Category: Uncategorized

Random Irish Observations

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, books, bookstores, booze, Europe, Ireland, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

On our vacation from Dublin to Galway, there were daily observations made by Thom and I on the uniqueness of Irish culture that I thought I would share:

AS SEEN DRIVING

Barak Obama car plaza near Tipperary, between Dublin and Limerick on motorway.  I guess he has relatives here and has been honored with a gas station named after him.  I am sure he is thrilled to celebrate his Irish heritage with this useful store vs. a museum or other nonsense.

Seen as we entered the motorway on big reader board:  “Project Edward Day” sign, which is acronym that means European Day Without A Road Death, with current tally at “0”, which will hopefully stay that way with us driving on the wrong side of the road, I mean:  Left, left, left.

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No fancy cars, no trucks, no SUV’s or mini vans.  Just standard manual transportation to get you where you need to be.  Lots of dents and scrapes on cars and no wonder because everywhere but the motorway, the roads are just too damn narrow.

SOS boxes on the side of the road.  What?  Not everybody has global cell coverage??

AS SEEN SHOPPING

Shoe repair/locksmiths everywhere as well as tailors, signaling a culture that repairs vs. disposes of their wardrobe.

Bookstores-small independents-also on every street but not big chains and mostly featuring Irish authors vs. worldwide blockbusters.day-1

Newspapers, they are still relevant here with multiple different papers offered in all the grocery and book stores for your reading enjoyment.  Love it as we still enjoy a daily newspaper delivered to our door in the States but we are the only ones in our building to do so probably because we are also the oldest residents as well.  Blah.

 

Resale/consignment/vintage stores are plentiful.  Thrifty and trendy at the same time.  We stopped by the Salvation Army one and browsed the wide selection of clothes, housewares and some vinyl.  One small gallery of shops had not only a great vinyl shop but a vintage clothing store and a variety of stalls selling everything from nuts to posters.  Love places like this!

Gyms are few and far between with the main sport being lifting a pint.  Irish excel at that sport.  True-I’ve been to many a pub on this trip and witnessed this sport first hand.

Knobs and Knockers was one of the best titled stores, selling, you guessed it, just door knockers and door knobs.  The doors of Ireland are beautiful and a subject of many photographs.  Thom told me a red door means the house is paid off.  Now when I see a red door, I’m thinking to myself, “well done” to the occupants and enjoy no more mortgage payments.

Travel agencies are still around and, based on the number of them, I would say fairly popular.  Thinking the “seasoned” generation is not tech savvy and needs assistance scoring a ticket or reservation.

Grocery shopping with the locals is always a great way to understand a culture.  At Aldi’s, there were literally bulk stacks of meringue circles.  In the bread aisle, always a huge focus here where carbs rule, there were packages of pancakes and waffles in with all the other items we would normally see.  The cakes/buns/jelly roll selection was wide and varied.  Tea time!  Beside a stack of goose fat jars, you could also find baked beans in ready-to-go single service packs.  Yum.  Irish yogurt is tasty and comes in tiny glass jars.  Cute.

In many groceries, there are loaves of bread, scones, etc. heaped in open air baskets.  Kind of yucky to us uptight Americans who are used to everything being covered up or behind the counter vs. everyone can touch and feel and explore the pastries with their grubby, germ-infested hands.  No thank you.

MISC. STUFF

Smoking restrictions inside pubs are more of a “guideline” with many drinkers huddled outside around barrels and on adjacent outdoor patios enjoying a pint and a puff.  No restrictions here about staying 25 feet away from the building to inhale carcinogens.  That would be very inconvenient for the pub staff to service the refills.

300,000 people attending the Ploughman Competition outside Dublin where they do farm games.  Headlines daily in the newspapers-big deal here.

Sheep are sometimes spray painted blue or green or yellow.  What.  The.  Hell.

Hen Parties for bridal parties and Stag Parties for the guys are HUGE in Galway.

bus

There is a two day bus/rail strike planned for Thursday/Friday.  Thank goodness we have a car and aren’t reliant on public transportation as we usually are when we travel.  Then on Saturday there is a huge “Repeal” protest in Dublin to protest the strict abortion laws.  Thom usually attracts protests so surprised we won’t be there for it.  In this very Catholic country, they are fighting with the church which never goes well.

