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Halfway To Paddy’s Day – WTF?!
BY Patrick Gibney
I always considered Halfway to Paddy’s Day to be a gimmick designed to milk Americans with the Irish thing as much as possible – until I realized that it’s celebrated in over one hundred countries around the world. Apparently, it has its roots in Arthur Guinness Day, or Arthur’s Day. This is the day when Ireland’s patron saint of beer is celebrated. It was established in 2009 when Guinness celebrated its 250th anniversary. Legend has it that Arthur signed a 9,000-year lease in 1759 to brew his beer at St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin in mid-September of that year, exactly halfway to St. Patrick’s Day. Traditionally, events take place from the 17th to the 22nd. So, this year, we are throwing our hat in the ring and celebrating the great man, his wonderful colon-cleansing beer, and all things Irish on Wednesday, September 18th at our weekly Art Attack art show.
In addition to Sub-Culture – the fantastic DJ collective that performs every Wednesday and the plethora of different artists who regularly show their work at Art Attack, we have a few special guests to give things an Irish flavor, along with an overall Irish theme that will be reflected amongst the participants and throughout the building. The great violinist, Bill Ayerbe, will be performing a set of traditional Irish jigs before yours truly joins him onstage to belt out a few Irish drinking songs to help first-time Guinness drinkers get the black stuff down the red lane. My old friend, Peter McArthur, will be performing some tunes on the bagpipes. When Peter plays the pipes, I can feel it in my soul. He’s brilliant. Catherine and Roland from Roland’s Dance Studio will also be making an appearance along with their two beautiful daughters. They will be performing a selection of Irish dancing routines. We have three local comics on the bill – Ryan Minton, John Paul Edmundson, and Caleb Fulmore. Caleb and John Paul will be dressed up as leprechauns. What can I say? Comics will do almost anything to get laid.
And, as if that’s not enough, W. Ed Harris is traveling down from Wilson, NC to perform some Irish folk songs. Ed is a well-known, experienced musician, educator, and multi-instrumentalist whose extensive recordings and performances of Celtic, Irish, Traditional, and Folk music have been captivating people and touching hearts across the world for over thirty years. We are excited and honored to have this great man coming to share his talents with us. If you love Irish music and culture, you won’t want to miss this evening.
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