What's Happening
The Akashic Temple's
Imbolg 2012: From Earth to Sky
The Akashic Temple invites you
to our celebration of Imbolg with an evening
of fun, food, Ritual, music and DANCE!
Doors open at 5 p.m. Ritual starts at 7 sharp.
Full Buffet Banquet, Veg and Carne choices!
Wine,/Mead, and brew (only after 7 p.m. -- B.Y.O.B.)
Open Irish Seisun ~ Bring Your Instruments!
Limited Capacity! Prior registration by 2-1-12 is required.
Purchase your tickets here
FAQs,: Akashic.Temple_yahoo.com, or 646 396-7399
Live Irish Seisun
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About Irish Sessions
--
What is an Irish Seisiun?
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An Irish session, much like nature itself, is populated with all sorts of characters and curious creatures. This in itself is quite a bit different from other styles of music and musician groupings. Heavy metal, Hip-Hop, Country Western; these styles tend to draw from a demographic of people with common backgrounds, interests, and social uniforms. Irish sessions however, have a wide variety of species to be found gathered around the tables of a typical pub.
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At any one session you might be apt to find an octogenarian near a teenager, professionals seated by day laborers, evangelicals next to atheists, republicans seated by democrats,
Red Sox fans next to Yankee fans. Such is the magic of this peculiar
type of communal music that it can draw folks from all walks of life. In spite of this variance, there are some very easily recognizable species that are common to this particular style of music in this rather unique setting.
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With a minimal amount of research, (it only took four pints of Guinness for me) you too should be able to spot these unique, yet all-too-familiar stereotypes at any session in North America.
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A Field Guide to
North American Irish Session Stereotypes
As we study the particular behaviors of some of the Common Session Species in the ensuing paragraphs,
a few useful tips should become obvious.
First, however, a bit of useful information regarding our analytical rubric. For example, a typical ornithologist (a.k.a., bird watching geek) might classify and research their subjects with a rubric along these lines:
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Common Loon
(Gaviidae, Gavia immer)
Call Sound: A loud, wailing laugh, also a mournful yodeled oo-AH-ho with middle note higher, and a loud ringing kee-a-ree, kee-a-ree with middle note lower. Often calls at night and sometimes on migration.
Features and Behavior: A large, heavy-bodied
loon with a thick, pointed, usually black or dark gray bill held horizontally. In breeding plumage, head and neck black with white bands on neck; back black with white spots. In winter, crown, hindneck, and upperparts dark grayish; throat and underparts white.
Primary Habitat: Nests on forested lakes and rivers; winters mainly on coastal bays and ocean.
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Using this exact format, we shall now explore and hopefully get a better understanding of, the various species that commonly populate a typical North American Irish Session.
And now, for your contemplation,
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A Field Guide to North American Irish Session Stereotypes
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Wanda Wiccan
(Bizaro hairylimbicus)
Primary Instruments:
Whistle, Flute, Fiddle, Shaky Egg
Features and Behavior: Raven-black hair; body piercings - most of which cannot be seen; Random Celtic knot tattoos; Describes herself
as a 'Celtic Priestess' (Celtic always pronounced with hard K sound); Lives with at least three cats, owns every episode of Xena: Warrior Princess and Charmed on DVD.
Primary Habitat: Sessions, Renaissance Faires, Covens, and Whole Food stores throughout Northern California, Los Angeles, Oregon, and the woods of Northern New England. Some additional migratory patterns based on last Phish concert tour.
Occasionally found in the close company of:
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Peter Pagan
(Hedonisti Bongloadicus)
Primary Habitat: Sessions, Renaissance Faires, Covens, and Whole Food stores throughout Northern California, Los Angeles, Oregon, and the woods of Northern New England. Some additional migratory patterns based on last Phish concert tour.
Primary Instruments: Djembe, 2-foot tall ceramic bong carved like a Sheila Na-gig.
Features and Behavior: Often shirtless, heavily tattooed and multiple body piercings; Prone to inexplicable spontaneous apoplectic dancing.
Primary Habitat: Roams freely in sessions, parks, orgies, and drum circles throughout California, Oregon and New England.
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Sean Southie
(Drunkarse Thugticae)
Primary Instruments: Guitar, Banjo, Bodhran
Features and Behavior: Tam O’Shanter cap, Dropkick Murphy’s T-shirt, Facial hair
resembling Leprechaun mascot from Notre
Dame; Often has inflammatory Irish political tattoos such as Tiocfaidh ar La or Fianna na hEireann but cannot pronounce or understand their Gaelic meanings; Excess testosterone, unhealthy obsessions with brawling and booze; Idolizes Shane McGowan; Thinks The Departed is a wicked good movie.
Primary Habitat: Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, or any large town with high concentrations of 20-something Irish Americans. Can also be seen in the gutter vomiting, or jail after any St. Patrick’s Day parade.
