St. Paddys Day fest features music, dancers, brews
McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale will turn into Irish Central this weekend as pipers, players, dancers and painters converge on the resort site to mark St. Patricks Day.
Admission is free to the celebration, which takes place Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17. Patrons of all ages are welcome everywhere except the Winery, which caters to the 21 and older crowd.
The Edgefield fest features Irish dancers each day, as well as balloon benders and face painters roving the grounds from 3-6 p.m. daily. Leprechauns, those mythical characters of Celtic lore, may be spotted doling out candy.
Performers include the River City Pipe Band, mandolinists Jack Dwyer & Tim Connell and The Pine Hearts, an alternative bluegrass trio.
Some of the other acts you might want to check out over the weekend include the following:
n Whistlin Rufus mixes classical, Irish, folk, bluegrass, rock n roll and jazz. Theyre known for solid arrangements featuring three- and four-part vocal harmonies (whistlinrufus.com).
n Andrew Calhoun sings original songs as well as Scottish ballads that he has translated from dialect, and poems and songs by such exceptional writers as Dave Carter, Mary Oliver and Robert Frost. A veteran of the Chicago folk scene, hes an in-demand musical workshop presenter and co-founded Waterbug Records, an artists cooperative folk label which has released 70 titles.
n The Old Yellers feature Michael Berly on guitars, bass and vocals; Matt Voth on bass, guitars and vocals; Chester Dog Stumps on guitars and vocals; Wayne Waits on washboard; Ned Folkerth on drums; David Lipkind on harmonica; and Tim Connell on mandolin, tenor banjo, tin whistle, melodica, flute, piano and jaw harp. The band has earned a loyal following for both its original songs as well as classic roots tunes (theoldyellers.com).
n Casey Neill fuses country, punk, folk, traditional Irish, rock and bluegrass in his repertoire and has busked with Pete Seeger in Grand Central Station as well as toured with Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra (caseyneill.org).
n Prairie Dog Brain Trust combines jamgrass with hippie-tonk and should please fans of the Grateful Dead and country music (reverbnation.com/pdbt).
n Chris Marshall and The August Light Marshall is a Portland songwriter and singer whose band, The August Light, plays rock, folk, and country. Marshall has appeared onstage with notable national acts like Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers and Richmond Fontaine (chrismarshallmusic.com).
n Seattles Cody Beebe & The Crooks think they play roots rock, but some have dubbed it progressive Americana, and others have called it Steve Earle meets Pink Floyd. The group jams some gritty blues, classic rock, country, and funk (codybeebeandthecrooks.com).
n Triúr Amadán hails from Madras, and although most of their music is of the traditional Irish/Celtic variety, the players add a little American folk and bluegrass songs to their set lists.