PUB SONGS for Celtic Geeks

What happens when a kitty passes from this life to the next? It's filled with milk and catnip and all the luxuries a cat could possibly enjoy. Hear the story of “Catnipping Green” as we celebrate 20 years of Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. This is Folk Songs & Stories #302 0:34 - Marc Gunn “Fiddler's Green” from Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion 4:38 - WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic folk musician living in Atlanta, Georgia and host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I'm also a cat lover as you'll hear later on in the show. This show is for fans of my music. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Got a cat picture? Send it to me to post in the podcast. NEWS Poll: What's your favorite song on Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers? Merch: Buy Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers on Patreon or Bandcamp. 5:20 - UPCOMING SHOWS JUL 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series @ 8 PM, First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta. 470 Candler Park Dr. NE / Atlanta GA 30307. 404-378-5570. firstexistentialist.org, Presented by Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music (AAFFM) JUL 31-AUG 3: Gen Con, Indianapolis, IN AUG 28-SEP 1: Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KY OCT 17-19: MultiVerse, Peachtree City, GA NOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with Inara DEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM. 6:26 - Socks in the Frying Pan "Irelands Struggle" from Waiting for Inspiration 10:49 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be a blog, an exclusive podcast, downloadable song, printed sheet music, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to all of my Coffee with The Celtfather video concert series. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I lead a small group of people on an exciting adventure to one of the Celtic nations and other exciting locations. In 2025, we're going on a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. Galicia is indeed one of the more obscure Celtic nations to those of us who are most familiar with Ireland and Scotland. Find out more at CelticInvasion.com. 12:01 - CAT MUSIC LOVERS #4: “CATNIPPING GREEN” AND BATHING YOUR CAT (REBOOT) The martial art of bathing your cat and cat world domination in action on Cat Drinking Songs. Cat Music & News Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers Cat World Domination in Action Cat Bathing as a Martial Art “Catnipping Green” by The Dubliners' Tabby Cats Vote for the Cat Lovers Podcast at Podcast Alley Cat Lover Websites Alley Cat Allies Cat Fanciers Association The Daily Kitten I want to offer Special Thanks to these Kind Supporters: Lanora Davidson of Things Celtic, Ashley Crawford, Kim Lambert, Dorothy Washburn, Holly Hill, Theresa Pittman, John Wohlers, Michele Piantà from Italy, Joshua Summit, Patrick Patterson, Zia King of Fifth House Candles – Cat Candles. 21:43 - Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats “Catnipping Green” from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers autoharp, lead vocal: Marc Gunn penny whistle: April Porter bass, piano, mandolin: Ari Koinuma bgv: Sarah Dinan 26:06 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Folk Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

Can cats become zombies, outside of Stephen King's Pet Sematary? Apparently, it happens in songs too. I'll share the story behind “Furagone's Wake” and another Cat Lovers Podcast episode. We're celebrating the 20 year anniversary of Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. This is Folk Songs & Stories #301 0:34 - Marc Gunn “Finnegan's Wake” from Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion 3:16 - WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic folk musician living in Atlanta, Georgia and host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I'm also a cat lover as you'll hear later on in the show. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. NEWS Poll: What's your favorite song on Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers? Merch: Buy Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers on Patreon or Bandcamp. 3:48 - UPCOMING SHOWS JUL 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series @ 8 PM, First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta. 470 Candler Park Dr. NE / Atlanta GA 30307. 404-378-5570. firstexistentialist.org, Presented by Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music (AAFFM) JUL 31-AUG 3: Gen Con, Indianapolis, IN AUG 28-SEP 1: Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KY OCT 17-19: MultiVerse, Peachtree City, GA NOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with Inara DEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM. 4:35 - Kinnfolk “Byker Hill” from Kinnfolk 6:26 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be a blog, an exclusive podcast, downloadable song, printed sheet music, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to all of my Coffee with The Celtfather video concert series. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I lead a small group of people on an exciting adventure to one of the Celtic nations and other exciting locations. In 2025, we're going on a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. Galicia is indeed one of the more obscure Celtic nations to those of us who are most familiar with Ireland and Scotland. Find out more at CelticInvasion.com. 7:12 - CAT MUSIC LOVERS #3: “ FURAGONE'S WAKE”, CATNIP FAQ (REBOOT) How to know if your cat is plotting world domination and a funny story about fresh catnip on Cat Music Lovers Podcast. Cat Music & News Cat Medical News – Catnip FAQ Pet Product Could Harm Your Cat The 16 Signs Your Cat Is Plotting World Domination Irish Drinking Song for Cat Lovers News 21:14 - Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats “Furagone's Wake” from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers Based on the Irish folk song, “Finnegan's Wake“, this cat song tells the story of a Sphynx Cat who loses his ninth life. His fellow cats gather for a wake that turns into one big cat fight. Look for it on my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD. furagone's wake autoharp, lead vocal: Marc Gunn mandola: James "Cedric" Hazlerig bass, mandolin, maracas: Ari Koinuma bgv: Marc Gunn, Ben Hamby, Ari Koinuma comments & sound effects: Marc Gunn, Ben Hamby 24:00 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Folk Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

We're celebrating the 20 year anniversary of Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. I'll share a story about “When Kitty Eyes Are Smiling”. You'll find out how about how my first Kickstarter did 4 years before Kickstarter existed. Plus, you'll enjoy rockin 'traditional music from High Octane out of France. This is Folk Songs & Stories #300 0:45 - Marc Gunn “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” from Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion 2:37 - WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic folk musician living in Atlanta, Georgia and host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I'm also a cat lover as you'll hear later on in the show. This show is for fans of my music. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. 3:00 - NEWS Poll: What's your favorite song on Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers? Merch: Buy Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers on Patreon or Bandcamp. 3:13 - UPCOMING SHOWS JUL 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series @ 8 PM, First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta. 470 Candler Park Dr. NE / Atlanta GA 30307. 404-378-5570. firstexistentialist.org, Presented by Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music (AAFFM) JUL 31-AUG 3: Gen Con, Indianapolis, IN AUG 28-SEP 1: Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KY OCT 17-19: MultiVerse, Peachtree City, GA NOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with Inara DEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM. 4:02 - High Octane “Eastern Vagrant” from High Octane 9:55 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be a blog, an exclusive podcast, downloadable song, printed sheet music, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to all of my Coffee with The Celtfather video concert series. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: --CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I lead a small group of people on an exciting adventure to one of the Celtic nations and other exciting locations. In 2025, we're going on a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. Galicia is indeed one of the more obscure Celtic nations to those of us who are most familiar with Ireland and Scotland. Find out more at CelticInvasion.com. 11:43 - IRISH DRINKING SONGS FOR CAT LOVERS KICKSTARTER In 2005, I decided to fund my second solo album, Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, with a Kickstarter. Well, officially Kickstarter hadn't started yet. It would be another four years before that happened. However, I ran the Kickstarter in a very similar way. I set different levels and ended up raising over $10,000 to fund the album. Admittedly, that was not all profit. In fact, I had far higher expenses back then because I didn't know how to run a fundraising campaign back then. Nevertheless, it was a huge success and I was able to order 1000 copies of this CD. I think I've printed over 3000 copies of this CD since it was released. But of course, now it is no longer available on CD with me at least. It's only available as a digital download or on an album pin. On June 6, 2005, I released the second episode of the Cat Lovers Podcast to fund this album. Here's a re-release of that podcast episode. 11:56 - CAT MUSIC LOVERS #2: “WHEN KITTY EYES ARE SMILING”, CATS STUCK IN DRAWERS (REBOOT) A tabby cat stuck in the dresser drawers A letter to Torre from Anthony Creech of Celtic Radio Keeping cats indoors Cat Galaxy, All Cats! All the Time! 24:25 - Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats “When Kitty Eyes Are Smiling” from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers “When Kitty Eyes Are Smiling” is a parody of the song “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”. The lyrics to When Irish Eyes Are Smiling were written by Chauncey Olcott and George Graff, Jr. and set to the music of Enerst Ball for Olcott's production of The Isle O' Dreams. The music was published in 1912. when kitty eyes are smiling autoharp, lead vocal: Marc Gunn flute: Hannah Gunn bass, piano: Ari Koinuma Did you find this episode entertaining? Share it with a friend. 27:12 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Folk Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