Exploring Limerick & Irish Roots

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Europe, Ireland, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

By chance or perhaps an ancient ancestor guided our lodging choices, but either way, we stayed at the Absolute Hotel on St. Harry’s Mall Road on the river.  With outstanding views and friendly service, the location was perfect because Thom’s grandmother lived directly across the street in the early 1900’s before coming to America.  His grandfather, Patrick O’Dwyer, rowed at the Athlunkard  Rowing Club during this same time.  Stopping by, kind gent John who is renovating the very neglected rowing facility, let Thom go through plastic bins of old pictures looking for Patrick.  He found him!  1903 was a very good rowing year for Patrick and the club, winning 5 awards. 

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Thom was thrilled to find Patrick and his team pictured with their trophies.  Hopefully, the club will preserve these crumbling photo galleries for posterity.  Also in the Medieval Quarter, St. Mary’s Parish is where Thom’s grandparents were baptized and his great grandparents were married.   After talking to the church administrator to get some ancestry paperwork for a possible Irish citizenship for Thom, we imagined his grandparents’ life living across the street, rowing at the nearby club and what that might have felt like.  There is also a St. Mary’s Cathedral down the street which is much grander and worth a look as well. 

With a break in the rain, we walked the waterfront past King John’s Castle, which was neglected in the past and, in the 1950’s, was the site for a public housing project but it has now been renovated and is a big tourist draw for Limerick.  It was early morning when we did our adventure around town so unfortunately we didn’t go inside but crossed the Thomand Bridge past the Treaty Stone and along Clancy Street all the way to the Sarsfield Bridge and into town where you’ll likely see many a modern store next to a medieval stone arch.  In the midst of all the pubs and shops is the quaint St. John’s church with a cemetery that is showing signs of neglect but is awash in history.  After reading some tomb stones, we got just a little bit lost but eventually headed in the right direction to our hotel.  Along the way, we discovered the Milk Market which unfortunately wasn’t open during the week when we visited but it looks like it would be worth a look if you visit on Saturday or Sunday with food and local artisans showing their wares under the big white tent.

Rowing Club gate
Rowing Club

The previous night we were lucky to meet up with Thom’s Irish family, connecting for the first time, exchanging photographs and family stories.  It was lovely to meet everyone and we plan to stay in touch via social media.  Thom and I hope to bring our whole family over for a proper Irish reunion in the future. 

 

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The river that Thom’s grandfather, Patrick O’Dwyer, rowed on.

 

 

Finding a Real Irish Pub in Dublin

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Cocktails, Europe, Ireland, liquor, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

“Where can I find a REAL Irish pub?” I asked the vinyl shopkeeper in Dublin.  “You mean one without tourists who believe in fauking leprechaun and want to see River Dancers?” he replied with disdain for tourists.  I get it and appreciated his predicament.  He probably relied on the stinking tourists to make a living but hated their ignorance of true Irish history and culture.  After some discussion with he and a customer who was trying to be helpful, we had some recommendations and were ready to experience real Irish food and music.

First, we walked to O’Donoghue’s where Glen Hansard, our Irish singer we love, frequents when in town but it was early and not too much was happening so on we walked.  As usual, we then wandered into a beautiful local park, which we wouldn’t have normally sought out.  A big event was going on with entertainment and music but unfortunately it was sold out and we couldn’t talk our way in but we still had a lovely time seeing how the locals used their parks with jugglers juggling and groups of people doing yoga together on this lovely late summer evening.  We had stumbled into Merrion Square, which had been a private park for the rich surrounded by townhomes and is now a public area to be enjoyed by all. 

Needing substance, we sought out a pub that I had researched in advance, The Old Storehouse, which did not disappoint with hearty shepherd’s pie for Thom to pack away.  After asking the waitress for an Old Fashioned, she asked how I wanted it made.  I wanted to give a smart reply like, “If I need to make it or tell you how to make it then why do you have a bartender?” but didn’t want her to spit in my drink so I just replied nicely that whatever way they normally made it would be fine by me.  Ha!  I received a shot of whiskey (and not a generous one) with orange peel.  You would have thought I might learn from that experience but, no, not really.   After Thom astounded me with his knowledge of Irish pub songs (which he learned from hanging out in NYC Irish bars since he was a wee lad), we sang along to Molly Malone and other Irish pub standards as well as American classics.

