BAG/USAC Octoberfest!

Great line-up of shows this month. Follow links to websites for videos and more artist info.

Monday 7th, Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace - Ben Reel

Super Irish singer/songwriter in the contemporary folk vein. Inciteful lyrical ability, combined with abiding melodies and a fine vocal ability. Touring new CD 'Darkness and The Light'. Backed on the night by Ronnie O'Flynn.

www.benreel.com

Monday 14th, Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace - Double Bill of Josh Harty (USA) and Amelia Curran (CAN).

Two great young singer/songwriters from over the big pond. Josh Harty has an rich and evocative Americana sound, while Amelia Curran writes, with a poet's pen, eloquent lyrics delivered with a stunning vocal.

www.joshharty.com www.ameliacurran.com

Thursday 17th, Upstairs at Cunningham's, Kildare Town - Double Bill of Amelia Curran (Canada) and Otis Gibbs (USA)

Amelia Curran, as mentioned above. Otis Gibbs is pure contemporary Americana: an honest voice with courage and conviction in a point of view that resonates with real folks in the real world - highly, highly recommended.

www.ameliacurran.com www.otisgibbs.com www.cunninghamskildare.com

Monday 21st, Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace - Thomas Leeb (Austria/USA)

Instrumental fingerstyle guitar of the highest calibre. Referring to his music as "the bastard child of acoustic guitar", Leeb combines unusual techniques, ideas and harmonies with a frank, tongue-in-cheek attitude. Think: Michael Hedges, and then head off on a tangent! www.thomasleeb.com

Catfish Keith - Foot-stompin' Blues!

www.catfishkeith.com

Cutting-edge blues singer, songwriter and bottleneck slide guitarist Catfish Keith has established himself as one of the most exciting country blues performers of our time. Catfish's innovative style of foot-stomping, deep delta blues and American roots music has spellbound audiences the world over. He has reinvented the guitar with great power and artistry, and brings a rare beauty and vitality to his music. Handing down the tradition, Catfish continues his lifelong journey as one of the brightest lights in acoustic blues and roots music.

  "Pulling Blues Out of The Sky, Catfish lays down a foot-stomping groove. One of the most exciting guitarists of any genre."                                                                               -Acoustic Guitar

BAG is delighted to have Catfish Keith in for two shows next week:
Monday, Sept. 30 - Mick Murphy's Bar, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare; Doors 8:30pm.
Tuesday, Oct. 1 - Upstairs at Cunninghams, Kildare Town; Doors 8pm. www.cunninghamskildare.com
Admission to both gigs is just €12 at the door.

Summer Break & Autumn Plans

As is usual for this time of year, BAG takes a summer break as you good folks think about holidays and long evenings outdoors.

But rest assured, I'm busy putting together a programme of shows for the autumn/winter months, to bring the very best of singer/songwriters from Ireland and overseas to listening audiences in the County Kildare area.

Full details will appear here and elsewhere (Facebook - www.facebook.com/BallymoreAcousticGigs & mailing list - ballymoregigs@gmail.com to get added) to let you know what's coming. In the meantime, here's some highlights to look forward to:

Monday Sept. 2 - Freddie White - Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace.
Tuesday Sept. 3 - Freddie White - Upstairs at Cunninghams, Kildare Town 
Monday Sept 9 - Buddy Mondlock - Mick Murphy's, Ballymore.
Monday October 7 - Ben Reel - Mick Murphy's, Ballymore.
Monday October 14 - Double Bill - Josh Harty and Amelia Curran - Mick Murphy's, Ballymore
Thursday Oct 17 - Double Bill - Amelia Curran and Otis Gibbs - Upstairs at Cunningham's.

