On the Road

Theatre at the Center - Munster, IN

As we dive head first into the St. Paddy’s Day season, we returned to the Theater in the Center, in Munster Indiana.  Our second St. Pat’s concert here was as well received as we could have hoped for.   With a full band playing to a full house, we enjoyed the crowd’s enthusiasm and the theater staff's total professionalism.  It was wonderful to see so many of our Indiana friends, STeamers, and fans. When Brian, Marty, Nick, and Takeshi took the stage you could hear the applause of the 200 + fans throughout the theater complex!  And when our very talented Irish Step Dancer, Colleen Quirk, took the stage it really was the icing on the cake!  As we continue through this busy, fun and exciting season, it’s nice to have the Theater in the Center concert to look back on! 

 

J.F. Brennan Winter Work Party - La Crosse, WI

Thank you to Bob Brague and the Binsfeld family for a great evening last weekend with Switchback performing at the J.F. Brennan Winter Work Party in La Crosse, WI! With over 200 people in attendance, this full-service marine contracting business celebrated its Irish heritage in style. The J.F. Brennan Company began in 1919 in Lansing, IA (home to the famous Brian FitzGerald) and the Brennan Brothers Building still stands today!

House Concert - Rochester, MN

A rousing celebration and warm welcome for Switchback at the House Concert on March 9, 2012 in Rochester, MN. You can book your own House Concert by emailing BookSwitchback@gmail.com.

Shamrock painting at The Hey Hey Club - Columbus, OH

The Shamrock Club of Columbus stopped by the Hey Hey Club to kick off the annual St. Patrick's  Day painting of the shamrocks, which helps fund the parade. Switchback serenaded the club members as they painted the symbol that lets folks know that good times here are guaranteed!

 

Bistro Night at St. Edmund - Oak Park, IL

Fun was had by all at the 2012 St. Edmund Bistro Night! Along with the St. Edmund choirs, Switchback played their newly composed music as part of the Mass in church. This was followed by a lively concert in the St. Edmund school gym across the street. People clapped, danced and sang to Switchback favorites and requests. We even celebrated some birthdays!

 

Epiphany at St. Paul Church - Donnellson, IA

"Music Under the Water Tower" artists are asked to play at the 5:30 pm Saturday worship at St. Paul church in Donnellson, IA before the 8:00 pm concert. An "impropmtu" Epiphany pageant resulted with Brian and Takeshi (left) recruited as the camel and the donkey!

Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall Holiday Concert - Elk Rapids, MI

"Our holiday concert by Switchback has become one of the most popular local happenings of the season. Proceeds from this year's event are funding electrical circuit mapping of our entire town hall as well as proper electrical connections for our stage lighting, very important parts of the ongoing renovation of our historic treasure, which are made possible by the extraordinary musical talents of Switchback and local performers plus the considerable support of the Elk Rapids community."
~ Terry Miller, President, Historic Elk Rapids Town Hall Association

 

Bekan, County Mayo, Ireland

In the township of Bekan, Co. Mayo, Marty and Brian joined soldiers from branches of the Irish, U.S. and British military who live or have lived in Co. Mayo. They assembled to assist Sergeant Ron Howko, U.S. Army Ret. in dedicating a government marker for Thomas Carey, an Irishman from Bekan who served in WWI for the U.S. Military. Carey was killed in action and laid in an un-decorated grave until the effort of Michael Feeney of Castlebar, founder of the Mayo Peace Park, and Pat Gorman of Dixon, IL located his resting place. Brian and Marty attended as representatives of the U.S. since they were in Ireland to perform a benefit concert to help raise monies for dedications such as these. They were asked to play "Falling Water River” at the dedication ceremony.

 

Mullenfest - Cresco, IA

Young and young-at-heart had an awesome time at the Mullen Labor Day Weekend Party outside Cresco, Iowa … a Mullenpalooza for sure as one attendee christened the event.  This year’s winner of the dance contest …. THE BOHEMIANS!

Taste Iowa - Conrad, IA

Switchback entertained all at the Taste Iowa event on Aug. 27, 2011 in Conrad, Iowa.  Locally grown food was not only on the menu, it was the star of the show as the Grundy National Bank hosted its third annual event.  Thanks to Shane Tiernan and a great volunteer team for a yummy and fun event!

Black Cat Concert Series - Charlevoix, MI

The annual Switchback summer concert at the Black Cat Concert Barn in Charlevoix, Michigan was extra special this year! After a sumptuous picnic, Switchback took the stage with their good friend and tremendous trumpet player Kevin Gallagher.  Kevin added to the wonderful music and the fun, even playing the trumpet while tending to his adorable one-year-old "Little Dude.”  The music was as hot as the late July evening, as Switchback performed a stellar show to a full house. The combined talents of Switchback and Kevin made it a night to remember! See the YouTube video 

 

Bay Art Council's Wednesdays in the Park - Bay City, MI

In Bay City last July, it was about 94 degrees and a scorching sun glared across the grass of the concert field and onto the stage of the band shell.  It was definitely a hot concert.  Lucky for Marty, he had Corky’s hat on to help keep the sun out of his eyes!

 

Switchback Songwriters Weekend

Four Mounds Inn - Dubuque, IA

It was a very successful weekend!  We were totally blessed with fantastic weather which allowed us to hold some sessions outside, including a very intimate show with John D. Lamb and us lit by tiki torches on Saturday night. Brian gave a superior presentation on guitar licks that if more time allowed could have been a daylong symposium in itself.  The songs written were of high caliber.  The Four Mounds presented a breathtaking venue to take in the weekend as well as special appearances by bald eagles, woodchucks, deer and a bunch of song birds.

 

Central United Church Holiday Benefit Concert

Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Central United Church is a beautiful building in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. One striking feature is that it boasts one of the largest pipe organs in Canada. The organ, built in Holland, is impressive, with pipes reaching for the ceiling and bristling outwards toward the congregation like a battleship swinging all its guns to port, impressive and beautiful. The real beauty of it was the life that came out of it when Paul Dingle, the musical director, proceeded to play. Meeting Paul was like meeting a brother. He instantly understood what we were trying to do with our music and it was as if he had been part of the band for years.  Over four hundred people packed into the church. We brought Paul up to the organ to play "Love Won't Run Away" and I got chills as the organ created the deep mood of a dark Irish sea.

 

A Night at the Focal Point with Beatle Bob

Maplewood, MO

Dec. 4th was a special night at the Focal Point in St. Louis as Switchback brought a "present" to the audience. The second half of the evening featured a set with the full band, which included Nick Hirka on drums and Paul Russell on violin. And in return, Switchback received a present in the person of the legendary Beatle Bob, who came in to dance to the band. According to musician lore, having Beatle Bob at your show means that your show is the hottest ticket in town. Bob has been going to shows all over the country and has developed a following from those who have created a fan site in honor of him to those who created a site to get him to sit down. Wikipedia has the full story of this eccentric, but truly devoted live music follower.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatle_Bob

Brian and Marty at The Center for Head Injury Services in St. Louis, MO

One of Brian and Marty's favorite things is to reach out to the community when they are in town for a concert. And that is what they did this past Monday, when they visited the Center for Head Injury Services in St. Louis. A part of St. John's Mercy Medical Center, the center is a place to help people have a full and vibrant life.

A full and vibrant show was what took place, with residents getting in on Switchback's act. There was dancing to Switchback originals as well as some "spotlight" moments, such as when one resident lead everyone in singing "I Got Friends In Low Places". Switchback made friends in a great place that afternoon and presented the center with a DVD of the Americana Sessions to watch. A return in the summer is planned that would incorporate a picnic for residents and their families.

Hi Marty and Brian,
I just wanted to thank you again for coming to perform for my group on Monday...they really enjoyed you guys. We watched the DVD yesterday and everyone clapped and cheered after each song (it was really cute!). I hope that you had a safe trip home and that the holidays bring you both happiness and peace!

P.S. Regina says that you both have a little bit of "Soul" in you!

With Kindness,

Lynne Cruse
Reb. Specialist
The Center for Head Injury Services

 

The Iowa School Tour

Brian and Marty had the opportunity to play for over 9,000 students as part of the Dubuque Art Council's "Artist in Residence" program. In 10 days they covered hundreds of miles as they crisscrossed three states and visited 33 schools.

