I’ll be heading cross country for the Friday Harbor Irish Music Camp early next month. Since I’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest before, I’ve booked myself in for a couple of days in Seattle prior to the camp. I’ll be staying at a hotel in the University District and I’ll have a car. Can anyone here give me tips on good sessions or other stuff happening in Seattle from Saturday March 4th through Monday the 6th? I’ve already heard about the South Lake Union Irish Festival on Sunday and plan to hit that. Anything else going on then?
And oh - extra credit if anyone can point me to a good source of hose clamps out there…
Ooh, I hadn’t heard about the South Lake Union thing. I’ll have to try and make it to that since I will miss the Friday Harbor action. Any excuse to listen to Catherine.
I’m not a Seattlite but here’s what I’ve found. Hopefully some actual Seattlites will supplement or ammend my offerings.
The hot session has historically been Molly Maguires which is an afternoon session. I haven’t been to it but it’s a play-by-invitation as the primary players are professional musicians who have played in various ensembles together. So maybe not fun to play but the musicians are very good and apparently the breakfast is spectacular.
There’s a Fadó with an open session but that is Sunday evening and would be running into the South Lake Union event. There’s also a Sunday evening session at the Conor Byrne but again, conflicts with the big event. Check the Conor Byrne schedule closer to when you leave. They don’t have anything posted but sometimes they do have live, Irish music on Saturdays (usually Hanz Araki or somebody like that).
I can’t find any Saturday sessions and don’t know of any. If you like Dubliners/Wolfe Tone kind of music the Kells in Post Alley has some such band playing. I was there a few weeks back and had one of the best pours of Guinness.
The Tractor Tavern often has good shows but not while you’re in town (unless you’re willing to venture into some non-Irish music).
Hmmm, I can’t find any mention of a South Lake Union Irish Festival on the Seattle Irish Heritage Club website, or anywhere else on the web, at least under that name. Can you tell us more about it?
John, if you can spare the time, I heartily recommend the session at Fado as the friendliest and most welcoming of the Seattle sessions. Plus your first drink is on the house if you’re a musician! We go from 4-7 pm on Sundays. I’m usually the only flute player there so having a “guest” flute tooter would be an enjoyable novelty.
Here’s the e-mail that Randal Bays sent to the Friday Harbor attendees about the south Lake union Irish Festival:
Dear campers,
If you’re coming in to Seattle on the weekend before the Friday Harbor camp and looking for something to do, you’re in luck. The proprietors of Paddy Coyne’s Pub and the Irish Emigrant (strong trad music supporters in the Seattle area) are presenting the South Lake Union Irish Music Festival on Sunday, March 5th in downtown Seattle. This will feature some of the musicians coming to teach and perform in Friday Harbor, plus some of the great Seattle area musicians. The lineup includes: Catherine McEvoy, Gearoid O hAllmhuirann, Randall Bays, Tom Creegan, Leo McNamara, Dave Cory and Finn MacGinty.
South Lake Union Irish Music Festival to be held at the Woodshed 300 Fairview Ave (next to Paddy Coynes Irish Pub) Sunday March 5th at 5pm Featuring Catherine McEvoy, Gearoid O hAllmhuirann, Randall Bays, Tom Creegan, Leo McNamara, Dave Cory and Finn MacGinty. Tickets $20 in advance $25 at the door .
Available at Paddy Coynes and The Irish Emigrant.
Hey John and John, it’s Jon…
Maybe I will see you all there too!
I am up here in Washington, as my Father passed away two days ago, and I am getting his affairs in order.
The South Lake union thing sounds like a happening!
See you there.
Nice concert last night in Seattle with Catherine McEvoy and company! She is a great player. Actually the session afterwards was even better then the concert. I will post pictures, when I get them. (Especially of her playing my delrin Pratten…)
Did anyone catch Flook in Portland? I was on my way to the concert, about 5 minutes from my mothers house, when I got rear ended by some clown going 40mph! I was stoped turning left. His mind was elsewhere roaming… (Good thing I wasn’t playing the whistle!) I just got back from the hospital, no broken bones just some ackes and pains. My Mothers Honda Civic now looks like a used concertina!
As they say up here in Washington, “When it rains it pours”. (or was that Norton salt?)
The post concert session sounded like it was definitely heating up. I would have loved to stay but if you’ve heard my tunes on Clips & Snips, you know I need to keep my day job. But it was all well worth the drive.
I’m sorry to hear about you and your mother’s car. How long are you in the area? Flook will be in Mt. Vernon, Bellingham, and Everett next week.
I enjoyed taking your delrin flutes for a test drive and was impressed with the workmanship. I’m sure they will get a lot of good response this week. Has anybody won your “find the crack on the Potter headjoint” challenge yet?
I think we were there until 1:00am, you would have been a little blurry eyed the next morning!
I’m sorry to hear about you and your mother’s car. How long are you in the area? Flook will be in Mt. Vernon, Bellingham, and Everett next week.
I may have to stay longer…
I enjoyed taking your delrin flutes for a test drive and was impressed with the workmanship. I’m sure they will get a lot of good response this week. Has anybody won your “find the crack on the Potter headjoint” challenge yet?
Grey Larsen and Cindy Kallet have also been in the Seattle area, playing to a packed Seattle Folklore Society concert Saturfay night and on Bainbridge Island Sunday night at the Island Music Guild hall. They will be continuing their tour in the Portland, OR area later this week - see Grey’s website at www.greylarsen.com for details. Lovely music they are making together!
After the Sunday night concert I took home Grey’s low flute to add a tuning slide to the headjoint. This involves reaming out the headjoint for the slide metal then parting it into two pieces. Until it goes all back together its functionless. I was at this point, and was in the process of turning the new metal to be fitted, when the high winds we experienced yesterday knocked the power out! When this happened a few weeks ago, the power stayed off here for 3 days.
I do have a backup 1KW generator for emergencies and was planning to drag it out there this AM if the power was still off. There is some danger of frying my lathe motor with this power source so I am leery about using it. Fortunately the power came on around 8PM and the flute with new tuning slide is now ready to continue on the tour! Whew!!!
1KW is a small generator, even for your shop, Casey. Keep in mind that you need to allow for the “locked rotor” calculation, when sizing for a motor load, anotherwords 150% of the running amperage.
Thanks for the “heads up” Casey.
I think I am going to sign up for Grey Larson’s flute workshop in Portland this Saturday,(that’s if I don’t crash again…) It is only $40 and includes the concert that evening. It is going to be on “Exploring Irish Ornamentation for Flute and Whistle”.
Any other C&Fers planning to attend?
Keep in mind that you need to allow for the “locked rotor” calculation, when sizing for a motor load, anotherwords 150% of the running amperage.