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The Real Deal-The Brazen Head pub

Looking for more real Irish music since the singer at The Old Storehouse ended his set with John Denver, we decided to go with Thom’s brother Pat’s suggestion of the self-proclaimed oldest pub in Ireland, The Brazen Head, estd. 1198.  Now, it is WAY off the beaten path and quite the walk from Temple Bar area but off we continued until finally finding it.  Sharing tables with two gals from Germany, the place was packed and authentic.  I felt sorry for the Asian tourists in the corner who were huddled up with strangers and looking very uncomfortable sharing space.  I gave up my seat so an elder couple could sit together and I stood at the bar.  Got to give it to the seventy-something with a cane venturing out to the pub still to enjoy the music.  He deserved a stool.

I sidled up to the busy bar to order a coke for Thom and an Old Fashioned for me to compare with the previous one.  “We don’t do cocktails.” The bartender sneered at me and then ignored me.  Okay.  Should have known better.  My bad.  “Shot of whiskey and side of water” was better and I was rewarded with a tiny amount of whiskey and a water I would share with Thom.  We were there for the Irish music not the spirits, so all good.

Smoking outside the bars and in outside patio areas is common.  One guy lit up a cigar and you could smell it all the way inside.  I sneered at him on the way out.  Didn’t faze him at all and he puffed away, sharing his stench with everyone in and around the pub.  Classy.  Cheers.

Hidden Gem-Chester Beatty Library in Dublin

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Europe, Ireland, Museum, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

Having decided to skip the long line to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College, instead we opted to enjoy a much less known gem in Dublin, the Chester Beatty library.  Next to Dublin Castle, this library/museum houses an extraordinary, vast collection of ancient manuscripts and texts.  Taking advantage of a video loop showing the history of Chester Beatty, we learned that the wealthy American mining magnate, who bequeathed his collection to Ireland when he died in 1968, left them treasures that you can see for free with no waiting in line. 

We wandered and gawked at all types of artifacts that date back to 2700 BC to present day from various religions:  Judaism, Christianity, Islam Buddhism and Hinduism.  There are beautifully illuminated copies of the Qur’an, the Bible, European medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and more.  The Christianity room featured third century Greek letters.  Really rare stuff on display to enjoy.  There is also a gallery devoted to the Art of the Book with books from all over the ancient world showing fancy leather bound engraved editions to simple volumes.  I have many fond memories as a child visiting the Noblesville Public Library in the old downtown brick building every Saturday to load up on books I could devour.  Now, I am blessed to experience this magnificent collection after also going to the NYC Library and the Morgan Library and viewing their Guttenberg bibles.  This all in one week of vacation.  This has been a dream come true for me. 

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Knighted for his contribution of strategic raw materials to the Allies during World War II, Sir Chester Beatty was a traveler and experienced adventurer, travelling the world to collect rare items.  So glad he decided to donate them so we can enjoy them today.  There is even a roof top serenity garden where you can enjoy the view of nearby Dublin castle or just sit on a bench and reflect on all the ancient texts you have just viewed.  Truly one of the best museum experiences I have had around the world.

Wandering St. Pat’s Cathedral in Dublin

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Ireland, Museum, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

We walked by a Catholic Church almost immediately as we turned down a lane off Grafton Street exploring Dublin on our first day.  We have since visited so many churches across Ireland that I can’t keep them straight but they are all historic and beautiful.  With the history of Ireland so closely tied to the Catholic and Protestant churches, it is no wonder they dominate the landscape.  Well, not as much as the pubs dominate but still, there are a LOT of churches here. 

The church we spent the most time in was St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin.  It is really a museum now mostly with some services but beautifully preserved with groupings of historically significant relics to read about and enjoy.  We found a video loop playing the in back corner and sat through a nice overview of the history before we explored, giving good context to what we were going to see which dates mostly back to the 14th century but a religious building stood on this site a thousand years before that. It is the largest church in Ireland and also houses the largest ringing peal bells in Ireland as well, whatever those are.  Bet they are loud.

One story we learned from the video was that during a feud in 1492 there came a point where the warring families were deadlocked so the two leaders agreed, as a gesture of good faith, to extend their hands through a slot in a massive door to shake and call a truce.  This “Door of Reconciliation” now hangs in the church and thus the Irish expression, “to chance your arm” meaning to take the initiative.  Here’s betting that if Hillary extended her arm through a door, Trump would cut it off and call her a loser for wanting to negotiate. 

Along with the velvet covered pew benches that are preserved and roped off in the sanctuary, there are stand-alone chairs for people to sit in and worship with embroidered kneeling cushions that some little old ladies probably created for use by worshippers. Charming AND useful.

Though you do have to pay 6 euros to enjoy St. Patrick’s, it was money well spent given not only the beauty but the historical experience of it all.  Amen.

