Wednesday, November 20, 2002
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Wednesday, November 20, 2002 |
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Offshoot's Coffee House returns for 'Celtic Christmas' By MICHAEL
BOYLAN Offshoot Productions brought the Stars on the Southern crescent Coffee House to the area in 1993. Only five people showed up to the first one but eventually it grew in popularity. The coffee house was a way for people on the southside of Atlanta to see quality entertainment without traveling to Atlanta and paying a big city price for it. The last coffee house took place in May of 2001 and the future for the event was very uncertain. Now that Offshoot is using the Fayette Family YMCA for their production of "Tales From Beatrix Potter," artistic director Susan Steadman thought it could also be used to bring back the Stars on the Southern Crescent Coffee House, this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The event's theme is "Celtic Christmas Coffee House" and all of the acts will tie into that theme. The bands that will be performing represent some of the most exciting talent in the southeast, including Jump Gypsies, Emerald Rose, Barney's Goat, Three-Quarter Ale, Mickle-a-do and Susan Hickey. Three-Quarter Ale was named "Best New Act" at the 2002 Georgia Renaissance Festival. The band is comprised of players Dolph Amick, Becky Cormier and Rivka Levin, combines the best of seventeenth-century madrigals with the high-energy impact and tongue-in-cheek wit of modern "folk-funk" for a truly arresting sound. They will perform on Thursday and Saturday. Also performing on Thursday will be Mickle-a-do and Susan Hickey. Mickle-a-do is a three-year-old group which has recorded and released four albums, will perfrom on Thursday along with Three Quarter Ale and Susan Hickey. The group's music, which mixes Old World and New World Celtic songs with some original creations, is played on many instruments, including guitar, whistle, flute, bodhr'an, mandolin and the occasional fiddle. Mickle-a-do's previous engagements include Eddie's Attic, the Georgia Renaissance Festival, the main stage at Underground Atlanta, the High Museum, numerous festivals, and Corbett McGee's in Anderson, South Carolina. Emerald Rose will appear Friday along with Hickey and Barney's Goat. The band recently returned from New York City, Boston, Salem and Long Island, having played a very successful series of shows and festivals. This four-man Celtic-theme folk rock band, with a rich, original sound drawing from diverse influences from Jethro Tull to the Chieftains, blends chorus vocals, pennywhistle, world percussion and driving guitars and bass. Their music draws from Celtic myth and legend, but the style is modern, upbeat and accessible. Emerald Rose, which first appeared at Stars on the Southern Crescent in 2000, is known for its rousing, high-energy live performances. The group has performed to capacity crowds at Atlanta venues such as the Variety Playhouse and Eddie's Attic. They have also appeared at the Atlanta Celtic Festival, Montreaux Atlanta Festival, and numerous other venues around the Southeast, and have produced three CDS. Barney's Goat has performed at the Stars on the Southern Crescent coffee house before. They have been together for 10 years and are an Atlanta based band performing Irish and Scottish songs. They will also perform on Saturday along with Three Quarter Ale and Jump Gypsies, a Celtic band based out of Nashville. The Jump Gypsies use a variety of instruments, including fiddle, whistle, hammered dulcimer and accordion. They also do a bit of Irish dancing and encourage the audience to join in the fun. "Each group has their own personality," said Steadman, who feels that their energy and sense of humor is a big draw. "I really enjoy the way the bands interact with each other as well as the audience." The Celtic Christmas Coffee House is appropriate for the whole family. The venue will be decorated for the season and the song selections will also include seasonal numbers. "It is a very casual and relaxed atmosphere," said Steadman. ""People will leave feeling very good." The Thursday event will be a fundraiser for the Warehouse Playhouse. On all three evenings, doors open at 7:45 p.m., and the show begins at 8:15 p.m. Admission is $7 for the general public and $5 for senior citizens and children aged 12 and under. As always, patrons who bring their mugs from home receive a discount on hot beverages and are eligible for the "Most Unusual Mug" award. Call 770-631-2362 or e-mail offshootpr@aol.com for additional information. |
