Blog http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:15:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com Goodness http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=2026643  Well...yes, its been forever. Goodness is happening all around--studio is finished, new recordings, a novel underway, Wildvine has a new product in demo--stage (and its really cool!) and spring is here. I am currently about halfway through a 30 day binge. For 30 days straight I am doing yoga every day, practicing guitar every day for at least 30 minutes and not inserting anything unhealthy into my mouth. I started this thing the Monday after Easter. I was overzealous when I started--I was going to do 100 push ups and 125 sit ups every day but I bailed out on that. I was going to play piano every day too but I have fallen behind on that so I am just doing it whenever I can. Anyway, maybe more about that another time. Now I want to leave you with a song, called "Final Toast". Each Monday night I play music with a few of the finest musicians around at an Irish Pub in Kirkland, WA called the Wilde Rover. Machala sparked in me the idea to put this song out there. Late one night, after a fierce night of sweet music, I had everyone gather around off the stage...to make the final toast of the night. Edgars and I sang this song--no microphones, no amps...just a guitar, voices and people with their drinks. Machala sat down and joined us, and that made everything feel right. We have started to play this as the last song almost every time. I don't know how long it will last, but its a great way to end the evening. Ah, for moments like these.... Enjoy! Post by:
Now I want to leave you with a song, called "Final Toast". Each Monday night I play music with a few of the finest musicians around at an Irish Pub in Kirkland, WA called the Wilde Rover. Machala sparked in me the idea to put this song out there. Late one night, after a fierce night of sweet music, I had everyone gather around off the stage...to make the final toast of the night. Edgars and I sang this song--no microphones, no amps...just a guitar, voices and people with their drinks. Machala sat down and joined us, and that made everything feel right. We have started to play this as the last song almost every time. I don't know how long it will last, but its a great way to end the evening. Ah, for moments like these.... Enjoy!
Post by: ]]> Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:15:00 GMT EAC91CA9F0016B7215A9BF4A2B1DFE41 Coming Soon: Website Remodel http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=898513 Looking back through the blog, I see it was about this time last year that I first started working on setting up this website for Dan. He had one before this, of course, but he wanted something that could do more. After researching some possibilities and teaching myself a few things about websites and their design, this is what I came up with. It's worked pretty well, but lately we've been talking about how we might improve it. I absorbed those conversations, and did some thinking, and yesterday, I presented Dan with a quick sketch of some of my ideas. We talked it over some more, and now, it's time to get to work. So, over the coming weeks, you'll be seeing some changes to the site. I'll highlight those changes here, so you don't have to play the game of spot the difference (though you can if you want - just read the blog last, to see if you're right!). I like to hope you'll consider these changes improvements, but we're always open to feedback. Feel free to comment in the blog or on <a target="_new" href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/danconnollymusic">Facebook, or send us a message through our <a href="./contact.cfm">contact form. After all, the site may be about Dan and his music, but our goal is to make it your site - because you're the one that's using it! Better yet, talk to us about it in person! You can always find us at the Wilde Rover on a Monday night, and you can check the <a href="./calendar.cfm">calendar to find out where else we might be. While you're at it, ask us about the upcoming House Concert series and how you might take part&nbsp;(or stay tuned for more information, coming soon to a blog post near you!). Post by:
So, over the coming weeks, you'll be seeing some changes to the site. I'll highlight those changes here, so you don't have to play the game of spot the difference (though you can if you want - just read the blog last, to see if you're right!). I like to hope you'll consider these changes improvements, but we're always open to feedback. Feel free to comment in the blog or on Facebook, or send us a message through our contact form. After all, the site may be about Dan and his music, but our goal is to make it your site - because you're the one that's using it!


Better yet, talk to us about it in person! You can always find us at the Wilde Rover on a Monday night, and you can check the calendar to find out where else we might be. While you're at it, ask us about the upcoming House Concert series and how you might take part (or stay tuned for more information, coming soon to a blog post near you!).

Post by: ]]> Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:19:21 GMT 6E1F63D99A8C64DDB0FFA062DEB9C191 Oddfellows, Crossroads & SSR http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=862166 Okay, so there should have been a new blog entry with a report on St. Patrick's Day a while ago, given that it's been more than a week. But, well, let's just say it took a while to recover, and Shanie really wanted to be able to put some video with it, and, well, it's not done yet. But there's still cool stuff going on, and I don't want to miss mentioning that, so you'll have to wait on the St. Patrick's report for a bit. Last night, Dan played Oddfellows. For the first set, Doug McGrew was on drums and Edgars Klepers sang backup vocals. For the second set, Nick LaPointe took over the drums. I don't know what combination of magic was in the air, but it was clear from the start that it was going to be a great night. Dan started the first set solo, with a mellow layered-loop jam that kept building. The jam set the tone for the night and the guys let the songs expand a little more than usual, with some great moments. Dan and Doug took a fantastic bodhrain and drumkit duo. Lift Your Head, which Dan's been playing more lately, sounded great and hit a particularly high note. During the second set, Dan continued in the same vein and had the crowd on their feet and dancing, as well as clapping along and calling out on the traditional Irish songs. Just before the encore song, someone who had never seen Dan before thanked him for the performance and pointed out that it's music that gets us through the hard times. As I'm writing this, Dan is finishing up his performance at the Bite of Crossroads, and I'm looking at a crowd of people hanging on every note and every word of Time for a Change. It's been another high energy set, with the enthusiasm from last night still running strong. Tonight, Dan continues the series of special shows at Second Story Repertory at 8 pm. These have always been special shows, in an intimate theatre with great acoustics and the ability for Dan and the audience to really connect. Hope to see you there! Post by:&nbsp;
Last night, Dan played Oddfellows. For the first set, Doug McGrew was on drums and Edgars Klepers sang backup vocals. For the second set, Nick LaPointe took over the drums. I don't know what combination of magic was in the air, but it was clear from the start that it was going to be a great night.

Dan started the first set solo, with a mellow layered-loop jam that kept building. The jam set the tone for the night and the guys let the songs expand a little more than usual, with some great moments. Dan and Doug took a fantastic bodhrain and drumkit duo. Lift Your Head, which Dan's been playing more lately, sounded great and hit a particularly high note.



During the second set, Dan continued in the same vein and had the crowd on their feet and dancing, as well as clapping along and calling out on the traditional Irish songs. Just before the encore song, someone who had never seen Dan before thanked him for the performance and pointed out that it's music that gets us through the hard times.

As I'm writing this, Dan is finishing up his performance at the Bite of Crossroads, and I'm looking at a crowd of people hanging on every note and every word of Time for a Change. It's been another high energy set, with the enthusiasm from last night still running strong.

Tonight, Dan continues the series of special shows at Second Story Repertory at 8 pm. These have always been special shows, in an intimate theatre with great acoustics and the ability for Dan and the audience to really connect. Hope to see you there!

