Dear Reader - you know where we’re going today!
The Big Thing
Yes - we returned to the Cloonacool Sheep Festival a few weeks ago, armed this time with Seamie O’Dowd’s song written especially for it!
I’m sure some of you were there - Theme Night #35 a year ago this week actually - when we sent Seamie off-stage for a while armed with nothing but his guitar and a few prompts from the audience. He came back an hour later with a fully complete hilarious waltz and it was so much fun to perform it for the first time since then on our return to Cloonacool last month.
Once again - hats off to everyone involved in this festival.
It’s one of my favourite gigs of the last few years - we always leave with a warm feeling of time well spent.
Where else but Sligo?
I think I was first in The CRIB in 2012 conducting auditions for West Side Story with Karen Gordon and Áine Gilmore.
Various projects have brought me back there over the years but in 2025 we must have run a dozen events in there by now with the Theme Night Academy.
And it is a wonderful facility.
In May 2023 Noah Cavaliero, the tallest bass player I have ever met, played his last Teenage Theme Night show. So when I was introduced to an equally tall Jack Cavaliero earlier this year, I figured the lads must be brothers.
And Jack runs a great show in there. You get the feeling that the place is in really good hands and the wonderful plans they have for the venue and their youth-led programmes will actually happen.
And no matter whether we are running open mics, gigs or masterclasses, the CRIB has been a home away from home for us this year, so long may it last!
What’s New?
Sam Purcell and Clada have had some year!
It was our pleasure to feature them as Visiting Artists last February on Theme Night #36. Since they have toured extensively in the US and UK, gigged all around Ireland and most recently played in front of 74,000 people as part of the in-game entertainment during the recent NFL match in Croke Park.
And - they’re back in the Hawk’s Well this Thursday with their own show!
Hope to see lots of you there.
Finally…
A reminder of what we got up to with Clada when they were with us in Feb…
Till next time - Kieran.
