|
The latest music news, stories, and events of The Original Celtic
Renaissance music group, the Brobdingnagian Bards.
CELTIC GEEK at its Best!
Find out more from the Nagians page.
Our first year at this one weekend faire in Southeastern Arizona. Two Rivers Renaissance Faire was born of a love for all things Renaissance. A time when chivalry was alive and well. When people were realizing art, science and exploration. The Renaissance Faire celebrates the music, food, and fun of the olde world village marketplace. Come experience life in Renaissance Europe. This will be another fun and exciting family event, unlike anything else in Yuma.Feb 1-3, 2008 Two Rivers Renaissance FaireWest Wetland Park Yuma, AZ Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
 
Thu, January 10, 2008 Studio Joe600 Autumn Drive Little Rock, AR Opens at 7:30pm (2-40 min sets) Thu, January 17, 2008 House Concert at Cameron and Stephanie Rowe 3620 Azalea Dr. Destin, FL 32541 Opens at 7pm. First set ~ 7:30pm. Please RSVP. Ph: (850) 650-3002 stephanie @ crcdatatech.com Fri, January 18, 2008 Haeuser House Concert 47167 Highway 445 Robert, LA RSVP to ghislainederouen @ hotmail.com Show at 8pm (2-40 min sets) Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Oh! I was just reminded of a couple of corrections I need to point out if you plan to come see us at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. If you've checked the faire's schedule, you'll note it differs a bit from the schedule on our website. The times are the same, but the acts are not. Our first two showtimes at 11:45a and 1:00p are listed as "Brobdingnogain". The best Andrew and I could figure out is that this is the Brobdingnagian version of Rogain. Andrew is before (short hair), and I am after (long hair). However, our last show at 2:45 features "Barbie/etc". I have No Idea where the hell they got that from. I mean I don't wear high heels. And I don't think Andrew cross-dresses (aside from the obvious kilt jokes). But then... he did, after all, talk to the entertainment director. So? Hmm...? No. Even with that he's a bit tall to bother with high heels. Just doesn't make sense. But I digress. Those times 11:45, 1:00, and 2:45 are indeed OUR showtimes, withOUT high heels or skirts. Just KILTS! And even then, that schedule is only for the First Half of the Faire. At present, I don't know Where we will be for the second half!?! So the best I can suggest is patience. We might just be playing in the lanes. If that's the case, my guess is that we'll be by Jamie's cottage most of the day. But wherever we are I will let you know as soon as I know something. Slainte! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Back home from Middlefaire. My first faire solo. It wasn't too bad. I pulled off the shows well enough. Well, I did on Sunday at least. Saturday, I felt like I was in a daze. It was one of those days, I really wish Andrew was there because he could hopefully cover for 'space out' Marc. But again, the shows seemed to go over fairly well with my audience. It was nice playing cat songs too. But it was also tough coming up with other original songs. So many people play the same songs at faires that I wanted to play songs that weren't quite as popular. Andrew and I have that with songs like " Exclamations", " Lily the Pink"... and most of the songs Andrew sings. LOL. I need to find more songs like " Lish Young Buy-A-Broom". I played that a wee bit. I love that song. Such great lyrics. Kinda romantic. Kinda playful. I don't have enough songs like that one. Hmm. Maybe I should write song. I did improv a song. Those are fun. And this was deteriorated into sick, perverted comedy quite quickly... But it was amusing. The Drunken Damsels listening in there didn't help much. The Pervs. ;) I had fun hanging a wee bit with those lasses. And of course, always with the Bedlam Bards too. The bastards have me listening to their music now. Grrr! :) Oh and the Damsels have a cool virgin of "Versions"... wait! Flip that statement. Hoping to get those lyrics to post on the website. But I was saying... Same songs. A friend mentioned the repetition of songs in the Irish music world. Admittedly, I'm HIGHLY guilty of that. But then, I have a devious plan *insert wicked laugh here*, which is to attract new fans to find our other music. And I have been writing a LOT of music recently. Sure, most are instrumental, but not all. And I'm moving in the direction I hope to. Anyway, enough jabbering. It's late. In fact, it's almost midnight... which means....... And help us push that song to #1 on CD Baby!!!! Labels: cd_news, performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Sunday, October 07, 2007
 Well, the Brobdingnagian Bards' New CD, LIVE: Nex Monoceroti, Per Risibus, is here! And we need your help. We want to push this album to #1 on CD Baby. So we would like you help. Please order your copy of our new CD on Monday, October 8th. As an added bonus, the CD will be on sale all next week. Yes, you could buy it from me at MiddleFaire, but we want to totally terrorize the charts on CD Baby and send the CD to #1. So please, please, please purchase your copy of this CD on Monday. And help show the internet world that the Brobdingnagian Bards are better than the crap being forced down your ears by corporate radio. Thanks! Slainte! - Marc Gunn Oh! And if you're signed up to our newsletter, I'll be sending a reminder about his on Sunday evening. PS. And if you already have the new CD from DragonCon, please post your review of the album on CD Baby. Thanks! PSS. And please share this post with others! Labels: cd_news, performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
It's nearly time for MiddleFaire. Located in Hillsboro, Texas, just South of Dallas, this small faire is in its second year and our second year performing there. Though there's a small change to the original schedule. Andrew won't be able to make it on the first weekend. So Marc will be performing solo. But come second weekend, we will return with full bardic goodness. Weekends, Oct 6-7 and 13-14, 2007 Middlefaire8581 SH 171 Hillsboro, TX 76645 Cost: $8 Adults, $5 Kids (6-12), Free Children (0-5) Time: 11 AM to Dusk Saturday, 11 AM to Dusk Sunday Middlefaire is located at the SW corner of County Road 1458 and State Highway 171. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, September 17, 2007
After we leave DragonCon, we're taking the long way home, playing house concerts along the way. Thurs, Sept 6, 2007 McKinney house concert @ 7:30 pm 1453 Carter’s Ridge Road Spruce Pine, North Carolina 28777 Please RSVP. Call (828) 467-0973 Cost: $10.00 Description: Western North Carolina, about halfway between Asheville and Boone. On Highway 226 going towards Spruce Pine, turn right onto Carter’s Ridge Road just beyond the Grassy Creek Baptist Church and across from the Grassy Creek Volunteer Fire Department. It’s the fourth house on the right; park in the yard and come around the back of the house (go to the right of and below the driveway and follow the grassy curve to the left towards and through the chainlink gate). Friday, September 7, 2007 Deese House Concert @ 7:30-10pm 1619 Ashley Downs Dr. Apex, NC 27502 Please RSVP. Call Nathan at (919) 608-2933 Saturday, September 8, 2007 Wilson House Concert @ 7:30-10pm 2302 Liberty Street Parkersburg, WV 26101 Please RSVP. Call Robin at (304) 428-0292 Sunday, September 9, 2007 Panzarella House Concert @ Time TBA 253 S. Main St., Winchester, KY Please RSVP. Call John or Kathy at (859) 744-4235 Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, August 24, 2007
It was 2000 when I first heard the term "filk". We were playing music at a wedding at the Texas Renaissance Festival for a friend. The wedding came to an end, and we were leaving the festival. He joyously took us by the arms and said, "I love your music. And I love that you play filk." Andrew and I both stared at him. "We play what?" we asked in unison? That was my introduction to filk music. Since then, we go to quite a few Science fiction conventions where filkers gather. And quite frequently, you will find us in the filk room, listening and singing with others. It's a great place to try out new songs. For this reason, we were invited to be guests at GAFilk in 2008. If you're big into filk music, then this is the place for you. January 11-13, 2008 GAFilk @ 2:00pm-3:00pm Crown Plaza Atlanta Airport Hotel 1325 Virginia Ave Atlanta, GA 30344 Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
