As per usual, Potomac Celtic Festival was a blast, only more so. The music was especially good this year, with Grada, Matt & Shannon Heaton, Laura Cortese, Coyote Run, Iona….TONS of really good players, poets, bards and dancers… AND my all-time favorites, Le Vent du Nord.
Le Vent du Nord is a Quebecois band which includes Benoit Bourque – formerly of Matapat – and super fiddler, founder of Quebecois record label Roues et Archets and all around nice guy Olivier Demers. And it goes without saying that any band with a hurdy gurdy player of the caliber of Nicolas Boulerice and a guitar player like Simon Beaudry is a band you must see. Hopefully some of you in the DC area got to check them out when they played the Institute of Musical Traditions, but for those of you who haven’t heard them yet, go to their website at www.leventdunord.com. And then if you still haven’t gotten enough Quebecois music, check out www.rouesetarchets.com, Olivier’s record label of all Quebecois music (the site is in French…but the order form is available in English).
It was really brought home to me this year at PCF how very much festivals of this size – really all festivals – rely on volunteers: Those loving and dedicated people who do all the grunt work, put up tents, pick up garbage, pick up musicians (different?!?), supply food, comfort, wo/man power, sound equipment, water, band aids, kleenex…….
You get the idea.
Tinsmith would like to specially thank all the volunteers at PCF, and all the festivals we are fortunate enough to perform at, for their dedication to the music…WE APPRECIATE YOU!
We would also like to thank all the sound technicians at this year’s festival, all of whom went above and beyond the call of duty (and pay) to supply us with beautiful sound amplifications with no hassles! Thanks guys!
And last but not least, thanks to all of you who come out every year to listen and support all of us –
we play for you
love
Tinsmith