Hellos And Goodbyes For 2024

Memories Made in 2024.

As we say goodbye to 2024 and ring in the new year, it’s a great time to take a look at what we did that made the past trip around the sun especially cool. We talked about it, and we realized that in a way it was a year of hellos and goodbyes. More about that poetic summary stuff later. 

For now, here are some special memories from the past year. 

(TL:DR: Good moments, tough moments, freakout moments, fun moments, old friendships and new friends.)

Played our Last Cafe Show – We didn’t know it at the time, but we played our last Cafe in the Park performance in 2024. Some people may not know that Clover’s Revenge was the first musical act to play at Cafe in the Park, all those years and months ago. We will always remember the great nights under the lights on the patio at Payne park. A special thank you to Simone and Nigel for a great run. Those folks built a truly special place.

Caledonia Tire Blowout Show – The time we had a violent tire blowout on the Sunshine Skyway was a low point, but it was on the way to a wonderful performance at the Caledonia Brewery in Dunedin. We were a bit late to set up but we started on time, and our great friends of the New World Celts of Dunedin made us welcome. It was one of those one-two punches that made the night so memorable. Toughness affirmed.

At the Suncoast Scots Highland Games, We Performed Our Whole CD  At the Suncoast Scots inaugural Highland Games, we were grateful to perform ahead of Albannach, the brilliant and beloved barbarian drum corps. Our performance was basically the content of our most recent album, ‘Among Your Friends,’ and it was met with, frankly, wild enthusiasm and applause. Pure musical highlight for the band.

Released Among Your Friends – Which reminds us, we released Among Your Friends in 2024, after nearly 13 months’ work with our dear friend and brother, Dr. Erol Ozsever. The album features music written by all three members of the band, which is a treat. We threw a great party for our friends at the Shamrock in Sarasota, our home pub in Sarasota plus releasing an awesome video produced by Right Side Up Productions.

Saw Dune 2 And Kneecap– We sometimes struggle with meeting at the right theater. A good example of this was when the band met up, on a non-musical night, to watch Dune 2 in the theater. John drove to the wrong theater, but the crisis was averted by the fact that there were thirty minutes of preview leading up to the actual feature. John didn’t miss the opening sequence, and he was resoundingly mocked. We all drove in the same car to go see Kneecap (smart move), a brilliant movie about three fellows from Belfast who started a rebellious hiphop act that performs speaking the Irish language. Great flick. Cool band. They seem quite reasonable.

Played a Gainesville Show – We shared the stage with three talented bands at a guerilla venue in Gainesville called the Treehouse. The venue was managed by John’s daughter, and the show featured almost exclusively original music by local bands. A word to the wise: the kids have great taste, and they’re making great music.

First Library Show Aug 22 – So we played at the Charlotte County Library and had an absurdly good time. We wore our respectable tee shirts and used our inside voices. We had a lovely discussion about Irish music and its nuances and relationship with other forms of folk music. Went to dinner with fans afterwards. More libraries!

October 4 Hurricane Benefit Show at Shamrock – Hurricane season was a real bitch this year. Pretty well nobody we know got out unscathed. Most of us feel pretty lucky, even if we weren’t. We had a chance to raise a bit of money for the area, so we did. Many thanks to Derek at the Shamrock pub for hosting us. 

Sullivan Public House, Salty Shamrock, McGregor’s, Wexford Pub Debuts – The Sullivan: a Public House is a great spot in Sanford. We’ve been there twice now, and are building a healthy following in and around the area. In Ft. Myers, we played McGregor’s Irish Pub. It’s a great outdoor space, with killer food, and fantastic craic. The Salty Shamrock is where we will support the New World Celts Of Brandon. The Wexford Pub in Savannah is an amazing venue for us. We can’t wait to go back.

Fasten your seat belts for 2025

You may have noticed that we’re not playing as many pub shows around town this year. It’s true. It’s because we’re playing a lot of Celtic music festivals and Highland Games in 2025. And, we’re expanding our footprint. We’re building a fanbase from Naples to Volusia County, with regular performances at great venues like McGregor’s, the Celtic Ray, Tamiami Tap, McCabes, the Salty Shamrock, Molly McHugh’s, and the Sullivan. 

But for the band, maybe the most exciting new aspect of 2025 is the great festivals that we’re scheduled to play. 

SunCoast Scots (Jan 31 – Feb 1)
Celtic Fam Jam (Feb 7-8)
Southeast Florida Celtic Music Festival (Feb 28 – March 1)
Saint Augustine Celtic Music Festival (Mar 8)
Dunedin Highland Games (Apr 4-5)
And More… 

We’re in our tenth year as a band and we are heading back to Ireland in 2025!

We’ve lost some good friends on our journey. 
We’ve seen some great pubs and venues come and go. 
The mission of being there for the people we love remains clear in our minds. 

To our little community of friends and family: we wish you a happy, healthy and safe new year.

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