I’m off Monday, so I’m debating about driving into San Francisco and checking out the session at An Bodhran on Sunday night. Anyone thinking of showing up? I’ve never been there. I’m told they’re friendly. (I’m not promising I’ll be there, just seriously thinking about it.) I’m more inclined if I know someone else going.
Tony
Have you tried the one in Alameda? I’ve been thinking of going there.
From the website:
Every Sunday
2:30 PM to 6:00 PM
Slow Session begins at 2:30, beginners should arrive on time. The Standard Session ramps up around 4 PM.
Location
McGrath’s Pub
1539 Lincoln Ave.,
Alameda, California 94501
I’ve been to An Bodhran once to listen, and played my bones for one tune. I’ve been thinking of going back and listening and playing on the odd tune or four on bones. I’m not proficient enough yet on whistle, but I certinaly like listening. Oh, and drinking.
So, yeah, I think I’d like to go. When’s it start?
I’ll anser my own question:
So I’ll get there between 7:30 and 8 or so, I think. Look for the slender guy with the brown flat cap and the vandyke beard.
You may want to go on to the Plough & Stars afterwards. They often have good sessions there.
whew
I had this horrific vision of “a bodhrán session”. Thought maybe you’d made a typo with the indefinite article, there, Tony. 
Hey Tony, so what’s the update?
Did you go?
How was it?
I’ll be rehearsing up in San Rafael for the next couple of Sunday’s, and would like to stop in on a session on my way home…
Aldon
Yeah, I went, alright. 12 bodhran players booming away and BoneQuint on his bones. Glad I brought my bodhran.
Now, for those who can’t handle the truth, here’s a more palatable version: The place was full of Irish people. (oh no, back to version 1). Really, the bartenders, the punters, and the musicians all had accents, except me and Quint. There were 3 fiddlers, two flute players, one of whom played whistle intermittently- you really couldn’t hear it unless you were right next to him, so I took the liberty of wiggling my fingers at lightning speed like I was a visiting superstar. Like any session I haven’t been to before, 99% of the tunes fit into 2 categories: Never heard it before and Heard it, just haven’t learned it. I recognized a lot of tunes from Bothy Band recordings- those are the ones I’ve been meaning to learn. Limu, start there if you want to come prepared. They played fast- about the same speed you’d hear on the Bothy Band cd’s. Once in awhile, they slowed down a teeny bit. I only recall hearing mostly reels and some jigs. The playing quality was the highest I’ve heard in a local session.
So, I maybe joined in on about 2 tunes- I may have been playing the wrong one on one of them. In retrospect, I’m wondering if I was mixing up Earl’s Chair with The Old Copper Plate. No one could hear me, so what the heck? The bar was pretty noisy. Most of the people were not there for the music. One guy was standing with his back to a fiddler so close, I thought the fiddle was going to goose him. The fiddler had to wait for him to move so he could play. The guy acted like he had no clue. A few people sat close, so they could hear. If one fiddler played by himself, I couldn’t figure out what was being played. It took 2 to get enough volume going.
I went because I’d been promising myself to go when I had a Monday off, which is rarely. So, I did it and my curiosity is satisfied. I may go back again once more this year. It was nice meeting BoneQuint, who played discreet bones. (Looks like a lot of work to me.) We had a nice conversation after the session (in other words, he agreed with my opinions). I will say this is the first time I’ve driven into and out of San Francisco without getting lost.
Tony
Well, you’re one up on me, Tony, 'cause I’ve NEVER driven into or out of SF without getting lost at least once! Give me a transit map and a bus pass and I’m fine, but put me in a car and I’m hopeless!
Redwolf
Tony almost got it right. Here’s a slightly more accurate version:
The 12 bodhrán players didn’t all play at once, except when the group launched into an “Irish Washerwoman/Lucky Charms” medley, during which several juggled each others bodhráns while playing them simultaneously.
I could hear better than Tony, sitting down at the table closer to the musicians (along with, of course, my amazing naturally keen sense of hearing.) The flute/whistle player was immediately to my right, and Tony was subsequently to my left, so I got a nice stereo effect during the songs they both whistled on, which was a first-time treat for me. There were three flute players and two fiddlers (later in the evening a third fiddler arrived).
The players were very good. The older fiddler (Joe) had a very fluid and smooth lilting style I especially liked, with nice raspy ornaments thrown in. Mike (another of the fiddle players) recognized me from the Farmer’s Market (at the Ferry Building on Saturdays), and complimented the group I play with (the Tanglers, www.TheTanglers.com will be fleshed out soon). I was a bit nervous for the first tune, but settled in and had a good time. The people were certainly quite friendly, and bought me my first drink and shared their discount coupons.
I tried not to play too much, not on all the tunes, generally only on portions of the tunes when I did play, and quietly for the most part. My favorite bones passages (and bodhrán too, for that matter) is when they float in and out of attention, you could almost forget they’re playing, with lots of what are sometimes called “ghost notes.” I find bones usually mixed too loud on records. The very good flute player to my left also praised my discretion afterwards, saying, “it’s nice to hear a bones player for once who doesn’t just whack away at them the whole time.”
But I was hoping they’d launch into a REALLY quick one at least once! I would have liked hearing some songs or nice slow airs, too. A pretty lass did a bit of step-dancing at one point, which was fun. A few other people of dubious sobriety banged along a bit occasionally on tables or the bar’s loaner bodhrán (the only non-fictitious bodhrán playing of the night).
I could, and I’m sure the flute player to my left could.
A bit earlier, it was quieter. I sat near the bar for around a half hour before joining in, 15 feet away or so, and heard pretty well.
Darn, that’s not supposed to show. 
Actually, the melodies in a quick Irish tune have accents that fall all over the place, and it takes a lot of volume and tone control to ride along with them (as opposed to just banging along), so it was a bit of work. I recognized a fair amount of tunes, but didn’t know the names, and the few times I asked, the musicians didn’t know either. I struggled a bit at times, but at other times things fell together quite nicely I felt, and some of the people in the bar clapped and hooted a bit after those times it seemed. I stuck to my Irish goat shin bones, and played one-handed. My arm was actually a bit tired afterwards, which hasn’t happened in a while.
Quite true…
Actually, he agreed with my opinions, although often I let him say them first.
I was certainly surprised to find it was well after midnight when I left, so I figure time actually does fly under certain circumstances and all that.
Glad to hear they treated you well.
I always enjoy going to that session.
Justine
It doesn’t seem that this would be a good session to record because of the background noise. Am I wrong about this?
Did you guys see anyone recording?
Thanks,
Aldon
You mean recording just to learn tunes? I’ve done that there with no problem.
I’m told that someone also recorded the whole session there once and made CDs of it for the players.
It can get noisy in there sometimes, but it varies as far as I know. I’d guess that it was noisier than ususal because of the 3-day weekend.
J.
I didn’t see anyone recording.