly, Celtic Tea Shoppe will be on hand with their scrumptious, handmade Celtic foods and snacks, and S27 will be debuting their new Scottish Ale! (See Below)
• On Saturday, November 13th at 7:00 PM PST and again on Sunday, November 14th, at 4:00 PM, the Young WolfTones will perform at the United Irish Cultural Center, at their spacious facility in San Francisco, CA. (See Below)
• On Friday, November 26th @ 8:00 PM PST, the Irish Christmas in America holiday show begins their live, in person tour at The Bankhead Theater in Livermore, CA, with four more California stops to follow, including Santa Cruz, Grass Valley, Escondido, and Sacramento. (See Below)
• On Sunday, November 28th, from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM PST, its the Highland Winter Festival, brought to you gratis by The Saint Andrews Society of San Francisco at the outdoor Music Concorse, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA. (See Below)
• On Wednesday, December 1st, the annual tour of An Irish Christmas begins it's 14 city run in Turlock, CA. (See Below)
• On Friday, December, 3rd, the 15th Annual Winterdance Christmas Celebration returns with shows in Seattle, WA, Mount Vernon, WA, Tualatin, OR, Ridgefield, WA, Carmichael, CA, Pacific Grove, CA, and Luis Obispo, CA. (See Below)
• On Friday, December 3rd, The Fire's Very Scottish Christmas begins it's inaugural tour in Sutter Creek, CA, with more dates to follow in the Bay Area and Corvallis, OR. (See Below)
• On Saturday, December 4th, at 5:00 PM, the Mother Lode Scots will host their annual Christmas Walk followed at 6:00 PM by their Christmas Ceilidh, all in Volcano, CA. (See Below)
• On Saturday, December 11th at 7:00 PM the legendary The Black Irish Band, featuring newest member Michael Mullen on fiddle, will be LIVE and IN PERSON at the Sutter Creek Theater in Sutter Creek, CA. (See Below)
• On Friday, December 17th, @ 7:30 PM, PST Tomáseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas hits the road for another Christmas tour through Santa Cruz, CA, Medford, OR, Redding, CA, & Mountain View, CA. (See Below)
• On Fridays, at 5:30 PM Pacific Time, the Cross Keys band, Cormac Gannon, Stacy Samuels, Neil O'Neill, sing out at the Way Station Smokehouse & Beer Garden in Fairfax, CA. (See Below)
• On Tuesday evenings, from 7:00-8:30 PM Pacific Time, its the Andronicos San Francisco Jam, hosted by Dinah and Noah Stroe on Zoom from San Francisco, CA. (See Below)
• On Thursdays, from 6:00 - 8:00 PM Pacific Time, multi-instrumentalist Michael Eskin hosts The Ould Sod Virtual Irish Session, the best and most popular participatory online Irish traditional music event. (See Below)
• On Thursdays, at 6:00 PM Pacific Time, One Eyed Reilly plays at The Delta King Bar & Grill in Sacramento, CA, and can be heard at several other venues in the Sacramento Valley. (See Below)
• On Thursdays, from 6:00 - 9:00 PM Pacific Time, Stout Rebellion leads their community fun time at Jackrabbit Brewing Company in West Sacramento, CA. (See Below)
• Co-Founder Cecilia Fábos-Becker's e-book Ancestry & DNA: Beyond the basics, is available for download now! (See Below)
• The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant, the local Irish Pub bringing the culture of Ireland to downtown San Francisco at 5th and Howard. (See Below)
• Music is returning to the cherished San Francisco Celtic cultural institution, The Plough and the Stars, now open from Wednesday through Sunday, 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM. (See Below)
• Sláinte Pub Jack London Square in Oakland, CA is open Tuesday - Sunday, with a full menu of great food and drink with outdoor and limited indoor dining service and on Sundays from 4 PM to 7 PM offers traditional Irish music from their house band, Buncrana. (See Below)
• On the first Sunday of each month, a small group of Starry Plough regulars stream a re-newed online Irish Session from 8:00 to 10:00 PM. (See Below)
• Multi-genre violin teacher (especially Irish Traditional Music) and performer Darcy Noonan is available for gigs and lessons. (See Below)
• Sport your Celtic heritage! AmeriCeltic offers a colorful array of items, each emblazoned with the AmeriCeltic logo. (See Below)
• The Celtic Tea Shoppe, in San Jose is your source for Celtic and Celtic inspired carry-out fresh baked foods, confections and rare teas! (See Below)
• While Lark In The Morning in Berkeley, CA and Exploring Music in the outer sunset neighborhood of San Francisco, CA are closed for walk-ins, both stores are open for online sales and lessons. (See Below)
• Publican Stan Gamble has re-opened The Duke of Edinburgh Pub & Restaurant, offering outdoor service 7 days a week from 4pm to late. (See Below)
• The Celtic Society of Monterey Bay, has a 32 year record of producing Celtic Concerts in various venues in and around Santa Cruz and Monterey, CA. (See Below)
• Catherine Barry's Irish Culture Bay Area, offers a succinct listing of Irish events around Bay Area. (See Below)