 

Walking the history of Dublin

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Europe, Ireland, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

Our first day in Dublin, we had decided to take a historical walking tour with a highly recommended company, www.historicaltours.ie.  They do two tours daily at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for 13 euros per person.  You can pay online which they prefer or just show up and pay the guide.  We also tipped her as she did such a good job.  Really a bargain given that Grace, our tour guide, has a PhD in history from Trinity College and knew her stuff. 

We had to brave the “Freshers” (incoming freshman college students) in the main square of Trinity College to meet up with our tour group.  All very Hogwarts feeling with the medieval buildings and packed with students talking to the various club members in tents attracting rowers, rugby players, magicians, political, etc.  Our tour group ranged in age but mostly couples and a nice size of 12 people so we could all huddle around Grace to hear the tales of the religious wars and many invasions that Ireland has experiences throughout the ages.  Damn, they’ve seen a lot of turmoil on this small island.

Heads up, cobblestone streets are repaired to stay with Dublin’s historical look but are hell to walk on even with sensible Uggs.  I can’t even imagine navigating in a heel.  Be warned and dress appropriately including a rain jacket. 

Group introduced, off we went throughout Trinity College, Temple Bar, and the Viking neighborhood where ruins were plowed over to make way for a new government building.  The Irish seem good about preserving many buildings but since the Vikings were marauders and invaded them, they weren’t so particular about preserving their ruins.  Shame.

Temple Bar, the lively bar area, used to be under water and it still runs under the streets.  Close to the river, it is now the hub of pubs and shopping.  Grace pointed out many historical sites here and then off we went to Christ Church and Dublin Castle.

After the two hour tour, we were famished and just happened upon a place I had read about as having the best fish and chips in Ireland, Leo Burdock’s.  The counter guy greeted us and when Thom asked how he was doing, he replied, “Living the dream.  I work here” and gestured to the humble abode where they dished out the best slab of fish and hearty chips I have ever eaten.  Funny.  Sharing the 10 euro special while sitting on a park bench at Christ Church, we chowed down, gaining our energy back before we meandered home through Temple Bar and back to the hotel.  I was beat and jet lagged!  With the awesome Westin bed to tuck into, it was an early evening and 12 hours of sleep for me after our first day in Dublin.

Two Gutenbergs in One Day

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Museum, New York City, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

The theme for Friday’s Manhattan adventure was a deep dive into literature so it was only fitting that we got to see two Gutenberg Bibles in one day-first at the NYC Public Library and then in the evening at the Morgan Library.  Just blocks apart, these masterpieces are two of only 49 left of their kind, the first major book printed around 1450 using mass-produced movable type.  A beautiful and historic book to behold and the Morgan Library has 3 copies that they rotate to preserve.  wp_20160916_20_03_13_richThey’ve done a good job because it is in great repair for being so old and enduring many adventures among owners in the past before being acquired in 1815 for the Morgan Library.moran-2

Taking advantage of the free Friday deal to visit the Morgan, we sought out Rembrandt’s first masterpiece, Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver, which is considered to be his first mature work.  Perhaps we are a little jaded from seeing so many Rembrandts on our Amsterdam tour but still it was impressive, along with other pieces of his work on display.  moran-1

More interesting to me though was the Charlotte Bronte exhibit that showcased all her talents from drawing to writing.  She and her sisters started early in life by creating tiny books telling stories to each other.  Charlotte was a strong liberated woman for her day (with a teeny tiny 18 inch waist-dress pic) and wanted only to write and not be a teacher or governess as the culture would dictate her to be in the early 1800’s.  She declared herself “a free human being with an independent will”.  Unfortunately, it’s still hard to make a living being a writer even in this day and age.  I respect her fortitude to follow her passion and share her talents with the world.

After soaking up the opulent Morgan Library with it’s iron staircases leading to even more books on the upper floors interspersed with tapestries and paintings and, of course, an elegant ceiling, we enjoyed a jazz trio treating the crowd to a spirited jam session.  Resting before the walk home, Thom and I smiled and agreed it was another perfect day in NYC.

 

A Tale of Two Rats-A NYC Fairy Tale

On By Travels with MelindaIn New York City, Parks, Travel, Uncategorized, vacationLeave a comment

There once lived two rats in very different parts of the big city that never sleeps.  Lucky me, I got to see them both up close and personal while out having Manhattan adventures.  One rat, we’ll call him Junior due to his petite size, lived by the lake in Central Park with a view to die for.  The other deserves a loftier title, perhaps Pony, as he was large enough to saddle up, and lives in Madison Square Park near the iconic Flatiron Building.

