Lunasa
Sun, Mar 30th 2025, 7:30PM
Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz place
Lunasa photo
Video videocam Website link
Tickets
Advance tickets are available unitl 5:00PM on 03/30/2025
Advance $30 Door $35
Child Advance $15 Child Door $15
Student Advance $15 Student Door $15
Member discount $3

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lunasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. Its members have helped form the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade. Bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key member of The Waterboys, and later he, with guitarist Donogh Hennessy, would form the dynamic rhythm section of The Sharon Shannon Band. Ed Boyd (Flook, Michael McGoldrick Band) has recently replaced Hennessy. Fiddler Sean Smyth is an All-Ireland champion who has played with Donal Lunny's Coolfin. Kevin Crawford, considered to be among the finest flutists in Ireland played with the acclaimed traditional group Moving Cloud. Piper Cillian Vallely, of the famous Vallely artistic clan, has performed with Riverdance and recently recorded with Bruce Springsteen. Folk Roots magazine has rightly named them an Irish music dream team.  Having sold over a quarter of a million records and performed over 2,500 shows across 36 countries, Lunasa has won multiple awards and become one of the most influential bands in the history of traditional music.  Come celebrate the great tradition of Irish Music, with one of the greatest bands performing today,
The Scottish Fish
The Scottish Fish Bring It To Pacific Grove!
A Production Of St Mary's Celtic Music Series
Sun, Apr 13th 2025, 3:00PM
St Mary's By The Sea Episcopal Church, Pacific Grove place
The Scottish Fish photo
Video videocam Website link
Tickets
Advance tickets are available unitl 12:01AM on 04/13/2025
Advance $30 Door $35
Child Advance $12 Child Door $15
Member discount $3

Scottish Fish present a fresh take on traditional and contemporary Scottish and Cape Breton music. After growing up steeped in the Boston Celtic music scene, these five young women began touring at an early age, quickly enchanting domestic and international audiences with their youthful enthusiasm, creative arrangements, and sensitive performances. As described by a concertgoer, "this powerhouse quintet wows listeners with a luscious and exciting sound, at times five instruments sharing one voice, and others a dynamic orchestra of harmony. Their years of friendship cultivate a truly unique musical bond. Their love for each other and the music they create is a gift they offer to anyone willing to listen."

Scottish Fish have performed at a wide variety of venues and festivals across the U.S. and Europe, including Boston Celtic Music Festival, Bellingham Celtic Festival, and Festival de Ortigueira. Their music and performances have earned them features on WGBH, KALW, and in American Girl and Folkworld Magazines; attracted the attention of programs such as America's Got Talent; and secured an international audience of over three hundred thousand followers across social media platforms. In 2017, the group released their debut album, "Splash," and followed it with "Tidings," a 5-track holiday EP, in 2019. Their newest record, "Upscale," produced by pianist and composer Neil Pearlman, was released in October, 2022, marking the band’s ten year anniversary. Scottish Fish expect their third full-length album to be released in 2025.

Scottish Fiddler Hanneke Cassel has described the Scottish Fish sound as “both incredibly musical, and just a little unusual.”

“Individually they are all creative and talented,” writes Cassel, “and together they spark each other, pushing each other even further to make amazing music.”
Described as "both very traditional and highly flexible" by Folkworld Magazine's Alex Monaghan, and as "one of the most energetic and creative acts to take root in the local Celtic music scene this century" by Boston Irish Reporter Sean Smith, Scottish Fish present a fresh take on traditional and contemporary Scottish and Cape Breton music. After growing up steeped in the Boston Celtic music scene, these five young women began touring at an early age, quickly enchanting domestic and international audiences with their youthful enthusiasm, creative arrangements, and sensitive performances. As described by a concertgoer, "this powerhouse quintet wows listeners with a luscious and exciting sound, at times five instruments sharing one voice, and others a dynamic orchestra of harmony. Their years of friendship cultivate a truly unique musical bond. Their love for each other and the music they create is a gift they offer to anyone willing to listen."