Post by: 
]]> Sun, 27 Mar 2011 03:00:00 GMT 361CCDB63BF5C6BEEC1AC145D27090B4 St. Patrick's Week Continues! http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=837050 St. Patrick's week began last Friday, with the 6th Annual St. Patrick's Celebration at Kirkland Performance Center. Here's a little more video from that night, of Black is the Color: Saturday night, the guys played a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, attended by Seattle-area notables such as KING-5's Jean Enerson. It was a formal affair, and Dan was all dressed up, playing his sunshine guitar. I wish I could have been there, to get some pictures, but it was a closed event. Sunday morning, the band was in Portland for the 33rd Shamrock Run. More than 30,000 people were out, to particpate in events varying from 1k to 15k. As the liquid sunshine came pouring down, the guys thought it only appropriate to play Running Under Water. This picture was captured from a <a target="_new" href="http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/03/shamrock_runs_mix_of_early_sea.html">news video of the event. Monday, it was back to the Wilde Rover, for a little pre-St. Patty's fun.&nbsp;A lot&nbsp;of the decorations were already up, the clock was counting down, and the crowd was already getting into the spirit. I was only able to stay for the first set, but even that was a great time, as the guys played some old favorites,&nbsp;like Finnegan's Wake,&nbsp;along with some of their newer arrangements, including Dirty Old Town. Last night was like a reunion, as Dan returned to Zeeks in Issaquah for the first time since last September. There were some new faces in the crowd but also lots of old friends out to enjoy the music. Dan treated the crowd to a wide selection of Celtic classics, sprinkled with a few of his originals. A number of songs had the crowd singing along, and Molly Malone earned an especially rousing chorus. Folks were reluctant to let him go, but he finally closed out with Final Toast a little after 10. Tonight, Dan will be playing Post in Seattle, joined by Geoffrey on his volin. Although they started out as a duo, years ago, it's a fairly rare thing these days to catch just the two of them playing together. Expect some songs you don't normally hear at the Rover; it should be quite a treat. Then tomorrow is the big day: Saint Patrick's Day! Dan and Geoffrey will be starting out in the morning at a Microsoft event. Eric and Darin will join them at Paddy Coynes in Seattle for happy hour from 3-6, and then the band will be rocking the Wilde Rover starting at about 9. Come on out and join the fun! Post by:


Saturday night, the guys played a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, attended by Seattle-area notables such as KING-5's Jean Enerson. It was a formal affair, and Dan was all dressed up, playing his sunshine guitar. I wish I could have been there, to get some pictures, but it was a closed event.

Sunday morning, the band was in Portland for the 33rd Shamrock Run. More than 30,000 people were out, to particpate in events varying from 1k to 15k. As the liquid sunshine came pouring down, the guys thought it only appropriate to play Running Under Water. This picture was captured from a news video of the event.

Monday, it was back to the Wilde Rover, for a little pre-St. Patty's fun. A lot of the decorations were already up, the clock was counting down, and the crowd was already getting into the spirit. I was only able to stay for the first set, but even that was a great time, as the guys played some old favorites, like Finnegan's Wake, along with some of their newer arrangements, including Dirty Old Town.

Last night was like a reunion, as Dan returned to Zeeks in Issaquah for the first time since last September. There were some new faces in the crowd but also lots of old friends out to enjoy the music. Dan treated the crowd to a wide selection of Celtic classics, sprinkled with a few of his originals. A number of songs had the crowd singing along, and Molly Malone earned an especially rousing chorus. Folks were reluctant to let him go, but he finally closed out with Final Toast a little after 10.

Tonight, Dan will be playing Post in Seattle, joined by Geoffrey on his volin. Although they started out as a duo, years ago, it's a fairly rare thing these days to catch just the two of them playing together. Expect some songs you don't normally hear at the Rover; it should be quite a treat.

Then tomorrow is the big day: Saint Patrick's Day! Dan and Geoffrey will be starting out in the morning at a Microsoft event. Eric and Darin will join them at Paddy Coynes in Seattle for happy hour from 3-6, and then the band will be rocking the Wilde Rover starting at about 9. Come on out and join the fun!

Post by: ]]> Thu, 17 Mar 2011 02:50:00 GMT 141197F267CFA435F9D61E995FE62E72 St. Patrick's Week Begins! http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=827348 The time around St. Patrick's Day can get pretty crazy, especially if you're an Irish musician. Last night, Dan kicked off the madness in style at the 6th Annual St. Patrick's Celebration at Kirkland Peformance Center (KPC). This 402-seat theater is an amazing venue for seeing (and playing) music:&nbsp;spacious stage, excellent sound and light systems,&nbsp;and not a bad seat in the&nbsp;house. As the night began, the place was&nbsp;packed and the energy&nbsp;was infectious. Things just got better from there. The show&nbsp;opened with&nbsp;championship dancers Kelly, Connor and Maggie,&nbsp;from the Comerford School of Irish Dance, literally setting the tempo for&nbsp;Geoffrey, Eric and Darin as they launched into the reel Maggie. The Gothard Sisters came out and danced to Strayaway Child, and then Dan&nbsp;joined in with Peggy Gordon. The rest of the night flowed with Celtic classics sprinkled with a few more original&nbsp;works.&nbsp;A highlight in the latter category was when the guys played Feel Your Way:&nbsp;&nbsp; Tonight, Dan and the guys are playing at a special fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, then they'll be up bright and early tomorrow morning to entertain participants in Portland's 33rd Shamrock Run. And that's still just the beginning of St. Patrick's week! Post by:
The show opened with championship dancers Kelly, Connor and Maggie, from the Comerford School of Irish Dance, literally setting the tempo for Geoffrey, Eric and Darin as they launched into the reel Maggie. The Gothard Sisters came out and danced to Strayaway Child, and then Dan joined in with Peggy Gordon. The rest of the night flowed with Celtic classics sprinkled with a few more original works. A highlight in the latter category was when the guys played Feel Your Way:  



Tonight, Dan and the guys are playing at a special fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, then they'll be up bright and early tomorrow morning to entertain participants in Portland's 33rd Shamrock Run. And that's still just the beginning of St. Patrick's week!

Post by: ]]> Sun, 13 Mar 2011 07:25:00 GMT 12A2251BC55BD8AB8EA43EE044EC5BBF Irish New Year? http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=823628 Okay, I know the New Year technically starts in January, but this is the two-year anniversary of the first time I saw Dan perform, so it seems as good a time as any for a new beginning. This website's been dormant for a bit, but we're going to see if we can get it back up and running. As a first step, the <a href="./calendar.cfm">Calendar is all newly-updated with lots of opportunities to see Dan play this month. In case you're wondering, that first show was the 4th Annual St. Patrick's Celebration, at Kirkland Performance Center. Tomorrow, the St. Patrick's Celebration is happening again, with <a target="_new" href="http://www.geoffreycastle.com/">Geoffrey Castle on his electric violin, <a target="_new" href="http://www.ericrobertmusic.com/">Eric Robert on keys, and <a target="_new" href="http://www.darinwatkins.org/fr_home.cfm">Darin Watkins on drums. Dan will be singing and playing guitar, and I suspect his bodhran will make an appearance, as well. The guys will be joined by <a target="_new" href="http://www.ourdollsmembers.net/celticrainbow/">The Gothard Sisters, who sing and dance while playing fiddle or the drum. Championship Celtic Dancers Kelly, Connor and Maggie of the Comerford School of Irish Dance will be taking the stage, as well. This time around, I'll be hanging out in the back, catching the whole thing on video. So if you're not able to make it to the show, watch this space - there's likely to be some clips posted soon! Post by: &nbsp; is the two-year anniversary of the first time I saw Dan perform, so it seems as good a time as any for a new beginning. This website's been dormant for a bit, but we're going to see if we can get it back up and running. As a first step, the Calendar is all newly-updated with lots of opportunities to see Dan play this month.

