COUNTRY CUTS SEPTEMBER 2011. Roger Ryan.
Brad Paisley who enjoyed the luzury of travelling in his own private jet, can feel well pleased with his recent 3 date Irish tour. His first show at the Olympia in Dublin was packed to the rafters and a camera crew from Hot Country was there to record the momentous event. Look out for it in the Hot Country show on tv over the next couple of weeks. Following his show at the TF Royal, Castlebar, Brad flew to Farranfore where he was greeted by a large group of excited fans who had got wind of his travel plans. He greeted the fans and posed for pictures at the airport before heading for the INEC Killarney for his final Irish show. During his visit to Dublin he presented a very surprised Sandy Harsch with a well deserved CMA International Broadcaster Award. Sandy is a weekly presenter of a very popular country music show on RTE Radio 1.
Despite the downturn in the Irish economy, a lot of big name acts have agreed to tour here this year, and between now and the end of the year there will be no shortage of concerts. Some of the acts announced so far are, Dolly, Alison Krauss, Rodney Crowell, Georgette Jones, Steve Earle, Tim Mc Graw, The Band Perry, Tommy Emmanuel, The Water Tower Bucket Boys, Glen Campbell.
Dolly Parton who will play the O2 Dublin on Sept. 14th, has released a new album called Better Days. Like her previous album Backwoods Barbie, this one sees Dolly return to the country music mainstream with Hold Everything, chugga-chugga rhythms and even her 1974 duet with Porter Wagoner, Together You and I, gets a Taylor Swift-style pop-country makeover.
The Princess of Country Music Georgette Jones, daughter of George Jones and Tammy Wynette, will be back in Ireland for an extended tour and book and book launch in September. Her dates are as follows. Thursday Sept. 8th – Ardboyn Hotel, Navan.Friday 9th – Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran.Saturday 10th – RadissonBlu Hotel, Galway.Sunday 11th – New Park Hotel, Kilkenny.Tuesday 13th – Clonmel Park Hotel, Tipperary.Thursday 15th – Red Cow/Moran’s Hotel, Dublin.Friday 16th – Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny.Saturday 17th – Four Seasons Hotel, Monaghan.Sunday 18th – River Bank Hotel, Wexford and Tuesday 20th – Dolmen Hotel, Carlow. Georgette will be joined at various venues on this Tour by: Robert Mizell, Ray Lynam, Philomena Begley, Louise Morrissey, Matt Leavy, Trudi Lalor, Mick Flavin, Gloria, Quincy Raye, Marc Roberts, Aiden Quinn, Kym Kelly, Lisa Stanley, Vicky Kenny, Pam Jackson, Jessie Conlon and Marion Fitzgerald.
Steve Kaufman, will be in Ireland for a short tour in Sept and will be performing at the following venues: Tues. Sept. 27th, The Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co.Cork, Wed. Sept. 28th, Steve will conduct a 3 hour All Level Hands On Gold Award Winning Flatpicking Workshop at The Helix (The Space) in Dublin. Thur. Sept. 29th. Steve will perform in concert at The Helix (The Space).
Steve Earle along with The Dukes ( and Duchesses) featuring Alison Moorer, will play two dates in Ireland, Nov. 5th @ Mandella Hall, Belfast, and Nov. 6th @ the Olympia, Dublin.
Tommy Emmanuel’s Irish dates are, Dec. 8th, The Waterfront, Belfast, Dec. 10th, The Helix, Dublin and Dec. 11th he will play the Opera House, Cork.
The Water Tower Bucket Boys have announced four dates for Irealsnd and they are, Sept. 6th, The Weigh Inn, Omagh, Sept. 9th. St. John’s Theatre, Listowel, Co. Kerry, Sept. 11th. Nancy Blake’s, Limerick, Sept. 12th, The Village Arts Centre, Kilworth, Co.Cork.
As part of an extensive tour of Europe, Eileen Jewell will play the following Irish dates, Nov. 1st, Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel, Nov. 3rd, Sugar Club, Dublin, and Nov. 4th, Cleere’s, Kilkenny City.
Alisdon Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, will be in Ireland in November for the following shows, Monday Nov. 7th, Waterfront Hall, Belfast,and Tues. Nov. 8th, Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin.
The Irish Steel Guitar Festival will take place at The Green Isle Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin on Sat. 15th and Sun. 16th October beginning at 11.00am on both days and will feature some of the top American and European Steel Guitar players. Tuition Courses and Steel Guitar Workshops will also be a feature of the festival. For further details contact Maurice Wilson at 048-92634950.
The Annual Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival will take place in Longford from Sept. 23rd to 26th and will feature among others, Rodney Crowell, Iris De Ment, Mountain Heart, Niall Toner Band.
Rodney Crowell will also perform at Acoustic Club at the Gleneagle Hotel, Killarney, on Oct. 15th.
The 23rd Tour To Nashville, Memphis & Dollywood will depart from Dublin on Nov 5th and return on the morning of Nov 16th. The tour will take in all the usual highlights in Nashville and elsewhere, and will also be in Nashville for the Annual CMA Awards on Nov 9th. Full details from (021) 4504841 & 087- 6859895.