Scan our feature articles below, or as always, you can click here to check the full listings on our website.

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Celtic language Song

Friday, November 5th, at 12:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Online via Zoom

Based in Edinburgh but including people across the world, Srùbag is a monthly Gaelic Song Cèilidh, free to join. It's held on the 1st Friday of the month at 1930 UK time (which usually means 10:30 AM Alaska time, 11:30 AM Pacific, 2:30 PM Eastern.

Everyone is welcome to sing a Celtic language song (Gaelic, Gaelige, Welsh, Breton etc.) or join to listen. Our participants come from far and wide! USA, Ireland, UK, Brittany,… 

We also have a Special Guest singer for part of each Srùbag, and this time it will be Irish singer Genevieve Galarneau, of Ireland's sean-nós tradition.

Our links are recurrent: www.tinyurl.com/srubag, OR https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88582584636

OR https://zoom.us Meeting ID: 885 8258 4636, PASSWORD (if required) is srubag.

And for more info. pls contact Linn on linnphipps@gmail.com

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Accordion Fridays

Friday, November 5th, 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM PDT

Online via Facebook Live!

We've got a special Accordion Fridays with Accordion Babes creator, Renee De La Prade here with us in NYC, as Susan Hwang is hosting on 2nd Avenue.

We've got East Village accordion star Melissa Elledge, and special guests Charlie Nieland, Don Rauf, Chris Smylie and Steve Mc Evoy!

Catch the Live Stream plus details in the Facebook Event.

There will be an online aftershow at 10:00 PM (Eastern Time), 7:00 PM (Pacific Time) with Salane's The Dark Family Hour.: You can catch that show at this link.

You can also catch replays of both shows on the Accordion Babes Facebook page.

This show will be live streamed and probably indoors if it's too chilly, but perhaps at least a song or two from the stoop? We gotta! Additional accordion guest stars are in the offing!

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Expand your Folk Song Repertoire w/ Shay Black

Mondays 7:30 - 8:45 PM — Starts November 8th for six weeks

Online via Zoom

Shay Black is known for his extensive knowledge of the Irish, English, Scottish, and other folk traditions. His teaching style is learning by repetition, so no background knowledge of music theory is necessary.

Click Here to watch Shay's introductory video.

Shay says:
Are you missing singing with people? Want to learn new songs? Would you like to sing with me?

If you have been missing singing and would like to learn some new material, come join me (virtually) for the next session of my Folk Repertoire class. I will be teaching ONLINE through the Freight and Salvage on Monday evenings at 7:30 pm, (Pacific Standard Time) starting next Monday, November 8th!

