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What a weekend!  I spent Saturday and Sunday in Pittsburgh PA., at the 16th Annual Pittsburgh Irish Festival.  Invited to present on my book, Festival Legends: Songs & Stories, I also got to see some amazing performances.

6:00 a.m. start came way too early, especially for a Saturday, but my view was just awesome: on the Ohio Turnpike, 80 East on the way to Pittsburgh.

I got into Pittsburgh at 9, checked in and then was met at the fest by the incredibly organized and gracious Julie, who got me situated and I hauled all my “Stuff” in and set up the book booth.  I had a great view of the main stage too:

Between promoting the book and doing the presentations, I got the chance to see some wonderful groups, including Pipeline, from Germany.  Funny, incredibly talented and genuinely nice guys, they were phenominal.  Had a great ould chat with them.  Just outside the stage was the view of Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field, which I haven’t seen before:

Others groups included the hugely popular Gaelic Storm, who rode their appearance as the steerage band in the movie Titanic to great success.  Through hard work, perseverance and constant touring, they then became a great band on their own and have a huge following all over the U.S.

I sold a great number of books, 2nd most of any event/signing I have attended since the book came out, and I was very happy with the weekend, but I have to say that the highlight of the weekend had to be the appearance of the Godfather, Mr. Tommy Makem, on Sunday.  Tommy has written over 400 songs, many of them standards sung all over the world wherever the Irish gather, including Four Green Fields, Winds of Freedom, Gentle Annie, Boys of Killybegs, Winds of Morning and so many more. The legendary Godfather of Irish music, who started out as The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem, then thru Makem and Clancy and finally as an amazing solo performer, overturned the Irish music world, when he and the Clancy Brothers appeared on the Ed Sullivan show 4 times from 1961 thru 1966.  Irish music, which has existed, isolated, for centuries, was suddenly thrust into the international spotlight and the “No Irish Need Apply,” inferiority born of descrimination was suddenly shttered.  Many realized that if others could appreciate and celebrate the Irish song tradition, throughout the world, we, as Irish, should also appreciate and celebrate it.  The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem had the same kind of impact on Irish music in the early 1960’s as Michael Flatley and Riverdance had on Irish music and dance in our generation.  He is a national treasure, in many countries, from his past, as mentioned, but also because of his relentless promotion and presentation of the Irish culture, preserving and passing it on to new generations with each new show.  Words are NOT enough to do justice to this genuine, humor filled and once in a life time gift, that is Tommy Makem.  He is the first chapter in my book, and the most fascinating man to talk to.

Then, his sons band, the Makem & Spain Brothers, came onto the stage with Tommy, the past, present and future were all on stage together and the performance was just awesome.

(above - Shane Makem, Liam Spain, Rory Makem, Tommy Makem, Mick Spain & Conor Makem).

Tommy’s youngest son, Rory, of the Makem & Spain Brothers band, plays with Tommy when the two groups are appearing at the same festival.  If you turn your back, you often wonder if that is Rory singing, or is it really Tommy?

There were several directors from other festivals at Pitt.  We all try to catch as many festivals as we can, for ideas, see different bands, share ideas and best practices and for the chance to actually enjoy a festival, rather than just work it:

Organizers from the Great American Fest (Utica NY) suround Pitt Irish Festival Director Nan Krushinski (in blue) and I, in front of my book booth on Saturday.

It was a wonderful weekend, saw lots of old friends, and sold books - life is good.  A piece from my presentation - it applies to you too….

Invitation
by John O’Brien, Jr.

You are welcome in my home
Wait for no invitation,
for it was given the day we met.
Pull up a chair, warm your hands
as the sweet tastes of the turf and the tea, linger
in the rare air

My door is always open,
the kettle always boiling.
Scones warm vapors awaken.
I am so happy you dropped by.
There is a place for you here.
We’ll sing. Bards and sean nos,
friends of friends come freely
and stay, and go, leaving memories
passing on songs, sharing history
adding to the fabric of my life
barely lived, generations old

I want no rules here
yet invite you to join with my ways
around the hearth
only you have seen,
what you have seen,
the places you’ve been,
stories you’ve breathed.
Friends and foes of the past
and how they walked their path
their ripples, and jokes,
their memorable moments in time
and so will live on
as we pass on.
There are no strangers here
only friends who haven’t met.

*****

On to Indy next weekend!

This entry was posted on Monday, September 11th, 2006 at 11:30 pm and is filed under Festival Legends, The Book, Irish Culture, Irish Music, Past and Present, The Legends, Lives of the Artists, My Own Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.