Old Blind Dogs are coming! The group from Aberdeenshire, on Scotland’s northeast coast, will perform at Caltech in 9 days, on Saturday, March 5 at 8:00 PM in Beckman Institute Auditorium (Little Beckman). Be forewarned that in their past performances here, the shows have sold out, and we’ve had to turn some people away. ThreeWeeks, in their coverage of the Edinburgh Festival, wrote that, “what makes Old Blind Dogs special, however, is their power to evoke the wild, historic Scottish landscape and bring it to life in the contemporary world…” They have been together since the early 1990’s and over the years, there have been numerous personnel changes (quite an all-star list of former members, including Jim Malcolm), but this hasn’t slowed them down or diminished their popularity. Earl Britt of The New Celtic Revival, wrote, “despite many personnel changes, they’re like a great sports team – they don’t rebuild, they reload. And indeed they will have a special line-up on this American tour, as they showcase new member, Donald Hay on drums and percussion. Furthermore, just weeks before the beginning of the tour, the U.S. State Department pulled the visa of fiddler, Jonny Hardie, causing us to wonder if the State Department has a fear of fiddlers (we’re still working on rescheduling Cape Breton fiddler Andrea Beaton following her visa delays in January). Appearing in Jonny’s place, playing fiddle and singing, will be Jenna Moynahan, a rising star who recently released her debut CD, Woven. She has performed and collaborated with Hamish Napier, Bruce Molsky, Matt Glaser, Kimberly Fraser, Phil Cunningham, and as a soloist at Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops. She will be adding some of her own songs to the outstanding repertoire of the Band. Returning will be Aaron Jones on vocals, Bouzouki, guitar & bass along with Ali Hutton on pipes, whistles and guitar. Hear their instrumental power on Harris Dance and their vocal side on Andy Stewart’s beautiful Where are you at . You can hear Jenna Moynihan, along with her usual musical partner, Mairi Chaimbeul on Back and Forth and Major Campbell Graham MBE.

Tickets for this show are $25 for adults and $5 for Caltech students and children. You can order them by calling (626) 395-4652 or you can order online by clicking here. The Ticket Office is located at Winnett Student Center on campus, and you can buy tickets there without a fee. They are open 9AM-4PM Monday through Friday.

While you are buying your tickets, consider buying tickets for the following week when Public Events presents Caladh Nua in Beckman Auditorium (Big Beckman). Caladh Nua is a tightly-knit, vibrant band with its origins deeply rooted in the Southern counties of Ireland. Comprised of five versatile musicians and singers playing a wide selection of instruments – from fiddle to banjo, guitar to bodhran and tin whistle to button accordion – the band has captured the essential qualities of traditional Irish music and balanced them finely with an innovative contemporary flair. Listen to their song, Craigie Hills at to get a taste. Regular prices range from $25-$35, but if you mention the Folk Music Society, you will get $5 off on each ticket when ordering on the phone, at the Ticket Office or at the door. The Ticket Office charges their service fee per order, so get tickets for both of these shows for a single service charge!

There are other things going on at Caltech in the coming week. The Theater Arts Department, TACIT, is presenting Boldly Go, a musical parody of Star Trek, written by a Caltech student and his brother. It will be presented this weekend and next. Find their description and links to buying tickets (also available at the Ticket Office) here. Also, there will be a free program on the recent detection of gravity waves by astronomers announced a few weeks ago in Beckman Auditorium, The presentation by Caltech’s Rana Adhikari, Listening to the Thunder of Gravity in the Cosmos will be at 8:00 PM on Wednesday, March 9. Arrive early, as a large turnout is expected.

If you are a musician interested in bluegrass music, there is a class in Glendale starting next week that will prepare you to break into the world of bluegrass jamming. John David, who has toured with the Limelighters and performed with Leon Redbone. Find out all about the Bluegrass Jamming Class here.