The session will run from November 8th - December 20th (no class on November 15th)

I will teach up to five songs per class, with our last class focusing on individual performance. If you like you may bring a recording device to help memorize melody. However, both lyrics and music will be forwarded weekly to you, so you can access the music throughout the course and afterwards as well.

I will teach up to five songs per class period (75 minutes), 30 songs in total, and they will come from different Irish, Scottish, English, American/Appalachian, sea music and other traditions. These range from basic folk songs, to tragic old Child ballads, to sea shanties or a sweet love song. In our on-line class, we are learning through repetition and I work through songs in an easy to learn call-and-response fashion.

After you sign up, you'll get a Zoom link via email before the first class. You will be able to tune into the class via video from your computer, smartphone, or tablet. If you don't have one of those, you could also tune into the audio only, via a regular phone (but video would be a much fuller experience!).

Note that because there is a bit of a time lag with Zoom, we won't all be able to sing together at the same time, but students WILL be able to see/hear me teaching the songs (and can sing along while muted!), see the lyrics, communicate with one another, and on our last Monday night, we will have a virtual singaround, where you can sing a song of your own choosing and share it with the class.

We will be having fun, fun, fun. Come and join us. Send me a message if you have questions.

Warm regards, - Shay

Irish-born Shay Black has lived in the east bay for eighteen years, and his most regular gig these days is the weekly "Starry Irish Session" at The Starry Plough pub in Berkeley. With a background steeped in traditional and folk music, he performs and records with brothers Michael and Martin, and also at times with sisters Frances and Mary Black. In Europe, he has also toured and recorded with the late great Stan Hugill and the fabled sea shanty group Stormalong John and Irish band Garva. Shay continues to be an avid songcatcher, with a huge song collection, and has taught repertoire building at many music camps and festivals.

For more details, email Shay Black shay_black@hotmail.com.

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Irish History Talks from Belfast
New online History talks
from Clifton House, Belfast

Thursday, November 11th — December 9th
11:00 AM PDT / 7:00 PM BST

Online via Zoom

The talks will be held weekly on Thursdays from 4 November, with the exception of 18 November, and cost £6 each or £25 for a block booking of all five. Find out more here: https://cliftonbelfast.com/whats-on/talks/

In addition, on the 18th November, the Belfast Charitable Society and the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation will host their inaugural annual lecture entitled 'Women's Role in Society: The Experience in Afghanistan.

Those attending will hear from Sima and Sara, who both left the country to escape the Taliban. Contributions to this event also come from Bilal, an Afghan national who served as Cultural Advisor and Interpreter for British Forces in Afghanistan. Bilal was forced to move to Australia at the end of 2014 following death threats from the Taliban. A recent BBC Spotlight programme highlighted the recent escape from Afghanistan to Ireland of Bilal's family after similar threats were made.

To find out more or to book, visit https://cliftonbelfast.com/event/womens-role-in-society-the-experience-in-afghanistan-inaugural-annual-mary-ann-mccracken-lecture/

If you would like further information, please don't hesitate to contact us archive@cliftonbelfast.org.uk

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Wake the Dead

Friday, November 12th, 8:00 PM PST

B Street At The Sofia, 2700 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA

Wake The Dead, World's Only Celtic All-Star Grateful Dead Jam Band, performs Friday, November 12th, 8:00 PM PST at B Street At The Sofia, 2700 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA.
Tickets are $35 each.
Check full details, updates and $35 ticket purchase links at www.wakethedead.org/gigs

Wake The Dead is the World's Only Celtic All-Star Party Band, is a hot sextet combining Irish jigs and reels with the songs of the Grateful Dead and other '60s iconic bands, delivering them with unique power and joy. Soaring vocal harmonies and daring instrumentals fuel Wake the Dead's singular groove engine, delighting Celtoids and Deadheads alike.

After 21 years of touring, Wake The Dead has grown to embrace the entire Summer of Love—the Airplane, the Youngbloods, Buffalo Springfield, and even the Beatles now joyful parts of the mix. Local fans are guaranteed many brand-new surprises. Their sound is unique, their energy extraordinary — a rare collision of worlds that leaves everybody dancing & grinning.

