Sessions near Kalamazoo, MI

[jc2]

That says it all, really. I am looking for some musical action when I visit and this is one mode of my search. Anyone?

[steve V. johnson]

For IRISH trad sessions I checked the sessions listing at TheSession.Org, and the nearest they show to you are not very near... The Black Rose in Grand Rapids (not too far) and Fenian's Irish Pub in Conklin. I know that there are a couple sessions in South Bend, but that's a pretty hard drive. You could take the ferry across the lake for some in the Milwaukee area.... <GGG>

For those Michi addresses, go to thesession.org and press the "sessions" button. It will take you to a search screen. I tried putting in Kalamazoo, and it came up empty, so I just searched Michigan, and besides the above there are sess. listed in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Lansing, Livonia and Traverse City. I'm sure there are probably more than listed there, too.

If you feel like coming further south into Indiana, let me know. There are some nice ones down this way.

OTOH, if you're looking for OldTime or bluegrass sessions, I'm outta the loop ...

Good luck!

stv

[Bruce Evans]

When are you going to be in Kazoo? What kind of music are you looking for? I'm in Grand Rapids, but I visit a few Kazoo jams.

[jc2]

Thanks for the help. I saw the stuff at thesession.org. I play regularly at the Traverse City session, and it is EXCELLENT. They do use music, but no-one's perfect. The Fenian's Pub session is really good, also. I'm going to be traveling to Kalamazoo on a pretty irregular basis, and would plan my trips around sessions if I knew when they were. Tocotodo, where do you go? I have been playing mostly Irish, a little Breton, and like old timey stuff, too; playing mostly on octave mandolin and tenor violin. So how far down into Indiana are you talking about, sliabhstv?

jc

[steve V. johnson]

Hey, jc,

It's great to know that the Michi' sessions are so good! It's time for a road trip north! <GGG>

I live in Bloomington, which is 45min south of Indianapolis, which is three hours south of South Bend. It used to take us another two-to-three hours to get to our friends' house in Greenville (they no longer live there...), and that's only a short drive from Grand Rapids.

There are three sessions a week in Bloomington, tho the Sunday night session in the Runcible Spoon coffeehouse is sporadic, and is now becoming a "slow session" so that new players can learn the tunes. I think it will be followed by a regular session, too. The other sessions are on Fridays at 5:30pm til 7:30pm (or 8) in the Encore Cafe and on Tuesday nights, led by Grey Larsen (www.greylarsen.com) in the Runcible Spoon also.

The Encore session is often big and elastic, that is, there may be 20+ folks there, but playing in groups of 5-8 at a time.
Once a month we have the whole Friday night, til the midnight closing, so that folks can come from afar and join in, sometimes stay over, etc. Our next Long Session is on June 24.

I think the sess specifics are on the Sess.org, except for the Long Session info, which I don't think I've put up yet.

In Indianapolis, a great sess is on Tuesday nights in the Golden Ace Inn, 2533 E. Washington St. The Golden Ace was founded in 1934 by the McGinley family of Donegal, and the sons of the founders now run it. It's a small, comfortable place, and the session is -great- there.

That's how far down... <GGG> There are also sessions in Vincennes (monthly, farther down...) and Evansville (weekly, real far down) and Louisville (so far down it ain't even Indiana! Monthly.), too, so if you're traveling south, let me know and I'll give you more info on those.

Slan'

stv

[Bruce Evans]

Here's a place to start for Kazoo jams.

http://www.geocities.com/kazoofolklife/other_events.html