Kick Up Your Heels with a Jig and Sligo Rags Friday in Temecula

Sligo Rags, the Irish/Celtic Rock band that plays at the Temecula Bluegrass Festival every year to a packed house of standing ovations, will be in Old Town Temecula this Friday, August 19 for their only summer appearance of Hot Summer Nights. The band has had a busy summer, playing twice a week at Disney’s California Adventure and almost daily for the past month. Sligo Rags was named one of the top acoustic bands in L.A. by “Folkworks Magazine” and has won the Orange County Music Award for Best Folk Band twice. Playing original and traditional Irish, Bluegrass and Celtic tunes with a rock twist, and always energized with the antics and vocals of fiddler Michael Kelly, Sligo Rags turns rock fans into jig-dancing Irish music buffs. David Burns is an award-winning flat-picking and finger-style guitarist whose vocals and song writing give the band it’s unique flair. Add percussion from Jonathan Baer (who always seems to smile) and the band keeps audiences toe-tapping and clapping. Sligo Rags plays at Baily’s Courtyard from 7 to 10 p.m. Duchicela hails from Ecuador and offers the music of the Andes with their enchanting  tunes played on hand made pan flutes, guitars and percussion instruments. The word Duchicela in the pre-Incan language of Puruhua means “the mountain lion who led the people to their homeland.”  This band spends much of the year performing throughout Hawaii and returns for the summer to hit the Southern California scene. Get a load of the jacha toyos, pan flutes that are nearly four feet in length and provide the deep notes of the Andean  music. These flutes require well-developed lungs and tons of experience.  Another instrument played during their performance is the charango, a small-ten-stringed instrument, that until recently, was made with the  shell of an armadillo.  Duchicela blends traditional Andean folk music with popular cover tunes. They play from 6-9 p.m. at Villa di’ Calabro. For classic rock and Willie Nelson fans, the band Two of Us Plus one plays their final concert of Hot Summer Nights at the Temecula Cheese Company from 6:30-9:30 p.m. What started as a duo with Fred  Schaffer and Craig Chojnowski  has grown to a four piece band - hence the “plus one.” This is actually a four-piece band now with Jennifer Orris on guitar, and Dave Rodway on the drums. Together they play Beatles tunes, mixed with soft classic rock ballads from the1960s and 70s.  An extension of the group’s personality  comes alive when they perform their Westcoast Willie  & Friends segment of the concert, featuring Willie Nelson’s most popular tunes. Rounding out the musical variety night in Old Town Temecula is the Valley Winds Big Band.  Hot Summer Nights is sponsored by the City of Temecula. A community band that plays throughout the year, the Valley Winds Big Band performs with the classic big band style of music stands, slide trombone and clarinet solos, and tunes from Benny Goodman to Stan Kenton. They play 6-9 p.m. in the Tesoro Winery parking lot with plenty of room to swing dance.  You can get a complete list of bands for the remaining Hot Summer Nights at www.temeculacalifornia.com. The event continues through September 2nd.

 Sligo Rags plays to standing ovations at Bluegrass Festival

Free Workshops with Dennis Caplinger, Alan Munde, Sligo Rags Fiddler Michael Kelly

Seasoned veterans, young musicians, and bluegrass fans with guitars will fill the streets of Old Town Temecula March 20-21 during the 10th annual Bluegrass Festival. The free event is a hay day for musicians looking for a band as jam sessions break out on every corner and under every shady eve. Free workshops attract musicians of all skill levels to the Festival.


“This means you watch and learn from top musicians like Dennis Caplinger and Al Munde,” stated organizer Melody Brunsting.

Caplinger, a Grammy award-winner, is a multi-talented musician who has toured and recorded with many different artists including Bluegrass Etc., Vince Gill, Eric Clapton, Kenny Loggins, Juice Newton, B.J. Thomas, America, Byron Berline, Dan Crary, Richard Greene, Chris Thile, Sean Watkins, Ray Price, Rita Coolidge, and The Academy of Country Music Awards Show Band. His movie soundtrack credits include “Back to the Future III”, “El Diablo”, “Rio Diablo” and Steven King’s “Apt Pupil.” Caplinger’s playing is regularly featured on the HBO hit series “Deadwood”, Fox’s “The Simpsons”, Warner Bros. cartoons “Pinky and the Brain” and “Histeria”, as well as on numerous programs on PBS, A&E, TNN, Biography and The History Channel.