Wake The Dead, was first known for weaving jigs and reels into the songs of the Grateful Dead, and so impressed the Dead themselves enough for them to release the début Wake the Dead CD on Grateful Dead/Arista Records. This hot Bay Area acoustic sextet now Celtifies the entire Summer of Love including the Airplane, Youngbloods, Buffalo Springfield and even the Beatles, and after twenty years of rocking acoustic joy and is still going strong.

Click Here for the Studio-Produced Videos of Wake the Dead!

Check out their Website and Facebook Page.

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Blame the Whiskey + Celtic Tea Shoppe

Saturday, November 13th, 6:00 PM PST

S27 Alehouse & Brewery, 461 Perrymont Ave, San Jose, CA

Join us, Blame The Whiskey, LIVE and IN PERSON at the S27 Alehouse & Brewery. Come see your favorite Celtic Rock Band Play your favorites, and join us as we turn the place into a Proper Pub!

The Celtic Tea Shoppe will be serving their fine meat and vegetarian pasties, sausage rolls, shepherd's pie and snacks at the brewery, while Blame the Whiskey fills the air with Irish music and song! S27 is debuting their new Scottish ale, and alongside their tasty Irish Red. Be there ready to sing, eat, drink, dance, and be merry!

Blame the Whiskey is:
• Meghan Jean Arthur, formerly of Play Naked, vocals and guitar
• Joseph Paganucci, vocals, percussion and guitar
• Bob McGowan, resident bass vocals, mandolin and soloist
• Randy Carnahan, vocals, fiddle

Blame the Whiskey is a five piece Irish Ensemble with a Rock and Bluegrass influence and a diverse musical background. Highly versatile, our songs and melodies carry you through the ages of traditional Irish and Medieval, through solid rock and into today's acoustic folk stylings including Traditional Irish dance tunes and songs and not so traditional classic rock, all with a stylized Rock and Roll Flair. For energy, instrumentation, and musical eclecticism, Blame the Whiskey holds a unique niche in the greater San Francisco Bay Area as the firestarter for your party, festival, or fundraiser.

For more on Blame the Whiskey, email sendwhiskey@gmail.com or check https://www.facebook.com/blamewhiskey

For more on the Facebook Event.

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United Irish Cultural Center

United Irish Cultural Center, 2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco, CA

On Saturday, November 13th and again Sunday, November 14th, the UICC welcomes the Young Wolf Tones for two days of rocking Craic!

Despite the pandemic, the United Irish Cultural Center has successfully operated a large event facility near the Zoo in San Francisco, serving the Irish and other Cultural communities, in the Sunset District of San Francisco. Closed now, from January through October 2021 their hard working small staff and dozens of volunteers, operated their Wawona Gates outdoor dining space under a 1,800 square foot open-sided canopy.

And through this Fall and Winter, the UICC is offering Holiday shows in their spacious Saint Patrick's Room as well as intimate concerts in their Cosy Pub.

UICC website
UICC Facebook Page

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Irish Christmas in America

Now in its 16th season, Irish Christmas in America brings together world-class musicians, singers, and dancers in an intimate and engaging performance rich in history, humor, and boundless energy. Pensive ballads, lively instrumentals, and thrilling Irish dance, plus evocative photographic images, create an enchanting start to the holiday season.

Click for sample video.

Produced by Oisín Mac Diarmada of the award-winning Irish group Téada, the show features TG4's Traditional Singer of the Year, Séamus Begley, and the remarkable vocal talents of Sligo's Niamh Farrell. With lively instrumental tunes on fiddle, flute, uilleann pipes and harp, and thrilling Irish old-style dancing by Samantha Harvey, this is a holiday celebration to remember. This family-friendly performance offers a view into some of the rich historical traditions of the Emerald Isle.

