ðryw vervanThe official website for celtic, folk-rock musician, ðryw vervan
Last Friday night, at J. Patrick’s, I had a grand night. Laura Byrne, Donna Long, and I played tunes and songs to a full house – everyone was in good spirits.
Our friend Laura B, brought family and friends along, including some folks from Australia – this prompted me to sing the only Australian song I know – it’s always a bit of fun to pull out something like that.
Many thanks to Gina and Marc for coming out, and special thanks to Hockey Jeff, Fran, and Caitlin, for coming out and bringing such a huge crowd along.
Friday night we also had quite a few dancers out, and we played a full Kerry set, which took up quite a bit of the evening.
I also ran into an old friend from high school – which was a huge surprise!
All in all, a good night full of great craic – can’t wait for the next one! Speaking of the next one, it’s Baden-Baden with Laura Byrne at the James Joyce, Saturday, 28 January.
I hope you’ll be there, too.
Happy new year to everyone, and I hope your year is off to a grand start! I also wish you a better year than you had last year – even if last year was really good to you!
To get the music going this year, I’ll be sitting in with “Four Mile Stone” this Friday night, 13 January, @ J. Patrick’s Irish Pub in lovely Locust Point.
I love playing at J. Patrick’s, so I’m glad the first gig has arrived so early in the new year. This Friday, I’ll be providing the guitar and vocals to complement the fine playing of flutist Laura Byrne, and pianist/fiddler, Donna Long.
If you haven’t been out for a while, you certainly have been missing some fine music – and I’ve been missing you, too!
I hope to see you this Friday!
I’m really looking forward to Sunday, 18 December. From about 5:30-8:30 pm, down at J. Patrick’s Irish Pub in Locust Point, I’ll be hosting a super-slow-paced celtic tunes session.
Now, every Monday night at J. Patrick’s, the fabulous Donna Long hosts a great, slow session, where a large group of budding players gather and weave their way through an ever-expanding collection of tunes. Whenever possible, I try to get down to that session and take part.
For many of my beginning students, however, even that slow session moves too quickly for them. So, to accommodate folks who can read music, but who may not quite have the tunes memorized or up to speed, I’m hosting this slow session. We have about 30-40 tunes that we’re working one, so we’ll have plenty of music.
Unlike most sessions, where everyone plays from memory – which is preferable – at this session, I’m encouraging participation, regardless of how well someone knows the tunes. As long as everyone can play along at a slow, steady tempo, then it should all work out. So, my students – and other folks as well – will be brining music stands and sheet music, and settling in for great evening of tunes, pints, pub food, chat, and general craic.
If you’re close to Baltimore, and you’d like to join in, bring your instrument and your music stand and head down to J. Patrick’s Irish Pub on Sunday, 18 December, 5:30-8:30.
This past saturday, I had a grand time gigging with guitarist Andy Thurston and fiddler Dave Abe. This was only the second time I’ve shared a stage with Andy, and the first time with Dave.
The music went great. We had a fine mix of songs and tunes, and we were fortunate to have a knowledgable and appreciative crowd. I sang a few songs that I hadn’t tried in a while, as well as a new song – new to me – the classic XTC song, “Love on a Farmboy’s Wages.” That pastoral tune really creates a unique moment, and the crowd loved it.
This, at the moment, was my last scheduled gig of 2011 – of course, that can change at any time. For 2012, I already have a few gigs booked, and I’ll be posting those soon.
This Wednesday, 30 November, is the Autumn bookend to St. Patrick’s Day – St. Andrew’s Day. St. Andrew’s Day is a national Scottish holiday. I always try to celebrate it, as best as I can, since I’m not immersed in a Scottish community, and it hasn’t taken hold here in the USA as St. Patrick’s has – not enough marketing I suppose.
Of course, Scotland has produced loads of great music and musicians, and their brewers know a thing or two about good ales and whiskies as well. That’s enough to make a fine holiday.
I’m already looking forward to it!
As I mentioned in the last update, I’ll be heading down to J. Patrick’s for another “fill-in” gig, this Saturday, 26 November, at 9:00.
Of course, this coming Thursday (24 November) is the Thanksgiving holiday, here in the USA. Many of you will be travelling and visiting family and friends. Some of you will be staying in town, running here and there, over-eating, watching American football, and falling asleep on the couch. For those of you with multiple gatherings to attend, you may have a couple of such events on Thursday.
Then on Friday, some of the braver souls among you will head out into the holiday throngs to partake of the great, American, retail experience – also known as, “Black Friday” (cue nefarious music).
So, by the time Saturday night rolls around, you’ll have worn yourself out keeping up with the expected cultural activities. You’ll be tempted to sit home, and get even better acquainted with your couch.
