Source: thedailytimes.com
By Steve Wildsmith stevew@thedailytimes.com
It’s not easy convincing those who think of vinyl albums as a thing of yesteryear just how big a deal Cutthroat Shamrock’s most recent accomplishment is.
Group vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ben Whitehead even had to convince some of his bandmates that signing on with I Hate Punk Rock Records and allowing the label to release a limited-edition, 300-print vinyl album was something to brag about.
“I got a record player four or five years back, and I’ve got a good-sized couple of boxes of vinyl, but the rest of the guys were like, ‘Why do we want to be on vinyl? It’s no big deal,’” Whitehead told The Daily Times recently. “I tried to explain that it really is a big deal. They wanted their label on the back of one of our records, and to do that, they were willing to pay for it.”
Looking for a relaxing weekend away from the heat? On June 4 & 5, the sounds of Celtic music flow beside one of the oldest rivers in the world.
Located at River House Inn in Grassy Creek, NC (off Hwy 16, north of Jefferson) you will be able to take in the tunes of Celtic inspired music being performed along with a unique menu featuring Celtic dishes and even a Scotch tasting.
On Saturday June 4, the event starts at 5pm at River House with music and stories from our guest artists. Dinner will be served at 6:30 followed by more entertainment at 8pm. Artists scheduled to appear start with a duo from Charlotte, The Thistledown Tinkers, playing traditional Scottish and Irish tunes featuring fiddle and guitar.
Also, regional musician and historian, RG Absher will be presenting Celtic music with an Appalachian twist and talking about the Scots-Irish influence on the development of this region, especially during the War of Independence. He will be performing some old tunes on fiddle and other instruments from the era.
The dinner will feature special Celtic dishes and, along with the entertainment, be offered at a special price of $50 per person, plus tax & gratuity. Those that wish to join us just for the entertainment portion can do so for $10 per person. A cash bar will be offered and an optional Scotch tasting will be featured throughout the evening.
On Sunday June 5 at 4pm River House will be featuring Steve & Ruth Smith as part of their Sunday Salon series. These artists are wonderful regional musicians performing Celtic & Old Time music on guitar & hammered dulcimer. The evening includes music, appetizers and dinner, as well. Details and reservations for either, or both nights, can be made at www.riverhousenc.com Join us for this special weekend of food, culture and entertainment.
We’ve always been a proponent of alternative energy, especially passive solar. Learn what Appalachian State Univ. presented at the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in DC. Only 20 groups were invited.
Very cool and inspired by the Appalachian Mountains.
For more, visit: http://www.solardecathlon.gov/blog/archives/807
“Celtic Force Enterprises and Clanranald Trust are pleased to announce a partnership between their two organizations to promote their mutual interest in Scottish culture and heritage in the United States, Scotland and worldwide.”
Visit: www.clanranald.org
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We all seem to make changes at the changing of the calendar and Celtic Force is no different. People come and go as time passes and we are pleased to announce those that are now coming on board with our team.
First, the musicians being added to our list of artists we currently represent or recommend. You’ve heard about the signing of Skerryvore from Scotland, great group of young Celtic rockers that we’ll be introducing to the US market this year. We are also very proud to announce the addition of Appalachian Celtic Punk group Cutthroat Shamrock out of Tennessee. High energy, in your face, get up and move kind of music. Also we are very happy to have our long time friend, Davey Morrison (formally of Albannach) along with us. You will be seeing Davey at some of the events we manage as well as some other venues as the year progresses with his own unique brand of entertainment. So get ready you Eejits. We are also expecting another addition but are not able to annouce them at this time.
Secondly, we are growing and taking on additional task, such as our social radio network at celticforceradio.com, our international tours and even producing a new album for Mickey Harte, the award winning contemporary folk rocker from Ireland. This requires good people out in the market promoting our services and we are proud to have the following folks joining our effort. These folks will be helping us at events, hitting the phones to promote our musicians, working with our radio programming and filling in some of the gaps caused by rapid growth. These brave souls are David Glenn, Lynn McKinney, Peggy Jo Braswell, Danny Skinner, Daphne Swilling and Mike Dunlap.
We will be featuring profiles of our new additions over the next couple of weeks but wanted to officially welcome them to the team. Going to be one heck of a year! Get READY!
We are proud to announce the newest member of the Celtic Force Team.
When we decided to launch Celtic Force Radio we knew we needed the right kind of personality to head up that project, someone that would really sink their teeth into it.
We’ve found just the right fit. He is known a bit around the festival circuit and has been a friend of Donovan’s for some time.
It is our pleasure to officially introduce to you the new Station Manager for Celtic Force Radio, Buster D. Badger. Buster will oversee the day-to-day operations and work with us on building a solid station. Buster will also head up the Celtic Force Complaint Department (he’s doing that for free!)
Buster has stated the the only place you will be able to find him on the web will be through the Celtic Force Radio site. So drop by, sign up and say hello.
