Snakebit - anybody got any venom?
Milwaukee Irish Fest is the largest Irish festival in the world, with over 140,000 people attending and I was invited to present on my book, and have a signing, each day. I was so very excited. The only rule was that I had to have to books (Festival Legends: Songs & Stories - all about Irish music legends and their journeys) delivered by noon on Friday. Talk about the perfect market for the book - and ALL in ONE place!
So I took the opportunity to see my sis and her family while making the drive a little more reasonable. I went to my sisters on Wednesday, visit her family for a day or two and then just drive about 4 hours from there, to Milwaukee, rather than an 8 hour trip on Friday. I arrived there and the kids were in good form, excited about starting a new school term. My oldest niece and nephew even took me to dinner! Imagine that! Pretty cool, I thought. Got a chance to see where they live and what they are up to. Really enjoyed being with them.
Got up around 7 on Friday morning and headed out to Milwaukee. Was on Comiskey Park before I realized it - construction was baaaad.
They are redoing the highway there, 65, and the Ryan Expressway - and it is expected to take FIVE years.
The grounds in Milwaukee are very unique - right on the lake and just beautiful. These pics are at 7:00 a.m. Saturday - just to give you an idea of how massive and polished it all is. They have a different festival every weekend and their Summerfest draws 100,000 people a day (for 10 days)!
I met the Literary Corner Coordinator, a really nice lady named Veronica and helped her get the area set up for a bit, taping down carpets, unpacking books and arranging tables etc.. She is having both her knees replaced and moving was difficult for her - she did an amazing wonderful job and the place looked spectacular.
From a business standpoint with the book, the weekend itself was very tough. The program book and the schedule boards had a book, Spirits and Songs of Irish Festivals, listed as my book title in the program book and on the stage schedule for Saturday (instead of Festival Legends, Songs & Stories),
but Spirits was spelled Sipirits in the program book - yeah, that’ll draw them in! Sorry.
The Saturday presentation went well enough, despite that. Then I went over to do my signing while Malachy McCourt was presenting. He finished 1/2 hour before my signing was done and mistakenly told those listening that he was going over to sign books right then, instead of a 1/2 hour later. Bunch of people crashed into the tent, demanding him, including a large woman who yelled at me that he said he was coming right over “and I am staying right here until I see him.” I said ok… it was too funny (Malachy was very nice about it, apologized for the mix-up, nice, friendly guy. We swapped books and had a nice chat). Did ok on selling there though and enjoyed talking to people about the book and sharing stories of the legends. Another highlight for me was getting to meet Mary Clancy, wife of Paddy, who was in Milwaukee talking about the wonderful Paddy Clancy Scholarship Fund.
I was not listed on the program at all on Sunday, even though they wrote me as doing a presentation at 2:15. Then when I went to do the presentation at 2:15 on Sunday, Ed Ward was doing his Milwaukee 25 book (an awesome, fun look at the history of the fest, stories, legends etc…) and with all the questions, ran thru my time. Neither Ed nor the MC even knew about me even being scheduled. I had a signing scheduled then for 2:45 till 3:30, but then they came and cancelled the signing and had me do a presentation instead. Many of the other fest directors came all the way over to my presentation both days and the support was just an awesome thing to see (and feel).
In anticipation of great crowds at Milwaukee Irish Fest, I got 150 extra books, because I was allowed to have the book for sale at the performer CD booth, since it is about Irish music. When I went to the booth that Friday night, they had no book displayed or mentioned and the booth coordinator knew nothing about it. I walked back to the Merchandise coordinator trailer, then back to the booth, and they found it under a table. The booth coordinator wouldn’t put it out because “It will get stolen.” So I left the grounds, walked all the way back to my car, grabbed 4 posters of the cover, plus write ups of the back cover and then I took them back to the booth coordinator. It was now 9:00 at night. He put out the poster, but not the writeup, at this booth, but the other CD booths did not have the book. So the next day I came back, borrowed a marker from someone and wrote at the bottom of the poster, “book available here.” For the whole weekend, I sold 5 - FIVE, for 140,000 people. I was really disappointed, after being so hopeful and paying for the extra books. I have sold between 40 and 50 at most festivals,e ven though they are less than 1/3 of the size, so this was painful.
Ahh well. It was no ones fault. As I said, I have great awe for the job they do there. The music was phenomenal. The genius pianist and composer Michaeal O’Suilleabhain (Mehal O’Sullowhine or Michael O’Sullivan) performed, here with a spoons player.
He can take Irish music and stretch it in ways no one ever thought possible, while still respecting the tradition. He is also the Director of Irish Music Studies at the University of Limerick, where you can get a Masters Degree in Irish Music’s specialties.
My favorites, the Makem & Spain Brothers
Danny Doyle
and Tom Sweeney
were also there as were, as were the Elders, and the Irish Rovers (Wasn’t That Party, Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer are two of their hits that crossed over into American Mainstream radio charts and were big hits in the U.S. as well) - The Rovers:
There was an unbelievable special series featuring bands from Nova Scotia, like the Cottars, a group of 16 to 18 year olds that are carrying on the Cape Breton tradition with style, classs and great passion:
JP Cormier - one of the worlds greatest guitarists: who floored the audience with a TWENTY-FIVE minute non-stop guitar solo - Un Bee Leeve A Bul!
Beolach
the amazing Jerry Holland, here jamming with JP Cormier. Jerry has nurtured and passed on the fiddle tradition with so many and has great stature in the Cape Breton community and throughout Nova Scotia:
and the fantastic singer and songwriter Dave Gunning:
just to mention a few.
I was given several story assignments, to do interviews and articles on this part of the festival. The articles will run in 4th Quarter edition of Irish American Post, God willing.
Other groups at the fest included David Munnelly Band, Young Dubs, Grada and dozens more. I had a wonderful time exploring the cultural areas and catching up with many old friends too. As a festival organizer myself, I was also invited to a networking meeting for fest organizers from around the country. The Milwaukee Organizers are incredibly open with their time, advice, insight and more. Very classy, down to earth people. I had a great time sharing stories and best practices. Many of us have grown to become friends, outside of the festival arena.
Dana From Potomac Fest, Matthew from Pittsburgh Irish Festival, Kevin O’Shea, manager for the Makem & Spain Brothers and Tommy Makem, Me, Nan, Director of Pittsburgh Irish Festival and Rory Makem, of the Makem & Spain Brothers.
I did get to talk to Rampant Lion, a monster CD and book seller and they took some books. Met Michaeal O’Suilleabhain, the genius piano player and composer mentioned above, who I gave a book too,
as well as Malachy McCourt, so I enjoyed those things. Monday I went to Chicago and did a radio show up there, Tuesday hit some books stores - and they took the book as well, before heading back to Cleveland yesterday afteroon.
Oh well, I am so snakebit, I just don’t even know how to react anymore.
Going to fests in KC next weekend, with the holiday, then Pittsburgh, then Indy so if you are near those cities, would love to see ya.