Wednesday, March 5, 2003
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Wednesday, March 5, 2003 |
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Offshoot Productions celebrates Celtic traditions with three day St. Patrick's Day festival By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
St. Patrick's Day is less than two weeks away and Offshoot Productions is getting into the spirit of things with a three-day festival filled with Celtic music, Irish dancing, good cheer and more. The festival starts tomorrow with Emerald Rose and Susan Hickey. Nine-Fingered Liam and Barney's Goat will take the stage Friday, alongside storyteller Nancy Riggs and dancers from the Drake School of Irish Dancing. The festival concludes Saturday night with performances from Three-Quarter Ale, The Lost Boys, Irish dancers and Shimmer. Emerald Rose has delighted audiences at previous Offshoot coffee house performances. They have recently completed a tour of the Northeast and following the Offshoot show will perform for the cast and crew of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" at a post-Academy Awards party. Emerald Rose is a high energy Celtic folk rock band that blends harmony vocals, pennywhistle, world percussion and driving guitars and bass. Their music ranges from traditional jigs and reels to original folk rock and pop songs. The band often draws from Celtic myth and legend to create their unique sound. Susan Hickey is another familiar face from the Offshoot coffee houses. She has toured extensively for the past 10 years and also incorporates stories in her eprformance. She has also performed with The Chieftains, one of the most famous Irish bands in the world. Nine-Fingered Liam is an Atlanta based band whose members play a number of instruments, ranging from the mandolin and fiddle to the bagpipes and the bodrhan. Barney's Goat has performed on the southside before and energizes audiences with their upbeat performances and good humor. Add the storytelling from nancy Riggs and the dancing performances from the students of Drake School of Irish Dancing and you have a full night of Celtic-themed entertainment. On the final night of the festival, two popular acts from the Georgia Renaissance Festival will take the stage. Three-Quarter Ale offers audiences a combination of folk with madrigals. The three-piece band has a delightful sense of humor and leaves audiences with a smile. The Lost Boys offer something similar but are nothing if not unique. Their folksy tunes are often very funny as well and their performance is very high energy. Shimmer is a two woman group performing all original songs and the Irish dancers from the Drake School are back for the final night. The St. Patrick's Day Festival will take place at the Fayette Family YMCA on Huiet Rd. off of Ga. Highway 54 between Peachtree City and Fayetteville. Advance tickets are on sale now at the Peachtree City and Fayette County Public Libraries for $7 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and children. Tickets at the door will be $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and children. The doors will open at 7:45 each evening and the show will start at 8:15 p.m. There will be a selection of hot beverages and homemade desserts. patrons are encouraged to bring ther own mygs from home and are then eligible for the "Most Unusual Mug" award. For additional information regarding the St. Patrick's Day Festival, phone the Offshoot Productions office at 770-631-2362 or e-mail them at offshootpr@aol.com. |
