This band started following me on Twitter a couple days ago. I checked out their website and streaming audio and I’m intrigued. From what I gather, this is a sort of conglomeration of artists, all out of Ireland, who play together every once in a while. Sort of like the world’s most professional Irish seisún. Several of the musicians come from “the world famous musical dynasty ‘The McPeake Family’” as their website puts it and all have a resume of performances with bands from the Corrs to the Irish Tenors.

Of the four songs available on their website, two are instrumental and two are vocal. The lead singer, Peter Wallace, has a pleasant, raspy tenor and though the lyrics are simplistic, he delivers them with conviction. The two vocal tracks have a light, poppy feel that would be right at home on any pop or perhaps country radio station, but retain a pleasant Celtic flavour.

The group’s real strength is in their instrumentals, both of which have an airiness about them yet stop short of Clannad-style new aginess. It’s here that McPeake’s piper, Francis McPeake IV, really gets to stretch out and shine. His skill on the uilleann pipes (an instrument I once heard described as a cross between a hot water bottle, a bassoon, and a brassiere) provided my primary motivation to check out more of their music and perhaps buy a CD.

Unfortunately, it seems that’s not possible at this time. The store page on their website is empty and a search of iTunes came up empty as well. Were this group to produce a CD (or if they already had), it would be at worst pleasant background music and at best a real showcase for a talented Uilleann piper. I, for one, will admit to being curious.

Yes, another road trip. What can I say? I’m in that kind of mood. I caught Enter the Haggis again at the Sun Music Hall in Floyd, Virginia on April 24 and again at the Sedalia Celtic Festival the next day.

Sun Music Hall is a small, relaxed venue in a picturesque Blue Ridge village. The crowd was young and energetic. I suspect many students from Virginia Tech made the trip from nearby Blacksburg. The guys played what’s becoming their pretty standard two sets, heavy on material from the new CD. Having seen them four times now, it’s been interesting to see the new songs evolve and begin to have a life of their own beyond what’s been recorded. And speaking of that, some of the “old” songs are taking on breathtaking new life. Specifically, “Long Way Home.” This tune has gone from one that I really didn’t think that highly of when it was recorded on “Soapbox Heroes” to one of my absolute favorites. I think a lot of that is due largely to Trevor’s growth as a musician (that’s Trevor Lewington, ETH’s guitar player for the uninitiated). It’s obvious that he’s gained a ton of confidence and technical skill in the last few years. Any semi-skilled guitar player can do a standard blues progression, but it takes real soul to pull it off the way he’s been doing lately on “Long Way.” I also got to hear “Death of Johnny Mooring” for the first time at Floyd. It was every bit as dynamic and exciting as I expected it to be. Brian (Buchanan, the fiddle player) has a lot of fun on this song, coaxing sounds out of his fiddle that are heretofore unknown to man.

The next day at the Sedalia Festival, the sets were much the same. Very, very solid, lots of material from the new CD. “Murphy’s Ashes” continues to be a standout. I simply love the way this song builds in intensity, backs off, and builds again to its nearly ear-splitting conclusion. It’s one of the ones I can feel right under my sternum, if that makes any sense. The crowd, however, could not have been more different than the previous night. It mostly resembled Sunday morning at a Southern Baptist Convention. People were appreciative to be sure, but simply would not get up and dance. The rest of it was everything a festival day should be. Warm, sunny weather. Good friends. Great music. Decent beer. It was a real treat to get to know some people I really hadn’t had a chance to hang out with before.

Look for a focus on local and solo musicians coming up here in the next few weeks as the Oklahoma Renaissance Faire begins and I start reviewing some faire band CDs and performances.

One of the things I love most about travelling is finding cool and quirky places to stay. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll stay in a corporate chain if I have to, but I far prefer hostels, guest houses, and bed and breakfasts. On my lightning overnighter to Dayton last weekend, I stayed at Inn Port, in the Oregon District in downtown Dayton, OH. The Oregon District is Dayton’s oldest neighborhood, dating back to 1829 or so. I strongly recommend reading more about the history of this funky little neighborhood, as it’s a real urban revival success story.

Inn Port is actually two separate buildings on the same street. The building where I stayed was a stately old beauty of a duplex, built in 1855. Lovingly restored by owners Jeff and Leslie Gonya, the building is a glory of hardwood floors, soaring ceilings, gorgeous woodwork and quirky Caribbean themed decor. Jeff and Leslie greeted me at the door after helping me find the place via cell phone.  I’ve stayed in quite a few B&Bs over the years and Jeff and Leslie are among the friendliest, most down to earth folks I’ve had the privilege of guesting with. They made me feel right at home in the cozy Key West room.

The Key West room has a sort of tropical, Jimmy Buffett theme. There’s a vintage record player with a bunch of Buffett albums, beachy decor, and a fabulously comfortable bed. It occupies the top floor of the house, sharing space with the New Orleans room, a shared bathroom and an inviting common area with sky chairs, a television, fridge, etc. Jeff and Leslie’s own apartment is also on this floor which was comforting since I was travelling alone.

Breakfast is a serve yourself continental affair in a spacious breakfast room. I’m not a morning person and this suited me better than some places I’ve stayed where the owners sit right down and eat with you. On the whole, Inn Port is a gracious, comfortable B&B with welcoming, laid-back owners. What more could you ask?