My youngin’ who lives in MD has suggested I fly up in Feb and go with them to see the Cheiftans at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore.
(they were up there for a symphony concert this past weekend and I assume that’s where she heard about them coming to the hall in Feb)
My problem with this is-
The weather- it’s in Feb.
Are they doing mostly irtrad now or is it mostly their collaboration stuff?
I checked out their website, but still am in the dark as to what they might be doing on this tour. Has anybody out there seen them recently?
I saw them this weekend. The first half was mostly trad with a few mixes thrown in, such as their version of the Cotton-Eyed Joe, but that may have been because they were in Texas.
The second half was with the Houston Symphony. The Symphony played a piece, they did a few togther, a French Hornpipe player came out and they had a jig/Mozart Duel which was fun (Thinking of you Ben, if you’re out there) and their usual medly for a finale, and then an andro from the Brittany album for an encore.
They had three dancers with them, Cara Butler (woof!) and oh yeah, I think two guys. I wasn’t paying attention to them that much.
Sean Keane wasn’t with them, don’t know if it was for just this show or the tour.
It was fun, but I do admit I prefered the show I saw that was just them plus Natalie McMaster.
If you really want details I think I have the program somewhere stilll, however today is trash day so no guarantees.
They seem to set up stuff in advance, where, if there is somebody famous locally who wants to play with them, that’s what they’ll do in town A, but if there’s no-one locally in town B, they’ll just do their own stuff. I saw them tour with Nathalie McMaster, but that was not common to their other shows here, where they just toured alone. They seem to be infinitely flexible as to what will go on from one night to the next.
Last time I saw them, they were promoting “Down the Old Plank Road” and Earl Scruggs was with them. A good friend (and my first dulcimer teacher), local harper Nancy Bick Clark also sat in. There were also some other “featured” performers, including two dancers, who’s names escape me now.