Here's what the press has to say about The Scottish Fish:

“Both very traditional and highly flexible,” the Scottish Fish sound features “skillful fiddle melodies and harmonies, imaginative bass lines and rhythms, and spine-tingling treatments” of traditional tunes that render them into “modern masterpieces” – Alex Monaghan, Folkworld Magazine (2023)

“One of the most energetic and creative acts to take root in the local Celtic music scene this  century… the Scottish Fish ensemble has made the transition from carrying the mantel of the ‘future of Celtic music’ to thoroughly occupying the present”



TONY MCMANUS
Tue, May 6th 2025, 7:00PM
The Ugly Mug, Soquel place
TONY MCMANUS photo
Video videocam Website link
Tickets
Advance tickets are available unitl 5:00PM on 05/06/2025
Door $30 Advance $25
Member discount $3

Hailed by John Renborn as "the best Celtic guitarist in the world," Tony McManus has also been listed as one of the 50 transcendent guitarists of all time, by Guitar Player Magazine. Tony has extended and transcended the parameters of contemporary Celtic music.  Ranked by peers and predecessors alike, alongside the all time greats of the guitar world, his fiendishly dexterous, dazzlingly original playing draws on traditions from the entire Celtic world, along with further ranging flavors such as jazz and eastern European music.  Tony has been long applauded for his uncanny ability to transpose the delicate, complex ornamentation characteristic of traditional bagpipe or fiddle tunes onto his own six strings.

He has come to represent Celtic music in the guitar world, having appeared at festivals such as the Chet Atkins Festival in Nashville, the Ellnora Guitar festival in the Krannert Center as well as Guitar festivals throughout Australia, France, Scotland Germany among others, including the All Star Guitar Night at the Ryman Auditorium.
OLD BLIND DOGS
Wed, Jun 25th 2025, 7:30PM
Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz place
OLD BLIND DOGS photo
Video videocam Website link
Tickets
Advance tickets are available unitl 5:00PM on 06/25/2025
Door $35 Advance $30
Child Advance $15 Child Door $15
Student Advance $15 Student Door $18
Member discount $3

The musical evolution of Old Blind Dogs began in Aberdeen in 1992 with roots that grew from the eclectic music scene that flourished in the Granite City during the early 90’s. Four musicians from very different musical backgrounds came together to create a full-time professional touring band with the aim of showcasing the rich tradition of songs and tunes of the North East of Scotland on an international stage. Like many of the early flag bearing Scottish folk bands, the Old Blind Dogs line up has faced inevitable changes over the years but the core values at the band's musical heart continue to beat strong. The current band line up has been settled for several years now and consists of four of Scotland's finest traditional musicians at the top of their game. Original member Jonny Hardie (fiddle/vocals) is joined by Aaron Jones (cittern/guitar/vocals), Ali Hutton (pipes/whistles) and Donald Hay (percussion/vocals) and collectively they comprise one of the hottest live tickets on the traditional Scottish music scene today. As recent inductees to the BBC ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 'Trad Music Hall of Fame' the 'Dugs' will celebrate thirty years on the road in 2022 by launching their fourteenth studio album 'Knucklehead Circus’ in Winter 2021. A joyous, uplifting and fun album full of compelling energy and intoxicating rhythm on which ‘OBD' continue to innovate within their tradition while faithfully revealing its essence. Here’s to many more years of Old Blind Dogs!
Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas
Fri, Oct 10th 2025, 7:30PM
Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz place
Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas photo
Video videocam Website link
Tickets
Advance tickets are available unitl 5:00PM on 10/10/2025
Advance $30 Door $35
Member discount $3

The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, "the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling", and brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 20 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

Fraser has a concert and recording career spanning over 30 years, with a long list of awards, accolades, radio and television credits, and feature performances on top movie soundtracks (Last of the Mohicans, Titanic, etc.). In 2011, he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. Haas, a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, is one of the most sought after cellists in traditional music today. She has performed and recorded with a who's who of the fiddle world including Mark O'Connor, Natalie MacMaster, Irish supergroups Solas and Altan, Liz Carroll, Dirk Powell, Brittany Haas, Darol Anger, Jeremy Kittel, Hanneke Cassel, Laura Cortese, and many more.

This seemingly unlikely pairing of fiddle and cello is the fulfillment of a long-standing musical dream for Fraser. His search eventually led him to find a cellist who could help return the cello to its historical role at the rhythmic heart of Scottish dance music, where it stood for hundreds of years before being relegated to the orchestra. The duo's debut recording, Fire & Grace, won the coveted the Scots Trad Music "Album of the Year" award, the Scottish equivalent of a Grammy. Since its release, the two have gone on to record three more critically acclaimed albums that blend a profound understanding of the Scottish tradition with cutting-edge string explorations. In additional to performing, they both have motivated generations of string players through their teaching at fiddle camps across the globe.