Fall Harvest Weekend at the Natural Gait, NE Iowa

Young and young-at-heart Switchfolk celebrated at The Natural Gait in NE Iowa near Marquette during the Switchback Band Fall Harvest Weekend.  Two Cave Concerts and Yakin’ the Yellow River put all in a festive mood as we enjoyed time with Switchback and guest artists Nick Hirka and Michelle Lynn.  Cracklin’ fires and starry skies were the perfect backdrop for some very special Cowboy Poetry by Mindy Zinthefer.

Labor Day Gatherin' in Cresco, Iowa

 

Haybarn Rendezvous 2010 at The Natural Gait, NE Iowa

 

Iowa Irish Fest 2010

Switchfolk young and old came from far and wide to the Iowa Irish Fest in Waterloo, Iowa, Aug 6 - 8 to hear Switchback and special guest master bodhran player Takeshi Horiuchi from Tokyo, Japan! An odd Irish birthday tradition was shared: Lift the birthday child upside down and give his head a few gentle bumps on the floor for good luck. The number of the bumps should correspond to the child's age plus one.

Northern Ontario Summer Tour

 

Greetings from Minocqua, Wisconsin!

 

Harmony By The Bay

Marty's nephew Luke "Loki" McCormack was guitar tech at Harmony By The Bay, Sturgeon Bay, WI on 7/6. Uncle Marty did go with the exotic tuning he prescribed.

 

All Aboard for the Mayfly Dance

The 5th Annual Mayfly Dance cruise was held in LaCrosse, WI on Saturday, June 26th. Guests from as far away as New York joined Switchback for a cruise on the backwaters of the Mississippi. The folks were treated to rare wildlife, a gourmet lunch and an onboard concert. The annual cruise is sponsored by the Iowa Irish Fest, which will be held in Waterloo, Iowa, Aug 6 - 8, 2010. Next year's Mayfly Dance cruise is already slated for June of 2011!

McCaffrey's Dolce Vita, Decorah, Iowa

 
On June 25 at McCaffrey's Dolce Vita just west of Decorah, Iowa, Switchback created a truly electric music storm complete with thunder, lightening and summer rain!  Playing to a record crowd of avid fans and first-time listeners, this outdoor celebration had young and old dancing between rain drops. 

 

Switchback kicks off the Smoky Hill River Festival

in Salina, KS on KSAL AM 1150

And so began an amazing 3-day art and music festival with Switchback making their maiden voyage into River Festival.  There really were days when we thought we were in Oz and not Kansas!

• 5 performances on 4 stages in 3 days
• 64,835 attendees
• 1.14 inches of rain
• Average daily high temperature of 92
• Average daily low temperature of 71

Little girl to her mother:  “Look, they decorated this (bridge), but they

didn’t decorate the water.”  As far as the eye could see, there were colorful artisans, performing acts and deep-fried delicacies.  To those festival organizers and volunteers who work tirelessly to make the Festival happen and to all who support this wonderful celebration of colors and senses …  we hope to see you again next year!

 

2010 Cave Concert Series at The Natural Gait in NE Iowa

A Cave of Spirits and Yakin the Yellow

As Marty and Brian opened the 2010 Cave Concert Series for Howard and Donna Bright at The Natural Gait, cabins and campgrounds around the Yellow River were filled with concert attendees. So many friends (old and new) from Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Canada and of course, Iowa, joined in the fun. Both shows were unique, honoring and playing with Irish and Americana traditions. Songs from the new CD released this year, Ghosts of the River Folk, helped us to not only celebrate the Mississippi River, but also celebrate the “new Switchback” -- think Beatles/Pop/Snap infused with all the wholesome goodness Switchback brings to every project.

A River Gypsy and a Cape Breton Step Dancer, two very special guests, joined us as Switchback’s music charmed all. With Effigy Mounds National Monument a stone’s throw away, it’s clear our Cave was used by American Indians for shelter and protection. As soon as you reach the Cave, your spirit awakens and you realize that a Cave Concert doesn’t aspire to be an amazing performance. But hearing one helps us amaze ourselves!

On Saturday, we kayaked the Yellow River, riding rapids, racing and scouting out performance sandbars for the Haybarn Rendezvous, August 18 – 22, 2010. And yes, kayaks were rolled – thank goodness none were carrying musical instruments! If you see a fish with sunglasses – they are Marty’s.
Thank you to the awesome group at The Natural Gait for the delicious meals served to the concert goers and for all their great work in making this Concert Series happen. We couldn’t do this without our dear Sherpas. Everyone loved the Bailey’s Irish Cream cookies and TNG truly is a place where “nature plays and our hearts sing”!

New to the Cave Concert Series? Practical tips for future Cave Concert attendees: sensible walking shoes for making the climb to the cave & comfortable, layered clothing. You’ll need to bring your own chairs/blankets BUT wonderful spirits and provisions are available for purchase in the cave. Be sure and come early to enjoy the pre-concert dinner.

 

Oak Center General Store, Minnesota

The Oak Center General Store, filled to the brim with many newcomers, warmly and enthusiastically welcomed Switchback on Sat., April 24! One of the best live music venues that you can find in southeastern MN, the acoustics in this 90-year-old community hall are top notch and the atmosphere leads to some great discussions and social time. Marty and Brian delivered a powerful mix of progressive folk, alternative country and pop-rock music to listeners from as far away as Illinois. From the sentimental ballads to the blistering rockers it’s easy to see why the Irish Music Association named Switchback the 2008 Top Duo in a Pub, Festival, or Concert in the US, Ireland, the United Kingdom & the European Union. A fun surprise for all as our dear friend, Takeshi, visiting from Japan, joined the group on stage playing his bodhrán, an authentic Irish drum. Thank you to Steven Schwen and his wonderful team for another great evening! A very special treat were the freshly picked morels available in The Oak Center General Store.

 

New London (New Dublin), Wisconsin Irish Fest

Blue skies and the wearin’ of the green were everywhere as Switchback rocked the New Dublin Irish Fest tent on Saturday, March 20!  (Where else in America does a town rename itself for one week each year from New London, WI to New Dublin, WI?  There’s even a North Dublin.) Bagpipe bands, marching bands, festive clowns, clans in colors, wee ones, –  a true family event as all readied for the parade listening to Switchback and the strains of Danny Boy, The Wren, Wobbly Jigs and more.  Thank you to Judi & Mooch and The Shamrock Club of New Dublin for a fun day!

Traveling Down an Irish Road

January 27 - February 3 , 2010

Marty and Brian are pictured above Ryan's Daughter's beach.

The group picture is of us taking a jaunting cart ride in Killarney. The carts are driven by jarveys.

The gang at O'Brien's Ferrman -a popular haunt for U2 when they are in town recording. (No, they were not in town this last week!)

Marty and Brian at Dunquin, above Ryan's Daughter's Beach, where you look out over the Blasket Islands. The guys sang two traditional Irish songs.

Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts

The Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts + Switchback + an awesome audience made a rather dreary Friday, Jan. 22 in Menomonie, WI the lively spot to be! The Mabel Tainter building, constructed in 1889, includes a lavish 313-seat "crown jewel" Victorian theater. What a privilege it was to play this venue. The theater contains intricate hand-stenciling, hand-carved white pine archways, rich walnut, mahogany, and oak woodwork, gleaming brass fixtures, leaded glass windows, and a rare working Steere and Turner tracker pipe organ with 1,597 pipes. Celtic selections from long ago, recently released selections from the new CD, Ghost of the River Folk, and everything in between helped to warm the hearts of a very enthusiastic audience. Thanks to the fabulous lighting crew, Erik, Vicki and Melissa, and all that helped to make this event so special!

 

The Scottish American Society of the Quad Cities 33rd Annual Robert Burns Night and Celebration

Green grow the rashes, O; Green grow the rashes, O; the sweetest hours that e'er I spend are spent among the lasses, O." Robert Burns. And so began an evening on Sat., Jan. 23 much like the ceilidhs (Scottish parties) held in winter in Scotland. The Scottish American Society of the Quad Cities held its 33rd annual Robert Burns Night and Celebration at The Lodge in Bettendorf, Iowa with Switchback as the featured entertainment. With the Blackhawk Pipes & Drum, the Highland dancers, Haggis, and toasting, everyone enjoyed the celebration of local color. Tartans and kilts adorned those who sang and cheered as Brian and Marty entertained wee ones and older folk alike! As the evening waned and good-byes were being said, all joined hands to dance and sing a rousing Auld Lang Syne, another tribute to Robert Burns.

