The Heart of Erin: St. Pats Shows

Upcoming Shows:

Mar 9-11, 2012 – Sonora, CA (US) @ Mother Lode Fairgrounds – Sonora Celtic Faire w/Christa Burch

Mar 15, 2012 – Felton, CA (US) @ Don Quixote’s International Music Hall – St. Patrick’s Day Celebration w/ Colleen Raney & Rosemary Turco Irish Dancers

Mar 16, 2012 – Pleasanton, CA (US) @ St. Clare’s Episcopal Church – St. Patrick’s Day Celebration w/ Colleen Raney & Rosemary Turco Irish Dancers – Buy Tickets

Mar 17, 2012 – Brooks, CA (US) @ Cache Creek Casino – St. Patrick’s Day Celebration WEBSITE

VIEW TOUR SCHEDULE

Travel to The Heart of Erin with Molly’s Revenge members John Weed and Stuart Mason, Celtic singers Colleen Raney and Christa Burch, piper Zac Leger, and percussionist John Pozzi. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day 2012, this all-star lineup will present a lively selection of pure-drop tunes and songs from Ireland and Scotland. Their repertoire is a perfect balance of uplifting dance tunes and heart-tugging ballads. They will be joined for some shows by the young, colorful stars of the Rosemary Turco Irish Dancers.

Colleen Raney will sing on St Pats weekend

Among the best young Celtic singers of her generation, Colleen Raney is inspired by the Irish and Scottish songs and tunes that she grew up with as a member of the multi-talented Raney family and alongside the world renowned harp and dulcimer duo Magical Strings.  Through her gorgeous voice and deft arrangements, Colleen breathes new life into the old songs, bringing out new facets to the music that haven’t been heard before.

Vocalist Christa Burch possesses a singular voice: warm, supple, expressive, intimate, and instantly recognizable. Part of a vibrant new generation of American folk singers, Christa deftly marries intuitive musicianship and storytelling through song. She has toured from coast to coast with her band the Syncopaths, and with Molly’s Revenge as a guest vocalist. Christa brings her percussive bodhran into the mix on the group’s traditional sets of Irish jigs and reels.

Christa Burch will sing at Sonora Celtic Faire

Zac Leger is an award winning uilleann piper, multi-instrumentalist, performer and composer. Zac was a gold medalist in the 2003 Mid-Atlantic Fleadh, taking several other medals on other instruments. He also holds a senior All-Ireland piping title, one of only several Americans to ever place in this prestigeous event. He has performed, played and recorded with many of the leading lights in Irish and Celtic music, and is a former member of Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul.

John and Stuart are members of Molly’s Revenge, a dynamic, acoustic Celtic band known for its unique and infectious enthusiasm. Molly’s Revenge has performed at many of the top folk festivals and performing arts events in the USA, and prestigious events in Australia, Scotland, and China. They have performed on stage with John Doyle, Liz Carroll, Aaron Jones, and other top Celtic artists.

An Evening with Little Black Train: Feb. 26 in Encino

Where: CTMS Center for Folk Music, 16953 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91316
When: Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012  7:00 p.m. (Free bluegrass jam begins at 1:00pm)
Cost: $15 at the door, no presale tickets
Web: littleblacktrain.com
More Info: 805-215-0306 (band) or 818-817-7756 (venue)
Press contact: Stuart Mason stu@helmintoller.com

California Traditional Music Society and Topanga Banjo-Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival present An Evening with Little Black Train: a fun, refreshing fusion of vintage fiddle tunes, blazing country blues, and songs of old-time Americana.

What do you get when you mash up a virtuosic bluegrass mandolinist, a traditional Irish fiddler, and an old-timey songster?  Kenny Blackwell (mandolin and guitar), John Weed (fiddle), and Stuart Mason (guitar, banjo, and mandola) are the bluegrass-roots trio Little Black Train. From Depression-era gospel and blues to Appalachian and Celtic dance tunes, they dig up the roots of bluegrass that traveled to America from Ireland and Scotland in the 19th century. Avid practitioners of the time-honored folk process, these boys combine new words and melodies with traditional songs from sources such as the Carter Family, Dock Boggs, and Charlie Poole. On the instrumental side, they mine fiddle tunes from archival sources in West Virginia, Ireland, and Scotland. The Train has been in the studio since the first of the year, tweaking new material for the second full-length record, and they’re eager to break out some fresh songs for a discerning audience.

 
The California Traditional Music Society (CTMS) is a non-profit, tax exempt educational organization that supports, promotes and encourages participation in traditional arts of the diverse communities of southern California. We do this through festivals, concerts and other events, public education and services to artists.

The Topanga Banjo-Fiddle Contest remains one of the premiere old time and bluegrass events in America. Join us for our 52nd celebration on Sunday, May 20th, 2012 at Paramount Movie Ranch in Agoura Hills, California. On three stages plus the Dance Barn and Children’s Area, set within Western movie sets and mountain locations. Bring your instruments and sit in with jamming musicians!

Oldternative Americana Night at The Spot

WATER TOWER

Songwriters at Play! Presents:

Oldternative Americana Night

Water Tower, Old Time Fiddle and Banjo Show, Amber Cross, Blackwell – Mason

Monday, February 6th, 2012 at The SPOT
7:00pm     116 W. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, CA     93420
805-474-5711 Price: $10

After five years on the road, four albums under their belt and multiple international tours, Water Tower has been brewing up a storm in the folk music world. Their all original sound is infectious and has spread far and wide to audiences of all ages and walks of life. Based in Portland, Oregon they got their start busking on street corners playing traditional old time and bluegrass, eventually honing their sound as a solid dance band playing square dances and bluegrass festivals up and down the west coast. “They’ve adopted the intensity of rock and punk and channeled it into their songs and tunes…their far-ranging influences enable them to see the common ground between folk, rock, punk and even jazz, and they draw from this common ground to create their unique sound.”–No Depression

The Old Time Fiddle & Banjo Show will open the concert with a set of vintage “oldternative” tunes. Also performing that night will be singer-songwriter Amber Cross, who is also a member of OTFBS, and the Kenny Blackwell-Stuart Mason duo. The Spot is a 50-seat theatre located at 116 W. Branch St., in the village of Arroyo Grande (next to Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream). Tickets are $10, available in advance at thespotag.com

Songwriters At Play! is a series of showcases hosted by Steve Key, featuring performances by top local talent from California’s Central Coast, and touring pro musicians. songwritersatplay.com/