January
7
Oxford,
NY
lies five hour’s drive into the
wilds of New York state and is our first
gig – the Night
Eagle Café.
The gig is jammed and very enjoyable:
It is always good fun to play together
after a couple of weeks off. The one note
of cultural interest was brought to our
attention by professor Kilbride who noticed
the following aphorism atop one of our
enormous pizza boxes. “Strong like
the anchovies, stretchy like the cheese.”
Stretchy cheese…Hmmm.
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"When
Irish eyes are smiling..."
Professor Kilbride:
Full to the eyballs and stretchy like
the cheese |
playing
in the Towne Crier
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January
8
Though
we played in Oxford last night our hotel
is in Greene – a much bigger crossroads
than Oxford maintaining not only a hotel
but a café which is where Pat and
I find ourselves for breakfast and we
are in luck for this morning the special
is Hash. Well “Yippee and Glen Miller
bless America” we think to ourselves
as we inquire; “What is this…
Hash madam?” “I think it looks
like dog food but it’s real popular.”
She replies and on that recommendation
we cannot resist. So full up to the eyeballs
with Hash we drive to Pawling
and the Towne
Crier.
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| Battlefield
band has played here more times than at
any other venue anywhere in the world and
as always the concert and the hospitality
from Phil and his mob is superb. After the
show we drive down to the Duck in Mamaroneck
for a quick session that Pat has organised
with stellar guitarist and good egg John
Walsh and Keith O’Neil - a great fiddler
from the Bronx. “The Duck” is
not the usual sort of pub where one finds
sessions. It is a real local pub with lots
of sports and lottery on the television.
When the boys started up I was at the bar
where I overheard one of the locals proclaim
“Oh shit, I towat dat wuz a bukin
cd.” High praise indeed. After the
tune, and closing time, we return to Alan’s
cousin Steven’s house for a quick
sleep. |
Phil
& Rob in the Towne Crier |
January
9
An
early rise as we are off to Fordham University
in the Bronx for live radio interview and performance
followed by a Reuben sandwich and a mad dash
through the Manhattan traffic to get to the
first of five showcases over the next two days.
This is the real reason we are coming to New
York City for such a short trip: every year
there is a huge conference for arts presenters
from all over America here, so Robin has been
working hard charming them all weekend preparing
them for our arrival. Anyway, we just make it
and all goes well. After a long days work we
head off to the 11th street tavern for another
tune with Tony and Eamon. Here we also meet
our old pal John Casey - the Cork man with the
hand hewn rubber stamp shop in Greenwich Village.
Keith O’Neil also makes a rare appearance
in the city and a fine session ensues.
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