Munde made his mark inbBluegrass beginning in 1972 as a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers performing with Byron Berline. After a European tour, the Burritos split up and Munde joined Country Gazette, then consisting of Roger Bush on bass, Kenny Wertz on guitar, and fiddler Byron Berline. Later in 1977, Munde and mandolinist Sam Bush recorded "Together again for the first time" with Roland White, Curtis Burch and John Cowan (both members of legendary "Newgrass Revival" with Sam Bush).

Munde and Caplinger will lead a banjo workshop on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Mercantile. Other workshops include Guitar with Elliot Rogers of Al Munde Gazette, Fiddle with Sligo Rags fiddler Michael Kelly, and a band workshop with the incredibly tight and popular Silverado Bluegrass Band. Andy Reilly, an award winning percussionist who has toured with River Dance will teach a Bodhrain workshop Sunday at 2 p.m. Other Sunday workshops include one with the Hunt Family Band and Jam Etiquette. http://www.alanmundegazette.com/

Alan Munde Gazette headlines the Festival. Bandleader Munde’s long, rich history in the bluegrass community has solidified him as the one the world’s foremost five-string banjo players. He brings his Gazette band of Elliott Rogers-Guitar/Vocal, Bill Honker-Bass/Vocal, Steve Smith-Mandolin/Vocal, and Nate Lee-Fiddle/Vocal. Gazette will play twice Saturday and Sunday of the event.

The band is also part of a three-act concert Saturday evening, 7 p.m., indoors at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater. On the same billing are Bluegrass Etc., and Silverado Bluegrass Festival. Tickets are $15 and $10 for balcony seats.

Also performing outdoors are: Bluegrass Etc., Lonesome Otis, Even So, Sligo Rags, Hunt Family Bluegrass, Gone Tomorrow, the Silverado Bluegrass Band, Older than Dirt, Old Haywire, and Highway 76 Bluegrass Band. Bands perform on two stages from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. All outdoor concerts, workshops and jam sessions are free. Daytime concerts in the theater Saturday are also free.

Sunday offers Bluegrass Brethren in a free gospel concert at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater, plus a 3 p.m. matinee featuring Alan Munde Gazette and Sligo Rags. This concert is $5 while concerts outdoors remain free.

Sligo Rags with entertaining and energetic fiddler Michael Kelly and Dublin percussionist Andy Reilly are crowd favorites in Temecula. An Irish band by nature, Sligo Rags injects their Irish overtones to create a unique brand of bluegrass, original tunes and unusual interpretations of popular rock, folk and bluegrass favorites.

Organizers have added a free concert Friday evening plus a jam session at Embassy Suites in Temecula from 5-7 p.m. Highway 138 will perform from 7-9 at Sweet Lumpy’s. Old Haywire performs at Palumbos on Saturday from 12-3 p.m. Both restaurants are in Old Town and admission is free. All workshops are held in the “Merc” at 42051 Main Street and are free.

Tickets for Saturday’s evening concert and Sunday’s matinee in the Old Town Temecula Community Theater can be purchased at http://www.temeculatheater.org/

To visit the cultural district of Old Town Temecula take the 15 Freeway to Rancho California Road or Highway 79 south and follow the signs leading to Old Town Front Street. Public parking is free. For information call (951) 693-3952 or visit http://www.temeculacalfiornia.com/

Bluegrass Festival Schedule Now Online

Okay - know it's been awhile, but here's the bluegrass schedule. It is now at http://www.temeculacalifornia.com/.

You may purchase tickets for the evening concert and Sunday Matinee online at http://www.temeculatheater.org/ or go to the ticket office if you are in town on a Friday or Saturday night.

Pray for Sunshine all weekend. We have several new activities:
Jam at Embassy Suites on Friday 5-7 p.m.

A free concert Friday night in Town with Highway 138, and a special concert with Sligo Rags & Alan Munde on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Old Town Theater.

Workshops in the "Merc" Saturday & Sunday 11-2.

Check out the website for a schedule. http://www.temeculacalifornia.com/