The show was originally conceived to share traditional, if sometimes unknown, seasonal Irish customs in a heartfelt demonstration of how music kept early Irish immigrants close to home as they made their way in the new world and powerful photographic images provide a backdrop to rich historical traditions of Ireland.

Take a memorable glimpse into the enchanting spirit of Christmas, as the finest traditional artists from Ireland bring you a fun-filled start to the holiday season.

'Lively and reflective…a powerful evocation of the season'

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Highland Winter Festival

Sunday, November 28th, from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM PST

Music Concourse, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118

Come one, come all to Bagpipes, Fiddles, Frolic and Fancies with the first annual Highland Winter Festival!

On Sunday, November 28th, from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM PST, The Saint Andrew's Society of San Francisco is proud to present a FREE open-air concert for everyone to enjoy. With the generous support from San Francisco Parks and Rec., The Caledonian Club of San Francisco, Daughters of the British Empire, we welcome you for a day of music, dance and song in the heart of Golden Gate Park.

Register here for Free Seating

Entertainment will include the Prince Charles Pipe Band, Silicon Valley Pipe Band, Fret & Fiddle, Peter Daldry, and maybe some surprises along the way. Bring your family and enjoy a picnic to some of Scotland's greatest traditional music.

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An Irish Christmas

As Seen on PBS
Christmas magic from the Emerald Isle

Take a journey through Christmas in Ireland with superb dancing, traditional singing and authentic Irish traditional music celebrating the international spirit of the holiday season.

Back by popular demand after sell out performances last year, An Irish Christmas returns to Northern California with an exhilarating exhibition of Christmas magic from the Emerald Isle. The show brings together all the joy, hope, laughter and spirit of the season with traditional songs, dances, and lively storytelling.

Click Here for An Irish Christmas 2021 Official Promo video!

Starring World Champion Dancers: Tyler Schwartz and Emily MacConnell
AS SEEN ON PBS! Take a journey through Christmas in Ireland with superb dancing, singing, and Irish traditional music celebrating the international spirit of the holiday season. Join an award-winning cast led by World Champion dancers Tyler Schwartz (Magic of the Dance, An Irish Christmas, Celtic Fyre, Celtic Wings, and ReelRhythm) and Emily MacConnell (Dance Masters, Rockin' Road to Dublin, Magic of the Dance, An Irish Christmas Celtic Fyre and Celtic Wings) in a celebration of the great traditions of Christmas in Ireland. A PERFECT FAMILY EVENT!

'Genuinely astonishing–electric!'
– The Village News

An Irish Christmas represents the best of modern Ireland while also introducing audiences to the beauty, passion and uniqueness of their history. Authentic Irish traditions and customs are cleverly woven into the show including exhilarating step dancing and age-old dances over brooms, on half doors and around butter churns. From soothing ballads to vigorous dance tunes, from Carol of the Bells to ancient Irish hymns and melodies, the music of Ireland comes to life on traditional instruments such as the bodhran and the uilleann pipes, along with fiddles, flutes and drums.

For more details on Facebook, Click Here!

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15th Annual Winterdance Christmas Celebration

Seasonal Music of the Celtic and Nordic Lands

with New World String Project and Champion Irish Dancers

Please join us for the 15th Annual Winterdance Christmas Celebration, with seasonal music of the Celtic and Nordic Lands, featuring the New World String Project ensemble and Champion Irish Dancers.

Fiddler John Weed and guitarist Stuart Mason are joined by Celtic harp master Lisa Lynne, who gained international renown via recordings and tours with the label Windham Hill, often performs in a duo with NWSP-mate Aryeh Frankfurter, an expert on harp and Swedish nyckelharpa. Together, these intrepid string explorers take audiences on a thrilling, melodically exuberant musical ride, and for Winterdance, they will be joined by the flash and percussion of Champion Irish Dancers.