There'll be much more announced in the coming weeks. Meantime, you could while away whole days checking out these fine artistes' websites!

www.benreel.com/
www.freddiewhite.com
www.buddymondlock.com/
www.otisgibbs.com
www.ameliacurran.com
www.joshharty.com

Gary Ferguson & Kathy Barwick - Live In Mick Murphy's

In what will be the last BAG gig before the summer break, Gary Ferguson and Kathy Barwick play Mick Murphy's, Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare on Monday July 8. These two superb musicians are well known in their own right as solo performers, and this coming together brings together the best of country, bluegrass, folk, Americana and more. Doors on the night open at 8:30pm. Showtime 9:15pm sharp.

http://gunnysacksongs.com/ferguson_and_barwick

Gary Ferguson & Kathy Barwick is an exciting new acoustic music duo that combines the talents of charismatic singer-songwriter Gary Ferguson and dazzling multi-instrumentalist Kathy Barwick. The team of Gary Ferguson & Kathy Barwick brings together two gifted musicians with decades of wide-ranging musical experience between them, gained from performing at the biggest venues in the USA. The two of them have crafted a distinctive and compelling duo sound that blends country, bluegrass, Celtic, folk, Americana and more. Gary Ferguson & Kathy Barwick will perform at select shows in the U.S. throughout 2012 and 2013 and will tour Ireland in July 2013. The duo is currently working on its first recording.

Gary Ferguson (guitar, lead vocals), a longtime resident of southeastern Pennsylvania, is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and bandleader who’s been a mainstay of the Eastern bluegrass and Americana scenes since the 1980s. In addition to his own Gary Ferguson Band, Gary has recorded or performed with such distinguished bluegrass musicians as Ronnie McCoury, Robbie McCoury, Mike Auldridge, Alan O’Bryant, Junior Barber, Ron Stewart and Jimmy Gaudreau. On his annual tours of Ireland, Ferguson has worked with musicians Mick Hanly, Charlie McGettigan, Frankie Lane, Janet Holmes and Colin Henry.

Kathy Barwick (lead guitar, resophonic guitar, Weissenborn guitar, harmony vocals), a native of Sacramento, California, has been widely hailed over the past 30 years as one of California’s most versatile acoustic musicians. Known for her work in bluegrass, Americana and traditional Irish music, Barwick is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist who’s adept on guitar, banjo, resophonic guitar (dobro), bass, lap steel guitar and mandolin. Barwick is a member of the Mike Justis Band, a folk-country-blues ensemble, and has played in such popular bands as the All Girl Boys, Nine-8ths Irish and Mountain Laurel.

Barwick’s first solo album, In My Life, was released in 2011 by FGM Music, the recording arm of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. The genre-spanning gem has been exceptionally well received by critics and fans alike.

Matt Andersen - Live in Mick Murphy's

www.stubbyfingers.ca

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Matt+Andersen&aq=f

Canadian Bluesman, Matt Andersen returns to BAG @ Mick Murphy's Bar in Ballymore Eustace, Co. Kildare on Monday June 24. Doors 8:30; Gig 9:15pm Sharp. Admission: €12 on the door.

Last year when Matt played BAG, he was a sensation. Powerful vocals backed by seriously accomplished guitar accompaniement, Matt Andersen is a mightily impressive performer. His current album 'Coal Mining Blues' has received much praise, and I can add mine to it: It's superb!  Here's a link to the Biography on Matt's website, where you can read about his background, and his music.

Still relatively unknown in Ireland, Matt Andersen is a big deal in his native Canada, playing larger theatres and auditoriums and selling them out.

So, come on out on Monday and witness a powerhouse of contemporary Blues at the height of his powers.

Cara Luft - Live in Mick Murphy's - June 10 2013

http://caraluft.com/

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/caraluft

Cara Luft plays her debut BAG show on Monday, June 10. Doors 8:30pm, Show 9pm. Admission: €12 on the door.

I often say this about acts (because I mean it!) but Cara Luft is quite simply sublime, if Country/Folk/Americana is your thing; if it isn't quite your thing, it might very well be after you hear Cara perform. Highly recommended.

 “Luft is a consummate performer. Unlike so many singer-songwriters, [her] music has an urgency that can’t be denied… as good as anything I’ve heard for a long time.” Americana UK

“Canadian singer-songwriter Cara Luft was one of the highlights of last year’s folk club programme, delighting fans with her unique blend of folk, country, blues and rock.”