2025 is the 20 year anniversary of the release of Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. We're resharing the Cat Lovers Podcast along with stories about the song that launched that album, “Wild Kitty”. You'll also enjoy the music of Jesse Ferguson in this week's show. This is Folk Songs & Stories #299 WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES 0:35 - Marc Gunn “Wild Rover” from Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic folk musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm also a cat lover as you'll hear later on in the show. This show is for fans of my music. But it's also for people who attend Celtic festivals, Renaissance festivals, and science fiction conventions. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Here's a weird request. I would like you to think of the first song that comes to your mind. Next, take a picture. Not one but three. Three pictures to tell a story. Perhaps you have a story to tell as well take some pictures and send them to me. 3:08 - NEWS Poll: What's your favorite song on Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers? Merch: Buy Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers on Patreon or Bandcamp. 4:20 - UPCOMING SHOWS JUL 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series @ 8 PM, First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta. 470 Candler Park Dr. NE / Atlanta GA 30307. 404-378-5570. firstexistentialist.org, Presented by Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music (AAFFM) JUL 31-AUG 3: Gen Con, Indianapolis, IN AUG 28-SEP 1: Dragon Con, Atlanta, GA SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KY OCT 17-19: MultiVerse, Peachtree City, GA NOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with Inara DEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM. 5:02 - Jesse Ferguson "Bonnie Dundee" from Ten 8:45 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be a blog, an exclusive podcast, downloadable song, printed sheet music, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to all of my Coffee with The Celtfather video concert series. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: 9:33 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I lead a small group of people on an exciting adventure to one of the Celtic nations and other exciting locations. In 2025, we're going on a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. Galicia is indeed one of the more obscure Celtic nations to those of us who are most familiar with Ireland and Scotland. Find out more at CelticInvasion.com. 9:43 - IRISH DRINKING SONGS FOR CAT LOVERS In 2003, I was back from Dragon Con chatting with a friend on the phone. The Irish song “Wild Rover” was stuck in my head as we started talking about cats. The chorus came around and I started meowing. An idea started growing in my head. What if I parodied a bunch of traditional Irish drinking songs with lyrics all about cats. I wrote my first three songs before the end of October. I then found Ari Koinuma in Austin to help me produce the single. I set up a website at CatDrinkingSongs.com. In December, someone posted the idea to Fark. I had 20,000 website hits in one day and hundreds of comments. I knew this was a great idea. In May of 2005, I launched a podcast to help raise money for a CD of Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. Thus was born the Cat Lovers Podcast. 10:54 - CAT MUSIC LOVERS #1: “WILD KITTY” AND CATS IN PHYSICS (REBOOT) In honor of the 20 year anniversary of my first cat CD, Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, I am re-releasing the Cat Lovers Podcast on this feed. I'll also share new stories about the inspiration behind the album creation, including the liner notes from the album. Cats in the News Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers Cats in Physics Deer hunting kitties 23:52 - Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats “Wild Kitty” from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers “Wild Kitty” is a parody of the traditional Irish song “Wild Rover”. autoharp, lead vocal: Marc Gunn fiddle: James "Cedric" Hazlerig bass, maracas: Ari Koinuma bgv: Marc Gunn, Ben Hamby, Blake McCaig, Ari Koinuma meows: Marc Gunn, April Porter, Ben Hamby, Blake McCaig, 26:41 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

The Celtic Spring Challenge is underway. I will tell you all about it. I'm heading back to Texas for Sherwood Forest Faire. Buy local and buy sustainable. Music from Tami Curtis, Sassenach, Charlie O'Brien, Toby Bresnahan, Brobdingnagian Bards, plus Screeched Inn with yours truly. This is Folk Songs & Stories #298 0:39 - Tami Curtis "Keep Our Fire Burning" from Cavort 4:43 - WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic and Folk musician and also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send an email to follow@celtfather. Greetings my friends. Spring has sprung in Atlanta. Everything is covered in the yellowish glow of pollen. Fortunately, I've doubled up on allergy meds this year. It seems to have helped. I haven't lost my voice once this season, knock on wood. Even after a 4 hour show at the Wings Cafe & Tap House on St Patrick's Day. I call that a HUGE win. In the meantime, I've got a little challenge for you. It's simple, it's soulful, and it's rooted in the music we love. It's called the Celtic Spring Challenge, and it's happening all through the month of April. Here's how it works:

St Patrick's Day is a week away. Listen to a fun concert of St Patrick's Day music. Irish songs with my own unique twist. This is Folk Songs & Stories #297 WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic and Folk musician and also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, an hour-long radio show of some of the best indie Celtic music online. That was… If you're new to this show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send an email to follow@celtfather. SET LIST 0:10 - "Star of the County Down" from How America Saved Irish Music 4:46 - "Slainte Mhaith" from Flower of Scotland 8:55 - "Wild Rover/Wild Kitty" from Irish Drinking Songs and Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers 14:23 - "Kilty Pleasure" from Selcouth 17:59 - "Happy Birthday From Ireland" from Soul of a Harper 21:44 - "Come Out Ye Black and Tans" from Songs of Ireland 24:04 - "Donald, Where's Your Drunken Sailor" from A Faire to Remember 29:37 - "I'm Coming Home" from Another Faire to Remember 36:10 - "Mingulay Boat Song" from Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 16: The Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 3-7 PM MAR 17: The Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 6-9:30 PM APR 4-6, StellarFest, Duluth, GA APR 12-13: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 19-20: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 25-27: Jordan Con, Atlanta, GA THANK YOU GUNN RUNNERS Your support on Patreon isn't just a game-changer—it's the reason I get to make music, podcasts, and all kinds of Celtic mischief! For just $5 a month, you unlock a treasure trove of exclusive, unreleased songs, behind-the-scenes blogs, and a massive vault of video concerts. It's like a backstage pass to all things me! Not ready to pledge just yet? No worries—your first mission is to take care of yourself. You can still join the club for free and get weekly snapshots of my Celtic invasions, plus updates from my wild musical adventures. Either way, I'd love to have you along for the journey!

St. Patrick's Day is almost here. So it's time to definitively answer the old question. Is it Saint Paddy‘s day or Saint Patty‘s day? Plus, I'll give you 17 amazing Celtic bands that you should listen to for St. Patrick's Day. Music from Socks in the Frying Pan, Marc Gunn & Jesse Ferguson, and Blackwillow Starling. This is Folk Songs & Stories #296 0:25 - Socks in the Frying Pan "Ireland's Struggle" from Waiting for Inspiration 4:47 - WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic and Folk musician and also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, an hour-long radio show of some of the best indie Celtic music online. That was… If you're new to this show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send an email to follow@celtfather. 5:39 - IS IT ST PADDY'S DAY OR ST PATTY'S DAY St Paddy's Day is the shortened version of St Patrick's Day. However, that shortened name is often misspelled. It should be spelled Paddy. Not Patty. Patty is a girls name. Paddy is short for the Irish name Padraig. That's from my 11 St Patrick's Day Facts episode of this podcast. I learned from The Daily Difference, the newsletter of the Carbon Almanac that the Episocopal Church used their environmental voice with their wallet. In 2015, the Episcopal Church made a commitment to divest fossil fuel investments from its holdings of around $500 million. And they honored that commitment just before the end of 2024. We all have the power of our voice, our wallet and our time to support climate initiatives. We are all in a weird position these days. There's a billionaire stripping government services from people who need them, just so he can get a huge tax cut. No matter where you stand on that situation, I don't think there's a single person in America who think that billionaires and corporations need a tax cut. Let me know if I'm wrong. Sadly, we may not have the power to stop corporate entitlements. But we do have the power of our wallets. We can support businesses and organizations who are doing good things to protect the environment and protect individuals like you and me. Take a moment and think about where your money is going. If you're gonna play the stock market, will you consider divesting your fossil fuel investments? 9:02 - Marc Gunn “Blue Sun” from As Long As I'm Flyin' Learn more about Blue Sun in this episode. Also check out Rebellion Songs of 2019 and Rebel Pub Songs 11:29 - VOTE: Favorite songs on As Long As I'm Flyin'? 12:20 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 16: The Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 3-7 PM MAR 17: The Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 6-9:30 PM APR 4-6, StellarFest, Duluth, GA APR 12-13: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 19-20: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 25-27: Jordan Con, Atlanta, GA MAY 3: Maggie McGuinness Pub, Huntsville, AL JUL 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series @ 8 PM JUN 21-28: Celtic Invasion of Wexford, Ireland SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KY Gen Con! 12:51 - LATEST NEWS See pictures from my Celtic Invasion of Scotland's Whiskey Merch of the Month: Limited Edition Album Pins for Come Adventure With Me. 14:23 - THANK YOU GUNN RUNNERS Your support on Patreon isn't just a game-changer—it's the reason I get to make music, podcasts, and all kinds of Celtic mischief! For just $5 a month, you unlock a treasure trove of exclusive, unreleased songs, behind-the-scenes blogs, and a massive vault of video concerts. It's like a backstage pass to all things me! Not ready to pledge just yet? No worries—your first mission is to take care of yourself. You can still join the club for free and get weekly snapshots of my Celtic invasions, plus updates from my wild musical adventures. Either way, I'd love to have you along for the journey!