Check out all their info at https://newworldstringproject.com, or email Lisa Lynne

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The Fire's Very Scottish Christmas

We are proud to present the inaugural season of The Fire's Very Scottish Christmas. This celebration of music and dance will premier across the West Coast in an array of historic and state of the art theaters.

Due to continued precautions surrounding COVID-19, our concert dates and ticket availability are limited. Please purchase your tickets early as all shows are likely to sell out!

Friday, December 3rd – Sutter Creek Theatre – Sutter Creek, CA (Sacramento area)
Purchase tickets here.

Saturday, December 4th – Starbright Theater – Campbell, CA (San Jose / South Bay Area)
Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 5th at 8am PDT.
Purchase tickets here.

Friday, December 19th – The Whiteside Theatre – Corvallis, OR (Pacific Northwest)
Purchase tickets here.

We look forward to seeing you and sharing an evening of holiday cheer! If you are unable to join us this year, we will be expanding the show to more locations next year and hope to see you then!

For more information, please visit: www.thefirescottishband.com/christmas

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Volcano Candlelight Christmas Walk & Ceilidh

Saturday, December 4th, 5:00 PM Walk, 6:00 PM Ceilidh

Armory Hall, Corner Consolation & Emigrant streets, Volcano, Amador County, CA

This ancient Celtic tradition has been recreated by the Mother Lode Scots in Volcano, California, on the first weekend in December since 1982. Organizer Stuart McNaughtan describes this annual event:

"Of course, we begin with the candle light walk through the wee town to St Bernard’s Church where the Scottish Gaelic blessing is bestowed upon the crowd to bring peace and prosperity in the coming year and as always we will feed as many people that we can with stews, soups, breads, cider and desserts. I hear that there may be a lasagna or two available!!! Yes, that’s right, no cost to you! Not very Scottish is it? Come on out and join in this event based on old Scottish customs.

Ceilidh - Armory Hall

Entertainment: This year, there will be Christmas music, Irish Music, Cape Breton and Ceilidh dances by Stepping Out, Pipers, and MLS members Rich Hoffman, Roger Schaller, Jack Magee sing some Scots tunes and Christmas Carols!

Dinner

Potluck Soups & Stews. If you wish to donate bread, stew, soup or dessert just bring it to the Christmas Walk! All is appreciated!"

Apple Cider, Coffee or Tea provided.

Details at motherlodescots.com/walk.php call Stuart McNaughtan (209) 304-3821 or email him at stuart@volcano.net

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The Black Irish Band' Christmas Show

Saturday, December 11th, 7:00 - 9:30 PM

Sutter Creek Theater, 44 Main St, Sutter Creek, CA

The legendary Black Irish Band will be performing live on St. Patrick's Day at Sutter Creek Theater in Sutter Creek, CA, featuring newest member Michael Mullen on Celtic Fiddle. Featuring your favorite Christmas Classic ballads, and original Black Irish Band songs of the seasons.

Here a link to their many music videos

Get Full Details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/917661272503112

The Black Irish Band is Patrick Michael Karnahan, banjo, melodeon, octave mandolin, trumpet, guitar, concertina, french horn, vocals, Steve McArthur, banjo, guitar, accordion, mandola, piano, vocals, James Dean Nelson, banjo, guitar, vocals, along with new member Michael Mullen, fiddle, vocals.

More information, downloads and videos can be found on their website: http://blackirish.com.

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Tomáseen Foley's
A Celtic Christmas

December 2021

Santa Cruz, Medford, Redding, Mountain View (See Below)

Click for a sample video: https://youtu.be/WXxmCtNLvII

Every Christmas for the past twenty-six years, Tomáseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas has crisscrossed the country, bringing to packed venues his authentic remembrance of a way of life that is, alas, no longer with us. A truly family-friendly event.

