What a great St. Patrick's Day weekend we had! Friday, we spent the afternoon playing for the great folks at Paula's Public House just outside of Poughkeepsie, NY. Great thanks to Paula and James for making us feel so welcome, and for the wonderful collection of folks who were there with us to celebrate the day. We also had the pleasure of having Paula's cousin, whose name we never knew, do some great Irish step dance with us. Fine food, delicious libations, and a warm and festive atmosphere. Thanks to Paula's Public House!
A bit later in the day, we traveled down to the Farm to Table Bistro in Fishkill, NY, where we played for the evening. Farm to Table is known for its excellent cuisine, and on this particular St. Paddy's Day night, the place was packed with both diners and folks who were hanging out with us in the bar. A real listening crowd it was, and they kept us hopping - so much so, that we ended up playing the whole evening with no break (and no Guinness, much to the chagrin of a FlashCo boyo or two!). We owe thanks to owner Chris and manager Nick for a truly enjoyable night of music and friends and for making us feel so welcome!
So, we slept in a bit on Saturday morning to regain our strength for our second annual Artists' Collective St. Paddy's Day concert which was sponsored by the Artists' Collective of Hyde Park. Special thanks to Marilyn and Liz and the Collective's members for coming together to help make this night a success. Our gratitude goes to the tremendous collection of kindred souls who braved a forecast of snow and some warning flurries to come out and share the craic with us. Great sing-along-ers all of 'em, and they kept us on our toes, as many were knowledgeable fans of Irish music who really knew their stuff! We look forward to our third annual Artists' Collective St. Paddy's Day show in 2018....though we certainly hope to see you before then!
In sum, it was a lovely St. Paddy's Day Weekend! From all of the boys in Flash Company, May the wind be at your back and the smoke from your chimney everlasting!