Stony Ridge Ranch, Texas

Here is a shot of the cactus from where Switchback had a concert Sunday night at the Stony Ridge Ranch. An audience from Dallas to San Antonio came to the Hill Country for an outdoor concert set among the rolling hills, mesquite and cactus.  Surprise guests included a herd of white tail bucks that listened in on the Mayfly Dance. A return concert is planned for Sunday, Feb. 28.

 

Crighton Theatre, Conroe, Texas

It was a nearly full house as Marty and Brian played at the Crighton Theater in Conroe, Texas. The Crighton was a wonderful theater with perfect acoustics. Marty sang several songs from their "Traveling Down an Irish Road" show without any microphone and found out that the last person who sang unamplified was the late great Burl Ives. In addition to the performance at the Crighton, Marty and Brian will be presenting songwriting workshops for students at the area high schools.

 

Sunset Over Fredericksburg, Texas

Switchback fans had this glorious sunset to watch just before the start of a wonderful hill country concert in Fredericksburg, Texas.  Marty and Brian are on a Texas tour that is bringing them to house concerts, performing arts centers and outreach programs from Conroe to San Antonio.

 

Jack-o-Lantern Cave Concert

The hills of NE Iowa were alive with the sound of Switchback on Saturday, October 17! The second Concert in the Cave at The Natural Gait found a hearty group of 70+ braving chilly weather. After a hearty Bohemian Stew Dinner and a climb to the cave, the evening opened with Iowa's own Dave Moore, a singer/songwriter often heard on the Prairie Home Companion radio program. When Switchback took the stage (or should we say stomp boxes?), the pumpkins were glowing and the s'mores were melting! The blazing fire and enthusiastic crowd warmed the cave as Brian and Marty, with Dave joining in at times, held all in amazement -- it seemed as if even the stars were applauding. (Photo by Jan Hoag)

 

Fun Fun Fun in Wyoming, Iowa

The Boys were back in town and the 2nd Switchback concert at Fun Fun Fun in Wyoming, Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 3, included friends from as far away as Hawaii! Marilyn Gray’s building is steeped In Wyoming history, having been a printing company for almost a century. Excess oil that was intended to keep the machines humming has stained the floor permanently, adding to the ambience of it all. Every seat in the house, 120 in all and only 3 – 5 rows from Marty and Brian’s stomp boxes, held an enthusiastic music lover. It was great to see old friends and meet so many new ones as we traveled down an Iowa road. (Photo by Jan Hoag)

St. Patrick's Irish Settlement Homecoming

 

The Ancient Order of Hibernians certainly knows how to host a homecoming: music, food and fun! St. Patrick's church near Cumming, IA is the last vestige of what was the community known as Irish Settlement. The church is on the National Register of Historic Places and was visited by Pope John Paul II on his first visit to the US back in 1979. In 2008, the AOH wondered, "if we threw a party, would anybody come?" When the music is by Switchback, of course the answer is yes! Throw in a 17-year-old Irish fiddler and dancers from the Foy School of Irish Dance, add rib sandwiches and sides by the parish council, and you have all the ingredients to feed folks, body and soul! In only it's second year, we had upwards of 120 people come out to enjoy the festivities and the beautiful weather -- some of whom had never been on a gravel road before! It's that kind of homecoming -- you may never have been there before, but you feel it right away: you know you'll come back.

Gloamin' Fest - 2009

The 6th Annual Gloamin' Fest brought music lovers from as far away as Wyoming and Kansas to the Colorado Rockies. Even the locals turned out--a momma bear and her cub took up residence under one of the trees and seemed to enjoy the day of music. The haunting Native American flute of Father Phil Mason gave way to the playful western swing of the Starlite Ramblers, the romantic ballads of Dave Lyon, blistering blues of Taras, Moose's "meat-n-potatoes" musings, the peaceful songs of John Erlandson, the bouzouki and bass of Kort McCumber and Mark Diamond, the mountain groove of Elephant Revival and of course Switchback! A special thanks to Keith Riker for his emcee work and Scott Messler & co. for their sound. Next year's event is set for Aug. 27 & 28, at the 35 acre Humphrey Museum and will have camping, two stages and much more! (Photo by Willie Gibson)

Haybarn Rendezvous - 2009

Happy Rondy! The Haybarn Rendezvous has found a new home at the Natural Gait, near Marquette, Iowa.  A beautiful weekend began with the Friday night "Switchback Concert in a Cave" high in the North Iowa bluffs outside of Marquette.  It was well worth the climb to enjoy the music and feel the spirit of the ancient limestone cave.  On Saturday we enjoyed the beauty of the prairie at the Natural Gait while listening to fantastic music all day long.  John Erlandson, Paul Kaye, James McCarthy, Dave Moore, Wonder Creek, and the Sawtooth Bluegrass Band gave us truly superb music through the day, and of course Switchback made believers out of many new fans as they played into the night.  The fire circle, a Rondy tradition that keeps the party going into the wee hours, was hosted by the Sawtooth boys and we had a great time singing along to popular tunes put to a bluegrass beat.  The Sunday Jam brought Saturday's performers together for one last set before it was time to bid adieu until next year. 

Ft. Madison, IA

The rain chased Switchback out of Old Settlers Park in Ft. Madison, IA on Sunday, Aug 16, but the First Methodist Church provided refuge. An overflowing crowd, good food and plenty of it, and excellent music - God must have been pleased!

 

Beaver Island, MI - 2009

The Beaver Island Community Center is a wonderful facility for the residents of the island. We got in, set up and sound checked quickly then were given a tour of the island before going to the beautiful home of our hosts, Beth and Joddy. Then it was time for the concert and what a time it was! As this was Switchbacks third concert on the island, it was fun to see old aquaintences and friends who had come out for the show. The audience was warm and appreciative. We all thought the thunderclap between verses of Danny Boy was some fine showmanship on the part of ...God! And I think the islanders may have second place sewn up in the ongoing "Twister -Dog- Barking- Competition"! It was uplifting to meet so many new fans after the concert.

 

2009 Venetian Festival - Charlevoix, MI

Music filled the air at the 2009 Charlevoix Venetian Festival. The sun came out and revealed a very large crowd of new Switchback fans.Click here to view a larger version of this photo...

The Dew Drop Inn Again - St. Joseph Island, ON

Over 200 people packed the "Dew Drop Inn Again" on July 17th to raise money for the Matthews Memorial Hospital Fund. Syzygy opened for Switchback and Kevin Gallagher entertained the crowd with his amazing trumpet work as he backed up Switchback on a mix of covers and Switchback originals. Erik Sundberg, the Colonel's son, played drums and percussion, and kept the dance beat going all night long!

Soo Theatre in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

When Marty stopped the concert to announce that we were being broadcast live online all over the world, you could feel the excitement in the theater ratchet up a notch. 

Dubuque, Iowa

After traffic issues and other delays, we WayGood Road Warriors arrived at the Marshall Park Arboretum with just enough time to set up and sound check before Switchback took the stage for an early evening concert.  Many of the crowd of 600 + arrived before we did, and I lost count of the offers to help set up we had before the concert! It was a beautiful  warm summer night in Dubuque.   The audience was enthusiastic from the start - there was defiantly a party going on!  These folks had come out to clap their hand, stomp their feet, and sing along to some great Celtic music.  They were delighted with the blend of Irish and original Americana they get from Switchback!  It didn't  take long before the audience was dancing and enjoying the banter and jovial atmosphere of the night.  It was wonderful to see our new "Switchead" friends from La Crosse, and make plans for the Rondy with them and our dear Iowa friends the Frey's!    For most of the audience, however, this was their first Switchback concert, but I can guarantee it will not be their last!  The folks in Dubuque got totally "Switched"!  This Sunday in the park was yet another reason that the Capital of the WayGood World may very well be Iowa!

Elk Rapids, Michigan

Switchback and local Elk Rapids band Syzygy played to a very enthusiastic crowd at the final concert of the season for the Elk Rapids Concert Series.  Syzygy opened the show with their energetic original music and a very unique take on MGMT's "Kids".  Switchback followed the opening act with a wide assortment of heart thumping traditional and original Irish tunes, as well as some incredible new songs that even the long time Switchback fans had never heard.  It was an great night of music that wrapped up with two standing ovations and an encore featuring Switchback and Syzygy joining forces for an extended version of Switchback's "Apple of My Eye".