Join The Society

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Help us to continue bringing world class Celtic musicians to the area by becoming a member. Individual and family memberships are available, starting at $25 per year. . 

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Community Events

These events are not sponsored by the Celtic Society. If you have any questions, please direct them to the contact information in the event listing. Check out the Americeltic and Irish Culture Bay Area events calendars for more local events.

Come join the Irish sing-along with Mik Moore Jimmy Kelly and David Borough Trio known as Moore Kelly O'Davey

Celtic Circle Scottish sessions happen on first and third Mondays from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, hosted by North Santa Cruz Coast piper Jay Salter at Steel Bonnet Brewery, Scotts Valley.

Fàilte! Welcome experienced Scottish style musicians. Pipes, low D whistle, fiddle, guitar, and more. Connect with Jay directly for more information: jaysalter @ cruzio.com

21 inside the nanobrewery located at 20 Victor Square, Scotts Valley, near the Granite Creek exit from Highway 17.

#bagpipes #scottishmusic #scottishgames #tradition #santacruzmountains #slvpost #craftbeer #scottsvalley

You are invited to O'Flaherty's Traditional Irish Session every Tuesday evening from 7:00 to 10:30 pm or so at O'Flaherty's Irish Pub in downtown San Jose! Experienced Celtic musicians 21 . We play in the open doorway looking out onto the parklet on San Pedro Street. Celebrating two decades of playing Irish music together on Tuesday nights at O'Flaherty's, where you are a stranger but once!

You are invited to O'Flaherty's Traditional Irish Session every Tuesday evening from 7:00 to 10:00 pm or so at O'Flaherty's Irish Pub in downtown San Jose! Experienced Celtic musicians 21 and well behaved dogs. We play in the open doorway looking out onto the parklet on San Pedro Street. Celebrating 18 years of playing Irish music together on Tuesday nights at O'Flaherty's, where you are a stranger but once!

#livemusic #irishmusic #celticmusic #irishsession #irishjam #sanjose #sharks #oflats

A community gathering of the finest kind. Join the Santa Cruz Irish music scene as we play rollicking tunes every third Thursday in downtown Santa Cruz. Join us at Rosie McCann's Irish Pub on Pacific Avenue from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. All ages. 

You are invited to O'Flaherty's Traditional Irish Session every Tuesday evening from 7:00 to 10:30 pm or so at O'Flaherty's Irish Pub in downtown San Jose! Experienced Celtic musicians 21 . We play in the open doorway looking out onto the parklet on San Pedro Street. Celebrating two decades of playing Irish music together on Tuesday nights at O'Flaherty's, where you are a stranger but once!

A fine finger-style guitarist with a precise baritone, Kray Van Kirk has a Ph.D. from the University of Alaska, but he set science aside to write songs, tell stories and summon heroes. Within those songs and stories are echoes he hopes audiences will hear and realize that THEY are the summoned heroes.

"The evening’s act was Kray Van Kirk, whose 12-string guitar and soaring vocals were spellbinding. The Alaskan singer-songwriter, in his Edinburgh debut, was not the reason I arrived early, but was certainly why I stayed late." Daily Fringe Review, Edinburgh, Scotland

“An enviable body of songs. An intelligent and gifted writer.” Bob Leslie, Transatlantic Conversations CelticMusicRadio.net

www.krayvankirk.com

Contact Fiddling Cricket at 408 499 9441 or crbrundle@gmail.com for reservations or more information.

Celtic Music On The Radio

Get your Celtic music fix and support our local radio stations by listening to the following programs.

89.3 FM

The Mountain Road

Julie Horner

Monday 8 PM - 10 PM

91.5 FM

New Wood

Peter Schwarz

Thursday 7 AM - 10 AM

Friday Folk-Off

Greg Winslow

Friday 3 PM - 6 PM

The Rising of the Moon

Captain Nashville

4th & 5th Mondays, 6 AM - 9 AM

90.7 FM

Celtic Cauldron

Bill Van Bloom, Jeff Grubb, Neal Hellman

Friday 11 AM - 12 PM

88.1

Bushwackers Breakfast Club

Dangerous Dan

Friday 6AM - 9AM

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