Wednesday, August 17, 2016

'Asleep At The Wheel' to kick off 2016 Monterey County Fair

Photo by Mike Shore

This year's Monterey County Fair will be ignited by the music of multi Grammy award winning band Asleep at the Wheel. Check out all the official details below.

From The Press Release:
The Monterey County Fair will open the 80th annual concert series with multi Grammy winning, Asleep at the Wheel on Wednesday, August 31, 2016.  Ray Benson founded Asleep at the Wheel in Paw Paw, West Virginia 46 years ago. Now based in Austin, the band holds 10 Grammy awards, 20 studio albums and 20 singles on the Billboard country charts. The Grammy Award-winning Still The King: Celebrating the Music of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys is the band’s most recent release (2015) and marks their third full-length Bob Wills tribute album. Featuring 22 acclaimed collaborations, the all-star lineup includes legends such as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and George Strait and newcomers like The Avett Brothers, Amos Lee, Old Crow Medicine Show and many other fine talents.

Asleep at the Wheel is bringing a fresh look and sound into 2016. Now traveling as an 8-piece band, recent additions Katie Shore (fiddle, vocals), Dennis Ludiker (fiddle, mandolin) and Connor Forsyth (keyboard, vocals) have instilled a newfound energy and their own unique style within the band. Between those Texas Twin Fiddles and Boogie Piano, you can bet you’ll be dancin’ down the aisles and swingin’ all night long when the Wheel rolls into town!

Friday, August 5, 2016

Scottish Games return to Monterey Fairgrounds

Photo by Seth Metoyer
The annual Scottish Games returns to the Monterey Fairgrounds this weekend. The 49th annual Scottish Games & Celtic Festival will kick off on Saturday, August 6 and continue through Sunday August 7.
I love attending this event, however it closes a bit early for my liking. I'm more of an evening person and the gates close at 6pm. However, if you're in the Monterey, CA  area and want to enjoy all things Scottish, you won't want to miss this.
There's wonderful music, dancing, food, drinks (aka beer for those of us who drink) and athletic contests with a Scottish theme. Some of the Games presented will be the hammer and stone throw, the sheaf toss, the caber toss, fun games for kids and sheepdog herding competitions.
This year, as in years past, there will be a historical re-enactment of Mary, Queen of Scots and members of her court. In addition there will be live tunes via singer and storyteller Seamus Kennedy, singer/songwriter Peter Daldry and Celtic composer and instrumentalist Steve McDonald, along with Irish dancing and Highland dancing. Food selections include British bangers, meat pies, fish & chips, haggis, shortbread and toffee.
The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center. 
For more details, visit the official website www.montereyscotgames.com.