September 22nd is the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. I wrote my own hobbit birthday song for Bilbo and Frodo's Eleventy-First birthdays. And of course, we recorded an all-original album of Lord of the Rings music with Memories of Middle Earth. Well, we've already received our invitation to perform A Long Expected Party. In 2008, you will find us in the nearest thing to Hobbiton in our mundane world. It's at the Shaker Village in Kentucky. A bunch of LOTR enthusiasts decided to revive the Baggins birthday celebration with a spectacular party in a location that will make you think you're at home in Middle Earth. And we're lucky enough to be booked to perform at this event. Four days of music, guests, and fun. Sept 25-28, 2008 A Long Expected Party3501 Lexington Road (US 68) Harrodsburg, Kentucky 40330 Cost : $250 for 4 days, see website for details Email a friend and tell them to join you at A Long Expected Party. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
We just received the exciting news. We will return to the Louisiana Renaissance Festival this Fall. But even better than that is we'll be there for the entire run of the faire! The Louisiana Renaissance Festival is a little different from most of the faires we attend. This one is built around a small "lake". Okay, it's more like a pond, but it's a nice-sized body of water. It has beautifully built structures, a great cast, and an atmosphere that leaves me yearning to go back every year. That's why I'm so excited that we now have this notice earlier than usual. Some of our favorite Renaissance Festival performers are there too, like Vince Conaway, The Limeybirds, Craig of Farrington, Paolo Garbanzo, The Tortuga Twins, and lots more. This year, we'll have more intimate stages too, which will add to the atmosphere. Weekends, Nov 3 - Dec 9, 2007 and Friday Nov 23rd (day after Thanksgiving) Louisiana Renaissance Festival46468 River Road Hammond LA, 70401 985-429-9992 Cost : $14 adult 1-day pass Showtimes: Peninsula Stage: 11:30am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm Dance: 2:30pm I hope you'll not just be there, but tell a friend. Invite them to experience the faire and share a musical experience with the Brobdingnagian Bards. Labels: performances, renaissance_festivals
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Finally home. GenCon was Amazing! I really liked that convention. Made me feel like I was at home. I just wish I coulda gone gaming. But no such luck. But our show at Friday Night Live with Tom Smith, Luke Ski and more was... Wow! We had a standing ovation for our warm up song. hehe... Basically, Andrew was playing "Name That Geek Tune" on the recorder while people shouted out various Sci Fi shows to play tunes from. Then at the end of it, someone, as always, requested "Freebird", and we thought, "What the hell!" We put on a high-energy performance that left me pulling a couple muscles in my legs and skinning my knees. And yes, we had a standing ovation. After that, we had our show. It was awesome. And again, ended with a standing ovation. I'm really not used to that. That was really cool! 300 people cheering and standing in front of their seats. Yeah. That definitely felt like the Rock Star moment. :) Overall, I think we made a good impression. And hopefully, we'll be back next year. Then as I was looking at the program, I saw GenCon Australia. And said to Andrew, "So when you ask Jeanette about GenCon can you check in to Australia too?" hehe. Well, she doesn't handle it, but we met some of the people who do in the Exhibitors Hall. Gave them a press kit and with any luck, next July we'll be in Australia. That'd be soooo brilliant! The only downside for the weekend was the Lonnnnnng drive. Oh! But at least up there it went great. We played in Little Rock, Arkansas to a fantastic audience. I'm hoping we'll be making more trips there in the future. Meantime, just over a week before we drive to DragonCon! WOOHOOO!!!!! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, August 20, 2007
August 15, 2007 Studio Joe @ 19:30 600 Autumn Drive Little Rock, Arkansas Cost : $10.00 Description: Coffee, espresso, tea, NutriSoda, and munchies will also be available. Studio Joe is a smoke-and-alcohol-free venue. From I-630/I-430 in west Little Rock, take Chenal westward to Autumn Drive (at the corner with Barnes & Noble, Purple Cow, and IHOP). Turn downhill on Autumn and you’ll see the sign on the left almost as soon as you get out of the intersection. It’s the gray building with the green roof. Entrance is around on the back side. Email msminlr [at] gmail.com if you have any questions; be sure to put "Brobdingnagian Bards at Studio Joe" in the subject line. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, August 13, 2007
We did it at last! We have our confirmation that once again we will return for our sixth time to DragonCon, one of the biggest Sci Fi Conventions in the world. This convention sprawls out between three hotels. There hundreds of guests and tens of thousands of people who show up dressed in fantastic costumes or with cameras to take pictures of fantastic costumes, to visit panels, meet celebrities and more. Fri, Aug 31-Sept 3, 2007 DragonConHyatt Regency Atlanta 265 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, GA 30303 Show Schedule: (Times may change) FRIDAY 1-2:30 PM - Art Show 4 PM - Comedy Show - 1st Show Time 8-8:30 PM - Open for Emerald Rose at the Evening at Bree (30-45 minutes) SATURDAY 7 PM - Parsec Awards 10:10 PM - The Signal Podcast (Performing a new Firefly Song) 11:30 PM - Filk Concert (arrive early to get a seat) 1 AM - Firefly Shindig, International North in the Hyatt SUNDAY 5 PM - Concourse 1:30 AM - Pirate Party - Regency V in the Hyatt I look forward to this convention more than just about any other thing we do each year. If we're still playing music at 90, I hope we'll still be performing at DragonCon... though maybe our kilts will look a little too amusing on our ancient legs. But that's a side note... What can you expect if you go? Well, let's see. There's the ever popular Goth satirist, Voltaire. You'll laugh yourself to death with his dark humour. And if you see Celtic folk musicians, Emerald Rose show, you can expect to dance until you drop! There's a lot of funny music this year. The FuMP (Funny Music Project) will be out in full force with artists like Tom Smith, Rob Balder, Worm Quartet, Carrie Dahlby, Throwing Toasters,and Luke Ski will be there. Carla Ulbrich is the Filk Guest of Honor. And two of our favorite bands, Boogie Knights and Bedlam Bards (do you notice a B theme with us too?), will be there as well. Plus, you'll hear Renaissance festival favorites, Three Quarter Ale. There'll be guests from Firefly (Shepherd Book and Badger and folks from The Signal), Sean Astin of Lord of the Rings, Apollo and Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica, and much much more. The list goes on and on. Visit the website to find out more! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, July 27, 2007
Join us for a relaxed evening of bardic fun in Fort Worth for a summer show. You never know what to expect from a Brobdingnagian Bards concert. This evening will be no different. August 3, 2007 Rush House Concert @ 7:30pm 2526 Boston Ave. Ft. Worth, TX 76103 Please RSVP to Emilee 817-531-2433 House 817-233-8755 My Cell Emilee.Rush@gmail.com Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, July 05, 2007
I remember reading Dragon Magazine in high school and hearing about this gaming convention of gaming conventions. Mind you, I originally wanted to go play Dungeons & Dragons instead of music, but hey, that's what I do now. And I love what I do! That said, I'm still uber-excited to finally go to GenCon and play music at this great con. Aug 16th-19th GenCon Indianapolis Indiana Convention Center 100 South Capitol Ave. Indianapolis, Indiana 46225 http://www.gencon.com/It's the reason you bother working the other 361 days a year. Life leads up to this: Gen Con-the best four days in gaming, period. Gamblers have their Las Vegas. Jocks have their Super Bowl. But we gamers-ah-we have our Gen Con. It's the literal epicenter of premier gaming. Thousands of gaming enthusiasts gather together and celebrate 96 hours of what we do best: Play hard. Create worlds. Think brilliantly. Be our heroes. Be ourselves. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Fourth of July is coming and we're visiting friends in Louisiana. So we thought, "Hey! Let's go a little further." And off we're booked for house concerts and some shows. July 6th, 2007 House Concert Cameron & Stephanie Rowe 3620 Azalea Dr. Destin, FL 32541 Opens at 7pm. First set ~ 7:30pm. Ph: (850) 650-3002 stephanie @ crcdatatech.com July 7th, 2007 Tammy's Downtown Café 229 Harrison Avenue Panama City, FL 32401 6pm to ~9pm Ph: (850) 215-3401 envisions@knology.net http://chrisarrant.livejournal.com/128005.htmlLabels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Sunday, July 01, 2007
