Hello friends -
We've made it past Imbolc and St. Brigid's Day (aka Feb 1), marking halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and I'm starting to notice additional daylight each day. Plus, here in NYS we finally made it above freezing after 19 consecutive days of very cold weather. What a difference some extra sun and heat makes. And through it all, some truly terrible stuff has been going on out in the world - both nearby and far away. I'm sure you are aware. For today's message I'm going to stick close to my music news, but it's all interconnected.
I want to tell you about some shows and music events that I am a part of that I think you will enjoy, and some music and activities that have been keeping me inspired. I hope you'll read on for the whole story. And please tell me what's keeping YOU going!
The Millstone Rounders, my new-ish bluegrass and beyond quintet, has a one-of-a-kind show this coming Wednesday, February 18th, 6-7pm, at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy, NY. This show is part of the Lift Series, where the audience is seated on stage with the performers (don't worry, we won't make you play!) for a unique and intimate experience. The hall is a wonderful acoustic space, and I feel so lucky to get to make music there. If you're in the region, please do consider joining us. If you're further afield, this show would be worth making a trip - I'm truly that excited about it!
Don't wait to grab your tickets - the stage seating is expected to sell out.
Drank The Gold has lots of fun news to share, including that we've been nominated for two NYS Capital Region Eddies Awards - in the Folk/Traditional category, and in the Best Record category for our single The Song of Wandering Aengus. What an honor to be nominated alongside so many other fantastic musicians, and to be recognized for our work. We're looking forward to the awards ceremony in April!
One of the shows we (DTG) are most excited for is coming up at the end of the month, opening up for Troy, NY, rock legends Super 400 for their 30th anniversary and album release concert at the Cohoes Music Hall. We love Super 400, we love playing in the Cohoes Music Hall, and we're so happy to help kick off this festive night. Don't wait to grab your tickets for Saturday, February 28th.
Coming up this weekend we'll be playing Irish dance music and leading an Irish music session at the Flurry Festival in downtown Saratoga Springs. We're super excited to accompany Armand Aromin's sean nos (old style, improvisatory, like flatfooting) dance classes, and team up with Armand on fiddle to play for Maggie McNally's ceili dance (like a square or contra). If you've never been to the Flurry, consider taking a walk through the City Center to check it out - and you just might find yourself grabbing a wristband and joining in the fun. If you already plan to be there, stop by and say hi.
As you can see, James and I have our musical hands full with both the Rounders and DTG. Plus we keep finding ourselves pulling additional musical threads, which may eventually tie in to one of our current bands, or could develop into something completely new. Who can say quite yet!? With that in mind, we've decided to dedicate our monthly residency at the Cock 'n Bull Restaurant in Galway, NY, (third Fridays) to performing under our own names: Oona & James. If you've been reading for a while, you already know what a special place the Cock 'n Bull is - delicious food and drink, wonderful hospitality, and a beautiful sounding space. We recorded The Song of Wandering Aengus there last winter over a couple days that they were closed, and are excited to keep the creativity flowing. Please join us for some dinner music Friday, February 20th, 6-9 pm. Best to call/text 518-882-6962 for reservations if you plan on coming in.
Speaking of pulling musical side-threads, I occasionally get to sit back and play in other folks' bands, and tonight is one of those nights. I'll be on upright bass and backing vocals in Carolyn Shapiro's band, performing at Caffe Lena. There may be a couple tickets left. Grab 'em while you can!
And that, I believe, is the plan for February 2026. Who said anything about slowing down for winter! I'm happy to be putting lots on the calendar for the coming year, including some very cool shows, a whole slew of summer camps, and more. Keep checking my calendar. I'll update it as we go.
And now for a couple things that been keeping me musically inspired lately:
- Listeningto Aoife Ní Bhriain & Cormac McCarthy's new record Cosán Casta
- Learning and practicing singing Indian Ragas with Michael Harrison, in his online class offered through Arts Letters & Numbers
- Dipping my toe into songwriting with an inspiring and supportive cohort of the Imperfectionist Song Society, a project of Miles of Music
I look forward to sharing more soon!
Thanks for reading!
xo Oona
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