Marty's Ireland Journal Day 5

Sunday, September 25


Day Five

Today the tour headed down to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. I love to travel across the Burren and enjoy the beauty of the Connemara region. There is no other place like it on earth I feel that combines the sea, sky and land in such wild, stark beauty. But today I had a promise to keep to a fan of ours, Wanda Schoonover from Peoria, Illinois.

Wanda was part of our Switchback Team, which meant that she was involved with helping us reach out to the places and people of central Illinois. Indeed, John Martin with the Peoria Irish Feis would get a yearly call from Wanda, asking specifically if we were coming to the festival. She also would travel to shows throughout central Illinois and eastern Iowa and had attended our Haybarn Rendezvous a couple of times. Peppery and talkative, she was the real item. When she passed away last year, he son John called me and asked if I would be kind enough to bring some of her ashes over to Ireland. “She had always wanted to see Ireland”, he said. “And I am hoping that you can give her that chance.” I immediately thought of a great spot to see so much of Ireland: Croagh Patrick. Some months later, a package arrived that contained a small porcelain vial of Wanda’s ashes in a velvet bag, some pictures, and a badge from the Haybarn Rendezvous that had her name on it. I brought it all over to Ireland and told Fitz that we were going to give Wanda a great send-off and let her finally get to Ireland.

So, with the weather cloudy and with some cold showers sprinkling through, Brian, Maggie, Nick, Annie, and I formed a team to climb to the top of the Reek. It was my third time to the top of Croagh Patrick. The first time I climbed it was back in 1989, when I made the mistake of heading up and down in cowboy boots. I think my feet never forgave me for that, for the memory of that climb came back as soon as I started up past the heather-banked streams that bordered the pathway. I had a backpack on with Wanda and water. I chuckled to myself that I was technically carrying a person on my back up the mountain.

Maggie & Brian FitzGerald on Croagh Patrick

The climb up Croagh Patrick is very mystical, if one chooses to look at the role the mountain has played in the sacred life of the Irish. Way before St. Patrick climbed it, fasted 40 days and nights, and then drove the snakes out of Ireland; the druids had found that the entire mountain worked as a keeper of time, especially the solstice. Unlike the man-made wonder of Newgrange, this solstice worked on a natural level. On each solstice, standing at the right place that was eventually marked with a standing stone, the sun would literally travel down the side of the mountain during the day. At the visitor center there is a great time lapse photo from the standing stone, showing how the sun traveled during the solstice. The pyramid-shaped mountain also had meaning to the Celts, who lit the top with bonfires to mark the solstice, too. Being an agrarian society, it was extremely important to mark these passings of the calendar wheel as they gave the farmers the exact time to plant and harvest.

With St. Patrick’s stay on the top of the mountain, the Reek was Christianized to the extent that a small chapel was erected up on its top. Pilgrims come to climb it still and some of the very reverent will attempt to make it in their bare feet.

As we started climbing, it was easy to feel the heart beating right away. Even past the statue of St. Patrick, the view of Clew Bay and the surrounding mountains was rapturous. We continued on, with Brian and Maggie, known for their mountain climbing prowess, loping up the path until we could only make out the white of Maggie’s hat. Nick, Annie, and I plodded along, stopping to photograph Wanda’s first and final visit to the Emerald Isle.

In the years since I stood on top of Croagh Patrick with my siblings, I was saddened to see that something else has now taken over the spiritual feeling of the mountain, that of the modern day tourist. Along the path were plastic bottles and wrappers, most likely blown out of climbers’ backpacks, but they were an eyesore just the same. About half way up there was a field that had people’s names all spelled out in stone, including a big “I LOVE MEGHAN” with the word “love” a heart-shaped pile of stones that the lover painted pink. It felt like people carved their names on all the redwoods. But still beyond and below lay the turf bogs and the lakes, which were sparkling deep mercury, silver from the sunlight.

A bit from the south came a slow moving rainstorm, right before the final approach to the top of the mountain. We decided to wait it out as Annie had on her office shoes and could easily slip on the slippery shale. Gary and Linda Witcombe were there, wearing plastic ponchos and waiting out the storm too. I was so impressed that these two from our tour decided to climb the mountain as well. We huddled against a cairn and talked as the rain pelted our faces with a stinging blast of cold wind. At that point I was thinking that perhaps a lovely glade might had been a better place for Wanda, but knowing her sense of adventure, I quickly dismissed that thought and was determined to see her to the top. Nick and Annie were as equally determined and pretty soon the rain cloud passed us by and floated on its way toward Westport. Out came the sun and up we went.

The final approach of the mountain summit is pretty challenging in that you basically have to climb it somewhat prostrate. Imagine an almost vertical slope of loose gravel with a harsh wind and you get the idea of what the climb is like. Brian said it gave him a deep appreciation of true mountain climbers and what they have to face. We picked our way carefully up the side of the mountain, greeting people coming down from it along the way. There were young kids and adults, ladies moving with their dogs, all of it sort of surreal and encouraging at the same time. “Good luck,” they would say, “not much further now.”

And then we saw a stone enclosure and pretty soon the white chapel at the top of the Reek. Brian and Maggie were there to greet us and we walked around a bit taking pictures. Some pilgrims would stop and kneel at an indentation in the ground that had the sign reading “Saint Patrick’s Bed.” The breeze was strong on the top and the view as commanding as I remembered it to be.

We decided to build a little cairn for Wanda on the east slope of the mountain, weighing down the pictures with stones and placing the applewood Rondy disc in the cairn as well. I took out the vial of Wanda’s ashes, and we discussed the best way to open them. Annie suggested that Fitz take a big stone and smash the vial, which he did. It broke near the top and I picked it up and held it up to the wind. A beautiful gust of wind picked up her ashes right from the vial and quickly she was off to see Ireland. “Blessings on your journey, Wanda,” said Annie. “Enjoy your stay in Ireland!” A small bit of Wanda’s ashes remained on the hillside, which I covered with the big rock. And like all great things Wanda is truly off on a mystical journey from a mystical mountain. It felt joyful and sad at the same time.

After we sent Wanda off on her journey, we were met by a very friendly ewe. The type of sheep in Ireland has horns for both the ewes and the rams. Apparently this was a ewe that had learned that a lot of tourists come to the top of the Reek with snacks. She hung around us and I decided to feed her some peanuts, much to the enjoyment of our party. About this time, Gary and Linda had made their ascent. In the breeze Gary looked a bit like St. Patrick himself, with the wind blowing his beard and a climbing staff in hand. We all took pictures and started down the mountain.

The descent was interesting. For one thing, we came across a football team of young men who were making the climb in their bare feet. It was something to see them going along. “How far?” one lad gasped. “Not too much further,” said Annie, who was delicately picking her way down the slippery stones. I don’t know if the young guys were doing it out of team pride, religious duty or just a dare. But they went on their way and we went along on ours.

Next came a TV crew. They were working their way up the hill with a microphone and camera system. We were a bit puzzled by that one, especially with them carrying such expensive equipment up a fairly challenging slope. But our questions were answered as we continued to descend. There was a young man with a reddish-brown beard, wearing a tweed suit and clutching the broken remains of a television set.

“Can I help you?” I asked. “Ah, no, I am fine,” he replied. “What are you doing?” we asked. He would close his eyes as he replied to our answers. “Ah, I am doing a television show for the local channel here. It’s called Shamrockracy and we are filming a bit about how people are too attached to mass media.” “Oh,” I said, “that’s why you have broken television set?” “Ah, yes,” he replied, a bit out of breath and humoring my obvious observation. His crew yelled from above. “Ah, I got to get going, good luck!” he said and hoisted the broken television set on his shoulder. We watched him pleading to surprised climbers as they made their descent. What would St. Patrick say?

And what would he say about all the trash? I made a point of picking up as much as I could on the descent and pretty soon had my hands full of bottles, cans, and wrappers. We made it down past the statue of the venerable Saint himself and deposited an armful of windblown bottles in a bin. A short while later, we were whisked by taxi back to the hotel.

