Keith Harkin at Poor Davids Pub

On Saturday I had the great pleasure of seeing Keith Harkin perform at the awesome venue that is Poor Davids Pub. If you aren’t familiar with Mr Harkin I demand you remedy that this instant! The blog can wait http://www.keithharkin.com/videos/ So good right? Well let me tell you this Keith is just as amazing (if not more so) live as he is recorded. Keith’s talent feels of a different time, like back when musicians were musician, not just people with the right connections, and is it any wonder? Keith has been passionate about music since he was a small child, singing at the age of four, and learning classic songs like “Everybody’s Talking At Me” and “Where Do You Go To My Lovely” from his father. His father is also the man who gave him the push (and cab fare) to audition for the Irish singing group Celtic Thunder, that he has been with since its very beginning in 2007 and continues to sing and write songs for to this day. As if that wasn’t enough Harkin is also signed with Verve, put out his debut self titled album in 2012, which he wrote several songs for, and even managed to do a solo tour across America last spring. Just thinking of all the work this man does makes me tired 😉That smile thoughDave Bakey, a badass guitar player and all around great guy, was supposed to accompany Keith, but unfortunately he fell sick and couldn’t make it. So not wanting Dave to miss out on some of the fun Keith gave him a call that way we could all tell him how much we love him. Too sweet.The man sings his heart out!Sassy face 😉Even though he was super busy needing to pack up and hit the road he stuck around to talk to fans and sign merch…and even take a pic with little sis and I. What a guy!
Regardless of your personal taste in music I can guarantee you will enjoy the musical stylings of Mr Harkin. Keep up to date with Keith through Celtic Thunder http://www.celticthunder.ie/tour his official website http://www.keithharkin.com/ and/or through his various social media platforms https://www.facebook.com/pages/Keith-Harkin/110997345657482 https://twitter.com/keithharkin http://instagram.com/keithharkin

PS the holidays are fast approaching and nothing could make a better gift than Keith’s self titled album which can be purchased anywhere you find music really, but here are some links through Celtic Thunder http://www.celticthunder.ie/content/keith-harkin-keith-harkin-cd Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Keith-Harkin/e/B0090QIRDW/ref=sr_1_2_acs_ent_artist?qid=1385510527&sr=8-2-acs and Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keith-harkin-keith-harkin/24997900?ean=602537115488

Hope you all enjoyed this post and that you have a wonderful Wednesday!

Ronnie Fauss and JD McPherson Concert.

Last Thursday I had the great pleasure of seeing Ronnie Fauss and JD McPherson in concert. The show had sold out, but since the original venue was outdoors (The Belmont) and it had been raining all day, it was moved to The Kessler, well a change of venues and a change of plans meant I was going to be able to have an incredible night full of music, dancing, and of course some concert photography, this is me we’re talking about afterall.

First act was Ronnie Fauss. Admittedly my expectations are never really high to opening acts…I’ve heard some great ones and I have heard some real doozies, much to my delight Ronnie was fabulous! He is a Dallas based singer songwriter who draws influences from John Prine and Steve Earle. His music ranges from moody “bad boy country” to upbeat storytelling country. You can check out his page here  http://www.ronniefauss.com/ and if you have to opportunity to see him you should!

 Then JD McPherson took the stage. JD McPherson has something for everyone, honestly if you have the ability to hear I cannot comprehend you not liking these guys. There style is a mix of the kind of music they like, Rock n Roll, Rhythm and blues, rockabilly, etc. JD’s current album Signs and Signifiers is the perfect blend of old and new and shows the true artistry of these incredible musicians! You can find out more about the band here http://www.jdmcpherson.com/news.html

Almost as soon as they hit the stage people were out front just ready to start dancing, and oh boy did they dance! Seriously if you ever have the opportunity to see these guys DO NOT HESITATE! BUY THOSE TICKETS! You will not be sorry you did. I have been to my share of concerts and these guys are the best band I have ever seen!

Jimmy Sutton kills it on the bass!

Ray is a mad man on the keys! I’m pretty sure his hands move at the speed of light!

JD is just a rock star I mean really.

Doug is a phenomenal saxophone player!

Jason is an incredible drummer, I have no idea how he does it!