I think it was in 1999, our first year as a band, that we last performed at Castle Muskogee. The faire was just a few years old at the time. And even then, it was a cool faire. Nice site, great cast, and lots of good entertainment. I remember playing non-stop for 12 hours on one Saturday. It was amazing. Oh! And we even released our very first CD at the end of the festival. If you were lucky, you never got a copy. That CD was terrible. But what is great is all the entertainment at the Oklahoma Renaissance Faire. Many of our faire friends are out there like Bedlam Bards, Queen's Gambit, Nancy Daily-Green, The Lord Mayor's Company, Shantyman & Bonnie Lass, Red McWilliams, and Lord Kerridwynn. Plus, we'll get to see some folks I've yet to meet like Howl-O. Some come out and join us for our exciting return to OKRF! May 19-20, 2007 Oklahoma Renaissance Faire3400 W Fern Mountain Rd Muskogee, OK 74401 Labels: performances, renaissance_festivals
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, May 10, 2007
One of our friends sells jewelry in a gallery in Castle Rock, Colorado. That's pretty close to the Colorado Renaissance Festival. Since we haven't been able to make it out there, she thought a Renaissance festival kick-off party would be a great way to start the season. Enjoy the book store, art gallery, internet cafe as they have Renn costume fittings, wine tasting, and even a boba tea tasting, Plus, find some kids activities planned and, of course, the Brobdingnagian Bards. And this will also be a great way to kick off Opus Fantasy Arts Festival in Denver that weekend. Thurs, May 24, 2007 Stoa Galleries @ 6-9pm 425 Wilcox Street Castle Rock, CO (303) 688-1186 Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, May 10, 2007
We're returning once again to the Tipperary Inn for another exciting performance one of the great Irish venues of Dallas. This time, we're adding a wee bonus... This is part of our Tour for Tara. The Irish government is planning a highway right by the former home of the High Kings of Ireland. The beautiful vista that you may've experienced while visiting Tara in the past, may disappear forever, replaced by a highway. We hope to raise awareness for the upcoming Anam Cara Festival organized by the Global Arts Collective Initiative. Thurs, May 17, 2007 Tipperary Inn @ 8pm-12am 5815 Live Oak St Dallas, TX 75214-7310 (214) 821-6500 No Cover Please help us make this a smashing success. Download a flyer (68k), fill in the info above, and start sharing it with all your friends. Then don't miss this exclusive engagement! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Just got back from the Four Winds Renaissance Faire up by Tyler, Texas. I must admit it wasn't what I expected. Going from pictures and a few people I expected a desolate faire out in the middle of a cow field somewhere. I was pleasantly surprised. The faire began thirteen years ago. And it is still a fairly small site considering the duration. However, it is bigger than the original Excalibur Fantasy Faire site. Much bigger, in fact. And I was surprised to find that despite its size, the land was well used. Last year, Andrew and I were talking about the "perfect" faire. We thought a smart faire site would do what Excalibur did. Start with a small hexagonal piece of land and add new hexagonal pieces each time you start packing the original pieces. Four Winds forced me to re-think that idea. The majority of their shops line one side of the faire. On the other is a lot of open space for dancing, watching jousts, archery, smithying, and just lounging. You see, I'm still a big fan of small faires. I like the fact that with small faires, you can see all there is to see and only Then, will you really experience the faire. Four Winds is small, but not too small like the old Excalibur where some patrons might wonder if they're getting their money's worth. Here, you have a beautiful site with with well placed stages for belly dancers with loud drums that don't drown out the rest of the shows. They have sharp looking pirate stage, and the acoustics at the tavern and in the pavillion are just... well, very admirable. I've been bummed with a lot of faires because they don't have good music stages. This is the first site I've seen that has Several! Now the one downside was some of the buildings. I'm a little biased towards buildings that look like they are out of the Renaissance. Okay, in this case, I'd like to see some that looked like they were out of Musketeer France (their theme). But there are several that do a brilliant job at keeping the theme. Overall, I must say I loved playing here. This was the first time in a long time that I've been to a faire, the day came to a close, and I was quite ready to leave. I can't wait to go back there in three weeks. April 21-22, 2007 Four Winds Renaissance FaireTroup, TX (South of Tyler) Phone: (903) 839-5271 Four shows daily Labels: performances, renaissance_festivals
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, April 02, 2007
As we go out on tour more and more, we ask fans if they're willing to host a house concert for us. Typically, we get a lot of enthusiastic fans writing, "you should play here..." I do greatly appreciate all your suggestions. However, I guess I also find it frustrating some times. Making venue suggestions is great IF I know we're gonna follow up on these things. Now and then, we go out of our way to contact venues that people submit. But more than likely, we don't. I accept that. Our time is limited, and cold calling pubs or folk clubs takes too much time for any booking agent which is why we usually only play places where fans take an active interest in getting us out to a venue. So here's the deal. If you want us to play at club near you, talk to the pub or festival yourself. Take them a CD. Play it for them. Ask them if they'd be willing to book us at their venue. Follow up. Once you get a response talk to Andrew. You are now the promoter who's job it is to get as many fans into that club for us to make it worthwhile for the venue to bring us back. Course, if you decide to host a house concert, the same situation is true. Your job is to promote the event. We can usually bring in a few extra people to a venue, but most of it is up to you. I don't say this to stop you from contacting us. But knowing how we book gigs, I figure now it might be better to have fewer responses from Nagians who are willing to make things happen... Interestingly, that's how I booked Voltaire at Elysium. I went in as a fan and said, you need him to play here. Now, the club wants him there twice a year. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Some people realize that when you can't get enough of something, you have to take matters into your own hand. That's what a few Nagians decided to do down in San Antonio. It's just an hour a way, but we never play there. So what were the options? One, contact a venue and serve as a promoter to have us play at that venue. Or two, have us play a house concert at your place. They chose TWO. Saturday, February 17, 2007 Villarreal House Concert @ 6pm-8:30pm 119 Laurelwood San Antonio, TX, 78213 Call or email Kim to RSVP 210-541-9892, 210-240-1340 kimbervillarreal @ sbcglobal.net Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, February 16, 2007
We're starting to compile our St. Patrick's Day gigs. They are still in the works. But here's what we know of so far for my birthday, March 17, 2007, St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick's Day for Kids Dougherty Arts Center at 10:30am 1110 Barton Springs Road Austin, TX, 78704 (512) 397-1468 Sponsored by the Austin Celtic Association. Things Celtic St. Patrick's Day Celebration Things Celtic at noon 1806 West 35th Street Austin, Texas There's lot more music and entertainment, including: Brobdingnagian Bards (noon), Celtic Storyteller (1pm), Doc Grauzer (2pm) You can find more St. Patrick's Day events in Austin from our St. Patrick's Day website (as they become available). Or check out the Austin Celtic Calendar where you can find a whole slew of Austin Celtic events and gatherings, plus some free St. Patrick's Day MP3s. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
