Glasgow Highland Games May 31-June 3
Get ready for a Highland Games the likes of which ye have ne'er seen. Rock has not been afforded the benefit of any official press information but from informal contacts I have learned that this will be a fabulous weekend. Numerous Scottish clans will be represented by their Clan Chiefs, Chieftains and lesser nobility. There will be a "tattoo" on Thursday night which will include The Louisville Pipe Band and various concerts and other preliminary events are scheduled. The City of Washington Pipe Band, a world-class competition band will be on hand Saturday. Seven Nations will be there as well as Ceili Rain, Father, Son & Friends, Colin Grant-Adams and a very nice group from North Carolina (I believe), Full Moon Ensemble, will be performing at various times during the games. The usual events are planned. "Usual" means anything but commonplace: wonderful solo piping & drumming as well as pipe band competitions, Highland and Scottish Country dancing, clan tents, reenactors, a multitude of Celtic vendors and purveyors of Scottish foods. The games are held on the grounds of Barren River State Resort Park near Glasgow, Kentucky. The Scottish Society always has a fun crew, so your best bet is to tag along with them. For more inside information, contact the Scottish Society of Louisville through their web page at www.ScotsofLou.org or call 228-9289.
Kentucky Scottish Weekend May 11-13
Equidistant between Cincinnati and Louisville is the General Butler State Resort Park in Carrollton, Kentucky. This is home to the oldest Highland Games in Kentucky, held the weekend after Derby. Check last month's issue for more details. This is a great games with a good complement of pipe bands, dancing, athletics, Alex Beaton and Seven Nations and a British Car Show. Visit their website for more details at www.kyscottishweekend.org. The Scottish Society of Louisville will also be here in force, so you can hook up with them at 228-9280.
Ceili Rain
Christian-oriented versions of just about every genre of music have emerged in recent years and Celtic music is no exception. Ceili Rain is a high-energy band that has received critical acclaim, You might know them for their tune, "That's All the Lumber," which got considerable airplay on WFPK. They will be in Louisville on May 25, playing a WFPK "Live Lunch" show at noon (doors open at 11:30, first-come, first-seated) and an in-store at ear X-tacy Records later that day at 6 pm. They have a Kentucky connection in their piper, Skip Cleavinger.
A Louisville native, Skip has been on the roster of several world-class pipe bands. He has been competing professionally for the past eight years and both teaches and coaches individuals and pipe bands in Kentucky and Tennessee. When he is not piping, Skip is a school psychologist in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The Boys From County Hell
Molly Malone's is importing The Boys From County Hell direct from Ireland. If the name is any indication, they ought to be great craic. They will be onstage both Derby Eve and Derby Day.