Later that night after dinner, we stopped off at Matt Molloy’s to help honor his wife Ger, who had died from cancer a few years back. There on the stage was Matt and his son, along with a Canadian dancer from Riverdance, giving the packed house a rousing air and dance. Canadian step dancing is like a cross between Irish, clogging, and tap. The dancers’ hands are not bound to the side but loosely swing about as they complete some very intricate steps. It somehow belies the freedom of the new world in a way by a carefree sort of look. The people were wild. Our friend, Seamus Geraghty came up to us. “You are going to perform in 10 minutes,” he said. “We are?” I said. “Yes, Brian said the other night that you could.” I looked over at Fitz and was sure he did not have much recollection of it. The band “The Wild Geese” had taken the stage and was playing. They were an Irish group out of England and they had a very good sound. Takeshi had his bodhran and I decided that it would be great to give the audience the full Switchback sound, so I ran down the street and over to our hotel, quickly grabbed the bass and my cowboy boots, and ran back. The Wild Geese were just finishing up and Seamus motioned us toward the stage. Fitz grabbed a guitar from one of the band and I plugged in my bass. There was some sort of problem with Fitz’s sound and so the crowd seemed a bit restless as they waited. I decided to sing a cappella or sean nos, a song called The Wind That Shakes the Barley. The audience got really quiet, which is a mark of respect for the singer that truly only occurs spontaneously in Ireland. It is a high and sad song, a true Irish lament about the fighting of 1798, and people were quite moved. Someone muttered “beautiful” and it felt really good to look over and see my friend Matt beaming. After I concluded the audience set up a roar and I yelled at Fitz to jump into Connemara Man. Takeshi jumped up on stage with us and we gave a great show. It was nice to have the boots on as I could really stamp on the stage for the necessary percussive sound. We finished and the audience was now up on its feet. We quickly followed with “Go Lassie Go” and I invited everyone to sing along and dedicated the song to Ger. Her sister afterward pulled me aside to say that it was some of the most beautiful singing she had ever heard, which really felt good. Our last number we featured Fitz and tore it up on Folsom Prison Blues, which is a perennial Irish favorite. I looked across the room and saw Annie, along with Sue and Andy Arnold, clapping and giving encouragement. The folks from our tour who were there said it was the highlight of the tour.

Confession, Berserkers, and Corpus Christi, Ya'll!

Rolling west from Columbus, Ohio back home to Chicago, Christine Pardee got a message from her nephew reading, "I went to confession for the first time in a long time, so I wrote down a list so I wouldn't forget any sins.  About halfway through, the priest pointed to the list and said, 'We don't have time for all this!'"  That kind of reminded us of our weekend in Columbus - far too many things to recount!

It was a weekend of firsts for our drummer Nick Hirka - his first time in Ohio, his first time playing banjo, and his first time singing in public.  Our first stop was at The Forums retirement home for a St. Patrick's Day concert.  The seniors clapped and sang along and had stories to tell of their own music and times gone by.  Christine found a particular friend, a gentleman named Al, who told us of a quasi "Antiques Roadshow" experience where he found a rather small instrument case that he bought for $10 at a flea market.  He put down his cash and went home with a beautiful antique mandolin valued at over $4000, and he still plays it!

From there it was on to Sue Gall's greatest little listening room in the Midwest, the Hey Hey Bar and Grill.  As southern Ohio braced itself for the severe storms heading their way, the Hey Hey braced itself for the "Switchback Berserkers!"  The Berserkers, three very enthusiastic fans (all named Mike!) kept the room laughing and kept the band playing lots of rowdy Irish rebel songs.  A fourth Berserker wanted to be sure we knew how he felt by telling us from across the room "I love ya'll!" and invited us to come play in "Corpus Christi, ya'll!"  Our good friend Patrick, who was named Columbus's "Bartender of the Year" in a contest we suspect he ran himself, kept the drink orders filled and the Berserkers kept us laughing.

We had a full band at the Hey Hey as Soupbone with his wife Monica, who are both blind, took the Greyhound up from Cincinnati to keep beats on a whiskey barrel.  For an encore, he even got up on stage with the band to belt out a rousing version of "Mustang Sally" with a Wolfman Jack shtick.  As usual, Columbus stalwart Mike Wielbacher had a request list of at least 20 songs.  Mike has been with us for some most unusual sightseeing ventures, including The Ohio Diner, Home of the Dagwood Sandwich.  The Dagwood is a roughly three pound sandwich served with fries.  The record for demolishing one is three and a half minutes.  We opted for oatmeal and eggs.

Then it was back to the Hey Hey where the Shamrock Club and Daughters of Erin came by for their yearly tradition of painting a shamrock in front of the door of each of their favorite pubs.  The boys serenaded the painters with "The Hangman" and the "Michael Collins Reels."

Next we were off to St. Mary's Parish to practice for tomorrow's Mass featuring Switchback's liturgical music, an easy rehearsal with their talented choir.  We got to see Miss Maggie Gall, Sue's daughter, who was working at the Hey Hey over the weekend.  In the six years since we'd met her she'd grown from a charming girl to a lovely young woman.  Soupbone was equally smitten, and attempted to Braille read her foot tattoo until Monica put her foot down!

Our second night at the Hey Hey was a continuation of the party started on Friday, with the exception of one Berserker who had flown back to "Corpus Christi, ya'll!"  Dancing, singing, and lots of laughter were the rule for the night with everyone rocking out to Switchback classics and the new songs rehearsed over the weekend.  Up on Sunday for a home-cooked farewell breakfast with Sue and Tim, it was then back to St. Mary's for a quick rehearsal, the Mass, and back in the van where the message was received from Christine's nephew as we headed home.

~ Christine and Nick

Just Like Me

One of our favorite parts of The WayGood World is being invited to play Outreach Programs for students.  From the University of Texas in Tyler, where we played for 400 students, to a small linoleum-lined cafeteria workshop with 20 grade-schoolers in East Chain, Minnesota, we are always faced with a fresh challenge and quite often astonished to hear the best quips.

Our Outreach Program in Dubuque, Iowa has taken on marathon proportions at times.  One year we played for 9000 students in just 10 days.  The most recent jaunt to Dubuque was for two middle schools where we presented an after-school workshop on songwriting that we call "Why Did We Write That?".

We were working on a song as we drove the three hours to the school.  Usually Marty drives while Brian plays the mandolin and holds a pad of paper at the same time.  When we get a good start, Brian turns his cell phone's recorder on and we can lay down a rough idea.    This rough idea was what we shared with the students at Madison School.  We pulled out our instruments and played it for the students to see what they thought.  They liked the song. We had thus established our credentials as "cool" songwriters.

Brian asked why these ten kids chose this particular after-school activity.  One young girl with red hair said that she wanted to write a song for her dad as a birthday gift.  Another girl, who sported an Abercrombie shirt, would write songs but had a hard time remembering what she had written.  And a shy girl,  who never stopped doodling on her song pad, quietly told us she would randomly open a dictionary to find an interesting word and then begin writing a song.  Finally, the only boy, who was pretty reticent being in a room full of girls, revealed he was a multi-instrumentalist who loved writing melodies but just couldn't write lyrics.  We had our team.

So we voted on what type of song to write.  The girl's birthday gift was chosen as the best project. In five minutes we had important facts about dad listed on the chalkboard.  He was a first child of four and this daughter was also the first of four.  He was the only boy in the family and his daughter had one brother as well.  They shared the same date but different months, both being born in the fall.   When they would have a daddy-daughter outing, they loved bowling, sledding, and going to movies together.   Marty would write these ideas on the board with a marker.  Later he found out he used a non-erasable marker and we had to spend 10 minutes cleaning the board.

The red-haired girl wanted the song to resemble a slow version of "Happy Birthday," so the young multi-instrumentalist was called on to strum a melodic variation on the guitar.   It came out like a cross between "Frere Jacques" and Mendelssohn's "Wedding March." The students all got excited as the song started taking shape.  We all approved the melody and began to assemble the information on the board to develop the lyrics.  A working title was chosen: Just Like Me.

Abercrombie shirt enthusiastically waved her hand.  "How about we have her ask her dad for new clothes?"

"But it's his birthday," said the shy girl, glancing up from her doodling.

"I DO ask Dad for new clothes on his birthday," said the red-haired girl matter of factly.

"OK, OK," said Brian, "reality is good.  Let's run with that as part of the song."

At the end of the hour we completed "Just Like Me" with two verses, a chorus and even a bridge!  With our multi-instrumentalist on guitar, Brian on mandolin, and Marty on bass, we had a full band.  The entire group loudly joined in the singing, each kid feeling the pride of ownership that comes from crafting a work of art.

We recorded the song on the cell phones and the students took the lyrics home to share with their families.

