Sligo Rags Brings Celtic-Bluegrass Blend to Fiddlers Crossing
After taking most of June off except for Open Mics on Wednesdays, Fiddlers Crossing is roaring back with a midsummer concert treat. Sligo Rags, a rollicking Celtic “pub” band with “a decidedly bluegrass attitude,” will perform on Friday, July 13 – a fitting date for this band that is non-stop fun.
Sligo Rags wowed the audience as a trio at Mama Hillybeans a few years ago. With Michael Kelly on fiddle and vocals, David Burns on acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin and vocals, and Gordon Rustvold on bass, the group delivered foot-stomping tunes and side-splitting humor. The group is now a quartet, with the addition of percussionist Jonathan Baer, who joins Rustvold in providing a driving and creative rhythmic foundation for the traditional and original tunes and songs.
Although basically Celtic, the band members represent many musical influences, from Latin and jazz, to classical and bluegrass. According to David Burns, “Each of us is rooted in a different musical style, so we just combine them and see where it takes us.”
Where it takes them is forays into country and swing, gypsy and jazz, with stops at other acoustic music junctures along the way.
Their band name is drawn from a line in the anthem, “The Irish Rover, ” that says: “We had one million bags of the best Sligo Rags.” These four Sligo Rags are certainly the best of the best!
Fiddlers Crossing is at 206 East F Street at Robinson Street, in Downtown Tehachapi. Tickets may be purchased next door at Mountain Music, at The Apple Shed, or with a credit card by calling 661-823-9994. Tickets to the concert are $20, and as always, coffee and goodies are included. The concert begins at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30p.m.