In case you're wondering, that first show was the 4th Annual St. Patrick's Celebration, at Kirkland Performance Center. Tomorrow, the St. Patrick's Celebration is happening again, with Geoffrey Castle on his electric violin, Eric Robert on keys, and Darin Watkins on drums. Dan will be singing and playing guitar, and I suspect his bodhran will make an appearance, as well. The guys will be joined by The Gothard Sisters, who sing and dance while playing fiddle or the drum. Championship Celtic Dancers Kelly, Connor and Maggie of the Comerford School of Irish Dance will be taking the stage, as well. This time around, I'll be hanging out in the back, catching the whole thing on video. So if you're not able to make it to the show, watch this space - there's likely to be some clips posted soon!

Post by:  ]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:46:08 GMT FB980F5D7F792FE9ED2D29533A7082C2 A New Week http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=614464 It's been a while since I've written one of these, but rather than try to fill the gap, let's just say it's a new week, and here's what's been happening: I was working at my computer Monday afternoon (okay, so I may have been playing games), when a text came in from Dan. A bomb threat at the Bainbridge police station! Aside from being rather unusual, it meant he had to take the Kingston-Edmonds ferry to get over to Kirkland to play the Rover. That put a bit of a kink in his plans, because he'd been hoping to stop by Tim's, in downtown Seattle, to pick up a keyboard. Eric was going to be out, playing a special show with Lucky Peterson at Jazz Alley, so Dan wanted to play keyboard himself for a few songs. I wasn't doing anything important, so I offered to get the keyboard for him. After all, it's not often I get to hear Dan on keys, so I figured it'd be worth the trip. And, true to form, the guys had some fun mixing things up a bit. If you missed out, here's a short clip: Last week, our friend Lash told us he'd been talking Dan up at the <a href="http://galwaybayirishpub.com/">Galway Bay Pub, home of the West Coast's largest Irish music festival. Yesterday, I decided I could use a good excuse to make a trip to the coast, and decided to go check the place out. I swung by Dan's place to pick up his very last Celtic CD (still available as a download <a href="./lowtohigh.cfm">here on the website) to take with me. I caught him just as he was heading out the door to catch a ferry, guitar in hand. He was going to Tim's to do some recording for the new CD he's working on. More on that another time; I had a drive in front of me. I heard it was dark and cold in Seattle, but the sun was out over the water as I hit Aberdeen. That view alone just about made the drive worthwhile. There were a few showers between there and Ocean Shores, but it was a pleasant partly cloudy as I wandered out to the beach. I don't recall visiting this particular stretch of coast before; I was impressed by how shallow the slope was. The tide was way out, exposing a vast expanse of beach, but the advancing waves made it clear it was on its way in. I managed to snap a (poor) picture of an intact sand dollar in the fading light before the waves chased me away. And, oh yeah! - I also delivered the CD to the Galway Bay Pub. Bill, the guy that makes decisions, is out until Friday, but I had the opportunity to chat with a few others about the place. I'll definitely be following up - I'd love to get Dan out there to play. Beach party, anyone? ;-) In the meantime, while it's not at the beach, there is a view of the Sound from <a target="_new" href="http://www.postinthemarket.com/">Post Pike Place, where Dan plays solo tonight, starting at about 9. Come on out and join us! Post by:
I was working at my computer Monday afternoon (okay, so I may have been playing games), when a text came in from Dan. A bomb threat at the Bainbridge police station! Aside from being rather unusual, it meant he had to take the Kingston-Edmonds ferry to get over to Kirkland to play the Rover. That put a bit of a kink in his plans, because he'd been hoping to stop by Tim's, in downtown Seattle, to pick up a keyboard. Eric was going to be out, playing a special show with Lucky Peterson at Jazz Alley, so Dan wanted to play keyboard himself for a few songs. I wasn't doing anything important, so I offered to get the keyboard for him. After all, it's not often I get to hear Dan on keys, so I figured it'd be worth the trip. And, true to form, the guys had some fun mixing things up a bit. If you missed out, here's a short clip:


Last week, our friend Lash told us he'd been talking Dan up at the Galway Bay Pub, home of the West Coast's largest Irish music festival. Yesterday, I decided I could use a good excuse to make a trip to the coast, and decided to go check the place out. I swung by Dan's place to pick up his very last Celtic CD (still available as a download here on the website) to take with me. I caught him just as he was heading out the door to catch a ferry, guitar in hand. He was going to Tim's to do some recording for the new CD he's working on. More on that another time; I had a drive in front of me.

I heard it was dark and cold in Seattle, but the sun was out over the water as I hit Aberdeen. That view alone just about made the drive worthwhile. There were a few showers between there and Ocean Shores, but it was a pleasant partly cloudy as I wandered out to the beach. I don't recall visiting this particular stretch of coast before; I was impressed by how shallow the slope was. The tide was way out, exposing a vast expanse of beach, but the advancing waves made it clear it was on its way in. I managed to snap a (poor) picture of an intact sand dollar in the fading light before the waves chased me away.

And, oh yeah! - I also delivered the CD to the Galway Bay Pub. Bill, the guy that makes decisions, is out until Friday, but I had the opportunity to chat with a few others about the place. I'll definitely be following up - I'd love to get Dan out there to play. Beach party, anyone? ;-)

In the meantime, while it's not at the beach, there is a view of the Sound from Post Pike Place, where Dan plays solo tonight, starting at about 9. Come on out and join us!

