Tonight at the Starry Plough

Subject: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 03:21 AM

The Starry Plough, an Irish pub in Berkeley, has Irish jams on Sunday nights. If you saw Dave Swan's I'm So Proud of PJ, you've already heard about it. But here's a bit more of a description of it, inspired by the fact that four Mudcatters each played a solo tonight. Anyway, the jammers start straggling in at about 8:00 and when there are three or four of them, start playing and others join in as they come in. They sit in a circle at the end of the room opposite the bar. Tonight there was a very large group and a very large crowd.

The jam group plays mostly Irish fiddle tunes, the breaks passed around among the players--a very good bunch tonight--for the first 45 minutes or so, then whoever is going to emcee for the night starts calling on whoever wants to solo. The emcee tonight sang first, a capella, then came two Muddies, RiGGy Rackin who sang and played a subtle contrapuntal accompaniment on his concertina (I don't remember the name of the song he performed so beautifully--nor any of the others but the last, mine). Dave Swan followed him, singing beautifully though looking a bit peaked after a weekend illness. The jam group played for another 30 minutes or so, followed by another round of solos--no Muddies in the second round--and another jam set, and yet another round of solos, this time including P.J. (Pam), Dave's wife, who accompanied her exquisite song with her bodhran, and then I was called upon--I played banjo to accompany my singing of "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye." This is an absolutely wonderful place to perform: the audience is silent during the solos and wonderfully appreciative of them. This was all unamplified, but everyone in the pub could hear every note, every word of every song. If you're in the Bay Area on a Sunday night, the Starry Plough is a must.

I don't want to ignore the jam group here: a terrific bunch including a mandolin player I played with several times in the Fifth String jams, several fine fiddlers and pipers and whistlers and guitar players, P.J. and another good banjo player, a fine bones player, a citern, probably about fifteen or more in all. A great night of music, warm feelings, and lots of beautiful women (including one bodhran player).

--seed

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 03:50 AM

Thanks for the information, Seed. I think I'm going to have to make a point of going, despite that fact that it's a long drive home afterwards. This sounds too good to miss.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 02:55 PM

Hi Charles!

If this starts at 8PM, when does it finish?

All the best,
Dan

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 03:07 PM

Hey, Dan, you're doing a concert at my house the Sunday night you're in California (Sept 12). Are you going to try to get to the Oakland session after you hit my house? I suppose it does make more sense than trying to sleep for 3 hours and then get up for an early flight. Hey, do you guys want to move the Oakland session to Sacramento that night?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 03:52 PM

Dan, the session was still going strong when I left at 10:45 to get home to my sick wife. It would be great to see you and hear you at the pub (some really great musicians there, as I said).

And Joe: I thought the sessions were friday at Davis (which I was planning to go to if there was room--it, too, is a house concert, right?), Saturday in the city, and Sunday at your house (school will be in session so I won't be able to accept your invitation, Joe).

Oh, and I failed to include the tyro concertina player Sonja among the beautiful women at the Plough--I still have not managed to get her together with my son.

--seed

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 06:07 PM

I wanted to get this back to the top so the participants in the evening would see it, and I also wanted to add something that I forgot to mention last night: in the jam group, and also one of the soloists, was a wonderful harp player named Lute (I think), of Scandinavian origin, but speaks English with a Dublin accent. Unfortunately we're going to lose him soon: P.J. said he was soon off to Japan.

--seed

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 06:16 PM

Hi seed!

Thanks.

I will send Joe a note about this but I thought it might be fun to stop in late Sunday at the Starry Plough. Our flight to NYC leaves at 0715 on Monday and there is a 1 hour advance check-in. We won't get a lot of sleep no matter how the cake is cut.

Bob Conroy and I are doing a house concert in Davis at Bill Wagman's on 10SEP, singing at Hyde Street Pier on Saturday night, 11SEP. We're with Joe in Sac'to on Sunday.

I'll keep you posted.

All the best, Dan

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: Dave Swan
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 06:17 PM

--seed brought the house down. He is as talented as he is kind and clever.

Joe, let's get a mob of people together to sing and play in September. Doesn't much matter to me where it happens along I-80.

Cheers. E.S.

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 02 Aug 99 - 07:38 PM

Thanks for the kind words, Dave. I was playing without backup for the first time since I bombed at the NCO club in Itazuke AFB, Japan, back in l965, so--needless to say--I was terrified. But what a terrific audience! See you Thursday at Quinn's (Sonja's last night before she leaves for graduate school in Monterey). --seed

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: PJ
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 02:24 AM

Hey, looks like Dave fixed it so that I have my own identity back on the computer! Thanks, sweetie. (Dave's reading this message on duty tonight at the firehouse, which is a real BUMMER since it's his BIRTHDAY, but don't tell anybody.)

Sunday nights at the Plough are a great venue- Joe & Dan, you'd have a wonderful time. The sessions are very well organized by Shay Black and when he's on tour, they have been led by an incredible fiddler named Brian Theriault. Joe, if you're going to Hyde St. Pier you'll probably know another friend from the Plough, Peter Kasin. He's a ranger at Hyde St. and great with both the fiddle and the shanty.

Both seed and Dave were fantastic last night, and RiGGy is always terrific. It's so nice to hear 'catters perform live, Lloyd, where are ya hon? Fadac?

We have a wedding next weekend and won't be there, but the following 3 Sundays I'm going while Dave's on duty. I need some 'catters to keep me company!

PJ

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 05:21 AM

I had such a great time Sunday night I don't know if I can stay away. I sat with Dave and Sonja and her friend Kyle while PJ and RiGGY were in the jam group. What a terrific guy Dave is and PJ is just as great. I didn't get to talk much to RiGGY last night, but he's really something. He gave me my first greeting to the pub when I walked up a month ago. I was stunned that anyone there knew who I was, but he did. I repeat, if you're ever in the Bay Area on Sunday night, the Starry Plough is a must. Fadac, come and show us how you clear out a room in five minutes :o).. amd Mike Billo, bring them dry bones. I'm not ready for the jam group yet--I don't know enough of the tunes, or the harmonies--but I'm gonna keep on soloing with tunes out of my half-vast repertoire. If I can do it, anyone can. Hi, PJ! --seed

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: Winters Wages
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 11:34 AM

PJ..Im here..Been sick with what I do not know..Have been working here like krazy..Always something going on is san Francisco..Demonstrations, Etc budget meetings...you know the scene. Fadac I think is up north at Lark In The Morning School..Will be gone a week. Will try and make Quinn's Although the traffic getting out of SF is a hassel this time of the year Sorry I missed your solo..Hi to Dave See Ya Lloyd

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: Liam's Brother
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 12:23 PM

What happens on Thursday nights?

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: Winters Wages
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 12:33 PM

Well, at L.J. Quinns Lighthouse & Pub starting 8:00PM there is a band that plays maritime and folk music until 10:00 PM up stairs in the pub portion. It is a group called The Starboard Watch (used to be the Sons Of The Buccaneers) Quite a scene. A few of the Catters have been dropping by. It is usually quite noisy but fun. the featured people are Jim Nelson (banjo guitar and vocal) and Skip Henderson (melodeon guitar VOCAL) etc..the crowd is informal...lots of fun See Ya Winters Wages

Subject: RE: Tonight at the Starry Plough
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 03 Aug 99 - 08:59 PM

That's right, WsWs, I forgot Fadac was going to that larkinam thing. I guess that's why we haven't seen him here for a few days. Well, he's gonna miss Sonja's send-off. --seed