Today, you'll learn about 17 things you can see and do in Wicklow, Ireland. Plus you'll hear music from Eimear Arkins, The Ciderhouse Rebellion and Kyle Carey. This is Folk Songs & Stories #295 0:14 - Eimear Arkins "Téir Abhaile Riú (Song)" from Here & There 3:47 - WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic and Folk musician and also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, an hour-long radio show of some of the best indie Celtic music online. That was… If you're new to this show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send an email to follow@celtfather. Looks like you get a bonus episode this month. I'm gonna share with you some cool things I found for County Wicklow in Ireland. We're driving through Wicklow for my Celtic Invasion of Wexford. I heard so many good things about Wicklow that I plan to stop there. Now time for your Sustainability tip for the day. Get on the Meatless Monday bandwagon A few years back, my wife decided we would add a meatless day to our meal schedule for the week. It took me a while to get used to it. But I gotta say I feel so much better because of it. Now I've come to realize I really don't need meat in my diet. Not that I don't eat it. But I don't feel the need to spend the money to do so. We went to the grocery store last week and the price of a steak was insane, like double what it used to be. Giving up meat can be difficult, but it's one of the most impactful things that anyone can do to lower their personal carbon footprint and send a bigger message about sustainability in our agricultural system. Now I eat mostly veggies. Garbanzos are a new favorite. We have a super simple recipe that makes yummy garbanzos to go on rice and veggies. I also make my hummus. I even found this great recipe for lentil pancakes. They're sooo good. There are so many great vegetarian and vegan recipes I found on YouTube. I'm eating them up. And yet, we still eat chicken and salmon and steak and carnitas depending on our mood. But it feels good to not feel stuffed full of meat. Oh.  Some good news. Last time, I mentioned getting involved with your local government. Good Newsletter reported. ​A bipartisan coalition of 24 U.S. governors pledged to continue the country's work toward achieving Paris Agreement goals.Representing nearly 60% of the U.S. economy and 55% of the nation's population, Alliance members pledged to reduce collective greenhouse gas emissions by 26% below 2005 levels by 2025, a target it is on track to achieve The Goodnewsletter is created by Good Good Good. 8:52 - Marc Gunn “Naked” from Come Adventure With Me Learn more about “Naked” in episode #278 Listen to a rough cut of Naked The song was written for In the ‘Verse show podcast #11. Vote: Favorite songs on Come Adventure With Me? 11:59 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 1: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA @ 6-9 PM MAR 16: The Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 3-7 PM MAR 17: The Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 6-9:30 PM APR 4-6, StellarFest, Duluth, GA APR 12-13: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 19-20: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 25-27: Jordan Con, Atlanta, GA MAY 3: Maggie McGuinness Pub, Huntsville, AL JUN 21-28: Celtic Invasion of Wexford, Ireland JUL 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series @ 8 PM SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KY 13:24 - LATEST NEWS See pictures from my Celtic Invasion of Scotland's Whiskey I have pictures from Stirling Castle, Dewar Aberfledy, and even Falkirk, and Blair Athol Distillery Merch of the Month: Limited Edition Album Pins for Come Adventure With Me. Come Adventure With Me is my latest solo album. It features some of my best songwriting yet, if I do say so myself. Like for instance that song “Naked” I wrote, a song about emotional vulnerability. I have a new Album Pin coming out shortly. Well, two actually. They are in my store. Whoever buys one will get both versions. But there are only a handful of both. They use the dragon design that came out with the original release. But they are both made entirely of wood instead of enamel. You buy one, you get both. But only a handful of both will be available. I'm testing them out. And I'd LOVE your feedback. Which do you prefer? Find a link to order them in the shownotes. 15:26 - THANK YOU GUNN RUNNERS

