Annie's October Blog

Breaking Our Own Rules

Rules are made to be broken, right? It's been a few years since we've broken one of ours but it will be happening twice in the next few months. The rule in question is that we won't play somewhere that has a cover charge.

That came about because when Bill and I first started playing out in coffee shops and the like, the people who came to see us were our family and friends. As time passed and we got to playing in pubs and bigger venues, those folks still came out in support of us. (You know who you are and we thank you!) So we always felt that we would not make the people who have been with us through the years pay to hear us play. Especially not when they could hear (and have heard) us in their own living room any time.

There have been a few exceptions to that rule. Many years ago we played a couple of times at a small, artsy place in Honeoye Falls. There was a cover charge but it included dinner in the form of a choice of soups and a soft drink, tea or coffee. We've also played for a handful of festivals and fundraisers for good causes.

Which leads us to the latest exceptions to our rule. On Wednesday October 15th we'll be one of the performers at Johnny's Irish Pub. This is a fundraiser for the Rochester St. Patrick's Day parade. It will be a great lineup of music and we're honoured to be there alongside Dave North and Kevin Reynolds. The time is 4:00 – 9:00pm and the $10 cover charge includes a drink.

The next exception will be on Friday December 19th when we'll be playing a Christmas music concert at 77 West Main in Macedon. (Yes, that is both the name and the address.) This is a small, intimate venue run by Joe LeMay and Sherri Reese, great folk musicians in their own right. The evening starts with open mic from 6:30 – 8:00pm and then we'll take the stage. It's a $10 donation at the door to help support the local music community. They also try to help out the Macedon food pantry by asking people to bring something to donate to that. There's a list on their website of what's needed. https://lamay.com/77westmain.htm

So...we make a rule and then we break it. But only for good reason.

Here's our upcoming schedule -

On Saturday, October 4th we'll be helping Thornbee Farm celebrate the grand opening of their Organic Press Winery! The Farm market will be open from noon – 5:00pm and we'll start playing around 12:30 till 3:30 or so. This is a fabulous, family run organic farm located at 915 Kuttruff Road, Walworth, NY. It's supposed to be a beautiful day, so we'll be playing on the porch. You can go in, do some shopping and get a treat to eat (their homemade ice cream is fabulous!), a cup of coffee, tea, lemonade, and come out and hear us play. There will also be an organic food truck onsite along with wine tastings.

On Friday, October 10th we'll be back at Ramsey's at Champion Hills. Music is from 5:30 – 8:30pm and the set list will be quite different from the September 19th one. Although if you've got a favourite that we do, always feel free to make requests. You can get the Friday night fish fry battered or broiled with cajun spice but they do recommend calling for reservations and letting them know not just for table space but if you want the fish fry. (585) 398-7458 ext. 2 They're located at 675 Championship Drive Victor, NY.

On Wednesday, October 15th we'll be joining Dave North and Kevin Reynolds at Johnny's Irish Pub as part of a fundraiser for the Rochester St. Patrick's Day Parade. The event runs from 4:00 – 9:00pm. I don't know who is playing at what time but it's going to be a fantastic evening of music as both Dave and Kevin are wonderful musicians! $10 donation at the door includes one free drink. There will also be a silent auction. Johnny's is located at 1382 Culver Road, Rochester, NY.

We'll be at another of our favourite venues, the Little Theatre Cafe, for a couple of nights this Autumn. On Saturday, November 15th and Sunday, December 14th playing from 7:00 – 9:00pm. The December date will be a night featuring lots of Christmas music. The Little Theatre Cafe is located at 240 East Avenue, Rochester, NY.

And looking way ahead...we're already scheduled to play at Ramsey's at Champion Hills on Friday, March 13th. There will be Irish dancers performing from 5:30 – 6:00pm and then we'll play from 6:00 – 8:00pm.

Slainte!

Annie