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Fred Folky
(Arloguthrie Wrinklous)
Primary Instruments: Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin
Features and Behavior: Long graying ponytail, beard. Drives VW bus filled with David Grisman and bootleg Grateful Dead cassette tapes. Came to Irish music late in life after briefly dating Wanda Wiccan.
Primary Habitat: Can be found in sessions, folk jams, bluegrass gatherings and working in the acoustic/accessories departments of every Guitar Center all across North America.
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Mother Mary Margaret
(Lacecurtain Hollywoodicus)
Primary Instruments: Fiddle, Accordion
Features and Behavior: Cable Knit Sweater/Jumper, Claddagh ring, cheery disposition, looks exactly like somebody's dear Irish grammy. Knows at least nine recipes for soda bread, has seen The Quiet Man 411 times, weeps instantly whenever someone sings Danny Boy, believes the Irish are a 'blessed race.' Never misses Celtic Women, The Irish Tenors, or Riverdance when replayed on PBS during Pledge Drives.
Primary Habitat: Sessions, bingo nights, antique hunting, or anywhere else large numbers of retirees can be found
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Paul Puredrop
(Elitecus Snobulae)
Primary Instruments: Fiddle, Flute, Whistle
Features and Behavior: Upturned nose, 'Holier than thou' condescending attitude; Large cinder-block sized chip on shoulder; Takes his music very seriously; Despises other species like Peter Pagan and Sean Southie and takes perverse pleasure in demoralizing newbies; Hates all backers and bodhran players; Regularly blogs on internet Irish music forums to complain how others are 'ruining' Irish Traditional Music; Hates the term ITM; Has been known to storm out of a session when someone plays a tune he thinks is inferior; Believes he is a true 'caretaker' of the tradition.
Primary Habitat: High level sessions in large cities, anger management therapy
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Ace McCool
(Beenthere Donethaticus)
Primary Instruments: varies
Features and Behavior: No unusual markings, really – except perhaps a slightly disinterested, wry smile and a very dry wit. Can play every tune and multiple instruments remarkably well, doesn’t engage in petty session politics. Has toured and played sessions around the globe, but doesn’t talk about it. Makes everyone around him sound and play better.
Primary Habitat: Any place people play
Irish music
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Willie Wannabe
(Insecurous Overcompensatious)
Primary Instruments: Bodhran, Banjo, Fiddle, Whistle
Features and Behavior: Scottish Football Jersey, fake Brogue, desperate need to be seen as an authority on all things Irish; usually doesn’t have an Irish sir-name; Uses Irish slang words like eejit , brilliant, bullocks, and feck all in daily conversation; Noodles obnoxiously on nearly every tune.
Primary Habitat: Every pub, session, festival, feis and fleadh in North America
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Jimmy Jokester
(Craic Humeroustae)
Primary Instruments: Fiddle, Banjo, whistle
Features and Behavior: Hawaiian print shirt; can play random tunes like My Sharona, La Bamba, and dozens of riffs from Led Zeppelin
in between jig sets; Knows thousands of Irish, Scottish, English, and even a few Welsh jokes; Loves to provoke other species like Paul Puredrop and Sean Southie; Can 'burp-sing' the song Wild Rover. Intentionally mispronounces the names of tunes with something vulgar or suggestive.
Primary Habitat: Near the bar, flirting with the waitress, or outside for a smoke.
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For anyone who has ever spent more than five minutes observing an Irish session, these stereotypes will seem quite familiar. However, it should be noted that the vast majority of people who attend sessions are actually quite pleasant and remarkably normal. Furthermore, if anyone has ever spent more than five minutes reading Irish music blogs, it must also be noted that people are not nearly as snide, spiteful or downright nasty as their postings might lead you to believe.
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In most cases, a healthy Irish session community is filled with all sorts of personalities who come together for the sheer pleasure of playing this music and having a laugh with people who share that common affliction.
For all the hyperbole and supposed rules regarding Proper Session Etiquette, most of it can be summed up in two simple phrases;
don’t be an ass and only play on the tunes you know.
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All the stuff your mother taught you about nice manners, the things your spouse advised regarding what NOT to say and do at a dinner party; it’s all the same thing here in the pub. Just common sense interaction with other human beings or 'session species.'
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Enjoy your journey. - W
(Gaviidae, Gavia immer)
Live Irish Seisun
Our Imbolg celebration features our live open Irish seisun (pronounced, session)! Bring your bodrun, your flute, your fiddle, your step dance shoes and your voicebox and join our open irish seisun (we'll have to conjure the pub setting, of course).
If you don't know what an Irish seisun is, we've provided a simple guide book describing the typical North American Irish seisun.
The following is taken directly from: http://www.irishseisiun.org/about-irish-sessions.htm
(Warning: If you are unable to laugh at yourself and appreciate the Irish sense of humor, this little guide book may cause you some personal consternation. If so, consider yourself advised that people in your life have more than likely been negatively affected by your lack of jocularity and you need to lighten up in the very near future!)
Click
Here!