THE ONE RING CELEBRATION 2007 Presented by Creation Entertainment in association with TheOneRing.net and authorized by New Line Cinema BURBANK, CA Fri., Sat. & Sun. March 9-11, 2007 The Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel (formerly The Hilton) Updated: January 19, 2007 STAY OVERNIGHT WITH US AT OUR HOST HOTEL & PARTY! Journey with us as THE ONE RING CELEBRATION moves to a new location in 2007: the gorgeous Burbank Airport MARRIOTT, site of many of our most famous conventions! The hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the Burbank (Bob Hope) Airport, features a newly renovated convention center which we occupy fully, wonderful sleeping rooms, a hopping bar and fine restaurant, Starbucks coffee in the lobby, and a warm and friendly staff used to fans! (After all we now run four other big fan conventions here!). Burbank itself is convenient to all of Southern California's sites and attractions! 2007 GUEST STARSBILLY BOYD Pippin in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy DAVID WENHAM Faramir in Lord of Rings Return of the King and he is starring in the new film "300". ANDY SERKIS Gollum (Smeagol) in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as Kong in in the latest King Kong film. Appearing Sunday. DOUG ADAMS As a musical associate of composer Howard Shore, he has been working closely with Howard on the release of the Complete Soundtrack Recording box sets. He's done all the liner notes. He will give a great presentation on the themes used in the music to represent various races or characters at ORC. Jan. 11: We have been informed by Elijah Wood's representation that he will be filming in Europe on a job he just got. He therefore will be unable to attend this year's convention, unfortunately. We look forward to working with Elijah again soon and wish him well on this new film! All guests and events are tentative and subject to change. All guests have the right to cancel their appearance if film or television work will not allow them to make the convention. 2007 Convention EventsBEECAKE The amazing band featuring Billy Boyd will be playing a concert during the weekend. Due to long-standing public demand we are flying in the band from Europe to appear! We'll keep you posted on ticket prices and other information but get set to be with us for the fun! BROBDINGNAGIAN BARDS The Brobdingnagian Bards (pronounced brAHb'ding-näg-EE-en) hail from Austin, Texas. They take traditional Irish and Scottish folk songs, mix it up with Lord of the Rings music to create a unique brand of Celtic Filk. And when they say "unique", believe it! How many bands do YOU know that play autoharp, recorder, and mandolin... while wearing KILTS?! The Bards (or if you're from Chicago "Da Bards!") were voted the ..1 BEST PERFORMING NOVELTY BAND in the 2004-5 Austin Music Awards. They are the 'Godfathers of Celtic MP3s'. Over FIVE MILLION MP3s have been downloaded by their fans online. Over a million MP3s were from one song, "Tolkien (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings)". They continue to give away over a dozen free Celtic MP3s from their website at http://www.thebards.netIn July, they released a NEW CD-BROBDINGNAGIAN FAIRY TALES. This is the eighth album from The Bards, and it features many of their hit songs inspired by contemporary Sci Fi culture from "Star Wars" to "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer", "The Last Unicorn" to "Schoolhouse Rock". MIDDLE EARTH IDOLS M.A.R.S. Productions presents Middle Earth Idols, a film parody of American Idol featuring Lord of the Rings characters, with celebrity guest judges Kiran Shah (LOTR), Daniel Reeve (LOTR), Dean Haglund (X-Files), Grant Wilson (Ghost Hunters) and more! Special musical performance by Emerald Rose! Who will be the next Middle Earth Idol? 2007 ORC MUSIC VIDEO CONTEST Rules: one music video about Lord of the Rings may be submitted on DVD only (please no computer- based media like CD accepted). Only footage from the New Line Rings trilogy or home made video can be used. Entries are judged on the following criteria: video quality, audio quality, editing quality, inventiveness, song selection, and originality. Humorous submissions are encouraged. Entries can not be returned, and person submitting entry is granting Creation the right to play this entry in perpetuity at Creation events worldwide. Creation does not sell music videos so your entry will never be sold as a commercial product, just presented at our events. Winners will receive a $100 gift certificate good for Creation products and services worldwide (if both your entries are selected you will still be entitled to only one gift certificate). Winners will be announced and certificates awarded on site at our Burbank event; if you are not present we will mail the certificate to you so be sure to include your return address, phone number and e mail. You may call our offices to confirm receipt of your entry but we do not announce winners until the event. All entries are due at Creation offices by Feb. 20th with no exceptions. Please send entries to: Creation Entertainment ORC Video Contest 217 South Kenwood Glendale, CA 91205 Thanks and good luck! http://www.creationent.comLabels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
ColdTowne Theater Presents: see. hear. speak. two. 3 nights of film, music and comedy Thursday, January 18 through Saturday, January 20 see- Thursday, January 18 at 8pm. A night of Comedy short films from local and national acts, featuring work from Studio8.net and more! hear- Friday, January 19 at 8 and 10pm. Austin's finest musical comedy acts hawk their wares at the ColdTowne Theater for one night only in flagrant disregard of local noise ordinances. hear will feature the following acts: 8PM Phil Aulie's Ukulele (ukulele songs) Jerm Pollet (improvised songs) CockSound (rap) Swingin' Sammy Gold and the Sultan Bearded Lamb (It's a surprise!) Southpaw Jones (humorous folk music) 10PM Coolio Populore (faux-brazil) Bill Stern (improvised songs) Jeff Luna Owen Egerton (a man, a beard, and a keyboard) Mr. Happy Ray of Sunshine OBGYN and a Purple Bear with No Birthday Terp 2 It (rap) The Brobdingnagian Bards (irish/celtic) <----- THAT'S US! :)speak- Friday January 20 at 8 and 10pm Austin's finest comedy auteurs speak from their collective hearts with two slots of one man shows. ColdTowne Theater. http://www.coldtownetheater.comAirport and 481/2 St. next to I Luv Video. 512-524-2807. $10 Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Elysium is Austin's premiere Goth club and industrial haven. Voltaire is a brilliant Goth musician and satirist from New York City. The Brobdingnagian Bards are Austin's Original Celtic Renaissance. Add a bit of drinking songs and some mystical Lord of the Rings inspired-music and you have an idea of what we're about. Once again, we return to Elysium to share Celtic comedy with the Austin Community. And once again, we share the stage with one of my favorite Goth musicians, Voltaire. Come join us! Date: Thursday, February 8, 2007 Time: 10 pm Guymon Adams, 11pm ( Brobdingnagian Bards), 12am ( Voltaire) Location: 705 Red River City: Austin, TX 78705 Phone #: 512.478.2979 Cover: $10 in advance, $12 at the door Age: Must be 21 or older to attend. Website: www.elysiumonline.netDownload flyers:We could use your help promoting the show. Please consider downloading a flyer and posting it in your place of business. Thanks!Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Sunday, January 14, 2007
We're less than six months away from our trip to Ireland. I am hoping to visit some of my friends in Italy after the trip, and Andrew would like to see more of Europe too since he's never been. So it is time to find out just how many fans we have there. It's time to start booking some gigs. And you can help. We've never toured in Europe before. So we don't know where to play at all. We also don't know what kind of fan base we have there. So we may end up busking, but we'd like the opportunity to play for fans. Ideally, we'd love to put together some house concerts. But I understand that Europe is not as open to house concerts as we are here in the states. Nevertheless, we're gonna look into this idea. The other problem is finding venues AND communicating with them. So here's where you can help. If you live in europe, would like to see us play live, are interested in a house concert, or would be willing to talk to a venue for us, please contact us and let us know how yo are willing to help. We will keep you up-to-date with what we were able to book. Thanks! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Their Graces, Duke Sir Kane and Ilissa, invite the Known World to their annual party, the SCA / Sci-Fi convention, ShadowCon XI! Come join us for a winter weekend indoors! There will be fencing, heavy weapons and tourneys. There will be gaming, D&D, Vampire LARP, computer gaming, board games, an International game room, Merchants Masquerade (Historical, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy), Hall costume contest, Belly Dance lessons, Friday night Karaoke, Saturday night Haffla (Belly dance party), Kane's Auction of the Strange and Unusual, and MORE. ShadowCon XIJanuary 5th, 6th & 7th, 2007 Holiday Inn MEMPHIS-MT. MORIAH RD & I-240 2490 MT. MORIAH RD. MEMPHIS, TN 38115 UNITED STATES Hotel Front Desk: 1-901-3628010 Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