But don’t do it. Instead, head down to J. Patrick’s. There you’ll find good tunes and songs, as well as delicious Irish beer – this will certainly be exactly what you need after a couple of exhausting days fulfilling expectations.
On Saturday night, I’ll be filling in for Peter Fitzgerald. Of course, Peter is a veritable institution here in Baltimore, and he’s a long-time J. Patrick’s performer, so no one can really “fill-in” for Mr. Fitzgerald. But, in his absence this weekend, I’ll be sitting in with Andy Thurston (guitar, baritone guitar) and Dave Abe (violin). As always, I’m delighted to be gigging at J. Patrick’s, spending the evening with fine musicians.
And, I’ll be looking for you as well.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much to all the folks that made it out to the gigs at J. Patrick’s over the weekend. While the “green hat” crowd were taking in the canned celtic culture at the Maryland Irish Festival, we were offering up a bit more of an authentic, country pub feel in Locust Point. To be certain, if you were out and about over the weekend, you heard lots of great music at either venue. For our part, we were chuffed to have such good support when a big event was happening elsewhere.
On Saturday night, we had great craic playing the songs and tunes, particularly because we were joined by the well-known (deservedly so) bodhran player, Albert Alfonso. I always enjoy the addition of a fine drummer to any ensemble, and Albert is one of the best. We were already having a good time – with a good pace to the music and the evening – and when we added Albert’s fine drumming, there was a good lift to the whole proceedings. So, if you missed it … let that be a lesson to you; you never know who will show up and join in – be sure to catch the next gig.
And, speaking of the next gig, on Saturday night, 26 November (also at J. Patrick’s), I’ll be joining Andy Thurston and Dave Abe for a post Thanksgiving evening of songs, tunes, delicious ale, and general good craic. I’ll look for you!
Special thanks to Jeff, Garrett, Shawn, Ralph, Larissa, and their fine friends who came out to support us over the weekend – you guys helped make it great.
So, I had, only days ago, written here that I had no more gigs planned for the rest of the year, but I’d also said that could change at any moment.
Well, the moment of change has arrived – “Four Milestone” has asked me to sit in with them this weekend, at J. Patrick’s Irish Pub (André Street, Baltimore).
On Friday night, 11 November, I’ll be playing traditional tunes and songs with Laura Byrne and Donna Long.
On Saturday night, 12 November, I’ll be back again with Laura, but this time we’ll have fab-fiddler Jim Eagan along to complete the trio. If you missed us at the James Joyce – which I thought was going to be our last show until January – you now have another chance.
I look forward to seeing you this weekend!
Hey, if you didn’t make it out to the “Baden-Baden” gig (with Laura Byrne), this past Saturday at the James Joyce, then we’re sorry to have missed you.
The pub was packed! We had some sound issues getting ourselves settled in, but once all was under control, we had a great time playing a first set packed with traditional celtic tunes and songs.
Once we started the second set, Laura suggested we venture off the menu into non-celtic territory, and so we played a mostly experimental set, layering celtic instrumental textures onto classic rock tunes. We covered a lot of ground, from classic Dylan and Who songs, to mid-80s fare from U2 and the Cure, to more recent cuts. The improvised nature of the arrangements kept us and the crowd well-entertained.
And, there were good pints of beer as well.
At the moment, we’ve nothing else booked until January, when we’ll be back at the James Joyce. And, as far as I know, I have no “substitute” gigs coming up – but that could change at any moment.
August through October, with the combination of “Baden-Baden” gigs, substitute gigs, and fiddle competitions, was a musically rich period. I must say, I had a great time gigging with so many fine celtic musicians – Laura Byrne, Dan Isaacson, Donna Long, Andy Thurston – and also had a great time hearing good fiddlers at the various festivals.
As the colourful days of Autumn are with us, and as we move into my favourite time of year – winter! – I’ll be making more adjustments to the website. I’m hoping to add an online store, which will help me get music out to all of you! Every week, I get a little closer to making that happen.
Thanks – so much – for your ongoing support and interest; I look forward to seeing you at the next show.
So, this coming weekend, come out for yet-another-celtic trio, featuring “Baden-Baden” (fiddler Jim Eagan and guitarist/singer Đryw Vervan) with flutist, Laura Byrne. Saturday night (22 October), the craic kicks off at the James Joyce Irish Pub, at 9:30.
Expect heavy lashings of jigs and reels, rendered at sprightly tempos (or “tempi” as is your leisure). Also on offer will be soaring songs on a solid foundation of drop-d tuning. Expect a few song-based-dance-tune-infused experiments as well.
This will be our last gig – as far as we know – until January 2012, when we’ll be back at the James Joyce.
So, see you Saturday night!