Just a head’s up for those able to make it. Altan will be in concert at Peery’s Egyptian Theater in Ogden this Saturday (12/7). Enjoy!
Susan
Go see them if you get a chance; I went to see them in Nashville last spring. They’re an amazing band and they seem to be very nice, down-to-earth people. Maieread, the lead singer/fiddler, took the time to talk to us and even posed for photos with my wife and kids. Their new CD, The Blue Idol, is excellent.
Go see them.
I saw them live in October.
They came on stage and 30 seconds later not a single person was sitting still.
Brilliant.
Just saw them here in Denver last Sat., it is a theme show Winter Solstice/X-Mas. Go see it if you have to beg borrow or steal the money for tickets. They have an incredible box player with them Seamus Begley, the man is a wizard.
Just saw them here in Denver last Sat
(Ahem) You meant to write Boulder, right? 
They stayed over in Boulder through Sunday night – and guess who showed up at our Sunday night session? Mairead (fiddle) and Dermot (box) of Altan, Seamus Begley (box), Jim Murray (guitar – and he also ripped off a reel on Dermot’s box!), a bouzouki player whose name I didn’t get (not the player in Altan), and the set-dancers traveling with them! Our 7-10 pm session stretched on until Conor O’Neill’s kicked everybody out at 2 am. It was a blast! I’m not usually attracted to singing, but Seamus and Mairead did a number of Irish-language duets that were stunning. Perhaps needless to say, this event goes onto my lifetime list of peak musical experiences.
–C#/D
[edited for spelling]
[ This Message was edited by: csharpd on 2002-12-04 17:28 ]
Altan performing this Friday in Irvine, CA also.
DARN! Once again, I’m missing them! OK, so I have a huge crush on Mairead! 
(Mrs. BB knows that already.)
BB,
I’m glad to know I have at least one ally in my slow-burning campaign to raise Mairéad to an iconic status surpassing that of LBN Andrea and Guacamole Nigella on C&F.
Altan are one of the nicest bunches of people you could hope to come across in the ITM world, quite apart from their great talent, and I’m not at all surprised to read of them sitting in on a local session.
An PluiméirCeolmhar
[ This Message was edited by: Roger O’Keeffe on 2002-12-05 04:31 ]
On 2002-12-05 04:29, Roger O’Keeffe wrote:
BB,I’m glad to know I have at least one ally in my slow-burning campaign to raise Mairéad to an iconic status surpassing that of LBN Andrea and Guacamole Nigella on C&F.
She’s a confirmable cutie-pie! Altan’s piece on the Gael Force video always gets a second viewing from me, along with Sharon Shannon’s, of course. I also like the lovely liner photos in The Blue Idol.
Altan are one of the nicest bunches of people you could hope to come across in the ITM world, quite apart from their great talent, and I’m not at all surprised to read of them sitting in on a local session.
To me, Irish (and Scottish) musicians are generally very polite and are not protective of their playing secrets. I once e-mailed a well-known Celtic guitarist about his tunings and the types of strings he used, and was treated to a quick, but quite detailed, response! I have since incorporated his secrets into my own playing, which is improving almost on a daily basis.
What I’m trying to say is to never be shy about contacting the players you admire. More than likely, you will not be disappointed.
Slan leat,
Jim
You boys should have seen her with the smoke billowing and her long hair swaying it time to her fiddling. It was a site to behold!! Like seeing one of the old Irish Goddesses comming to life and stepping out on the stage.
On 2002-12-05 17:42, Ron Rowe wrote:
You boys should have seen her with the smoke billowing and her long hair swaying it time to her fiddling. It was a site to behold!! Like seeing one of the old Irish Goddesses comming to life and stepping out on the stage.
WooHoooooooo!!!
Let’s have some pictures!
Here’s a link to a GREAT photo from their Website. Lovely, isn’t it?
http://www.altan.ie/gallery/mountain.jpg
[ This Message was edited by: BrassBlower on 2002-12-06 09:23 ]
Embed! Embed! (and I mean that in a strictly IT graphics sense).
OK, here goes:
Aaaah! Isn’t she lovely?
On 2002-12-05 04:29, Roger O’Keeffe wrote:
I’m glad to know I have at least one ally in my slow-burning campaign to raise Mairéad to an iconic status surpassing that of LBN Andrea and Guacamole Nigella on C&F.
Speaking of Nigella, did anyone see her on Good Morning America this morning? She made a so-called cake with no flour, or grain of any kind. She ground up whole oranges…rind and seeds and all…to make the thing.