We were out at the Texas Renaissance Festival a few weeks back and ran into one of our dear friends at faire, Stacy. She's been asking us to come do a house concert in Houston for a few months now. So we finally confirmed that we would definitely do a house concert there. We haven't played in Houston in a few years so this is an exciting opportunity. If it's anything like our show in Dallas last month, I'm sure there will be limited seating available. So RSVP ASAP to make sure you can attend. Friday, December 1, 2006 Tarik and Stacy Bakri House Concert @ 7:30pm-9pm 2731 Creek Terrace Drive Missouri City, Texas 77459 Call or email Stacy to RSVP. stacyann @ houston.rr.com or by phone at 281-208-4429 $10 donation Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Once again, I find myself amazed by Elysium... on many levels Last year, I met a Goth friend online who invited me to the club. So I wanted to go for a while, but never made it out. Please being a Goth-o-phile, I was anxious to experience the club. But I didn't. It wasn't until this year, when I talked another friend into going there for a 80s Goth night. And then learned about their 80s night on Sundays. I went back for one of those and had a blast. I liked the club. It had a good atmosphere. Dark and swank. Since the smoking ban went into session Austin, it's not too been too bad for cigarette smoke... That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, but it's not unbareable though. So after I-Con in New York, and spending another amazing evening hanging out with Voltaire, I decided I wanted to get him into the club. So I hunted down the agent, did the footwork, and I was impressed by the character of the owners who booked the club. Good people. And great character. Of course, the show was a rousing success. So now we're up to the present. Friday night, we had our first show there where we shared the evening with two Goth bands. In case, you didn't know, we're not Goths. We're more geek than Goth. We've played a lot of shows here in Austin. I love playing shows in Austin. It's so much easier than being on the road. But it's also so much easier to be complacent. Most of the venues we've played in Austin have been half-hearted in supporting us. To them, it's all about how many people we can bring in on a dead night. That's fine. I accept that that is the fate of a musician. That's usually what it's about. We're kinda fortunate to perform at Ren Faires and Sci Fi Cons, where that's not the primary issue. Oh and I should mention that many venues also don't want to pay because in Austin, musicians are a dime a dozen. So why pay good musicians when you can get some for free? Elysium--a Goth club--is the first place I've played in Austin where I feel we are treated with respect. I like that. A lot. To know that the club sees your value. They know what you can do, what you can do for them, and what they can do for you. And they are willing to help you attain that goal. I know Elysium, as a venue, doesn't serve all of our fans. So I am on the lookout for more venues like it that will reach our other fans. But I am a huge supporter of independent businesses that are run from the heart. And Elysium is just that sort of business. I can't wait until we return there in another three months. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Sunday, October 08, 2006
I don't think I've mentioned yet that we are going BACK to ELYSIUM, Austin's premiere Goth club. Bards dressed in black with dark humor... What am I saying, Andrew couldn't be dark if he tried! Well, I can! Really I can! Read my poetry, you'll see. It's not all Jedi, fish and chips. Anyway, mark your calendars. We'll be there on Friday, October 6th at 10pm, opening for two killer local Goth bands: Ear to Anon and Lila's Medicine. What do we have in common with them? Very little musically. Though I bet they like Star Wars and drinking. I mean, who doesn't... except Andrew. Well, I mean he likes Star Wars, but not drinking... alcohol at least. I mean, he likes his sweet tea... bad tangent, where was I? Our last show at Elysium was, well, like a show at Sci Fi Convention. High-energy and amazing fun! Tell your friends and your friends' friends. And share the news with everyone you can. Date: Friday, October 6, 2006 Time: 10 pm ( Brobdingnagian Bards), 11pm ( Ear to Anon), 12am ( Lila's Medicine) Location: 705 Red River City: Austin, TX 78705 Phone #: 512.478.2979 Cover: TBA Age: Must be 21 or older to attend. Website: www.elysiumonline.netLabels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
We're still at FenCon right now, but I'm a little awed. At long last, we met two people whose names we've only known from years of playing songs by these two people. They are Randy Farran and Claire McMurray. Those two authored " Do Virgins Taste Better" and " The Dragon's Retort" respectively. Andrew was first introduced to the first song through his sister in our first year together. After doing some research online, he found Claire's song "The Dragon's Retort". We combined those two songs together when we first started playing at Excalibur Fantasy Faire. It was our first "hit". So we recorded them individually for our first CD, Marked By Great Size. But Nagians wanted to hear the two songs together, as we perform them live. So when we started recording A Faire To Remember, we decided we would indeed record those two songs together. It's been one of our most-popular songs since. Nevertheless, Randy and Claire have been sorta secret heros of mine ever since. I caught a little of Randy's show he had today, which was fantastic. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that Claire was at the convention too. So I was disappointed when we performed our "Medley" when I realized I mentioned Randy Farran as an author, but not Claire McMurray. And even more ironic was that Claire was in the audience and Randy wasn't. LOL. Anyway, my apologies Claire!!! Oo! On an extra exciting note, Claire asked about my solo cat CD, Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers and she's planning to submit a song for the next cat album. Oh! And Cedric of the Bedlam Bards has a couple more songs planned for the album, too. All in all, FenCon is just brilliant fun, while being soo much more relaxing than DragonCon. Though it just makes me miss DragonCon all the more. I can't for next year. However, I'm now also really hoping that FenCon will have us back next year. It's a good time all around. Slainte! Labels: cd_news, performances, song_lyrics
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Saturday, September 23, 2006
DragonCon is over. And I am wiped! You can see it by the bags underneath my eyes. That, and the new sinus infection. This was by far the busiest we've been at DragonCon. We had more shows than ever. Non-stop musical mayhem... or something like that. I tried getting a lot of rest, but I guess it didn't work. Next year, I need to remember to starting early preparing for DragonCon... training if you will. Regular daily exercise so that I don't get too tired that way too. Saturday evening I disappeared into my Happy Place there was so much stimulation. Some highlights: We played for the Masquerade. It was awesome playing to a good 4000 people. My vocal mic had probs. So before we played "Jedi", we swung into "In the Mood". Both were a huge success. The filk shows were wild, packed. Friday, there were so many people we moved the show into the hallway only to have the Fire Marshall close us down. Saturday and Sunday both had lines out the door. We definitely need a bigger venue. Oh and after the Friday show, I was tired and delirious. I was posing in front of a statue of Jabba the Hutt doing... well... my best Leia impression, along with other embarrassing, blackmail pictures that I'm sure will show up online soon. Richard Hatch of Battlestar Galactica fame pulled us aside on the Walk of Fame and asked us to play song. That was cool. I was surprised by the number of Celtic festivals and Scottish games asking to hire us for their events. I just don't expect that much at Sci Fi cons. I got a copy of Voltaire's new LIVE CD that was recorded at Elysium in Austin. My name was placed prominently on the back of the CD, "recorded by". Woohoo! I'm on a Voltaire CD. ;) Mmm... Good food with West of the Moon folks. We missed out at playing for Slice of SciFi and WingingIt, but I went to a Room Party of Michael and Evo's that was just brilliant. Author, Scott Sigler, "sang" a wild version of "Wild Rover" with me there. It was brilliant. As soon as I get a chance to mess with the the Sunday night filk show, I hope to post it as a Brobdingnagian Bards Podcast. Keep an eye open for that. The "Jedi Drinking Songs Prequel" went over great this weekend, though we kinda screwed up our performance of it in the Parsec Podcast Awards. But it was cool when Tracy Hickman of Dragon Lance fame expressed his love of our music. The Jedi Assembly seemed to dig the song as well. Sunday on the Concourse, I had a blast playing "Health to the Company" with Bedlam Bards and Pandora Celtica. And Cedric's (of the Bedlam Bards) sign language interpretation of "The Unicorn Song" was a huge hit!
