Manitou Music Festival welcomes Goitse and RFD Boys
From staff reports
This August the Manitou Music Festival continues its 21st season of exciting and diverse concerts featuring jazz, classical, blues, folk, country, celtic, bluegrass and world music in some of Michigan’s most idyllic settings.
On Wednesday, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. the Irish Music group Goitse will perform outdoors at Studio Stage, located at Lake Street Studios in Glen Arbor. Rain location is the Glen Arbor Town Hall.
Goitse is an informal Gaelic Irish greeting meaning ‘come here’ … so why not Goitse and listen to this exciting band who are “bound for success”?
The band, which is now entering its third year, was formed after Eoin Coughlan asked musicians to play for Telethon at Dolan’s, Limerick. The session produced exciting playing and an instant chemistry between the musicians and on that night Goitse was formed.
All five students are rooted firmly within the tradition and are well known and respected within Irish music circles. Áine McGeeney is a vibrant fiddle player along with being a well-known singer, and has spent an extended spell touring with the world famous “Lord of the Dance”. James Harvey, the youngest member, has claimed four All Ireland Banjo titles in a row and a further three on the Mandolin. Tadhg Ó Meachair has quickly gained recognition as being one of Irelands top young Piano and Piano Accordion players.
He was a main feature of the recent television series by Donal Lunny for TG4, “Lorg Lunny”. Colm Phelan enjoys a large fan base of Bodhrán enthusiasts. Back to back All Irelands and a World title, together with success as a céilí band drummer, have helped establish him as an acknowledged expert tutor in this field. Conal O’Kane from Philadelphia, is a multi instrumentalist who adds another dimension to the group with his Donegal/American influence. The American grew up learning fiddle and Banjo during summers in Buncranna before learning Guitar in Philadelphia.
Goitse have gone from supporting acts and opening to performing concerts in the four provinces of Ireland, parts of Europe and even as far afield as Africa. Recently Goitse have had the honor of playing the halftime interval in the All Ireland semi Final football match between Kildare and Down which had an attendance of 62,182. Goitse’s debut album, released in January 2010, has gained much praise from critics with Hotpress Magazine assuring Irish traditional music lovers that “They play with an easy assurance that should cause those fretting about the future of Irish trad to rest more easily at night”.
On Sunday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. the Bluegrass group The RFD Boys will perform outdoors at the Studio Stage.
In October 1969, when the RFD Boys played their first concert together, they were still University of Michigan students, and bluegrass was as unknown here as cable TV in the Ozarks. Today it’s as common as e-mail in Appalachia, and the RFD Boys are still going strong. Though they’ve turned their degrees into full-time, offstage careers, their music has taken them all over Michigan and the Midwest, and as far away as Germany, France, and Malta. In the last three decades they’ve shared stages with a who’s who of bluegrass and country musicians, from Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley to Ricky Skaggs and Randy Travis.
They have originals, like guitarist and lead singer Charlie Roehrig’s “Sit by the River,” a lovely ode to the Charles River, and to his grandfather, who had Charlie convinced it was named after him. It has been recorded by the Country Gentlemen and even wound up on their “best of” album. Charlie’s heartfelt tenor is perfectly suited to bluegrass, and decades of singing together have blended the Boys’ three-part and four-part harmonies to the smoothness of Kentucky bourbon.
Paul Shapiro, on bass and high harmonies, takes the deadpan lead through the twisted genealogy of “I’m My Own Grandpa.” Fiddler Dick Dieterle sings bass and leads on hymns and sacred songs, while Will Spencer fills in on baritone and adds his sparkling banjo and Dobro. And when their voices are quiet, the Boys pump out rousing versions of an eclectic batch of instrumentals. “The Irish Washerwoman” starts out sedately, keeping to the pace at which most Irish bands play it, but speeds up with each repeat, Dick egging the Boys on to new land speed records in every concert. Will’s virtuoso solo banjo version of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” morphs into the old-timey fiddle tune “Soldier’s Joy.”
Although offstage the Boys all live typical modern lives, their music and jokes evoke a simpler time. “Orange Blossom Special,” the granddaddy of all train songs, has been their closer for almost 40 years. And while railroads have a precarious place in the American countryside, the RFD Boys — who perform at the Ark every month, show no sign of going away.
Visit the Manitou Music Festival website, www.ManitouMusicFestival.com, for information and tickets. All tickets are $15 (Children 18 and under are free. Tickets may be purchased at concert venues or by calling the Glen Arbor Art Association (231) 334-6112 or Lake Street Studios (231) 334-3179.
