Lunasa, Vineyard Concert, 08-03-12

Lunasa is one of Ireland's top bands, and how lucky we were to have them performing here on the island at the lovely Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs on Friday night.

An Oak Bluffs night on the town afforded islanders an opportunity to gather on the lawn, pre-concert, to dine on Giordano's take-out - pizza, or fried clams were the favorites - as well as a chance to mingle with friends; the KCT concert series, as usual, having drawn a large proportion of locals; a sanctuary of familiar faces - a rarity, mid-summer on the island.

The hot and steamy Vineyard August day gave way to a hot and sultry Vineyard August night, and the combination of Lunasa's stellar performance (including, of course, Kevin Crawford's on-going, witty, and highly entertaining dialogue), the unique qualities of Union Chapel's sanctuary, and an occasional breeze blowing through the open doors created an evening of sheer magic and a performance not soon forgotten.

Thanks, as always, to Gregg Harcourt and Mary Wolverton of KCT Concerts for providing us with top-notch music, and performances that rival some of the larger mainland venues.

Kevin Crawford, Cillian Vallely, and Ted Davis

Great house concert the other night at George and Emily Keith's in Medford, featuring flutist Kevin Crawford and uilleann piper Cillian Vallely of Lunasa, with Medford's own Ted Davis backing them on guitar. This was my second concert at the Keith's - the first one was last year, with Randall Bays - and was a total pleasure. The trio's music was a delight (and if Mr. Crawford ever decides to give up music, there's a career in stand-up comedy waiting for him - he's a very funny man), the concert was well attended, and the larger than usual preponderance of my own homeys made for a very fun evening. And a big thank you goes out to George and Emily for opening their home for these events.

Shot with a combination of the 40D and G12 (for the wider shots, since I forgot my 20mm lens).