Now in the early fall in the Big Apple, they had very different experiences.  Junior was doing who knows what but got stuck in the sidewalk swell and was rescued by a tourist with no sense of self preservation or hygiene.  Slowing down to see why there was a crowd gathered, Thom and I stopped in our tracks when we saw this gent pick up Junior by the tip of his tail, freeing him from whatever he was trapped by and gently swinging him over to the bushes to set him free.  Run, Junior, run.  Run, Melinda, run.

Now Pony didn’t experience the same type of kindness by strangers.  Walking from Happy Hour at the Flat Iron Room to Fishs Eddy to shop, we were drawn into Madison Park, our old neighborhood haunt where Thom would take Izaak every day to play in the dog park when we lived at 27th and 7th in Chelsea.  Observing all the dogs playing was great but then, streaking from the dog area to the bushes in the middle of the park  right in front of us was a small dog or was that…wait a minute, that’s no dog.  Running like a bat (or rat in this case) out of Hell, Pony, aka the largest rat I have ever seen, took off like a shot from the fenced dog area probably after one of the dogs decided he had found a new playmate or tasty snack.  Run, Pony, run.  Run, Melinda, run.

Ultimately, both rats lived to see another day in the city that I love.  Who knows, maybe next time I visit we’ll meet again.  Or not.

 

Our China adventure published. A dream realized.

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Beijing, China, expat, Great Wall, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Seattle, Shanghai, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Cross that off the bucket list-publish book.  When we moved to Shanghai in 2013, I started a blog to stay in touch with family and record our adventures.  It grew into a daily rhythm to capture the craziness that was our daily life in China.  Soon, people from around the world started reaching out to me for advice:  Where can I get dog food?  Should I bring my own mattress or buy one there? Where should I live if I have kids?  Is the pollution really bad?  Why yes, it is.  Now you know.  The lungs don’t lie.  Buy a mask and wear it.

When my transfer details were finally worked out and I accepted the offer, I immediately went online and looked for blogs or books to get a feel for what our new normal would feel like.  I would be a female executive navigating through the Chinese business world while Thom adjusted to being a trailing spouse.  I was disappointed to only find guide books primarily aimed at tourists.  I was going to become a local expat and needed a source of truth to turn to that would help guide me through all the unexpected challenges from walking down the street without getting run over (truly a challenge daily!) to opening a bank account and being surprised they still used an abacus to conduct transactions.  WTF.

We relied on our Chinese tutor, Fiona, to guide us through many obstacles and just explored through fearless curiosity daily in our quest to not live in the typical expat bubble and instead venture out into the real China.  Daily we learned and as our confidence grew, Thom took off on a bike to explore and take beautiful photos and I jumped on the bullet train to commute to Beijing and Nanjing for work on a regular basis.

As a result, our blog posts and photos chronicled a journey that few folks get to take.  Those that are lucky enough to live in China can use our lessons learned to adjust quickly and with less pain than we went through at times.  Not that we didn’t love living there because we did.  We would walk down the Bund, climb the Great Wall (4x) and pinch ourselves.  “We live in China!”  It never got old and we miss our life and the people there.  The pollution, not so much.

Pulling these stories all together after we returned home to Seattle was Thom’s year-long journey.  Who knew it was so hard to edit a book?  I swear every time we thought we had all the spacing, spelling and template formatting just the way we wanted it, we found more opportunities to improve and had to change it.  FINALLY, we hit the button and made my frustrated inner writer very, very happy when Seattle to Shanghai and Back Again:  Our Year as Expats in China became a reality.

Maze anyone?
Will miss Hong Kong!
Fearless and Lucky I am according to my FT

Will anyone read it?  Maybe.  My mom will.  The aunt of a guy I met at a friend’s party who just moved to Shanghai to work for Intel will.  Who knows, maybe other people?  Making money and world publishing dominance was never the impetus for writing this book.  Sharing our adventures, recounting our tales so our granddaughter, Mia, will know that her GiGi and NaiNai were crazy world travelers while she was just being born as well as helping other expats adjust to life in China were the main objectives so we are happy.  Back in Seattle, we are always looking for the next adventure.  A vacation to Ireland is coming up soon and then possible work travel to India and Europe.  Would we move abroad again?  You never know.  Life is short.