'When I was a child, it was around the fireplaces of my neighbors' thatched cottages that I experienced the last remnants of the old communal way of life,' says Tomáseen. 'The family was the center of the community then, and the community was the center of life itself, the shining axle around which the great wheel of the universe revolved. Stories, music, song and dance were the spokes of that slowly turning wheel.' - Tomáseen Foley

Now in its 26th season of touring nationally, Tomáseen Foley's A Celtic Christmas recreates the joy and innocence of a night before Christmas in a remote farmhouse in his native parish of Teampall an Ghleanntáin in the west of Ireland in the 1950s — when the neighboring families would gather around the fire to grace the wintry night with traditional Irish Christmas carols, to raise the rafters with the joy of their music; to knock sparks off the flagstone floor with their traditional dances. And, of course, there were stories — they filled the night with the laughter of their stories.

Michelle Drown of The Santa Barbara Independent has said of Foley: 'A good storyteller can spin a captivating yarn from the most mundane topics. They can carry their audience to another time and place. It's an art—and a gift—and Tomáseen Foley has it in spades. Called a seanchaí in Gaelic, the storyteller has played an invaluable role in Ireland's long, ancient history. Foley thankfully is doing his part to keep that tradition alive.' She continued, 'Peppered throughout the storytelling were music and dance. With today's world of lightning-fast communication, it was a privilege to spend time in a rural cottage in the west of Ireland, listening to 'old lore' and traditional music.'

Storyteller/Director Tomáseen Foley grew up cradled in a culture unique to the old communal way of life, and continues to share the joy of that upbringing. In conjunction with the Omaha Symphony and other orchestras, he performs in Celtic Journey as well as occasional performances with Apollo's Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra. He has released two CDs: Parcel From America, and a live recording, The Priest and the Acrobat. Rego Irish Records said of Foley, 'He is a master of the Irish narrative and a keeper of the flame for a priceless piece of Irish culture.' For further information, visit: www.tomaseenfoley.com.

Santa Cruz resident and Grammy Award winner William Coulter is the show's longtime Music Director. An internationally recognized master of the steel-string guitar, he has been performing and recording traditional Celtic and American folk music for more than 30 years. Coulter studied classical guitar and earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of CA Santa Cruz, a master's degree in music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, an a second master's degree from the University of CA Santa Cruz in Ethnomusicology. He now teaches guitar at UC Santa Cruz as well as the National Guitar Summer Workshop, Alasdair Fraser's Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School, and the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop. For further information, visit http://williamcoulterguitar.com.

Violinist Edwin Huizinga is a world-travelled artist known for combining traditional and classical pieces with new sounds and ideas. He loves to compose and works with a vast number of artists in the worlds of rock and roll, ambient music, folk music, Baroque music, and opera. He and co-star William Coulter are the musical duo Fire & Grace, well known in the Santa Cruz area; in addition, Huizinga is also on the Artistic Leadership team of the Carmel Bach Festival; a founding member of ACRONYM, a world-renowned baroque ensemble; and has recently become the Artistic Director of the Sweetwater Music Festival. His latest commissions are for Opera Atelier and the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada. For further information, visit www.edwinhuizinga.com. Huizinga will be in the Santa Cruz performance only.

Other performers in A Celtic Christmas, all acclaimed artists in their own right, include Brian Bigley (https://www.brianbigleymusic.com; Uilleann Pipes, Irish flute, Whistles, and Traditional Irish Dance); Eimear Arkins (https://www.eimeararkins.com; Singer, Irish Dance, Multiple Instruments); Natalie Wagner (Irish Dance); and Marcus Donnelly (Irish Dance).

For more information, visit https://www.tomaseenfoley.com/tours.html.

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The Cross Keys

Fridays, 5:30 - 8 PM PDT

Way Station Smokehouse & Beer Garden, 2001 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Fairfax, CA

The Cross Keys are a Folk Explosion, with Cormac Gannon, Stacy Samuels, Neil O'Neill.

Cormac says:
Looking forward to playing with my comrades!

