Space Brings Back Boyish Wonder

There’s a Carbon Leaf song that’s an especial favorite of mine — “Blue Ridge Laughing” from Ether-Electrified Porch Music has this magnificent line: “Space brings back boyish wonder.” I cite it from time to time, especially on clear nights when you can see clear into infinity, such as here or especially here: The sky tonightContinue reading “Space Brings Back Boyish Wonder”

An Irish Outing in Annapolis

I feel that I’ve been living in a bubble the last month, but work, deadlines, and work deadlines will do that to a person. Yesterday was an escape from that bubble — the fifth annual Annapolis Irish Festival was held at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds. I first went in 2012, then again last year,Continue reading “An Irish Outing in Annapolis”

Shamrock Fest 2015

On Saturday I was in Washington, DC for Shamrock Fest, “America’s Largest St. Paddy’s Day Celebration.” A celtic music festival held at RFK Stadium in Washington DC annually right around St. Patrick’s Day, Shamrock Fest is something I’ve attended annually for the last five years (see write-ups on 2011, 2012, and 2013), and it’s somethingContinue reading “Shamrock Fest 2015”

The 2014 Annapolis Irish Festival

This weekend was the Annapolis Irish Festival, a two-day event — Friday and Saturday — of Irish and Celtic music, vendors, and events at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds in Crownsville, Maryland. I went two years ago and had a generally nice time. It was like Shamrock Fest with a similar group of bands, butContinue reading “The 2014 Annapolis Irish Festival”

On Shamrock Fest 2013

To get to Shamrock Fest, I had to navigate a phalanx of Bible-thumpers. Shamrock Fest is an Irish and Celtic music festival held annually at RFK Stadium, and the organizers recommend that people take the DC Metro to reach the music festival. You take the Blue or Orange line, disembark at the Stadium-Armory stop, climbContinue reading “On Shamrock Fest 2013”

On Carbon Leaf’s Free Sampler

It’s been too long since Carbon Leaf’s last album. How do you count their last album? Their last release was 2011’s Live, Acoustic, and In Cinemascope!, which, as you can tell from the title, is an acoustic live album. How the West Was One and Christmas Child, both 2010, were longer than EPs but shorterContinue reading “On Carbon Leaf’s Free Sampler”

On the Shamrock Fest 2012 Post-Mortem

I promised myself that I wasn’t going to spend much money on CDs at Shamrock Fest. After last year, when I bought five CDs (two from the Charm City Saints, two from Barleyjuice, and one from The Gobshites), what more was there to buy? Well… Shamrock Fest is a Celtic rock/punk festival held in DCContinue reading “On the Shamrock Fest 2012 Post-Mortem”

On Space and Boyish Wonder

You’d be forgiven for mistaking today for spring even though, by the calendar and by Copernicus, spring is still a month away. Nonetheless, today was gorgeous, and there was nothing prettier than seeing the crescent moon, itself a bare sliver, in the western sky at twilight with Venus and Jupiter shining brightly higher in theContinue reading “On Space and Boyish Wonder”

On Christmas Day Music Musings

Like many atheists, I love Christmas. Richard Dawkins, for instance, says that he’s “culturally Christian” when he’s asked why he does Christmas things — the Christmas celebrations are part of the cultural DNA. Elizabeth Cornwell wrote an essay for the Washington Post about her own “Very Atheist Christmas” and it hits a lot of myContinue reading “On Christmas Day Music Musings”

On the Shamrock Fest Post-Mortem

Contrary to recent appearances, allyngibson.com is not an all-music, all-the-time blog. I do listen to music, I do write about music from time to time, but I don’t really have the right vocabulary to write knowingly or critically about music. I really just write about the stuff that I like and the stuff that makesContinue reading “On the Shamrock Fest Post-Mortem”