Post by: ]]> Fri, 03 Dec 2010 04:00:00 GMT 8FFDA9803CEF0F7AA49B7359E70D6A47 Welcome Home http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=501979 Last night was Dan's monthly gig at <a target="_new" href="http://www.soulfoodbooks.com">SoulFood Books in Redmond. Spotting Dan getting set up, SoulFood owner Clint McCune said, &quot;Welcome home, Dan!&quot; And indeed, there are few places where Dan seems as much at home as he does on the stage at SoulFood. Definitely one of my favorite venues to see Dan play. Dan was joined last night by Edgars Klepers on&nbsp;sound and&nbsp;backup vocals, and Clint contributed his energy with percussion. There was also a great crowd, full of old friends as well as some new faces. Thanks to everyone who came out last night to share in the music! If you missed the show, or just want to see it again, the first part is <a target="_new" href="http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/10187518">here, and it continues <a target="_new" href="http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/10187958">here. Dan had to clear out pretty quickly at the end,&nbsp;to go join&nbsp;the rest of the Celtic Night crew for a second set&nbsp;at <a target="_new" href="http://bigdaddysplace.com/">Big Daddy's in Woodinville. The guys played a high-energy set, with a mix of Dan's originals and some classic Celtic material. The crowd particularly enjoyed Black is the Color, and were whooping and clapping when it was done. Geoffrey thanked the crowd, saying they were making him feel like Van Halen or something up there on stage. Eric couldn't resist, and launched into&nbsp;a synth line for Jump. Then Darin joined in on drums, and, before the crowd knew it, the guys were really playing Jump, much to everyone's amusement. You probably had to be there, but it was a lot of fun for everyone that was! Tonight and Sunday, Dan will be at <a target="_new" href="http://www.postinthemarket.com/">Post Pike Place, then the Celtic Night crew will be back at the <a href="http://www.wilderover.com/">Wilde Rover on Monday. Next week features a couple of special shows, with Dan at <a target="_new" href="http://www.theclubbroadway.com/">Club Broadway in Everett on Friday, and the Celtic Night crew will be playing the <a target="_new" href="http://www.methowbrewing.com/">Twisp River Pub on Saturday. Come on out and join us! Post by: SoulFood Books in Redmond. Spotting Dan getting set up, SoulFood owner Clint McCune said, "Welcome home, Dan!" And indeed, there are few places where Dan seems as much at home as he does on the stage at SoulFood. Definitely one of my favorite venues to see Dan play.

Dan was joined last night by Edgars Klepers on sound and backup vocals, and Clint contributed his energy with percussion. There was also a great crowd, full of old friends as well as some new faces. Thanks to everyone who came out last night to share in the music! If you missed the show, or just want to see it again, the first part is here, and it continues here.

Dan had to clear out pretty quickly at the end, to go join the rest of the Celtic Night crew for a second set at Big Daddy's in Woodinville. The guys played a high-energy set, with a mix of Dan's originals and some classic Celtic material. The crowd particularly enjoyed Black is the Color, and were whooping and clapping when it was done. Geoffrey thanked the crowd, saying they were making him feel like Van Halen or something up there on stage. Eric couldn't resist, and launched into a synth line for Jump. Then Darin joined in on drums, and, before the crowd knew it, the guys were really playing Jump, much to everyone's amusement. You probably had to be there, but it was a lot of fun for everyone that was!

Tonight and Sunday, Dan will be at Post Pike Place, then the Celtic Night crew will be back at the Wilde Rover on Monday. Next week features a couple of special shows, with Dan at Club Broadway in Everett on Friday, and the Celtic Night crew will be playing the Twisp River Pub on Saturday. Come on out and join us!

Post by: ]]> Fri, 15 Oct 2010 03:55:00 GMT 5DEBE7A0600E47D93E46F79C46E59A1E Schedule Change http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=465688 For those of you who don't know, Dan has shifted his home base from Issaquah to Bainbridge Island, which allows him to spend more time with his kids. This switch has made playing his weekly gig at Zeeks in Issaquah a lot more difficult. With no small amount of regret, the decision's been made to let that gig go. We'll definitely miss all our friends out in Issaquah, but we hope you'll come out and see us at one of our other Eastside shows: <a target="_new" href="http://soulfoodbooks.com/OldRoot/">SoulFood Books on the second Wednesday of each month (next on 10/13), or <a target="_new" href="http://www.secondstoryrep.org/">SecondStory Repertory (coming up 11/20). Or come see Dan play with the Celtic Night crew at the <a target="_new" href="http://www.wilderover.com/">Wilde Rover every Monday night or at <a target="_new" href="http://bigdaddysplace.com/">Big Daddy's once a month. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, you could cross that lake, and come say hi to us at <a target="_new" href="http://www.postinthemarket.com/">Post Pike Place, where Dan's playing every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday night. None of those options work for you? Then tell us where you want Dan to play! We're open to suggestions, and if the demand is there, we'll do what we can to meet it. Dan's still&nbsp;available on some Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Suggest a venue, or, if you've got the space and the crowd (or are willing to open your space to others who might like to come), host a house concert. Just <a target="_new" href="./contact.cfm">contact us with your idea, and we'll see what we can do to make it happen! Hope to see you all soon! Post by: SoulFood Books on the second Wednesday of each month (next on 10/13), or SecondStory Repertory (coming up 11/20). Or come see Dan play with the Celtic Night crew at the Wilde Rover every Monday night or at Big Daddy's once a month. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, you could cross that lake, and come say hi to us at Post Pike Place, where Dan's playing every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday night.

None of those options work for you? Then tell us where you want Dan to play! We're open to suggestions, and if the demand is there, we'll do what we can to meet it. Dan's still available on some Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Suggest a venue, or, if you've got the space and the crowd (or are willing to open your space to others who might like to come), host a house concert. Just contact us with your idea, and we'll see what we can do to make it happen!

Hope to see you all soon!

Post by:
]]> Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:00:00 GMT 55F15999195BA54231C53E90CA527A0E Wilde Rover http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=456661 Last night was a fun night at the Rover! I didn't get to say hi to quite as many people as I usually would, because I found myself trapped in the corner by computer and video gear (results of that may just find their way to the website soon!), but I still got to enjoy the show. Darin Watkins was off playing the Puyallup Fair, so last night featured the return of Doug McGrew on drums,&nbsp;giving the night a bit of a different flavor. There were two special birthdays last night: regular Laith, and sound man Sean. Sean's birthday isn't until Saturday, so he may just be showing off his pipes in a rendition of Happy Birthday again next week! Tonight, family obligations are keeping Dan away from his usual 7:30 gig at Zeek's in Issaquah, so he'll be playing <a target="_new" href="http://www.postinthemarket.com/">Post Pike Place at 9 pm. Come check it out! Post by:

Last night was a fun night at the Rover! I didn't get to say hi to quite as many people as I usually would, because I found myself trapped in the corner by computer and video gear (results of that may just find their way to the website soon!), but I still got to enjoy the show. Darin Watkins was off playing the Puyallup Fair, so last night featured the return of Doug McGrew on drums, giving the night a bit of a different flavor. There were two special birthdays last night: regular Laith, and sound man Sean. Sean's birthday isn't until Saturday, so he may just be showing off his pipes in a rendition of Happy Birthday again next week!

Tonight, family obligations are keeping Dan away from his usual 7:30 gig at Zeek's in Issaquah, so he'll be playing Post Pike Place at 9 pm. Come check it out!

