Sebastopol 2005

Hi gang! We're just back from performing at the annual Celtic Music Festival in Sebastopol, California, which is about an hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge. What a crackin' time we had, between the music of Dervish, bohola, Martin Hayes, Liz Carrol and John Doyle, and the mighty French Canadians from Quebec, La Vent du Nord. Do they know how to get a crowd up and dancing! Somehow the event director Cloud Moss books TOP talent up there every year. I hope we get to go back.

For now, it's onward to Grass Valley. Keep it between the ditches... Stu

Bobbleheaded in Colorado

Greetings from Rocky Mountain National Park! Just finished our 3-day stint at the Longs Peak Scottish and Irish Festival in Estes Park--our first time here--and we had a great time! We shared our stage with Off Kilter, a Celtic rock band from Orlando. Real pros, who really know how to entertain a crowd... and us. Hope to cross paths with them again.

We learned about how unpredictable this mountain weather can be. Friday went from calm, clear and warm to wild cold gusts and spitting rain. CD sales were good, in fact they were flying off the table as we played, but that was from the wind. :(

David got a new nickname this weekend: The Bobblehead Piper, or just Bobb for short, I guess. Bill thought he looked like one of those puppies with bobbing head you put in the back window of your car. Could that be the name of the next record?!

Got to spend some late-night socializing with the lads of Seven Nations and the Jimmy Kelly Band, two other Celtic rock bands that know how to rock the house, and have fun doing it. We played two evening concerts them, and were honored to play the same stage.

Joyce and I are staying up here an extra day, to explore the park and pursue the elusive greenback cutthroat trout with our flyrods. Late--Stu

Rocky Mountain High

Greetings from Estes Park, Colorado, where Molly's Revenge has just completed our first day of performing at the annual Scottish Games here. Last weekend we played an almost-local weekend at the Pleasanton Scottish games, and it actually WAS pleasant, being 75 degrees instead of 110 as the year before. Those wool kilts can get hot and prickly in the heat, if you know what I mean. I think David does.

We're at 8000 feet here, and really feeling the altitude. If what we're feeling is a "Rocky mountain high" then I'd prefer to be straight, thank you very much. But make no mistake about it, this place is gorgeous and the people are superb.

Our accommodations are at the YMCA Conference center, a huge facility surrounded by the national park on three sides. We had great fun at the evening concert last night, playing a 3-way show with Seven Nations (Canada) and the Jimmy Kelly Band (New York). Ended the evening with an all-3-bands jam with dancers, pipes and fiddles that really got the crowd going. We're honored to be appearing with such accomplished performers.

More later--Stu