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Your Irish American Club of Mid-Michigan is participating with the City of East Lansing and the Capital Area Blues Society to bring the Classic Americana Music Series to the Albert A. White Performing Arts Theater at East Lansing’s Hannah Community Center. This endeavor is underwritten by our very own John Hatton’s Cleff’d Ear Productions.

The series launches on Tuesday, September 24^th at 7:30 p.m. The initial offering will present Jerry Ricks. Jerry is one of the early purveyors of roots blues music in the United States. His guitar work will impress you.

Dan Gellert performs on Tuesday, October 8^th at 7:30 p.m. Dan plays and sings early country blues and mountain music. As the early Irish and Scots settled in the mountainous areas of Appalachia they carried their music with them. The music distilled and percolated through the centuries and it comes back to us sounding like this. The October Social meeting of the Irish-American Club falls on the same day as this event, which we cosponsor. The Club will, therefore, hold our social meeting in a hospitality area of the Hannah Community Center prior to the concert. The meeting, which includes coffee and desserts, will commence 6:45 and adjourn at 7:15. It would be wonderful for the club members and their friends to get together prior to the concert and then attend the concert together, as club members receive special pricing.

Paul Rishell and Annie Raines will perform Tuesday, November 19^th at 7:30p.m. They perform Country Blues in both the acoustical and electric styles. They were the W. C. Handy Award winners in 2000. The Handy award is the most prestigious honor currently awarded to blues artists worldwide.

Frankie Gavin, Alec Finn and Brian McGrath will be the final offering of this series. They perform Tuesday, December 10^th at 7:30 p.m. Frankie plays the Irish fiddle and flute, Alec Finn plays the 6-string bouzouki and guitar, and Brian McGrath plays the piano and banjo. Frankie and Alec are founding members of the Irish folk group De Dannan. Tickets for this performance will be $12.00 for members/students, $16.00 for the general public.

Irish music will continue to be alive and well this fall in Mid-Michigan. It was an active summer for Irish and Celtic entertainment, and there are events still to come that will be of interest to our members and their friends.

Firstly, our friends and fellow members at the Creole Gallery will bring us:

Bohola—November 23 at 8:00 pm. This exceptional trio is composed of Pat Broaders (Moore & Broaders), extraordinary fiddler Sean Cleland, and sean nos singer and 5-time All-Ireland accordianist Jimmy Keane. Tickets on sale soon. (Editor’s Note: I’ve seen them twice, and you won’t want to miss them.)

Pete Brown’s Office in Grand Rapids will host the CD release party on Saturday, September 21st of our good friends the Conklin Ceili Band for their CD: “Over the Waterfall”. Admission is free, and the CD is available for $15. They may be ordered by mail by sending $17 payable to The Conklin Ceili Band Inc c/o Mick Lane, 2684 Russell Dr, Wayland, MI 49348.

The Dublin City Ramblers will also appear at “The Office” on Saturday, September 28 at 9 pm. Admission is $30, and you’ll get your money’s worth!

The Ten-Pound Fiddle organization will present:

Siucra—September 20 at 8:00 pm

Kitty Donohoe—September 27 at 8:00 pm

Jack Hardy—October 4 at 8:00 pm

The Ark in Ann Arbor will present:

Danu—September 16 at 8:00 pm

Lunasa—Thursday, September 19, 2002 In relentless pursuit of the Irish groove

Wolfstone—Monday, September 23

Dougie MacLean—Friday, September 27

Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann—Saturday, September 28

Fenian’s Pub in Conklin, north of Grand Rapids, will present:

Craobh Rua—September 13 & 14

Aoifa (pronounced Eefa) Clancy Band—October 5 (yes, that Clancy family)

Peter Yeats—October 18

And finally, The Chieftans are returning to the Wharton Center on February 23rd, 2003. Call 1-800-WHARTON, or visit www.whartoncenter.com.

Also at the Wharton Center, Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland will speak November 19, 6:00 pm at the Wharton Center Great Hall. $20. Call 517-432-2000 for details.

IAC Schedule

September 21—IAC Presents: After the MSU/Notre Dame Football Game approx 8:00 pm—The O’Neil Brigade & Freshwater in concert at Coral Gables. Come early for dinner and a great seat, as space is limited.

September 24—6:00 pm—IAC Board Meeting, Hannah Community Center, East Lansing (before concert)

September 24—7:30 pm—Classic Americana Music Series: Jerry Ricks, Albert A. White Performing Arts Theater, Hannah Community Center, East Lansing

October 8—6:45 pm to 7:15 pm—Irish-American Club reception/meeting before concert event.

October 8—7:30 pm Classic Americana Music Series: Dan Gellert, Albert A. White Performing Arts Theater, Hannah Community Center, East Lansing

October 29—7:00 pm—IAC Board Meeting—Location TBA

November 12—7:00 pm—IAC Membership Meeting—location TBA

November 19—7:30 pm—Classic Americana Music Series: Paul Rishell & Annie Raines—Albert A. White Performing Arts Theater, Hannah Community Center, East Lansing

November 26—7:00 pm—IAC Board Meeting—Location TBA

December 1st—IAC Christmas Party—TBA

December 10—7:30 pm—Frankie Gavin, Alec Finn & Brian McGrath—Albert A. White Performing Arts Theater, Hannah Community Center, East Lansing