Post by:

]]> Wed, 22 Sep 2010 04:15:00 GMT 96B990BC8C1242BFA5CECDD3BE266D9F Post Pike Place http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=454749 Last night, Dan played <a target="_new" href="http://www.postinthemarket.com/">Post Pike Place. One of the things that makes this venue interesting is that you never really know what you're going to get. I mean, you can always count on Dan to play a different show every night, but it's not just that. The Post's location in the Market means that it draws some of the tourist crowd. There are a few regulars, but&nbsp; we also get to meet new people every week, from all over the world.&nbsp; One week, a Navy ship was in port. Another week saw a group visiting from Ireland. Last night, I met a woman from New York. Many times, these folks aren't necessarily planning to visit the Post, but they hear Dan over the outdoor speakers, and come in to investigate.&nbsp;It's always fun to get a chance to talk to these folks and to make new friends. Tonight, Dan's at the <a href="http://www.wilderover.com/">Wilde Rover, for Celtic Night with <a target="_new" href="http://www.geoffreycastle.com/">Geoffrey Castle&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ericrobertmusic.com/">Eric Robert&nbsp;(just back from a&nbsp;whirlwind trip&nbsp;to NYC!). <a href="http://www.myspace.com/darinwatkins">Darin Watkins is off playing at the Puyallup Fair, so tonight will feature the return of&nbsp; <a href="http://www.dougmcgrew.com/">Doug McGrew&nbsp;on drums. Hope to see you there! Post by: Last night, Dan played Post Pike Place. One of the things that makes this venue interesting is that you never really know what you're going to get. I mean, you can always count on Dan to play a different show every night, but it's not just that. The Post's location in the Market means that it draws some of the tourist crowd. There are a few regulars, but  we also get to meet new people every week, from all over the world.  One week, a Navy ship was in port. Another week saw a group visiting from Ireland. Last night, I met a woman from New York. Many times, these folks aren't necessarily planning to visit the Post, but they hear Dan over the outdoor speakers, and come in to investigate. It's always fun to get a chance to talk to these folks and to make new friends.

Tonight, Dan's at the Wilde Rover, for Celtic Night with Geoffrey Castle and Eric Robert (just back from a whirlwind trip to NYC!). Darin Watkins is off playing at the Puyallup Fair, so tonight will feature the return of  Doug McGrew on drums. Hope to see you there!

Post by:



]]> Tue, 21 Sep 2010 04:32:07 GMT 1120E473B77ECC7DC9A30D26D9C4405E Rockfish http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=453008 Friday night, Dan was a special guest at a <a href="http://www.geoffreycastle.com/">Geoffrey Castle concert at the <a href="http://anacortesrockfish.com/">Rockfish Grill in Anacortes. It was a packed crowd that greeted the band - so much so that it was a challenge finding enough space to set up the merch table. That was great, though, because it meant there was a lot of energy. Folks determined to dance managed to find room between tables. The guys fed off that energy, and put on a great show. Thanks, Anacortes! Tonight, Dan will be playing his solo show at <a target="_new" href="http://www.postinthemarket.com">Post Pike Place from 8-11. Come on out and say hi! Post by:
Friday night, Dan was a special guest at a Geoffrey Castle concert at the Rockfish Grill in Anacortes. It was a packed crowd that greeted the band - so much so that it was a challenge finding enough space to set up the merch table. That was great, though, because it meant there was a lot of energy. Folks determined to dance managed to find room between tables. The guys fed off that energy, and put on a great show. Thanks, Anacortes!

Tonight, Dan will be playing his solo show at Post Pike Place from 8-11. Come on out and say hi!

Post by: ]]> Mon, 20 Sep 2010 05:30:00 GMT 20F25AFB9902236CA29C2846CBFB5A13 New Member Track! http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=449148 This month's <a href="./membertracks.cfm">Member Track has now been posted:&nbsp;Come On Back. Says Dan,&nbsp;&quot;It is really rough and the beats are placeholders right now, but it gets the idea across! I will be putting more tracks up here for your listening pleasure as I am working on the next album. Thanks for being a part! Please feel free to comment, critique, whatever. Or just enjoy! Hope to see you soon at a show--you will hear this one in its iterations.&quot; Member Tracks are free to listen to or download - you just need to create a login for the site. As for seeing Dan at a show, there are lots of options these days! Check out the <a href="./calendar.cfm">Calendar for full details, but you can see him solo at <a target="_new" href="http://www.postinthemarket.com/">Post Pike Place Thursdays and Sundays or at <a target="_new" href="http://www.zeekspizza.com/locations/?location=issaquah">Zeeks&nbsp;in Issaquah on Tuesdays. Mondays, he's at the <a target="_new" href="http://www.wilderover.com/">Wilde Rover for Celtic Night. This Friday, the Celtic Night crew will also be performing at the <a target="_new" href="http://anacortesrockfish.com/">Rockfish Grill&nbsp;in Anacortes. Come out and say hi! Post by: Member Track has now been posted: Come On Back. Says Dan, "It is really rough and the beats are placeholders right now, but it gets the idea across! I will be putting more tracks up here for your listening pleasure as I am working on the next album. Thanks for being a part! Please feel free to comment, critique, whatever. Or just enjoy! Hope to see you soon at a show--you will hear this one in its iterations." Member Tracks are free to listen to or download - you just need to create a login for the site.

As for seeing Dan at a show, there are lots of options these days! Check out the Calendar for full details, but you can see him solo at Post Pike Place Thursdays and Sundays or at Zeeks in Issaquah on Tuesdays. Mondays, he's at the Wilde Rover for Celtic Night. This Friday, the Celtic Night crew will also be performing at the Rockfish Grill in Anacortes. Come out and say hi!

Post by: ]]> Fri, 17 Sep 2010 06:29:40 GMT 80A15A5C824823B680C945AAC5ADCC70 New Video from SSR http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=392754 I've been holding off on posting a follow-up to the <a target="_new" href="http://www.secondstoryrep.org/">SecondStory Repertory show, because I really wanted to be able to post some video as well. Now, if you missed the show (or even if you just want to see it again), you can see <a target="_new" href="./time4change.cfm">Time for a Change as it was performed last Saturday. The show had a bit of a rough start, due to some technical difficulties, but by the middle of the first set, the music had taken over. One of my favorite things about seeing Dan play at SSR is that, because it's a theater, it's all about the performance. No chatting, no cell phones, none of that constant background noise you get at a bar. I mean, I like to hang out with folks while the band plays at the Rover or wherever, but sometimes I just want to focus on the music. When Dan plays at SSR, I can do that, and it's a wonderful thing. After a short second set, the audience got first-hand experience with the other reason for Dan's partnership with SSR: it's a great venue for developing his Wildvine project. In a more informal discussion format, Dan presented three ideas that he's working on with Wildvine. With Hello World, samples are recorded from him, from individual audience members, and/or from sections of the audience, and these samples are layered such that everyone sampled becomes part of the performance of the song. The &quot;singing soccer balls&quot; demonstrated the idea of translating movement (of the balls, or, eventually, of dancers) into sounds or effects. Finally, for Tear it Down, Dan played while a scene was performed behind him, offering visualization of the story or mood of the song. The discussion that went on around these ideas was great - the vine is growing! Dan will be returning to SSR November 20 at 8 pm. Don't miss out!&nbsp; If you want a taste of Wildvine in the meantime,&nbsp;come out to&nbsp;<a target="_new" href="http://soulfoodbooks.com/OldRoot/">SoulFood Books on the second Wednesday of each month (including tonight!). See you there! Post by:
I've been holding off on posting a follow-up to the SecondStory Repertory show, because I really wanted to be able to post some video as well. Now, if you missed the show (or even if you just want to see it again), you can see Time for a Change as it was performed last Saturday.

