From: J.B.W.Webber [J.B.W.Webber_at_kent_dot_ac_dot_uk]

Sent: 11 March 2014 22:30

Subject: Tim Edey : Chieftains USA Concert tour 2014 - Blog 1

 

Hello all, hope you are all well? sorry for the mass email someone suggested I might write a short blog on my travels with the Chieftains here on the band?s 52nd year West to East coast concert hall tour.

 

I write this from beautiful snowy Rutland, Vermont where we arrived today from NYC I have been in North America since February 1st now..

 

So we started in Davis, California on February 17th with a half day rehearsal and then played the UC Davis concert hall on 18th, it was bizarre going from Glasgow on the 1st with Isobel and Ava to Florida for our holiday with aunty Cait and then onto a freezing Ontario then the girls flying home to Scotland and me to Sacrremento CA where it was the winter so they say!, but the height of summer for us outdoor swimming pools and shorts were absolutely no problem.

 

Our pool outside it had its own boat dock and crane lift (we didn?t get to use that sadly)

 

 

 

 

Our concert hall near Hollywood hills, Paddy Moloney the legendary leader of the band at sound check

 

Above driving through from Marin county to San Fransisco I took a blurry photo of the amazing bridge and the Pacific ocean by Alcatraz.

 

We got to some lovely hotels in California one worth mentioning was the Warner Marriott hotel in Hollywood hills, I had a direct view onto the hills (no sign visible sadly of Hollywood) but amazing none the less.

 

Onwards then to San Diego where we checked into our own suites at The Declan suites, a big day for me as Im not great as you may know with elevators and the reception was on the 9th floor and my room on the 22nd you may understand why I was a bit wary, but the view of the harbour and ocean was lovely.

 

We then flew to Austin TX from San Diego again to amazing weather and our first national TV and radio show; 

The four seasons Austin was my all time favourite hotel with its own bar area and I ate several expensive gourmet chocolate treats from this plus a drop of Glenlivet which (Dad I?m sorry) set me back $30!

 

Chiefs on morning radio

 

Onwards to Newark NJ by plane, here is a typical morning at the airport (only a 1/4 of our gear) Mike Sponarski our amazing tour manager/soundman is Norah Jones main man and also Emmy-lou Harris?s sound man! so esteemed company here.

 

The Lyric theatre, Baltimore was lovely venue and it snowed lots here;

 

A great friend of the band Nasa star astronaut Catherine Cady Coleman joined us for 2 shows in Austin and NJ, she is a truly remarkable lady having spent no less than 252 days on the International space station! and numerous missions including the most recent taking a whistle of Paddy Moloney and a flute of Matt Molloy from the band into space;

 

A good few other cities in-between in NJ including North Carolina and Carmel IA and then onto the big apple the day before yesterday where we flew in from Indianapolis and I saw the empire state from the jet we were on flying into La Guardia airport we were picked up by bus limo and taken to the hotel a lovely classic NYC one ?The Kimberley? off Lexington and near 5th avenue area

At our show at the NYC Town hall off Times square we were joined by one of our dancers Cara Butler?s sister Jean. Jean Butler is the most famous Irish dancer on earth along with Michael Flatley and it was fantastic to see Cara and Jean perform a duet together to the delight of the crowd. 

I ran to Times square after the show quickly to see the place and I met spiderman and got my first ?band? photo with the boys at the flagship show NYC in our dressing room.

 

The view from my suite at The Kimberley hotel looking near the Chrysler building;

 

Well I hope you have enjoyed he tour so far, we have shows up until the last show in Virginia on the 17th St. Patrick?s day then flying home to see the girls on the 18th from Norfolk VA.

 

Watch some of the show I found on youtube here;

 

Lots love Tim