 

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Our Ayi, Pink, and our Chinese tutor, Fiona

 

Excercise in the Park-2
My new friend and I exercising in the park.
Sweet Potato-7071
Sweet Potato Lady

“Seattle to Shanghai and Back Again: Our Year as Expats in China”  is available here-looks best in color versions vs. Kindle b/w due to photos:

Softcover book: http://www.blurb.com/b/7250489-seattle-to-shanghai-and-back-again

eBook: http://www.blurb.com/ebooks/588686

Amazon Kindle: Seattle to Shanghai and Back Again: Our Year as Expats in China

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC46Dht4h7e7Tebgx6Ri9tMA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seattletoshanghai/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seattletoshanghaiandbackagain/

Other blogs on WordPress: https://alleyesonshanghai.com/2016/03/24/seattle-to-shanghai-and-back-again/

 

Enjoying Indie Singer/Songwriters in Seattle

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Music, Seattle, Seattle Nightlife, Uncategorized, VinylLeave a comment

I try to never take for granted that we are lucky to live in a city with such a vibrant music scene for all ages that ranges from superstars visiting us like Bruce Springsteen and The Who to hard-working talents that you have probably never heard of but should check out.  Thom and I try to support all levels, attending at least one concert a month for date night.  This fall we get to experience some fantastic indie artists who put their heart and soul into their work. Being a musician is not a easy life for most but I appreciate them all!

One of the smaller venues with phenomenal acoustics is Columbia City Theater with only 100 or so seats so you get to be up close and personal with the acts.  We’ve seen Griffin House there (and he comes back to play 12/1-go!) and last night we got to see Sean McConnell, who had been Griffin’s opening act last year but now is launching his Ghost Town tour as the main act showcasing his new album, which we bought on vinyl, of course.

Can I just say that Thom’s vinyl collection is out of control?  Soon, new furniture will be required to house it all which could be an issue as we look to downsize yet again in the future. We are looking at properties to buy in West Seattle, close to Easy Street Records which might be very, very bad for our budget if Thom can just stroll over every day looking for new vinyl.  He even, perhaps jokingly, said he would get a job there just to have more time perusing the inventory.  OH. HELL. NO.  After we put in an offer on a condo on the main drag in West Seattle yesterday, we ambled by East Street just in time to catch Sean do an in-store appearance before his concert.  He took one look at me, stared and said, “I remember you!”.  So funny and no, I am not a stalker, but on a recent girl’s weekend with my sister in Chicago, we had talked to Sean after he opened for Kris Allen at City Winery.  I had told Sean that I had asked my barber to recreate his hair style on me when I went with the shaved on the sides #3 blade look.  We’re twins now, don’t you know!

But I digress, so back to the music scene.  Sean’s opening act, Andy Davis, was good and connected to the friendly, easy-to-engage audience especially with his piano tunes.  He congratulated us on our clapping skills as everyone in the place quickly took direction to get involved with his quirky and awkward-at-love songs.  I hate a stiff crowd so it was fun to enjoy the concert with other people who appreciate good tunes with some spirit.  Sean even later commented that it was refreshing to play a venue where the focus is music vs. people eating/talking/ignoring the music. Playing bars with drunken patrons is probably not his favorite venue.  Just a guess.

Andy Davis

In the 95+ degree heatwave and a theater that was only somewhat cooled off, Sean laid it all out on the floor with his soaring, clear vocals and original lyrics that spoke to the hard life of a musician.  He and Andy are driving a van around the West Coast from Seattle to Boise (9/3 at Neurolox-Boise friends, go!) for a total of 12 cities in two weeks.  Damn, they work hard for their money.  As Sean sings in one of his songs, “One Acre of Land”, he offered his wife the opportunity to be with a broke artist who would devote himself to her despite the lack of money.  Who could turn down that offer?   His lyrics really speak to Thom and I, especially “Best We’ve Ever Been” when he sings, “And damn girl, we look good.  Yeah baby we’re the best we’ve ever been.” and explores the adventure that life can be when you have a partner you love.  That’s Thom and I-no slowing down!  Check out Sean’s vocal stylings: 

Coming soon this fall is Foy Vance, who opened for Elton John this summer on his European Tour, and who will grace Columbia City with his presence 9/28 on his Wild Swan tour. You can bet Thom and I will be there to enjoy his music before he hits it big.  Ed Sheeran signed and produced Foy’s latest album and he has gotten great media coverage in the U.S.  We will have just come back from our Ireland vacation and will be in the mood to let this Irishman entertain us.  Get out there and enjoy some Seattle music.  Cheers!