Here is a sample video featuring Stacy Samuels: https://youtu.be/8wKMcbIzKzs

Located in beautiful Fairfax, in the heart of Marin County, the Way Station has risen from the site of a former gas station into a family-friendly beer garden and smokehouse. The Way Station team prides itself on super friendly customer-focused service.

Check waystationmarin.com or The Facebook Page or call (415) 300-3099.

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One Eyed Reilly

Celtic/Americana Band

One Eyed Reilly is a genre-bending Celtic/Americana rock band from Sacramento that blends dynamic originals with Celtic rock, Americana, and energetic, innovative versions of Irish and Scottish trad. One Eyed Reilly's original songs draw on musical influences from Irish folk to Celtic punk with occasional unexpected nuggets ranging from the likes of Bob Dylan, John Prine, Tom Waits, Wilco or the Old Crow Medicine Show. This musical mash-up forms the perfect beer-and-whiskey drenched milieu for a good time night out at the Pub.

For a One Eyed Reilly sample video, Tipperary Blood, Click Here.

More on One Eyed Reilly on their website.

One Eyed Reilly is:
• Rick Meagher, lead vocals/acoustic guitar
• Geith St John Fraser, fiddle; harmony vocals
• Aaron Hendel, bass & electric guitars
• Tim Kurteff-Schatz, drums/percussion

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Andronicos San Francisco Jam

Tuesdays, 7:00 - 8:30 PDT

Online via Zoom

This gathering on Zoom is hosted every Tuesday from 7:00-8:30 PM Pacific Time, by Dinah and Noah Stroe. It's organized as a friendly, eclectic round robin mix of old time music, some Irish, some Québécois and more.

Dinah says:
In addition to the great tunes, there are always a few 'sketchers' creating drawings of the participants (with permission)

It's sprinkled with jokes, books and TV recommendations and we conclude with our sketchers showing their pictures in the big reveal.

Join the fun!

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86287058150?pwd=aVpnREQ2THVoS24xcEhZYUp1OUs5dz09
Meeting ID: 862 8705 8150
Passcode: 312389

More info here: Old Time Open Jams Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/390588871395459

Contact Dinah Stroe dinahbeatrice@gmail.com

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The Ould Sod

Virtual Irish Traditional Session
every Thursday from 6:00 - 8:00 PM Pacific

Online via Zoom

When COVID restrictions began in March, 2020, many weekly gatherings shifted to meeting online via the Zoom platform. With restrictions in California easing a bit, some are reducing or ending their Zoom musical meetings, but Michael Eskin says his, and since he has hosted over 70 of these accessible performances so far, I believe him!

Michael Eskin says:
With other Zoom sessions either closing down or changing to once-a-month format, and a few in person sessions restarting, I wanted to remind everyone that I'll continue to host The Ould Sod Virtual Session on Zoom every Thursday evening for as long as there are enough players each time, and we've generally been between 20 and 30 players on the past few Thursdays.

Players: Please join us and let other players know about our weekly Zoom event!
Punters: You are welcome to attend and listen, but please also and let others know about our weekly event!

More information at: http://michaeleskin.com/session

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Stout Rebellion Returns

Thursdays, beginning October 14th, 6:00 - 9:00 PM PDT

Jackrabbit Brewing Company, 1323 Terminal St, West Sacramento, CA

Stout Rebellion is back! After a seven-year sabbatical, Stout Rebellion is ready to do what it does best--building a community of fun around the love of Irish music with a weekly Thursday evening gig--this time at Jackrabbit Brewing in West Sacramento.

Come be part of the debut performance with original members Bobby Waller (lead vocals), Linda Easton (percussion), and James Wilson (mandolin), as well as new members (but old friends) Adrian Baxmeyer (bass) and Trevor Miller (whistle).

Or join us any Thursday evening from 6:00 to 9:00. We'll be there with green beads, clappers, and, of course, our patented Sing-O-Vision!

Find more details:
Stout Rebellion Facebook Page
Facebook Event

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