I love how JD and Jason are basically making the same face.

 Love the way this shot turned out.

 I had the most amazing time and cannot express how wonderful these guys are, just do yourself a favor and go see them. Hope you all liked the pictures Happy Wednesday.

Brule in Concert.

Over the weekend I went to a Native American Festival, and was able to see Brule. Now for those of you unacquainted with Brule they are a Native American musical group that mixes Native American traditional style with modern style music. I had become a fan through the television program Hidden Heritage on RFDTV which you can check out here http://www.rfdtv.com/shows/music_&_entertainment/hidden_heritage/   

and find more on the band here

http://www.brulerecords.com/home.html 

They absolutely killed it! Seeing them live was unbelievable, and the flute playing was so incredible it gave me goosebumps! I was able to snap a few pictures while they were performing, unfortunately the lighting was very low so the pictures are not incredible but I will still share them.

This man here was playing so fast and furious it was impossible to get a clear picture of him, but I like this pictures nonetheless.

And as if the incredible music wasn’t enough there was beautiful Native American dancing too!

All in all I had a wonderful time, and I would highly encourage anyone who enjoys great music and a fun show to check these guys out. It was an honor and privilege to see them live and I hope I get to do so again. Happy Monday guys!

 

Concert Photography.

So the other night I went to a concert, with some of my favorite people. It was a really great venue…for being up close and doing a little photography! We got their shortly after the doors opened, so I was able to position myself quite close to the stage. Added bonus though, was that I brought my 300mm lens, so I could get right in their face all from the comfort of my seat. This was my first time photographing a concert, with all the equipment I would normally leave at home, because of rowdy concert goers. But since the setting was really relaxed I was able to get some great pictures of Elizabeth Wills, Emmet Cahill, and Keith Harkin.

Elizabeth Wills was the opening act for Keith, now I will be honest my expectations for an opener are always pretty low. But in this case was pleasantly surprised with Elizabeth. She has an amazing folksy sound and pretty much everything she preformed was her own. So be sure to check her out http://www.elizabethwills.com/!

After Elizabeth, Keith Harkin of Celtic Thunder was up, a nice surprise though was that Emmet Cahill came too. Emmet is new to Celtic Thunder he joined in 201o, and I must say is immensely talented for someone so young (21) he has a beautiful classical voice and winning personality. You can check him out at http://www.emmetcahill.com/ There is much more information about him on his website, including a long list of musical accomplishments, that would take quite a while to list on my blog, so be certain to pop on over and check him out.

Emmet Cahill and Keith Harkin. Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how adorable these two are? 

Keith Harkin, the main reason everyone came. Keith has been with Celtic Thunder from the beginning, 2007. His musical style is sort of hard to define, some of his influence include Tom Waites, Neil Young, The Beatles, and Bon Iver, so there is a little something for everyone when he performs. Keith not only tours with the world-wide phenomena that is Celtic Thunder, but he does individual tours, rocking out with his McPherson guitar and wonderful vocals, and winning hearts all along the way. All of his fans are currently waiting on his solo album, it has taken a good bit longer than originally thought, mostly because he has signed with someone new, just a little somebody known as DAVID FOSTER! Color me impressed. David has discovered house hold names like Michael Buble and Josh Groban. So I am certain even bigger things are in store for Keith. http://www.keithharkin.com/

Keith Harkin. Good grief! The way he plays guitar is like nothing I have ever heard before! So much talent.

His hands just fly when he is playing his guitar!

He was just killin’ it. and I loved every minute of it. When the concert ended, the guys stuck around to pose for pictures and sign things, so naturally I had to say hello, how much I love their music, and of course have my picture taken with them. It’s not everyday you get to be around gorgeous Irish musicians is all I am sayin’.

Keith was real sweet, even though just about every woman in the place was clamoring for his attention, he managed to give real attention to his fans individually (myself included) *swoon*.

Then I went and said hi to Emmet. He was such a sweetheart, great people skills, and really down to earth. He and I actually talked for a little bit, so that pretty much made my night. *swoon again*

All in all I had an amazing time and can’t wait to see these guys again. I hope everyone enjoyed this post! Happy Tuesday!