Membership is growing fast…join us!
Visit: www.celticforceradio.com!
Beginning this weekend folks in NC and VA have the chance to hear a storyteller from Scotland who has lived his heritage. Author and historian, Hugh Allison, will be sharing his experiences and stories from his country and his days serving as the Director for the Culloden Battlefield, one of the most famous sites in Scottish history.
Hugh Allison was born in Lochaber, Scotland and has felt a strong connection to his past from an early age. Over the years he has put his experiences and learning of history into three books that show a culture that originated in the highlands and lowlands of Scotland, over many centuries, but ended up spreading across the world. His first book, Roots of Stone, tells the story of those who came before, a direct connection to the author’s personal heritage.
His next book, Rivers Running Far, tells the story of those who went away, the thousands of Scottish immigrants that spread their heritage halfway around the globe. His latest book, Culloden Tales, are stories about the place that ended the Highland way of life and would eventually help populate our country with many ideas that became the basis for our formation as a nation.
These stories that have been passed down, or experienced by the author, and show the impact of a single location and moment in time on the future of a country. Hugh weaves all of the tales with passion and humor, leaving the reader, or listener, yearning to know more about this magical, ancient place known as Alba (Gaelic for Scotland). www.scottishtalespinner.com
You don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to meet an entertaining speaker, and possibly a distant relative, if you have Scottish roots or an interest in all things Scottish.
Hugh will be at the following locations; Sept. 26, River House Inn in Grassy Creek, NC (www.riverhousenc.com), Sept. 27 Old Salem Tavern, Winston Salem, NC (www.oldsalemtavern.com), Sept. 29 Tirnanog Irish Pub, Raleigh, NC for whiskey tasting and dinner (www.tirnanogirishpub.com) and at the Williamsburg Scottish Festival on Oct 1 & 2 (www.wsfonline.org)
Celtic Force Enterprises Inc. is pleased to announce receipt of first inventory of books by the late Scottish historian and author David R. Ross. Currently available are these titles:
• Desire Lines, David’s unique combination travelogue and history book on his beloved Scotland.
• On the Trail of William Wallace, David’s refreshing insight into the life and heritage of the great Scots hero whose proud story is at the very heart of what it means to be Scottish.
Books can be purchased by contacting Eric Johnson. Send email to: thecelticforceej@gmail.com for more information.
Additional inventory of other David Ross books is expected soon. Included will be his last work, Scottish Women, scheduled for release in June. Look for further announcements here.
David Robertson Ross is, and was, a patriotic Scot who loved his country and its people. He was passionate about the rich tapestry of Scottish history. David specialised in the great Scottish hero Sir William Wallace. He loved Scotland’s past AND present. David believed his writing gave him the opportunity to promote Scotland in a positive light. For David, it was always important to show Scotland as ready to take its equal place in the world of the future.
David Ross websites:
http://www.davidrross.org
http://www.walkforwallace.com
http://www.thesocietyofwilliamwallace.com
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center, and the City of Gatlinburg have announced the “Music of the Mountains” program on Friday and Saturday, April 9 and 10.
The two-day event begins with a concert of Celtic music on Friday at 7:00 p.m. at
the Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center in Townsend, Tenn. General admission is $4. The “Music of the Mountains” program continues on Saturday with a series of free performances of old-time mountain music during the day at the Park’s Sugarlands Visitor Center and culminates that evening with a ticketed concert at the W. L. Mills Conference Center in Gatlinburg, Tenn., featuring the bluegrass music of Jimbo Whaley.
At the Sugarlands Visitor Center, six programs are planned from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (see schedule below). The evening concert at W. L. Mills Conference Center begins at 6:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online in advance for $20 at, or at the door during the evening of the concert for $25.
For more info: http://www.hometownsevier.com/current-news/2010/04/05/music-of-the-mountains-scheduled/
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Source: GreenvilleOnline.com
It’s a wife and husband act all the way, says acclaimed Canadian Celtic fiddler Natalie MacMaster, whose fiddler hubby, Donnell Leahy, will join her on the Peace Concert Hall stage Tuesday night.
“It’s a show we call two fiddles and two pianos,” says MacMaster, much admired for her bow prowess and Cape Breton-style artistry. Keeping it somewhat in the family, the keyboardists are Leahy’s sister, Erin, and Mac Morin from MacMaster’s band.
By the way, the couple’s three girls, who range in age from 4 years to 3 months will be with them in Greenville. “We want to give them experiences while we’re on the road,” MacMaster says, including a trip to Disneyworld while she and her husband perform near Orlando.
MacMaster describes their tour’s program as a showcase of the upbeat, energetic music she grew up with and calls it “the oldest form of Scottish music that exists today.”
Expect that “energetic music” to inspire the vivacious MacMaster to execute some fancy steps while she puts bow to string. Asked just how she can do both at the same time, she says there’s nothing to it for someone who’s been dancing since she was 5 and fiddling since she was 8.
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