Rate US cities for Irish Music

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 3:29 pm

Here in Fort Smith, Arkansas, it is probably pretty much the same as it is in much of Oklahoma and Texas. We have some pretty decent blues, country and conjunto outfits, but not much else. There is much more interest in Irish music in Fayetteville, a little over an hour's drive away.

oleorezinator · Post by **oleorezinator** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 4:32 pm

fugheddaboudit!!! nyc is it! alla youse udda basdids geddafokouttaheah!!!!

Post by **Nanohedron** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 5:53 pm

Joseph E. Smith wrote:Minneapolis, St. Paul Minnesota. I rate it a 5 for all catagories.

Is 5 good or bad? If bad, then yer a scutterin eejit, Joseph.

If good, well, that's very kind of you, but...I dunno. In a lot of ways we are an outpost, although there's some stellar stuff going on, too. I give the Twin Cities a 4 at best. Maybe it's the bodhrans swaying my vote.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 6:25 pm

An uptodate list exists at TheSession - eventhough I don't like or support the bozo who runs the site ..ahem... but they do keep it fairly accurate.

Here in San Antonio there's a surplus of good players and if you knew where to look theres some fine Irish or should I now say - out of respect for the vast number of Poms about - Oirish musicans living in the area.

Currently we have 3 official sessions - I am not certain about the details...> Google Texas Celtic Network.. - as well as several gureat house sessions and a few more in the making!

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Wed Dec 29, 2004 8:26 pm

Amazingly, the Dallas - Ft. Worth area is not bad. Lots of pubs, a couple of sessions, plenty of musicians...some are top notch, and an annual ITrad weekend "Retreat" with lessons for various instruments at various levels, sessions, shows etc. Oh, yes, and annual major Irish and Scottish festivals. Plus a couple of minor ones.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 4:59 am

Kalamazoo has a very small music store that sells whistles occasionally. I'd probably give it a 1 on everything.

Glauber is from shy-town. I wonder if he has an opinion? On this subject I mean.

dwinterfield · Post by **dwinterfield** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 7:32 am

About Boston

I saw Jim's psot and looked to see if I could find a listing of sessions. No such luck.

While I haven't been to most of them, I'm pretty sure you can find one almost every night.

As for top players, lots of musicians come here. In the next month or so I'll see Paddy Keenan (again), Teada, JOHNNY CUNNINGHAM TRIBUTE CONCERT featuring Phil Cunningham, Seamus Egan, Kevin Burke, Susan McKeowan & Aidan Brennan. The past year has included Dervish, Paddy O'Brien and more. Haven't found time for groups like Altan, Lunassa, Solas etc. but they seem to here a couple of times a year, so I'll get to them too.

As for whistles, the internet and C&F are great. At last summer's Irish Cultural Festival there was lots of music, thousands of people, hundreds of vendors, no flutes and no whistle over $10.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Dec 30, 2004 2:37 pm

Whitmores75087 wrote:Amazingly, the Dallas - Ft. Worth area is not bad. Lots of pubs, a couple of sessions, plenty of musicians...some are top notch, and an annual ITrad weekend "Retreat" with lessons for various instruments at various levels, sessions, shows etc. Oh, yes, and annual major Irish and Scottish festivals. Plus a couple of minor ones.

And Dallas has oodles of Bar / Pub events including Irtrad ...as well.

Course San Antonio is otherwise one of the most happening musical cities in the US - Tejano - etc crossover etc etc etc... but it ain't the same thing as NY or CA or any of the rest because there ain't no snow here.

Ta capeen agam!

ChaoticGemini · Post by **ChaoticGemini** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 4:40 pm

Around St. Louis, MO, I have seen several Irish and Scottish music groups, but I've never seen open sessions anywhere. I wouldn't have the foggiest idea where to look for instruments either.
Tina

KDMARTINKY · Post by **KDMARTINKY** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 4:50 pm

Nothing here in Paducah, KY.....I have the whole celtic/irish scene to myself. We do have a celtic festival once a year though. I mean if there are some folks other than myself that do play....I don't know about it.

Is there any sessions being held in Kentucky or Southern Illinois?

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Fri Dec 31, 2004 5:55 pm

I have to say that Santa Cruz, CA, is darned near zero in both categories. We do have a couple of music stores, but their whistle selections are limited. No sessions, that I've been able to find. You will occasionally hear some good concerts during the Highland Games in Ben Lomond in October, but that's about it.

Redwolf

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:24 am

St. Louis has a shop called Music Folks that hosts a session...but Jim could answer better as I'm from the other Democratic bastion of the state of Missouri...

KC has a decent number of musicians, some quite good, but not a very active session scene right now. We have a bi-monthly slow session, but the city's real session was booted when the bar was sold to new owners. Atchison Kansas had a monthly session, and Lawrence allegedly had one, too, so there may be two more sessions within an hours drive.

We get most of the big celtic acts that come through, and have Connie Dover and Mike Dugger (of Glenn Road) about 30 minutes outside of town.

Still, I wish the scene were as active as the Twin Cities or Baltimore...I had a great time at a slow session a few weeks back at J. Patrick's in Baltimore - go there if you get a chance.

Eric

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 3:52 am

Yes, there is a session every weds at 7
at Music Folk, which is on Big Bend Blvd
in Webster Groves, St. Louis.

A good hammered dulcimer group meets
there on the third Sunday of each month
at 1 PM. All acoustic instruments welcome.
I play flute; much ITM.

Focal Point has a good acoustic jam
every Thurs night starting at 7:30.
Eclectic. ITM and you name it,
mostly the latter.
You might check phone book or
call information.

The best place I've ever seen for
ITM sessions is Bloomington IN.
Three a week, at least, one led
by Grey Larsen. Some very good
musicians who have played for
decades.

Scott McCallister · Post by **Scott McCallister** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 9:53 am

three words...

Fresno Fresno Fresno! Ya baby! ya!. An ITM mecca for the masses. Oh wait I was thinking of a different place... Nogales, AZ? no... Montpelier, ND... no... Buford, CO.. not a chance... Wichita, KS? Ya! that's it...

Wichita, Wichita, Wichita!... no wait, that can't be right....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 11:39 am

jim stone wrote:Yes, there is a session every weds at 7
at Music Folk, which is on Big Bend Blvd
in Webster Groves, St. Louis.

A good hammered dulcimer group meets
there on the third Sunday of each month
at 1 PM.

ITM sessions is Bloomington IN.
Three a week, at least, one led
by >>>Grey Larsen<<<<< .

Ha ha ha ha ha... if you call that ITM, I would not bother with Bluegrass, which would be a new variety of Pot?