Places to jam/session in Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island

[hammersandfrets]

Planning a trip to Nova Scotia/Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island in August. Of course there is lots of music everywhere from what I hear. I am taking mando and was curious if anyone knows of places where I might be able to sit in on jams & sessions without being the annoying tourist. I am an intermediate player and "know my place" in a group.
I would love to come home with some learned tunes from the area.

Of course, advice on where to go for the music is also good. Definitely have the Red Shoe Pub on the list and I am staying at the Normaway Inn to start out with.

Thanks!

Glen

[themandocello]

On mandolin? No, sorry. Fiddle, yes

[Bill Cameron]

Hi Glen, I regularly play mandolin in sessions in Cape Breton and they have gotten used to me--heck I've even made friends! I would suggest you plan to hit these weekly ones:
Wed 8 pm, Governors Pub, Sydney. Rotating hosts make this one a little looser than some of the others. Look up Governors website close to August for the host schedule...great pub with gastronomic delight at reasonable price.
Thurs 8-midnightish, Blue Mist Tavern, Brasdor. Hosted by Paul Cranford(buy his tune books!) and/or Larry Parks. This is the current location of the legendary Northside session. Good and very affordable comfort food....and some of the legends may show up, Doug McPhee, Brenda Stubbert.

Sundays, not quite in Cape Breton: Townhouse Pub, Antigonish, starts around 630-7, nice atmosphere, bit more Irish style session, pretty small crowded space but worth it.

Monday nights in summer the deal is go to the Red Shoe session (OMG the charbroiled salmon), then around 10 everyone moves down the road to the Brook Village adult square dance.

Vernacular: sessions, as noted, are open. "Ceilidhs" are performances with occasional invited guests. Two types of square dances advertised "Adult" and "Family". Adult dances have a bar. "Family" means you have to drink out of your trunk in the parking lot like a good Cape Bretoner. Or god help us, stick to water. You'll have a great time anyway. Might see you on a Wed or Thurs.

[Bill Cameron]

Ps. To be clear, Cape Breton and to some extent PEI are _very_ fiddle-centric musical cultures. As a primarily mandolin player, I'm considered an oddball (more to be pitied than censured) but the musicians there are respectful of good musicianship and many fiddlers are closet mando players on the side. A normal Cape Breton combo is fiddle, piano and rhythm guitar. So I usually bring my guitar to a session and will play it to start out if there is no other guitar player in the circle--when one shows up, I switch to mando.