I guess that's all I can think of right now. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
We're heading back to DragonCon for a weekend of geeky entertainment. On the way back, we'll be playing a few house concerts. To join the fun, just RSVP ASAP. :) Friday, September 8, 2006 Pettingill House Concert @ 7:30-9pm 3671 High Bluff Dr. Largo, FL 33770 Call or email Deborah and guy to RSVP. columella@blackfish.biz or by phone at 727-321-1106 $10 donation Sunday, September 10, 2006 John & April Leake House Concert @4pm-6:30pm 205 Grand Prix Dr. Crestview, FL 32536 (850) 423-0122 Call to RSVP. $10 donation Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Ask and ye shall receive... eventually. After years of fans asking, we were thrilled to receive an email from the Tipperary Inn in Dallas asking us to come perform at their pub. So we are now booked there in October. Four hours of bardic goodness. Tipperary Inn @ 8pm-12am 5815 Live Oak St Dallas, TX 75214-7310 (214) 821-6500 No Cover Please help us make this a smashing success. Download a flyer (68k), fill in the info above, and start sharing it with all your friends. Then don't miss this exclusive engagement! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
It all started simply enough. I wanted to visit meet a relative in Tennessee. Now, we're working on a House Concert tour that will last all of July. I'm really excited about it because House Concerts are an amazing way for us to showcase ourselves to fans. They are friendly with a great atmosphere. Download a flyer to post and handout to friends. Here's all the gigs that will be featured in our July House Concert Tour: Tuesday, July 4, 2006 Peyton House Concert @ 6:30-9:00pm 483 N. Birch St, Gardner, KS 66030 (913) 302-6581 or peytonpinklady at yahoo.com$10 donation/person. Call or email to RSVP. There are limited number of seats available. So do it soon. Some snacks will be provided, but this is a BYOB event. Wednesday, July 5, 2006 Rothermel House Concert @ 7:00-9:30pm 201 Trigg Ave, Blackwater, MO 65322 (660) 846-2053 or gothmama at iland.net$10 donation/person. Call or email to RSVP. Thursday, July 6, 2006 Callahan House Concert @ 7:00-9:30pm 102 N. Division, Stanford, IL 61774 (309) 825-8227 or jim at tablegamer.com$10 donation/person. Call or email to RSVP. Friday-Sunday, July 7-9, 2006 InConjunction Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention Sheridan Hotel & Suites Indianapolis, IN Fri 10pm Open Filk Jam Sat 7pm Concert Monday, July 10th An Evening of Kilts @ 6:00-11pm Panzarella House Concert 253 S. Main St., Winchester, KY Call John or Kathy at (859) 744- 4235 $10 donation/person. B.Y.O.B. Please purchase tickets in advance. Also featuring Men of Thunda. Download a Kentucky House Concert Flyer! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, June 26, 2006
We had numerous requests from people asking if we were gonna perform in Kansas City, Missouri during our House Concert Tour. Ask and ye shall receive. We've rearranged our schedule so we WILL be there. And we'll also be there on the Fourth of July! I think they can only hold about thirty folks. So contact Terry and Kelly asap. Slainte July 4, 2006 Peyton House Concert @ 6:30-9pm 483 N. Birch St Gardner, KS 66030 (913) 302-6581 or peytonpinklady@yahoo.com$10 donation/person Call or email to RSVP. There are limited number of seats available. So do it soon. Some snacks will be provided, but this is a BYOB event. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Sunday, June 25, 2006
A few years back, we played for a show for the Austin Gaelic League. It was an Irish sing-a-long. We dusted off all our most sing-a-long-able songs and crooned along with a happy audience of Irish Americans who just don't find such things in Austin, Texas. That got me thinking. If we want to this right, we should pull in some other Irish pub singers. So I picked up the phone and called Campbell & Wilson. They're like us, a helluva lotta fun, only in San Antonio. I think this is their first time playing in Austin. So let's make it one heckuva party. Come enjoy some great craic, slainte! Weds, June 28, 2006 Irish Sing-A-Long @ 8PM (arrive at 7:30PM) Cactus CafeTexas Union UT Austin Campus 24th & Guadalupe Austin, TX (512) 475-6515 Also featuring Campbell & Wilson. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, June 16, 2006
Music, Comedy and Laughs! Entertainment runs from 9:30pm to midnight Tuesday, June 6, 2006 Brobdingnagian Bards Carousel Lounge @ 10:30pm (our showtime) 1110 E 52nd St Austin, TX 78723 512-452-6790 So far the lineup consists of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Parallelogramophonograph (improv comedy troupe), Terp 2 (freestyle comedic rap), and live Family Feud featuring cards from 1976 to wrap things up. So the theme is Variety, I'd say. And of course, the Carousel Lounge is circus themed. The Carousel Lounge is located at 1110 East 52nd. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Ah. The first day of Opus Fantasy Arts Festival is over. The festival is awesome! If you're in the Denver area, what are you waiting for? Come join us! I was hoping to write something about it late last night after our show, but we ran into a little snag--time change. We've been on three different time zones on this trip. So when we played an 11:30pm gig last night, it was 1:30am EST. So we were a touch tired. No doubt the altitude didn't help matters, but the show went. Great! We asked the audience if they wanted to hear our new "Jedi Drinking Song Prequel" and we had an overwhelming response. Aside from fumbling a few lyrics, it seemed to go over Really well. I finally talked Andrew into playing it live for the first time at O'Malley's Irish Pub in Missouri, but it still needs some work. When we get back to Austin, we will practice that one a lot, maybe even add it to one of our podcasts... We'll see... Otherwise, the festival is awesome! The hotel is better than ever. It's a beautiful layout. Our booth is attracting more and more traffic and we're making new fans as usual. Rion and Sage, who run the festival, man, they've outdone themselves. I'm so impressed. Oh! And there's a Feast tonight with a list of food that sounds deadly delicious! I need to remember to buy some tickets if they aren't already sold out. The next big step is to convincing Rion to do a podcasting panel next year. We need to build up the whole podcasting phenomena. Because I tell you I LOVE doing podcast Well, there's a show in another hour. So I need to get downstairs and help sell some CDs before Andrew gets snippy (as if he EVER is snippy, it's disgusting...;) Oh! Last, I heard an Official confirmation from Voltaire about his gig at Elysium in Austin next month. There were a few particulars that needed working out and they are done. So now I can watch Voltaire rock Opus this evening and relax doing it. :) Slainte! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Andrew and I arrived in Kansas City on Tuesday. We're staying with a friend from Kansas City Renaissance Festival from a few years back and we went down to a pub in Westport before crashing. Yesterday was spent catching up on email and recording the latest Renaissance Festival Podcast. I was barely down with the audio part when it was time to leave for O'Malley's Pub in Weston. The drive up was quick and easy. Easier than we anticipated in fact. So we arrived at 6pm and found the pub was closed up. So Andrew and I sat outside and jammed a little bit when Emilee, our photo goddess who travels just about anywhere within a 600 mile radio of Oklahoma, it seems, showed up. We chatted and tested out the "Jedi Drinking Song Prequel" on them when Lisa arrived. Then as we were chatting with them, we saw a group of people knocking on the O'Malley's door too. They came over. We started chatting and learned that one of the lasses there was Also from Austin! That was too cool. So maybe we'll have one extra person in attendance on at the Elysium gig with Voltaire. Finally, the doors of the pub opened and Michael showed us around. Wow! We heard about the great atmosphere, but never know what to expect. This is one cool place. The pub is built in an old Brewery. The actual location of the drinking and music is located in the cellar of this small building with two naturally cool buildings. The top level is small and stoney with a low ceiling and earthy flavor. The bottom level is much larger and usually open on weekends, but since the whole place is usually closed on weekdays, this was a special treat and we were on the top floor. A good thirty folks showed up for the show. It was awesome to see. Because I can't tell you how many people suggested we book here, or somewhere in Kansas City. Especially since we won't be at the Kansas City Renaissace Festival this year. So now that we're doing this for a living, I hope to pull off more shows up here in the future. We're definitely learning a lot on this tour. But I am about ready to get home. I was dreaming of my kitties last night. Mreow! One more show to go in Denver, Colorado at the Opus Fantasy Arts Festival. Another brilliant show before we drive home. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, May 18, 2006