Right before we were to leave, Abercrombie enthusiastically waved her hand.

"Can we sing 'Just Like Me' in a British or Australian accent?" she asked.

This April, we will have our second Annual Switchback Songwriter's weekend at Four Mounds Conference Center in Dubuque.  We are bringing in a guest songwriter, Kevin Gordon, to share his experiences with songwriting.  We also will have our resident songwriter, Scott Momenthy, on hand to help coach individuals.  More information is on our website.

Last year, we had writers and guests (yes, you can be a spectator) come from as far as western Kansas to participate in this weekend of relaxation and creativity.  There were beginners and seasoned performers mixing in the endeavor.

Like that red-haired girl from Madison School, who gave her dad a wonderful birthday gift, everyone has a chance to leave this weekend with a personal treasure of original music. We hope all of them will be as proud of them as the kids who wrote "Just Like Me."  And maybe they'll sing it in an Australian accent.

~ Brian and Marty

WayGoodMusic.com

Marty's Ireland Journal - Day Four

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Day Four

Morning came really early and I got out of bed feeling a bit wobbly from jet lag, Jameson, and Guinness.  Brian stayed up later than I did last night so I don’t know how he looks so much more awake than I do, but somehow he does.  We had our Irish breakfast and all climbed into Michael Feeney’s car with Annie sitting on my lap and waved goodbye to the tour group who are heading up to Sligo and Donegal today.  We were taking our instruments to a military dedication for Tom Carey of Bekan, who was part of the U.S. Army and was killed in World War I.  Our friend Pat Gorman from Dixon, Illinois, has been working with Michael to help locate graves of American soldiers who did not receive plaques of honor from the U.S. government.  This grave was found through Pat’s research and Michael’s on-the-ground hunting for the actual grave site.  When Michael found it, it had been forgotten, covered with leaves and grass and needing an immediate sprucing up.  He and Ernie took it on, coming out to help power-wash the grave site and remove all the years of overgrowth.  Some relatives were found living not far from Bekan, and they had been invited to the cemetery.  One of them could remember visiting and seeing a folded American flag sitting in Tom Carey’s mother’s home.   

The  day was very cold with a stiff wind blowing from the East, but the sun managed to break through the clouds in time for the ceremony to begin.  Standing there was Ron Howko, an American veteran who fought in Vietnam and is now the post commander of the John Barry VFW post in County Mayo. (Yes, there are enough veterans of Irish descent and Americans living in Ireland that there are VFW posts here.)  In addition, there were four other veterans who had fought in World War II all the way through Vietnam.  They were here, each decked out in medals and wearing the distinctive military hat of the the VFW.  A representative of the British Army was also on hand as well as a member of the Irish Defense Forces.  A piper played a lament after the American National Anthem.  I stood there with Brian, hands over our hearts, and sang the anthem.  It is one thing to sing it on American soil, but quite another to be the representatives of America singing the the anthem.

It hit me that Michael Feeney had not only brought honor to people who live in Northern Ireland and the Republic, but he also had conveyed the understanding that no matter how they served and where they lived, they are still all Irishmen and women.  I felt a chill go up my spine as Ron Howko read the history of Tom Carey and how he served his adopted country and died.  Ron went on to talk about the great love that America has for Ireland and the debt it owes this nation for sending so many of its people to our country.  How many of these people willingly gave their lives for this new nation that offered them a decent chance at having a good life!  It was a sacrifice that Tom Carey made without ever having the chance to get married and have children of his own.   At several points during his talk, Ron paused, getting choked up with emotion.  I looked at the other veterans and understood from their faces that knowledge they each have to carry after being in war and seeing comrades die.  It was something that thankfully I never had to experience.

Ron called the soldiers to attention, and they slowly folded up the American flag.  Brian and I walked over with Ernie and solemnly rolled back the black cloth that was covering the bronze plaque.  After a short talk by Michael Feeney, we proceeded to play Falling Water River.  My cousin Liam suggested that it would be a fitting piece, and I told the crowd there about the song and how my own grandfather was very much like Tom Carey, that he came over in 1916 to America and was immediately made part of the U.S. Army Military Police.  He luckily didn’t see action but easily could have and just as easily could have been in a grave over in Ireland.
We took some pictures with the various branches of military and then headed off to Liam and Kay’s home which was not too far away for tea and cakes.  Later we spent time at Seamus’ home in Claremorris and had a nice dinner before saying our farewells and heading to Castlebar for the second evening’s performance.

The show was quite special in that the band felt much more relaxed.  During the performance, Brian, Nick, and I headed to the front of the stage and played an acoustic version of Climb That Mountain.  And the dancers really did a fantastic job!  Colleen Kosier, the director of the studio, explained to the audience how clogging was named that by Queen Elizabeth.  The dance is truly a mixture of Scottish, English, Irish, African, and American Indian dances…all coming together in the mountains of Appalachia in the early 17th century.  Hearing this, I think the audience was able to appreciate even more the girls’ dance steps.  I was very proud that they could now claim that they have performed internationally!

After the concert, we headed back to the hotel to round up all the folks to head back to Westport.  I walked into one part of the pub, and there were a good number of our tour, surrounded by the most ancient of Irish customs—Saturday night dancing.  There were teenagers dressed to the limit…the limit of taste perhaps and all heading onto the dance floor.  The music was terrifically booming, and I had to grin, as nothing had changed in the over 20 years I have been visiting Ireland.  What made the whole scenario great was that just down  from the gaggle of giggling girls and gawking guys were two elderly ladies, dressed in nice skirts and sweaters, each holding a glass of cider in their hands and looking around with sort of a bemused expression.  It was something that has always made Ireland special, that Saturday night is not just limited to the young, but an opportunity for everyone in the community to head down to the pub and socialize, even if the traditional music has been replaced with the thumping and bumping of hip-hop.

The Ringmaster

Next month we will be returning to St. Edmund Parish in Oak Park, Illinois for what has become an annual concert.  The parish holds great memories for us, especially the early days when we would play an Irish pub in Naperville, Illinois or even Milwaukee and get home around 3 a.m.   Our clothes would reek of second-hand smoke and it wasn’t unusual for us to stumble into St. Edmund wearing the previous night’s outfits so we would be on time for the 9 a.m. Mass.  Kathy Halfpenny, the director, would nod to us as we hurriedly opened our cases. The choir would comment on the smell of beer and Marlboro cigarettes wafting out of our cases.  We would be bleary-eyed but ready to play as soon as Father Ruiz would signal his presence from the back of the church.

One person, who had a personality like a cup of good java, was Tom, the energetic and outgoing husband of Kathy.  He was part ringmaster, part preacher, and even part liturgical dancer.  Where most men (and a few women, too) would shrink in horror at the idea of dancing down the aisle in praise of God, Tom was there, stepping in where angels feared to tread.  He had no sense of inhibition.  The 9 a.m. Mass became a favorite for us and some of our fans, who would come to St. Edmund after seeing us play at a pub.  Eventually it was the road that took us away from our standing Sunday gig, but our recollections of Tom and the choir would fuel many a nostalgic talk as we would roll along some back road in Kansas.

About three years ago we were commissioned to write Masses and songs of worship.  The first person we contacted was Kathy to see if St. Edmund would want a Mass and a concert so we could “test-fly” our first Mass.  She was elated, and we had a reunion at her Victorian house (that sports the world’s largest wind chimes) in Oak Park.  Of course, Tom was there. We would smell him before we saw him as his pipe smoke would precede his noisy entrance into the room.  All senses were entangled in his laughing, smoking, darting gestures, and quirky anecdotes.  Tom ran a jewelry business which eventually ended up in his house.  “Come into the parlor” had a vested meaning with him, as he would burst into the room during our music session with Kathy and dazzle us with rings, necklaces, and brooches at back-of-the-truck prices.  We would end up getting a jump start on our holidays and anniversaries and Mother’s Day with these irresistible offerings.   Kathy would tolerate Tom’s takeover during our work sessions until a certain point when she would banish him to his office.  That would last about 15 minutes until he came back again, a big grin on his pipe-clenching face, holding up a coral necklace he forgot to show us.  We would smile and obediently reach for our wallets.

Last fall we met with Kathy to plan another Mass and concert.  We were going on the road and she asked us to write five songs for a “Mass of Healing.”   It was a different house.  As we crossed the threshold, there was no whiff of the pipe.  The jewelry was stacked in cases. Tom had passed away suddenly over the summer.  The reality of that passing came full force to us when entering the Halfpenny house.  The ringmaster wasn’t there to greet us. We didn’t talk about Tom as we worked on the music, but the void of his zany presence was the elephant in the room.

