Harbor Celtic Fest

Aug. 23, 2006

Listen: is that the sound of a bagpipe wafting this way from Harbor Springs? You may be asking that question this weekend when the 4th Annual Harbor Celtic Festival gets jiggy in the village on Little Traverse Bay.
To be held this Friday-Saturday, Aug. 25-26, the Celtic Festival is a Blissfest Organization event in honor of Robert Emmet, the Irish patriot, revolutionary and martyr who is the namesake of Emmet County. Emmet’s failed rebellion and his subsequent hanging in a Dublin square in 1803 have made him an enduring hero with persons of Celtic heritage around the world.
In Emmet County, his memory serves as a good excuse to party and get down to the beat of music with its roots in the Old Country. This weekend’s festival will include a “Hoolie & Pub Crawl” from 4 p.m. to midnight with music at venues around town and a showing of the film, “Waking Ned Devine,” in Zorn Park. Saturday is capped by a performance of the high-energy Celtic band, the Glengarry Bhoys from Ontario, Canada.
Are there many other Celtic festivals in the country?
“Oh yes, there are hundreds of them,” says Jim Gillespie, executive director of the Blissfest. “It’s freaky how many of them there are. If you go online and plug in ‘Celtic festival,’ you’ll see that there’s probably at least one being held every weekend across the country. The biggest one is the Milwaukee Celtic Festival which is a week-long event.”
Locally, Gillespie notes that Harbor Springs’ Celtic Fest has had a less than rowsing response in its first few years, due to factors such as its outdoor venue and possible “festival fatigue” by music fans who are wrapping up their summer.
To remedy those problems, the Blissfest is hosting this year’s concert indoors at the new Harbor Performing Arts Center. They’ve also brought in an act which has thrilled audiences everywhere they’ve played, thanks to their energetic, innovative take on Celtic music.
“The Glengarry Bhoys put Celtic music in a new perspective -- it’s very contemporary stuff,” Gillespie says.
Like the Pogues? we ask, referring to the legendary Celtic punk band that brought traditional ballads up to snuff with modern beats and attitudes.
“There’s definitely some Pogues influence,” he responds. “When they get their electric guitar and bagpipes and drums going, it gets pretty intense.”
Auburn-haired fiddle player Miranda is reportedly a real firecracker on stage, while bagpiper Ewan is experimenting with loops and electronics to push Celtic tunes into the modern realm. “They can do some really high-energy traditional tunes and then switch to something quiet and contemplative,” Gillespie says. “They’ve been a huge hit at every festival they’ve played.”
Why is it that so many great Celtic bands seem to come from Canada, eh?
“Canada was settled by many Scots and Irish as well as the French from Brittany, which is a Celtic area,” Gillespie says. Canada also has a huge tradition of folk and old time string music that plays well with the Celtic vibe.
Gillespie’s own band, Dr. Goodhart’s Home Remedy, will also be performing at The Pier during Friday’s pub crawl. Other performers playing the crawl will include the Full Bliss Band at Turkey’s and Judith Lindenau and Friends (of TC Celtic fame) at the New York restaurant.
Tickets for Saturday’s show are $12 in advance and $16 at the door, with teen tickets at $6 and $8. Tickets are available at Copy Plus, Mary Ellen’s Place and Quarters in Harbor Springs, at The Grain Train in Petoskey and via an online link at www.blissfest.org, which also has extra info on the event.
Should you wear your cloggin’ shoes? Definitely.
Here’s the rundown on who’s doing what this weekend in downtown Harbor Springs:

Friday, Aug. 25:
4-5:30pm - The Pier hosts Dr. Goodhart’s Home Remedy
5:30-7pm - Bar Harbor hosts featuring Guinness and Robert Emmet
7-8:30pm - Turkey’s restaurant hosts The Full Bliss Band
8:30-10pm - Movie: “Waking Ned Devine”  at Zorn Park
10-12pm- The New York restaurant hosts Judith Lindenau and Friends
Additional entertainment, fun and Irish merriment will also be available at all the venues.
Sat., Aug. 26:
1pm-5pm - Celtic/music workshops; 7:30pm - Concert featuring The Glengarry Bhoys at Harbor Performing Arts Center.