The show had a bit of a rough start, due to some technical difficulties, but by the middle of the first set, the music had taken over. One of my favorite things about seeing Dan play at SSR is that, because it's a theater, it's all about the performance. No chatting, no cell phones, none of that constant background noise you get at a bar. I mean, I like to hang out with folks while the band plays at the Rover or wherever, but sometimes I just want to focus on the music. When Dan plays at SSR, I can do that, and it's a wonderful thing.

After a short second set, the audience got first-hand experience with the other reason for Dan's partnership with SSR: it's a great venue for developing his Wildvine project. In a more informal discussion format, Dan presented three ideas that he's working on with Wildvine. With Hello World, samples are recorded from him, from individual audience members, and/or from sections of the audience, and these samples are layered such that everyone sampled becomes part of the performance of the song. The "singing soccer balls" demonstrated the idea of translating movement (of the balls, or, eventually, of dancers) into sounds or effects. Finally, for Tear it Down, Dan played while a scene was performed behind him, offering visualization of the story or mood of the song. The discussion that went on around these ideas was great - the vine is growing!

Dan will be returning to SSR November 20 at 8 pm. Don't miss out!  If you want a taste of Wildvine in the meantime, come out to SoulFood Books on the second Wednesday of each month (including tonight!).

See you there!

Post by:

]]> Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:35:21 GMT 6B79A9665B2BBB6E8F3EE8FC8178AD91 Final Preparations http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=386955 As expected, this has been an intense week of preparations for Dan's show at <a target="_new" href="http://www.secondstoryrep.org/">SecondStory Repertory tonight. A lot of that has been centered around the music, of course, but there are&nbsp;many other details that have needed attending to, as well. Things are kind of hectic as we enter the home stretch, but I want to take a moment to thank the wonderful&nbsp;folks at the theater&nbsp;who are helping us put together what should be a great show. Wednesday, we met with Rob Falk to discuss lighting.&nbsp;When we entered the theater to look around,&nbsp;the stage was strewn with various props and set dressings for the company's next production, Dinner With Friends.&nbsp;Dan took all this in, and immediately&nbsp;came up with the idea of using some of it in his own show, to give it the feel of a living&nbsp;room concert. A quick consultation with Jen Klos, and Dan had permission to use the couch, the rehearsal piano (which he couldn't resist playing) and a few other items. Yesterday, with some help from Rob Fiser,&nbsp;things were arranged for the feel Dan wanted. After all the gear was hooked up, Dan and Edgars worked through getting the sound right. As Falk worked through adjusting lights, Stephanie Holser and Andrew Blake gave Dan feedback on various aspects of artistic presentation. Of course, this whole processs has been a lot more fun and engaging than this simple listing can convey. However, I don't want to give away too many details before the show, and I also need to get back to the theater to help with the final preparations. See you there! &nbsp; Post by: SecondStory Repertory tonight. A lot of that has been centered around the music, of course, but there are many other details that have needed attending to, as well. Things are kind of hectic as we enter the home stretch, but I want to take a moment to thank the wonderful folks at the theater who are helping us put together what should be a great show.

Wednesday, we met with Rob Falk to discuss lighting. When we entered the theater to look around, the stage was strewn with various props and set dressings for the company's next production, Dinner With Friends. Dan took all this in, and immediately came up with the idea of using some of it in his own show, to give it the feel of a living room concert. A quick consultation with Jen Klos, and Dan had permission to use the couch, the rehearsal piano (which he couldn't resist playing) and a few other items.

Yesterday, with some help from Rob Fiser, things were arranged for the feel Dan wanted. After all the gear was hooked up, Dan and Edgars worked through getting the sound right. As Falk worked through adjusting lights, Stephanie Holser and Andrew Blake gave Dan feedback on various aspects of artistic presentation.

Of course, this whole processs has been a lot more fun and engaging than this simple listing can convey. However, I don't want to give away too many details before the show, and I also need to get back to the theater to help with the final preparations.

See you there!
 
Post by:


]]> Sat, 07 Aug 2010 23:11:23 GMT 31C759D86FEBC8A99A49C723CBF6BC56 Getting Ready http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=369868 &nbsp;The theme for this past weekend was preparation for Dan's <a href="./calendar.cfm">August 7 performance at <a target="_new" href="http://www.secondstoryrep.org/">SecondStory Repertory. This event will primarily be a Dan Connolly solo show, but it will also showcase some of the more polished elements of the Wildvine project. There will be two sets, followed by a talk-back session, in which Dan will discuss future plans for Wildvine as well as whatever else the audience wants to talk about. Saturday, I spent some time at the theater, talking to folks there and working out details from that end. Later, when I got to Dan's, he, Dirk and Edgars were hard at work on effects and laying the groundwork for the tech they plan to use in the show. Sunday&nbsp;focused on&nbsp;a first run&nbsp;of the set list and an inventory of work that still needs to be done. The next couple weeks are likely to be very busy, as we complete preparations for this show. But it'll be one you won't want to miss! In the meantime, you can still catch Dan at the Rover on Mondays, Zeek's in Issaquah on Tuesdays, and at his new regular gig at Post Pike Place on Thursdays. See you there! Post by:  The theme for this past weekend was preparation for Dan's August 7 performance at SecondStory Repertory. This event will primarily be a Dan Connolly solo show, but it will also showcase some of the more polished elements of the Wildvine project. There will be two sets, followed by a talk-back session, in which Dan will discuss future plans for Wildvine as well as whatever else the audience wants to talk about.

Saturday, I spent some time at the theater, talking to folks there and working out details from that end. Later, when I got to Dan's, he, Dirk and Edgars were hard at work on effects and laying the groundwork for the tech they plan to use in the show. Sunday focused on a first run of the set list and an inventory of work that still needs to be done. The next couple weeks are likely to be very busy, as we complete preparations for this show. But it'll be one you won't want to miss!

In the meantime, you can still catch Dan at the Rover on Mondays, Zeek's in Issaquah on Tuesdays, and at his new regular gig at Post Pike Place on Thursdays.

See you there!