One of the most rewarding parts of being musicians is that we’ve had a chance to meet people whose energies are larger than life. Like a Paul Bunyan, Tom would tower over people with his generosity, joy, and enthusiasm.  He was always excited about simple things like a church raffle or a new liturgical dance step.  Even when the power company tore his front lawn up earlier that summer, he took that as an opportunity and told his next-door neighbor that the fresh mound of earth was where he had buried Kathy.  The neighbor didn’t talk to him for weeks.

The impact of grief is always the wish of one more word spoken, one more bracelet bought, and one more chance to smell the pipe smoke.  Our best way of honoring a life like Tom’s is to continue to play music.  And play it with a bit more zaniness, enthusiasm, spontaneity, and yes, maybe a dance step or two.  If we start selling jewelry at the show, don’t blame us, blame Tom Halfpenny.

~ Brian and Marty

www.WayGoodMusic.com

 

Wearing Corky's Hat

In Bay City last July, it was about 94 degrees (34.4 Celsius for our metric friends) and a scorching sun glared across the brown grass of the concert field and onto the stage of the band shell.  It was seven o’clock and though I was certain things would cool down (rooting for a weak breeze off the bay), it was not to be.  The week before with more moderate temperatures the Bay Arts had about 3,000 people attend the weekly concert.  This week only the die-hard lovers of life came out, some with their umbrellas or huddled near a few trees to give them a little shade, others braving the sun but lingering near a beautiful fountain.

In particular, there were two ladies on electric scooters, front and center, their brightly colored umbrellas capable of landing a plane.  One had a little dog that stayed seated between her feet. When we’d play a slow song, they would start up their scooters and drive out in front of the sparse audience.  Then they would “dance,” reversing and going forward like dueling bumper cars, turning and pirouetting as gracefully as ballerinas.  The lady’s little dog sat between her feet all the time, its eyes bugging out and tongue flapping, clearly enjoying the ride.

Yep, it was definitely a hot concert.  Brian and I were sweating right through our clothes as we played 100 minutes straight.  Lucky for me, I had Corky’s hat on to help keep the sun out of my eyes.

Corky was another die-hard lover of life, and like the scooter gals he was the sort of person that you never forget.  He was from the High Plains country of Kansas.  Perhaps it was those years abroad that gave him a bit of wisdom and made him seem like Gandalf the Grey to me.  Or perhaps the wisdom was from living in High Plains country and earning a living from a land that scarcely gets a soaking summer rain.  Brian and I met him at Th’ Gatherin’ some years ago.  He was about my height, with thinning gray hair and a weather-lined face from being out in the sun and wind.  Corky had a great smile that showed a scattering of teeth.  A real can-do Westerner, he helped put Th’ Gatherin’ on the map, working alongside Seamus Cleland to create a genuine Scottish Beltaine festival.  His crowning glory was the built-from-scratch wooden Viking ship they called “Boudicca” after the famous Celtic battle queen.

I asked Corky how and why he and Seamus could build a ship from scratch.  He replied in his long High Plains drawl, “It was Winner, and I called Seamus up and said, ‘I’m gonna beeld a she-ep an attack ye-ew’.”  Seamus surrendered to the idea right away.  Corky ripped a page out of the dictionary that had a Viking ship on it and he, Seamus, and some other die-hard lovers of life aided by a few cans of beer sailed out into the unknown.  All during winter in a garage on the snow-blasted plains of WaKeeney they worked on creating a ship where a ship shouldn’t be.

Boudicca turned out to be a beautiful boat and they sailed her a few times on the reservoir. But her magnificence can truly be appreciated when she is mounted on an old buckboard wagon frame.  The wheels are brightly painted and she rides high above the crowd.  When it comes time to light the great bonfire, she is pulled like a true boat of the plains, her sail unfurled and with all the little kids riding on her.  The crowd gathers around her and the fire dancers dance and the bonfire is lit.  Corky would hang back at times like that and just watch, a grin on his face.  He was a magical person and was enjoying the spell he had just cast.  Brian and I would look forward to each May and the chance to see Corky.

Then the year came when he wasn’t there.

Corky passed away during the dark of the year.  At his funeral they placed his coffin on Boudicca and slowly led him to the cemetery.  He was buried with military honors.  Seamus lost his best friend and we lost our Gandalf.  His name was written on a ribbon and tied to a branch on the Tree of Remembrance on Th’ Gatherin’ grounds, that ribbon joining so many others that had come and gone.  The winds play with those ribbons, eventually fading and fraying them until at last they are airborne and carried off to rest in some far field. I imagine some enterprising bird taking one for its spring nest.

Lucille is Corky’s wife and just as much a Westerner as Corky.  With his passing she works now at the truck stop pulling the late night shift.  I was so happy to see her at the festival and of course amazed that she could attend all day and then head off for a full night of work.  The last day of the festival, I watched as Boudicca was readied for the bonfire lighting.  Lucille came up to me and we talked a little bit about her horse, about Corky’s passing, and how she was faring with him gone.  I asked her if Corky ever owned a cowboy hat.  “I have a hat that he wore a few times,” she said with a sly smile.

The next day, Brian said to me, “Lucille has something for you.”  I walked over to her truck and she presented a black felt cowboy hat of Corky’s.  It was a little bit big on my head, so I stuffed some Kleenex in the band and tried it on.  It felt just perfect and I thanked her for the gift.

The grounds were empty of everyone except the die-hard workers who were busy putting away all the effects needed to make Th’ Gatherin’ a success.  At last Boudicca was rolled to the old semi-trailer and gently lifted, carriage and all, and placed inside.  There she sits, waiting for the next festival.

I decided to wear Corky’s hat at some shows when it’s outside and sunny, and especially when I am feeling challenged in my career.  It’s there to remind me that a very soft-spoken, humorous man created art but never said he was an artist, wove magic but never claimed to be a magician.  He was just Corky.  But to me he was Artist and Wizard.  He helped create something people will continue to love for a long time.  People who never met him will attend Th’ Gatherin’ and will still feel his touch, his work.  To me, that is what living is all about, building a ship where it shouldn’t sail and making it sail anyway.  Corky was not a celebrity but just a simple man from the Plains.  I hope he likes that his hat continues on an adventure worn by a person who also strives to be a die-hard lover of life.

Marty's Ireland Journal Day 3

Friday, September 23, 2011

Day Three

Woke up this morning to a light misty rain.  The Irish have all been complaining that they did not get a summer this year and today looks like they will still be denied one.  But a good Irish breakfast of sausages, fried tomatoes, eggs, blood sausage, rashers and beans can get one all the inner sunshine necessary.  Now Irish sausage is not like American sausage.  It is more of a mixture of meat and meal, with a slightly sweet taste.  Brown sauce, which is a mild mustard-ketchup combination, goes great with it.  Blood sausage is not bad in spite of its name.  It is indeed made from pig blood and mixed with barley.  Grilled, it tastes close to sausage patties back home without all the greasiness.  Rashers are nothing but bacon closer in style to Canadian bacon.  There is really no such thing as American bacon, and in fact the Irish would look upon such bacon with disdain, as it is filled with fat and very little meat.  Rashers are somewhat thicker and have a good, meaty quality.  Add to it a pot of tea and your Irish breakfast can keep you running pretty much all day, which was a good thing for us as we headed down toward Leenane and a tour across the Killary Fjord.  

We all got on the coach that Dave was driving this morning.  He has lived in the south of Ireland near Cork since 1972 and grew up in England.  It turns out he has a great affinity for plants and history, the former suiting my wife Annie, who is an herbalist and the latter myself, a history buff. We rolled through the back roads of the northernmost reach of the Connemara.  There in the distance looming over the other mountains stood Croagh Patrick.  The reek (an Irish word for mountain) has a slash up its side, which is in fact the final shale pathway up to the top of the mountain.  My cousin Mike used to climb it in his bare feet every Reek Sunday, which occurs in August.  For now, it stood in the distance, the top of it obscured in cloud.  

