Come celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day a bit early with the Pasadena Folk Music Society as we present the great Irish uilleann piper Paddy Keenan, along with guitarist Padraic Conroy, in nine days, on Saturday, March 14 in Beckman Institute Auditorium (Little Beckman) at 8:00 p.m. For the 185 of you who attended the Celtic Fiddle Festival showfeaturing Kevin Burke a month ago, you won’t want to miss Kevin’s bandmate from the legendary Bothy Band. And the rest of you shouldn’t miss him either. Generally acknowledged as the most accomplished uilleann piper performing today, Paddy is certainly one of the most brilliant musicians of his generation. His father and grandfather both played the uilleann pipes, and Paddy took them up at age 10.

Uilleann pipes are the national pipes of Ireland, differing from the Highland pipes of Scottland in that the air is supplied by bellows, not by blowing through a mouthpiece. They are the most tuneful of the pipes, with a wider harmonic and chromatic scale and a sweeter, quietr sound. Paddy has a special ability to wrestle a breathtaking range of emotion from these pipes, from soulful laments to rollicking jigs and reels. He also plays the low pipes. Donnal Lunney, the masterful dean of Celtic music, and fellow member of the Bothys, called Paddy the “Jimi Hendrix of the pipes.” You’ll see why when you watch his fingers and hear the sounds. Listen to Kesh Jig, a signature tune of the Bothy Band, and also a great set with O’Rourke’s Reel. Padraic Conroy, from Althone, Ireland, now living in California, will provide the fine interplay with his guitar. We were very lucky that Paddy was looking to fill a hole in his schedule and we were able to squeeze the show into our schedule a couple of months ago. Don’t miss this opportunity!

Tickets for the show are $15 for adults and $5 for Caltech students and children. Order them at the Caltech Ticket Office from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday at (626) 395-4652 or in person (no service charge) at Winnett Student Center on campus. You can also buy them online until March 12.Coming up in two weeks, on March 28, we shift away from Celtic music to a show with Katy Moffat

Coming up in two weeks, on March 28, we shift away from Celtic music to a show with Katy Moffatt, the extraordinary singer and songwriter originally from Texas. Katy has played at Caltech before, and we are eager for her return. We’ll take April off, then come back with Scotland’s Old Blind Dogs and the amazing autoharp of Bryan Bowers in May, then Susie Glaze & The High Lonesome Band in June.On March 12, Conscientious Projector will offer a free screening Shark Loves the Amazon, a film about the  challenges presented by deforestation, the free market economy, climate change and the loss of biodiversity amidst the world’s largest rainforest. Mark London (author of

On March 12, Conscientious Projector will offer a free screening of Shark Loves the Amazon, a film about the  challenges presented by deforestation, the free market economy, climate change and the loss of biodiversity amidst the world’s largest rainforest. Mark London (author of The Last Forest: The Amazon in the Age of Globalization, written with journalist Brian Kelly) offers an updated analysis and a vision for a sustainable future for the region. The screening is at 7:00 p.m. at the Armory Center for the Arts, 145 North Raymond Ave. in Old Pasadena, 91103, within easy reach of the Memorial Park station of the Gold Line.

To repeat a couple of reminders, coming up next week, on Friday, March 13 is Art Night Pasadena and you can find out more at http://artnightpasadena.org. And this weekend, there’s the annual Native Hope International Pow Wow, which always features some great drumming and dancing, along with food and crafts. Aim to attend one of the grand entries, though they are sometimes a bit delayed from the schedule (“Indian time” as MC Bryan Brightcloud says).

Native Hope International 18th Annual Pasadena Pow Wow
Saturday, March 7 – 10 AM – 10 PM,
Sunday, March 8 – 10 AM – 7 PM
Grand Entry: 11 AM & 7 PM
Location: William Carey International University (1539 E. Howard St., Pasadena, CA 91104)
MC: Bryan Brighcloud (Chiricahua Apache)
Host Drum: Spirit
Arena Director: Robert Runningfox (Gabrielino Shoshone)
Free Admission & Parking
[email protected], (818) 383-8619