by Dave Keeffe on March 10th, 2008 • No Comments »
OK folks … Dino challenged me to do this.
I am newly in a Kick’in Celtic band and if you will allow … we will kick your world into another gear come this St Paddy’s day at Malarkey’s Pub (malarkeyspub.com), downtown Wausau. (The old martini bar location).
This is a special band and it sure ain’t because I’m in it, though I am having loads of fun drumming to stuff I never dreamed I would get to.
Greg Ormson and I are the old farts of the band, Greg is a language instructor at NTC and plays six string and electric guitar, assorted hand percussion and is our lead vocalist. And oh yeah, until the rest of us get up to speed in this department he is the band/spiritual leader.
Then there is Gary Graf, bass player par none with Hidden River for years … for the Magees he plays whistle, four different button accordion/concertinas, fiddle, and sings.
John Shea is our conductor/arranger/Celtic Shaman. John has made ‘The Pilgrimage’ to the old country more than once and has spent some quality musical time in some pretty famous kitchens and Pubs in Ireland. John plays whistle … at last count he had six different whistles in his musical arsenal … mandolin, guitar, and sings.
Then there is Nick Hoen our ‘punk ass’ bass player … Nick brings great knowledge of and great excitement for music in general … and his youth.
And myself … this is music that is in my blood and if I ever get to Ireland … I better know this music.
Please come down to Malarkey’s and hear The Magees … a bunch of local blokes hammering out songs of lament, joy, romance, and of course … the drink. From lilting ballad to kick ass Irish Polka … enjoy.
I’ll be looking for you … I know who you are.
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by Dave Keeffe on January 8th, 2008 • 10 Comments »
Thought it was about time to get on board.
It seems that at my age (55) I got nothing to fear anymore at putting my self out there semi-non-anonymously.
Some of you know me … Marcus does (yeah I’m THAT guy’s brother).
Dino does.
Andy does.
But most of you don’t and I’m comfortable with being sort of out there with my public persona and look forward to sharing.
A little story;
My dad is 85, has had both hips replaced, is having a bit of a hard time walking … especially up and down stairs.
The other day, or month I guess, I was up at the homestead where he lives with another son and his young family when I realized the old man had gone outside to blow the leaves out of the gutters and the drive. He had been out there a while the other son was gone and I thought it timely to go check on him. It was cold and even ‘the great outdoorsman’ was gunna be feeling it I knew.
When I got out there it was just in time to help him tackle the drive and he had his machine with the 100 ft of cord looping here and there around trees and lawn ornaments etc.
I was grinning that he was showing so much steam and determined to help him with out taking over.
I ended up managing the cord as my vehicle.
I looped the cord and carefully fed him line or took it in as needed. It worked cool cause he didn’t even have to look back and I was efficient enough so as to know he was having a good time and feeling like a contributor to the yard and was ‘gettin er done’.
Believe me, in his day this old Navy man would have a mountain of ideas regarding how to manage that cord the BEST way.
He said nothing.
I shuffled around with the cord … he just kept on flowing in his two bad hips kind of way.
As I would allow myself to feel good about what I was doing, that distraction would space me out for a moment, but I never dropped the ball and not one word was spoken.
It was one of the more beautiful moments I’ve shared with him.
Not one word … in a very good way.
Well there were a few words upon finishing.
Thanks for the help Dave … I’m done, it’s cold, I’m going in.
He didn’t see any of it but in that 10 minutes I winced (at his struggle to walk the way he would like to be able to again, I’m sure), I laughed, I cried.
When it was all over and we were back in front of the tube I realized that it would be one of those forever visceral memories.
Don’t miss making your own oportunities while you got the chance.
And if it’s too late for your own father and you … go find someone else’s father without a son around.
I’m sure there’s plenty to go around.
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