Post by: ]]> Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:45:00 GMT 44FEC2E4D45D613EFF820BDC95562A11 New & Different http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=366465 One of the things I really like about working with Dan is that, no matter how many times I see him play (and I've been to more than 50 performances at this point), it's always different. This week has been especially notable for things new and different. Monday night was Celtic Night at the Wilde Rover. This week, Eric was in New York, so it was just Geoffrey, Dan and Darin. The guys performed some songs that aren't generally heard at the Rover, including Every Time We Do and Accidental Glance. Even some of the Rover standards, like Finnegan's Wake, had a different feel to them, which was&nbsp;fun. Of course, we'll look forward to having Eric back next week, for some old-fashioned scuppering. At Zeek's on Tuesday, Dan was in the mood to sing&nbsp;some songs he doesn't often play. He opened with an original I'd only heard once or twice before, then launched into a Bruce Cockburn cover that has made equally rare appearances. Next came One Step Up, by Bruce Springsteen, which I don't think I'd ever heard Dan do before. Another new one for me, Leaving of Liverpool, came later in the set. Other rarities were sprinkled throughout. In fact, less than a third of the songs Dan played are available as recordings, which had some in the crowd asking him if any of the others would be on the new CD he's working on. That remains to be seen, of course, but I understand he's open to suggestions... Last night, the Celtic Night crew were at Big Daddy's in Woodinville. Eric and Darin had another gig that kept them away for the first set, so Dan and Geoffrey played as a duo. Although they've been playing together for about six years, I'd never heard just the two of them before. It was a much simpler sound, without the full band, but it was great for relaxing and enjoying the music.&nbsp;Big Daddy's is also a pretty good&nbsp;venue for phography, which&nbsp;I took advantage of.&nbsp;I posted&nbsp;some of my better shots <a target="_new" href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=70891&amp;id=1348227433&amp;l=0a395ab317">here, if you want to see them.&nbsp; Tonight will be something new again, as Dan plays the <a target="_new" href="http://www.postinthemarket.com/">Post Pike Place for the first time. This will be a solo show, and is a new weekly gig, every Thursday at 9 pm. Now those of you over on the Seattle side have a place to see Dan regularly without having to cross a bridge! Of course, if you Eastside folks want to cross a bridge, it'd be great to see you there! ;-) Post by: One of the things I really like about working with Dan is that, no matter how many times I see him play (and I've been to more than 50 performances at this point), it's always different. This week has been especially notable for things new and different.


Monday night was Celtic Night at the Wilde Rover. This week, Eric was in New York, so it was just Geoffrey, Dan and Darin. The guys performed some songs that aren't generally heard at the Rover, including Every Time We Do and Accidental Glance. Even some of the Rover standards, like Finnegan's Wake, had a different feel to them, which was fun. Of course, we'll look forward to having Eric back next week, for some old-fashioned scuppering.

At Zeek's on Tuesday, Dan was in the mood to sing some songs he doesn't often play. He opened with an original I'd only heard once or twice before, then launched into a Bruce Cockburn cover that has made equally rare appearances. Next came One Step Up, by Bruce Springsteen, which I don't think I'd ever heard Dan do before. Another new one for me, Leaving of Liverpool, came later in the set. Other rarities were sprinkled throughout. In fact, less than a third of the songs Dan played are available as recordings, which had some in the crowd asking him if any of the others would be on the new CD he's working on. That remains to be seen, of course, but I understand he's open to suggestions...


Last night, the Celtic Night crew were at Big Daddy's in Woodinville. Eric and Darin had another gig that kept them away for the first set, so Dan and Geoffrey played as a duo. Although they've been playing together for about six years, I'd never heard just the two of them before. It was a much simpler sound, without the full band, but it was great for relaxing and enjoying the music. Big Daddy's is also a pretty good venue for phography, which I took advantage of. I posted some of my better shots here, if you want to see them. 

Tonight will be something new again, as Dan plays the Post Pike Place for the first time. This will be a solo show, and is a new weekly gig, every Thursday at 9 pm. Now those of you over on the Seattle side have a place to see Dan regularly without having to cross a bridge! Of course, if you Eastside folks want to cross a bridge, it'd be great to see you there! ;-)

Post by:

]]> Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:31:17 GMT EA16E4A57142AD0D19AD469467FB330E Road Trip! http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=361312 On Thursday, the Celtic Night crew (Dan Connolly, Geoffrey Castle, Eric Robert, Darrin Watkins) opened for Smash Mouth at the Oregon Garden. The stage is in a grassy amphitheater, and there's a lot of space to spread out and see the show. Dirk and I scouted out a place to sit, selecting a spot near the stage, just to the right of the VIP seating. As we were getting settled, I overheard someone say, &quot;Do you know who's opening?&quot; I took the opportunity to make some new friends and tell folks about the guys. Then I went off to find a spot for the video camera, so we could record the show. Having found a good spot, I asked the woman sitting closest if she would mind watching the camera for me. She readily agreed, promising to keep it safe. As we chatted, I learned that she had actually won the tickets to see the concert, and was very happy to be there. As the band took the stage, the sun shone through the trees behind them, giving everyone halos. Fun for the crowd, but challenging for photography. While they played, I moved through the crowd, looking for places where I might get some good shots. Because I had the camera, and was clearly familiar with the music (okay, so I might have been singing along under my breath), it wasn't hard for folks to figure out I knew the band. I got to meet a lot of friendly folks who were very interested in this new music they were hearing, which was a lot of fun. After the set, the guys came out to the merchandise table to sign CDs and chat with new friends. One particularly excited young man told Dan this was his first concert ever. It's likely to be one he'll remember for some time to come. Friday was a Dan Connolly solo show at the Woods near Portland, which is a converted funeral parlor. The place still looks like a funeral home from the outside. Inside, there's a main room with a beautiful stage and several side rooms. The whole place has a sort of funky, tattered, tongue-in-cheek gothic style with skeletons, old books, and empty bird cages scattered around. The place keeps the stage dark, with a little bit of red lighting and the glow from candles around the room providing the ambience. Nick La Pointe and Edgars Klepers joined Dan on stage for percussion and backup vocals. The crowd was light, mostly because this was a last-minute booking, but those that were there seemed to enjoy it, and we got to make a few more friends. Thanks to all our new friends in Oregon, and we hope to get down there to see you again soon! Post by:
On Thursday, the Celtic Night crew (Dan Connolly, Geoffrey Castle, Eric Robert, Darrin Watkins) opened for Smash Mouth at the Oregon Garden.

The stage is in a grassy amphitheater, and there's a lot of space to spread out and see the show. Dirk and I scouted out a place to sit, selecting a spot near the stage, just to the right of the VIP seating. As we were getting settled, I overheard someone say, "Do you know who's opening?" I took the opportunity to make some new friends and tell folks about the guys.

Then I went off to find a spot for the video camera, so we could record the show. Having found a good spot, I asked the woman sitting closest if she would mind watching the camera for me. She readily agreed, promising to keep it safe. As we chatted, I learned that she had actually won the tickets to see the concert, and was very happy to be there.

As the band took the stage, the sun shone through the trees behind them, giving everyone halos. Fun for the crowd, but challenging for photography. While they played, I moved through the crowd, looking for places where I might get some good shots. Because I had the camera, and was clearly familiar with the music (okay, so I might have been singing along under my breath), it wasn't hard for folks to figure out I knew the band. I got to meet a lot of friendly folks who were very interested in this new music they were hearing, which was a lot of fun.

After the set, the guys came out to the merchandise table to sign CDs and chat with new friends. One particularly excited young man told Dan this was his first concert ever. It's likely to be one he'll remember for some time to come.



Friday was a Dan Connolly solo show at the Woods near Portland, which is a converted funeral parlor. The place still looks like a funeral home from the outside. Inside, there's a main room with a beautiful stage and several side rooms. The whole place has a sort of funky, tattered, tongue-in-cheek gothic style with skeletons, old books, and empty bird cages scattered around. The place keeps the stage dark, with a little bit of red lighting and the glow from candles around the room providing the ambience.