The Georgia Renaissance Festival is over, and we're getting ready to leave Georgia in an hour or so. I must say that I am disappointed to go. I've had a wonderful time here all around. Plus, GARF really impressed me. If you've listened to my Renaissance Festival Podcast, you know that I was really impressed with the performers I knew from there BEFORE I went. But now, having attended the faire, I'm really impressed all around. The faire is indeed a beautiful site. Lots of well-constructed structures and a very intelligent design. You can tell they thought out how to make the site when they bought the land. The site is smaller than most of the faires we attend. The closest in size is the Kansas City Renaissance Festival which we won't be at this year (though we've a K.C. gig on Weds). But this one has even better stages designed to fit larger audiences to sit through a show. The Greenwood Stage, on which we performed, was rather well-designed for stage performances though it could use a slightly better natural acoustics. Other than that, it was a great stage, with good shade for the audience and nice look. I can't wait to see some of the pictures for the faire. Hopefully, folks will start emailing pics soon. Yet, it's the performers that shine the most. They put on amazing shows. Three Quarter Ale, Joni Minstrel, and the well-loved The Lost Boys are brilliant at telling a story, filling a niche, and providing enjoyable songs you can sing-a-long to, laugh with, or just fill with incredible delight. And they were just the start of what I've come to love about the faire. There's a lot more. You'll hear that in my Ren Fest Podcast. All in all, it is sad to leave, but Andrew's hounding me to start packing. We still have many more roads to travel. Meantime, I can't wait until we get back for DragonCon. Labels: performances, renaissance_festivals
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, May 15, 2006
It was an exciting night last night. Sinus problems were pretty horrendous which had me sounding like one of the guys from The Dubliners... The one with the really LOW voice. Fortunately, I was able to use my hoarse voice to my advantage. lol One cool thing was there were a few people who came out to the show who found us on myspace and livejournal. I only made one of them. But that was neat to see. So a quick note to anyone out there: PLEASE don't just sit in the background and listen, Come Introduce Yourself. I'd LOVE to meet and chat with you while we're on the road. Pretty please! With bards on top! ;) lol Oh, and if you are fan of the cat songs, I should warn you that we as the Bards don't play cat songs. That's a solo project. So pull me aside at some point after the show or at the faire, or whatever, and I'll play you a song or two. :) BTW. Someone put together a cool shirts on Zazzle inspired by us, Here's the back, inspired by one of our podcasts (I don't remember this...) Back of Shirt, T-shirt frontLabels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Sunday, May 07, 2006
A lot of people have asked us to play a pub in Kansas City. Well at long last, we have one booked. We are touring through Missouri on our way to Colorado. Since we won't be at Kansas City Renaissance Festival this year, we decided we needed to book some more gigs in Missouri for all our fans up there. So here we go. If this goes well, perhaps we'll be able to many more. So come on out and bring some friends! Date: Weds, May 17, 2006 Time: 7:30pm-10pm Location: 540 Welt St City: Weston, MO Phone #: 816.640.5235 Cover: $5 Website: www.westonirish.comLabels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, May 05, 2006
The Bards will head to Georgia in May and perform a House Concert thanks to Sara Carman who is hosting this performance. What's a house concert? It's a live performance in an intimate setting. You can find out more details from our house concert webpageDate Friday, May 12, 2006 Time: Opens at 7pm. First set ~ 7:30pm. Location: 2285 Turtle Creek Way City: Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Phone #: (770) 339-0021 Cover: $10 per person (Please RSVP) General Directions:- Take 85N to exit 115 -Hwy 20, Mall of Georgia exit. - Take 20 east toward Lawrenceville. - Turn left at the fourth traffic light onto Old Peachtree Rd. - At the first traffic light, you will cross over Brazelton Hwy. - About 1/2 mile after that light, Old Peachtree takes a 90-degree turn to the left. Do not make the left turn. Go straight and you will be on Prospect Church Rd. - About 100 yards from where Prospect Church Rd begins, you will see Turtle Creek Lakes subdivision on your left. Turn left into the subdivision and you will be on Turtle Creek Way. - Follow the road to the back of the subdivision. Our house is on the right and the street number, 2285 is on the mailbox . If you hit the cul-de-sac, you have gone too far. Labels: performances
--posted by Andrew of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, May 05, 2006
The Bards will head to Florida in May and perform a House Concert thanks to Cameron & Stephanie Rowe who are hosting this performance. This is a little different than our standard House Concert since they are holding it at their business, a CyberCafe. What's a house concert? It's a live performance in an intimate setting. You can find out more details from our house concert webpage. Date: Wednesday May 10, 2006 Time: Opens at 7pm. First set ~ 7:30pm. Location: 4014 Commons Dr. West, Suite 122 City: Destin, FL 32541 Phone #: (850) 654-7262 Cover: $10 per person Cafe Website: http://www.crcdatatech.com/contact/General Directions:located behind Wal-Mart & OfficeMax, across from Destin Animal Clinic, next door to the Benjamin Moore Paint Store Labels: performances
--posted by Andrew of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, May 05, 2006
Elysium is Austin's premiere Goth club and industrial haven. Voltaire is a brilliant Goth musician and satirist from New York City. The Brobdingnagian Bards are Austin's Original Celtic Renaissance. Add a bit of drinking songs and some mystical Lord of the Rings inspired-music and you have an idea of what we're about. So how does an Celtic group get booked at a Goth club? Answer: Voltaire! It's strange how things work out. You see, Voltaire performs at a LOT of the same Science Fiction Conventions ( I-Con, DragonCon, Opus Fantasy Arts Festival) that we play at. Many Goths go to Sci Fi Conventions and many like our music too. Our fan bases cross over quite a bit. Also, I'm a HUGE fan of Voltaire. When we were up in New York last month, I decided I wanted to have Voltaire perform in Austin. So I went to the place where every Goth in Austin goes, ELYSIUM. While I was booking Voltaire into Elysium, I mentioned how well our audiences mesh. Lo and behold, we were booked alongside Voltaire and another yet to be mentioned Goth music group. So on June 3oth, we are going Goth. Don your black kilt and eyeliner, grab a copy of Voltaire's book What Is Goth to find your Goth name, and join us at Austin's Goth Club, Elysium, for a new you won't soon forget! Date: Friday, June 30, 2006 Time: 10 pm ( Brobdingnagian Bards), 11pm ( the Machine in the Garden), 12am ( Voltaire) Location: 705 Red River City: Austin, TX 78705 Phone #: 512.478.2979 Cover: $11 Age: Must be 21 or older to attend. Website: www.elysiumonline.netDownload flyers:We could use your help promoting the show. Please consider downloading a flyer and posting it in your place of business. Thanks! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
No sooner had we left Long Island then we were invited back. This time for a Renaissance festival--CW Post Renaissance Faire. This faire is being held at the CW Post Campus in Brookville, New York. We're still trying to gather up the details. But here's all that I know so far. Location: CW Post Campus at Riggs Lawn Time: noon-6pm Our Times: noon and 3pm City: Brookville, NY Phone #: 631.632.6045 Website: for driving directions see: http://www.cwpost.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/location/directions.html*Performances:* The Brobdingnagian Bards - 12pm & 3pm C.W. Post Madrigals - 2pm The Commedia dell' Arte Players - 4:30pm *Participating Clubs - Activities* Say Anything Improv., PTSA - Human chess game Pre-Law Assoc. - History of Medieval law, Stock pictures Anime Club - Dunk Tank (Drench-a-Wench) L.O.G.S. - "Werewolf" game Alpha Xi Delta - Ribbon Wreaths (headresses) Indian Pride Club - Henna Latin American Women's Society- Hair Braiding Labels: performances, renaissance_festivals
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, April 07, 2006