We pulled into Killary Harbor and got on the boat.  We were running a bit late, in part as a result of our policy that no activity takes place until 10 a.m., so everyone can get a restful night of sleep.  Already there were some couples waiting on the ship, but for the most part the ship belonged to our tour group.  We started out in the only fjord in Ireland.  On both sides of the fjord, the mountains reared up, showing on their lower slopes the old lines of the “lazy beds,” the spots where the pre-famine Irish lived and raised the chief crop of the peasantry, the potato. The boat pulled into a pretty strong wind and we all worked our way to a bit of shelter, with a few of our group determined to hold out in the gale.  I took out a video camera and captured some of the clouds being dragged along the mountaintops.  The area here is very dramatic and desolate looking which has drawn a lot of artists, writers, and philosophers to it as it is a welcome respite from the rest of bustling Europe.

As we sailed toward the mouth of the fjord, we were told about the mussel farming that takes place along its banks.   On a bit of the shore there would be 40 to 50 floats with a rope and little floats between each.  Under each float runs a rope that is anchored to the bottom of the fjord. On it little mussels are placed and there they grow.  When they reach maturity, they are pulled up and cleaned off the ropes.  They are then bagged and dragged to the side of the road where they sit waiting to be brought to a shop or restaurant.  (In fact a few hours later we drove by about 20 such sacks sitting alongside the road.  Ron asked Dave, “How long can those mussels sit there?”   Dave looked back and said, “Well, as long as they like I guess.”)  

We passed next a bunch of salmon farms.  I was surprised to hear that they were farming salmon on Killary Fjord as early at the 1870’s.  I had thought this was a recent development, but here we were, going past these large cages that were about 10 feet above the water and completely covered in mesh.  These go straight down into the water and are about 150 feet across.  In each are hundreds of good-sized salmon that would break out of the water and leap into the air as they heard the sound of the boats motors.  Obviously they were expecting to be fed.   Being an avid fisherman, it was quite a shock to see such trophy-sized fish all in one spot. It also made me think about how wonderful Irish salmon is to eat.  I was hoping that the ship would have that or mussels for lunch.

Some Irish history concerned the grave of Diarmuid and Grainne, who were Irish folk heroes. There up on a cairn looking over the waters was the reported tomb of the great Irish warrior. Some recent history was even more spectacular.  Back in World War II, neutral Ireland was visited by both German and British warships.  On one occasion, a terrible storm was taking place off the west coast of Ireland, causing both a German submarine and a British destroyer to be drawn into the fjord for safety.  There to each other’s surprise they sat.  Instead of firing upon each other, they chose the more prudent route and decided to ignore each other, thus avoiding an international incident.  After the storm cleared, the sub quietly made its way out of the harbor and well away from the destroyer.

Occasionally the sun would break out of the clouds and race over the mountains and the fjord, which caused a breath-taking change to the cold gray Irish weather.  We turned around at the mouth of the fjord and made our way toward the mooring.  We all were expecting lunch and were quite surprised to find out lunch was not being served even though the dining area was set for a meal.  Everyone including Dave was a bit bewildered at that, and Dave called Mick back at the hotel to see what went wrong with the plans.  Turns out the ship forgot about our lunch and everyone was credited for the gaffe.  But we were without sustenance and so we headed into Leenane to see what was available for a meal.  That in turn was a blessing as it seems that what we were able to get in town was far superior to what the ship could have offered, for there was a bit of a competition between the pubs in Leenane, with each offering a lunch special for around 10 Euros.  In fact, we came across Gary and Linda, sitting outside and about to get into big bowls of steaming mussels that were smothered in a creamy garlic sauce.  When I found that the meal also included a pint of Guinness, I was hooked.  So Annie and I went in and we ordered the same meal.  Gary counted his mussels and there turned out to be more than 75 of the tasty little creatures in each mixing bowl-sized serving!   We ate that along with thick cuts of home-made Irish brown bread and deep draughts of cool Guinness.  Others had the competitions’ fare:  for 10 Euros they ate fresh whitefish in a butter broth with home-made brown bread and a pint of choice.  It was a great meal and we became very sleepy as we made our way through the historic town of Louisburg and back to Westport.

After about an hour to get freshened up, we all hopped on the buses and headed over to Castlebar for our first concert.   The girls from the Kosier Studio of Dance were very excited as we drove toward our venue.  Right outside the town at the first roundabout we were flagged down by Michael Feeney, who was the coordinator of the evening’s concert.   We parked the buses and walked over to the Mayo Peace Park so that each of us could get a better idea of what the evening was all about.

The Mayo Peace Park was created by Michael, whose grandfather had served in World War I for the British Army.   With the creation of the Republic, it became clear to him that there was not a proper way to honor the Irish soldiers who served not only in the British Army, but also the Irish who served in the American, Canadian, Belgian and other armies.   His research revealed that County Mayo had contributed a significant number of soldiers and many who lost their lives. They were all heroes, not only for the respective country they served but specifically for Ireland and County Mayo.  So the Peace Park was created.  The main marble slabs are shaped like an eye on the ground.  From each eye flows a tear that becomes the walk that people make along the path.  Little “eyes” on each side commemorate the other countries for which the Irish soldiers served.  The symbolism of course is weeping over the folly of war and the loss of these men who gave their lives so far away from Mayo.  But also, as Michael’s friend Ernie pointed out, “that these children, for they were no more than 16 or so at the time, made it possible for all of us to live in freedom.”  The culmination of the visit was to be the placement of a wreath by Brian and myself at the American memorial.  Instead, I suggested that we have the youngest of our tour group, Gabby Scott, bring the wreath over and place it.  As a nine-year-old, she was skipping around while the talks were going on and so, when I called for her, thought that she was in trouble.  But she was a real trouper and brought the wreath over and placed it there.  We took some group pictures and headed back to the coaches.

We arrived at the Linenhall and were quite happy with the stage.  Oisin was there to meet us and help us with the sound.  We were set up quite easily and Takeshi, Brian, Nick and I went through some numbers to make sure we had everything in order.  In addition, the Kosier girls ran through some songs.  We had to determine whether or not the girls should use their taps for the clogging as they were able to create quite a sound.  At first, we thought only one girl should use the taps, but the moms in the audience said that all the girls should tap away with the band. It was that sort of tweaking that helped the show come alive that night.

 
After sound check, we ate some curry that Maggie and Annie picked up at a pub.  It was very good and we were eating when my cousin Seamus came backstage with Liam and Kay Lyons. We had a quick hello and pretty soon it was time to go out and do the show.  The Mayor of Castlebar Gene McCormack made a nice introduction and there were representatives from the British Armed Forces and the American Armed Forces.   It was also noted that we had the senior club from Kiltimagh there as well.  When we got on stage I said, “I was nervous when I heard about all these dignitaries, but got really nervous when I heard the Kiltimagh Senior Center was here.”

The high point for me was singing Bolinree and dedicating it to Seamus, but the whole evening was quite wonderful.  Mary Babic, who came to join us from Serbia, was moved the most by the song “Far Away from Where the Fighting Is.”  She said she cried through it all as it reminded her of the horrible war that she lived through in the Balkans.   Other people had songs that meant a lot to them and the Irish were very taken with the American clogging.   When I introduced the Kosier dancers, I asked each one a question about their thoughts on Ireland.  The first girl got a roar out of the crowd when I asked, “What do you think of the Irish people?”  She looked at me and said in a very small voice, “I don’t know!”

We were presented with certificates and a book about the history of the Mayo Peace Park by Michael Feeney.  Each Kosier dancer was given a hoodie from the Castlebar Town Youth Soccer League, whose benefit we are to do tomorrow night.  If our tour thought the entertainment was over, they were greatly mistaken as we were brought over to a post-party at a nearby hotel.  There we had sandwiches as well as drinks.  A husband and wife musical team gave our tour quite a show with an introduction to Irish country music which draws mainly on a style that is closer to 1960’s style American country.  That era had more ballads and some pretty good entertainers, including Johnny Cash.  It was fun to hear everyone start singing, “I’m on the top of the world, looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find…”   Just when we thought this duo was going to take a break, out jumped a bald-headed man, who grabbed the mic from the lady and yelled, “How’s everybody doing?”  He immediately launched into the song “Where’s Your Momma Gone?” and had everyone clapping along and pretty amused by his antics.  He was a one-man cheerleading squad and everyone was really revved up after he finished his act.  It was a tired but happy pair of coaches that made their way back to Westport tonight.  We sat in the bar at the Clew Bay and drank a couple more whiskies and called it a night because tomorrow, I have to be up rather early to head over to the dedication in Bekan.