Nick La Pointe and Edgars Klepers joined Dan on stage for percussion and backup vocals. The crowd was light, mostly because this was a last-minute booking, but those that were there seemed to enjoy it, and we got to make a few more friends.


Thanks to all our new friends in Oregon, and we hope to get down there to see you again soon!

Post by:

]]> Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:45:00 GMT ABF793224F486CDBC71CFD9951FC55F1 Mark your calendar! http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=349342 Dan's <a target="_new" href="./calendar.cfm">gig calendar has been expanding lately, with some very special shows I want to tell you about: First up will be your chance to check out the latest iteration of Wildvine at <a target="_new" href="http://soulfoodbooks.com/OldRoot/">SoulFood Books on Wednesday, July 14 from 7-9.&nbsp;SoulFood provides a warm, inviting atmosphere, has a very nicely crafted stage and top notch sound system, not to mention excellent food and wide variety of coffees. The best thing is being there, of course, but these shows also offer an opportunity for out-of-town folks to see Dan play: SoulFood streams the show live from their <a target="_new" href="http://soulfoodbooks.com/OldRoot/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=44&amp;Itemid=49">website. But it turns out SoulFood's webcast isn't the only chance out-of-town folks have, because Dan's headed to Oregon on Thursday, July 15&nbsp;to join the Celtic Night crew in opening for <a target="_new" href="http://www.myspace.com/smashmouth">Smash Mouth at the <a target="_new" href="http://www.oregongarden.org/">Oregon Garden near Salem. Dan will be following that up with a performance at <a target="_new" href="http://www.thewoodsportland.com/">The Woods in Portland on Friday, July 16. We're still working out details on that one, but we should have them available on the calendar soon. So if you have friends in Oregon, let them know this is their chance to join in the fun! The following week, the Celtic Night crew will be&nbsp;returning to&nbsp;<a target="_new" href="http://www.bigdaddysplace.com/">Big Daddy's in Woodinville on Wednesday, July 21. This venue has a big stage, a cranked-up sound system, and a lit dance floor. If you're looking for an excuse to party, these shows really rock! Further out, Dan is now officially on the calendar at <a target="_new" href="http://www.secondstoryrep.org/">SecondStory Repertory, as part of their 12th Season. He will be playing a total of five shows, with the first one coming up on Saturday, August 7. If you like the idea of seeing Dan play in an intimate venue where you can immerse yourself in the music, you won't want to miss these performances! Of course, in addition to these special shows,&nbsp;we've still got&nbsp;Celtic Mondays at the <a target="_new" href="http://www.wilderover.com/">Wilde Rover in Kirkland and Dan's Tuesday night sets at <a target="_new" href="http://zeekspizza.com/locations/?location=issaquah">Zeek's Pizza in the Issaquah Highlands. It's going to be a great month! Post by: gig calendar has been expanding lately, with some very special shows I want to tell you about:

First up will be your chance to check out the latest iteration of Wildvine at SoulFood Books on Wednesday, July 14 from 7-9. SoulFood provides a warm, inviting atmosphere, has a very nicely crafted stage and top notch sound system, not to mention excellent food and wide variety of coffees. The best thing is being there, of course, but these shows also offer an opportunity for out-of-town folks to see Dan play: SoulFood streams the show live from their website.

But it turns out SoulFood's webcast isn't the only chance out-of-town folks have, because Dan's headed to Oregon on Thursday, July 15 to join the Celtic Night crew in opening for Smash Mouth at the Oregon Garden near Salem. Dan will be following that up with a performance at The Woods in Portland on Friday, July 16. We're still working out details on that one, but we should have them available on the calendar soon. So if you have friends in Oregon, let them know this is their chance to join in the fun!

The following week, the Celtic Night crew will be returning to Big Daddy's in Woodinville on Wednesday, July 21. This venue has a big stage, a cranked-up sound system, and a lit dance floor. If you're looking for an excuse to party, these shows really rock!

Further out, Dan is now officially on the calendar at SecondStory Repertory, as part of their 12th Season. He will be playing a total of five shows, with the first one coming up on Saturday, August 7. If you like the idea of seeing Dan play in an intimate venue where you can immerse yourself in the music, you won't want to miss these performances!

Of course, in addition to these special shows, we've still got Celtic Mondays at the Wilde Rover in Kirkland and Dan's Tuesday night sets at Zeek's Pizza in the Issaquah Highlands.

It's going to be a great month!

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]]> Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:17:23 GMT CC16D321EF3F24CAD0393343160196A8 Summer Evening http://danielconnolly.com/blog.cfm?feature=1443647&postid=347673 One of those summer evenings that goes on and on forever, and a set where time stands still for a few hours and there's nothing but sunlight in the world. Dan was completely on electric guitar last night, which gave a different flavor to some of the songs that&nbsp;he normally plays acoustic. Strong set, heavy on unrecorded favorites. Edgars ran sound, added light percussion on the shaker, and contributed vocals. The sound last night was beautiful, absolutely clear for both vocals and guitar. New song as an opener. One of the best parts of Tuesdays is hearing Dan polish new songs and seeing how the ideas change from performance to performance. Time for a Change was a standout last night. It's always strong, and last night's version was the best I've heard. Maybe it was because the electric sustains more so the guitar work is a little more open. Maybe it was the sunlight. Maybe it was just one of those moments where everything fits together. In any event, best version I've heard of a song that is moving into the &quot;favorites&quot; column for me. Two notable looping instrumentals last night, one during Delaney and one during Scarlet Begonias. Both left the audience happy and wanting more. Other highlights included We're in this Together, a table-thumping Holy Ground, Accidental Glance, Naturollin', and a May Morning Dew closer. What else is there to say? Gorgeous weather, set packed with songs that you can't hear anywhere else, amazing performance, laid back atmosphere. Next up for Dan is a house party on Saturday, then it's back to to the Rover on Monday. See you there! Post by:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Dan was completely on electric guitar last night, which gave a different flavor to some of the songs that he normally plays acoustic. Strong set, heavy on unrecorded favorites. Edgars ran sound, added light percussion on the shaker, and contributed vocals. The sound last night was beautiful, absolutely clear for both vocals and guitar.

New song as an opener. One of the best parts of Tuesdays is hearing Dan polish new songs and seeing how the ideas change from performance to performance.

Time for a Change was a standout last night. It's always strong, and last night's version was the best I've heard. Maybe it was because the electric sustains more so the guitar work is a little more open. Maybe it was the sunlight. Maybe it was just one of those moments where everything fits together. In any event, best version I've heard of a song that is moving into the "favorites" column for me.

Two notable looping instrumentals last night, one during Delaney and one during Scarlet Begonias. Both left the audience happy and wanting more.

Other highlights included We're in this Together, a table-thumping Holy Ground, Accidental Glance, Naturollin', and a May Morning Dew closer.

What else is there to say? Gorgeous weather, set packed with songs that you can't hear anywhere else, amazing performance, laid back atmosphere.

Next up for Dan is a house party on Saturday, then it's back to to the Rover on Monday. See you there!

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