Five months ago, a devasting hurricane wrecked on the Gulf Coast where many of our dear friends live. So when Bob Brinkman of Modern Bard suggested that we create a Renaissance festival compilation CD to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina, I jumped at the opportunity. The CD is now complete. It's called The Circle. It features 22 tracks of great Ren Faire music. On February 18th, we're having a CD release party at Mother Egan's Pub to celebrate the new album. Also performing is the Bedlam Bards. February 18, 2006 Mother Egan's Irish Pub @ 7-10PM Location: 715 West 6th St. City: Austin, Texas Phone #: 512.478.7747 Help us out by telling all your friends to join the fun! Labels: performances, renaissance_festivals
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Friday, January 27, 2006
Yes, we ARE confirmed for the Hamlet of Mid-Missouri Renaissance Festival. I lost track of how many years we've performed there. Was it 2000 when we started playing there? It's been a while. I'm looking forward to seeing some great friends including, Queen's Gambit, Nancy Daily Green, Mother Pockets and Seymoure. Plus, there's to be a killer Highland Games this year. It will be a blast, so join us at this great wee Renaissance festival in the heart of Missouri. Oh! And I'm pretty sure we will have our annual Nagian Gathering on Sunday evening. Just have to check my work schedule. (just one month and 10 days to go!) Labels: performances, renaissance_festivals
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Last night, we had a small, but loud contingent of Nagians at Carney's Irish Pub in Bryan, Texas. It was a grand time, but boy was it a challenge. After a fairly exhausting weekend in New York for I-Con 24, I was wiped out at work. Though I came up with a great shocking comment for the Nagians when they asked why we weren't wearing kilts (we don't always, just usually). I responded, "Well this is the last time we'll be coming to Carney's Irish Pub... when I have a day job that won't allow me to easily change into my kilt before we go." The gasps and looks on the Nagians faces was priceless! ;) The show went rather well. I got to use a newly setup autoharp that sounded really good. We also had a lot of great anecdotes from New York. Seems most of our limited "Virgins: Bard tested... Unicorn approved." T-shirts are sold out except for the 2XL-4XL shirts. So if you want one, better hurry. Course, you can also get smaller sizes from the artist, Nikki O'Shea. Also, seems there are a lot of people interested in the new compilation CD that we released through the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. The CD is called The Secret World of Celtic Rock. We're not on it though my vocals were used in remix of "My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose" by Rimbo, who recorded "The Scotsman Dance Remix" for us. Overall, Carney's Irish Pub was a wildly successful evening and thanks to the Brazos Valley Celtic Association for hosting us. Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
This past weekend, we performed at the Austin Celtic Festival and had a smashing time. It was the first time that Andrew and I have performed at the festival, and it was also the first year that it was not rained out... Coincidence? I think not... Rather, I am beginning to believe Andrew when he says, "I'm Irish. I'm lucky...with anything but women!" :) Seriously though, it was a great festival. A few thousand people showed each day and it was the first time the ACA actually made a profit. We also had the joy of sharing a booth and the stage with our good friends and headliners, The Rogues who put on their usual incredible performance! To see the way they stir up the crowd and get them dancing in the stands, they really are an amazing inspiration to me. Some other highlights in my book would have to be the Blarney Brothers who put on an amazing performance. Whenever I think of the Blarney Brothers, I think of the Jolly Rogers up in Kansas City, you know, pirate songs, right? Wrong. The Blarney Brothers actually remind me more of The Saw Doctors. They perform some pirate songs, but they are all performed with a pop rock beat. They have some beautiful harmonies and just put on a fantastic show. Spot was another simple joy for the show. He plays guitar and banjo and tells some great stories in between some fantastic Celtic songwriting. Oh, and Michael Fracasso, the token non-Celtic songwriter also was a pleasure to see. I remember hearing him on the radio a few years back and was sorely disappointed, but this weekend, I stopped and listened. He really is a fantastic songwriter and vocalist. Our friends, Widening Gyre, debuted their first CD this weekend and did so with a wonderful show. Canadian-born musicians, David and Aditi are always fun to watch. And I got to hear a few new songs I hadn't heard before, played better than ever. I'm looking forward to hearing their CD soon as well. I didn't get to see enough of their show, but B.D. Riley's favorites, Pubcrawler also debuted at the ACF for the first time as well. I saw their opening song. An original crowd-pleaser that had the audience shouting for more. They play every Friday at B.D. Riley's here in Austin and man, this is a performance you've got to witness! They have no CDs out yet, but the music is by far one of the best at the festival!
Now, the hardest working musician at the festival would have to be Wolf Loescher from Jiggernaut. He also performed in other bands, including The Rogues this weekend, and the guy didn't stop to breathe it seemed. But I got a good dose of Deanna Smith, the lead vocalist, and an amazing singer at that. We got to play the run of the festival, and yesterday, we were even sitting in between the two stages strumming away some great old songs for the enjoyment of passerbys. I guess the one major downside to it all was when the Entertainment Director told us we couldn't play " Patriot Game" due to it's political content. It's kinda silly IMO, but understandable. I think the Ent. Dir. seems to think that we are volatile supporters of the IRA. "Patriot Game" is a song written at the beginning of this century in support of the IRA. The song was written by Dominic Behan, brother of Brendan. It tells the story of Fergal O'Hanlon from Ballybay, Co Monaghan, who tried to abolish the border between the Six Counties and the Republic. He was killed during the Brookborough attack at the age of 17. The song has become world famous and even Bob Dylan recorded a version in the 60's. It is undoubtedly one of the best ballads ever to come out of the Irish struggles. Well to set the record straight, I am not a supporter of the IRA. I am not proud of the actions of England against the Irish, and I do support the freedom of Ireland, but I do not support that freedom or any freedom by terrorist actions! "Patriot Game" to me is a great song! That's it! And as a bard, I consider it my duty to preserve great songs like this one for our children's children. I hope you will consider that too in the future. Okay, that's all for my soapbox today. Thanks to the many people who came out and heard our music and bought our CDs and T-Shirts. Thanks for the scores of new people who have joined the ranks of Nagians this week. And thank you for sharing the news about our music with your family and friends. Slainte'! Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, November 05, 2001
We had a great time at the Garden in the Heights' Celtic Harvest Festival. The weather was hot and humid, and I only broke ONE string.
Plus, we got to enjoy the music of Houston's On the Dole and Canada's Hadrian's Wall. It was a great day. On the Dole plays Celtic Rock with an accordian and mix a bunch of traditional songs with some modern covers. They play on Thursdays at Slainte' in downtown Houston, and are well worth the visit. Very funny and rousing band.
As for Hadrian's Wall, I'd heard of them before and now I got to find out out why the rumors abound. The band is incredible. Although you could call them Celtic rock too since they play with a full drum kit, the sound is very traditional. Beautiful harmonies, exquisite fiddle-playing, and fantastic vocals. The band is amazing!
As for us, we got to play two sets early in the day. The audience seemed to really enjoy themselves. We ended up selling most of our CDs and All of our t-shirts. So at long last, we will be placing another order. But thanks to all of you came out, listened and sang along. You really made the day for us. Thanks!
Also happening this week, look for The Mermaid Song on MP3.com. That's the next track to be released. This is probably my favorite track off the new album, which is why it's the first song on the album.
Oh and this weekend, we're doing a benefit show for the Austin Celtic Associations annual Celtic festival, alongside Austin Celts Poor Man's Fortune and Spot. So please come on out.Labels: performances
--posted by Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards, Celtic Folk Music
Monday, August 13, 2001
|
· ABOUT US
· BUY MUSIC
· CELTIC LYRICS
· NAGIANS ONLY
· WRITE US
· WHAT'S NEW?
buy our latest cd
|