Whitstable Folk Club Live Show Review Nov 2010

Cara Luft is a founding member of Canadian rocked out country folk outfit 'The Wailin' Jennys'

Cara Luft likes to laugh. She does it a lot. It’s one of the first things you notice when meeting her, that and her engaging smile. It’s endearing and infectious. Nothing pretentious about her, Cara’s the real deal. What you see is what you get from the former founding member of Juno award winning folk music trio The Wailin’ Jennys. And that sense of honesty, integrity, personality and spontaneity permeates and resonates throughout both her music and her live performances. After all, what other folk-based artist unabashedly cites Buddy Holly, prog-rockers Yes, and even Led Zeppelin among their inspirations and influences?

Singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire Cara Luft is that rare artist steeped in folk and traditional roots music almost from birth yet willing to alter that fabric, stretch the boundaries, not afraid to bend genres, styles and integrate what others might regard as a disparate set of influences. Her music has been described as “a rich roots travelogue whose traditional heart beats with a wholly contemporary pulse spanning the distance between the mists of English folk balladry and Middle East mysticism, through to the Mississippi Delta and the rustic wonders of the Appalachian Hills, with a certain fearless reverence and no small amount of soul.” (Ottawa Xpress) Americana UK declares her “a consummate performer. Unlike so many singer-songwriters, Luft’s music has an urgency that can’t be denied.” Critics have drawn comparisons to Julie Miller, June Tabor, Gillian Welch, Linda Thompson and even Brit folk-rockers Pentangle.

The Lost Brothers - Upstairs At Cunningham's, Tuesday May 14

The Lost Brothers play their debut show at Upstairs at Cunningham's, Kildare Town on Tuesday May 14. Doors 8pm; Showtime: 9pm sharp. Tickets can be reserved from the venue at 045 521780

For videos, etc. check the website:
www.thelostbrothersband.com

The Irish Times described this Irish duo thus: "Sounds like the ghost of Hank Williams whispering a secret to The Everly Brothers" - I'd say that's pretty spot on. 
I simply use the word "superb" to describe the sounds these two young guys produce with the aid of just two guitars and two beautiful vocals. Accomplished musicianship, and tight vocal harmonies... yes, superb.

Here's some background:

The Lost Brothers first met in an old dusty library in Liverpool, England in 2007. From their first encounter, they noticed they had a lot in common. They’re both Irish (Oisin Leech from Navan, Mark McCausland from Omagh), and having both come from musical families, they had both played in various bands since a young age and had now come to Liverpool to seek a brighter future. The pair shared the same love of music (from the Carter Family to Sam Cooke, Mississippi John Hurt to Dion and the Bellmonts, Phil Spector to the Louvin Brothers, the Impressions to Van Morrison), and before long, were jamming together in the dive bars of Liverpool when not on the road with their bands. The pair were regular faces on the Liverpool music scene and when together, people began to call them, The Lost Brothers…

Feeling the pull from across the sea, however, the twosome decided to leave the bands they were in at the time and de-camp to Portland, Oregon. There they hooked up with producer Mike Coykendall (M Ward, Bright Eyes), and recorded in his attic, what would become their folk tinged debut album, TRAILS OF THE LONELY.

Returning to the UK, the duo headed for London where they started their own label, ‘BIRD DOG RECORDINGS’, and released TRAILS OF THE LONELY in November 2008. The Lost Brothers spent the next two years touring and writing, honing their craft both as a live act and a songwriting partnership, while building a steady fan base along the way. In 2010, they were off to Sheffield, England with a new batch of songs. These recordings turned out to be their second album, SO LONG JOHN FANTE, released in 2011 on Bird Dog/ Ace records.

More recently, the Losties caught the ear of Raconteur, Brendan Benson, who invited them to record their third album in his Nashville studio. The album is their best yet. It is called THE PASSING OF THE NIGHT and was released on Brendan’s READYMADE RECORDS in the US and on LOJINX RECORDS in the UK and  Ireland,  under a blue moon in September 2012.

Well alright!