Today, you'll learn about 17 things to see and do in Wexford, Ireland. Just in time for my Celtic Invasion of Wexford that happens in June. I share one of the best ways to make effective climate change happen along with an easy personal change. And you'll hear music from Kinnfolk, Tarren, and Erin Ruth. This is Folk Songs & Stories #294 0:22 - Tarren “Sunk” from Outside Time 4:54 - WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic and Folk musician and also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, an hour-long radio show of some of the best indie Celtic music online. That was… If you're new to this show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send an email to follow@celtfather. I had hip replacement surgery on the 13th of January. It's incredible that two weeks later I'm up and walking around. Yeah. I got a gruesome scar, but the medical professions are just amazing. The big challenge, of course, is that I haven't had time to work on podcasts or music or much of anything else. I'm largely exercising and taking care of my family. All while trying to ignore the pain. Sleeping is one of the worst parts of it all. But I'm hoping to get some new medicine that might make me at least a little bit more comfortable. So that said, I realized the Brobdingnagian Bards' Kickstarter is now delayed a couple months. Andrew and I planned to get together in person to record in February. I don't think it's gonna happen. Tho there's still a small possibility. In the meantime, we are planning to get together in April to record when I head to Texas for Sherwood Forest Faire. But that also didn't stop me from launching Another Kickstarter. This one is for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. It funds a CD and Album Pin and other merch to promote the podcast with a really cool design that reads “Celtic Forever”. I'll tell you more about that in a little bit. But if you want to support the Kickstarter, I would greatly appreciate it. Follow the link in the shownotes. But before we goton with the show, I have a really important way for you to fight climate change. It all begins with your local government. The current administration is dismantling all the good climate progress we had these past few years. But that just reminds me that since the beginning of our country, there's been a big discussion about States Rights vs Federal Rights. States Rights was a big issue when our nation started. I'm learning more about that as I help my daughter with American History. While I think some issues like Climate Change progress should be national, that's not the way America will work for the next four years. We need to take it local. I heard about a recent analysis, state and local programs, such as improved building efficiency standards and ambitious renewable energy adoption targets. They have the potential to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by up to 62%. You can join a local group. Or you can talk to your city legislators or county or state legislators. If enough of us reach out locally, we can make change happen in our physical communities. Which will blossom up to our State and hopefully eventually our National. Start small. Start local. That idea was inspired while reading One5C, a website that shares climate news and actions. Bring your water bottle (or reusable mug) everywhere One of the biggest challenges in terms of both climate change and overconsumption is the world's dependence on single-use plastic. It's a dilemma in terms of fossil fuel use, pollution, ecosystem destruction, human health, and more. According to the U.N., 1 million plastic bottles are purchased every single minute across the world, and half of all plastic produced is used just once and then thrown away. The easiest thing we can do right this moment is make sure to grab your water bottle or coffee cup whenever you leave the house. You never know when thirst will strike, and bringing your own container no matter the destination takes away the need to buy something you'll just toss when it's empty—a win for both your wallet and the planet. 11:21 - Marc Gunn “Kilty Pleasure” from Selcouth Listen to the full story of “Kilty Pleasure” on show #251. Vote: Favorite songs on Selcouth? 15:25 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 1: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA @ 6-9 PM MAR 16: The Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 3-7 PM MAR 17: The Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 6-9:30 PM APR 12-13: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 19-20: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 25-27: Jordan Con, Atlanta, GA MAY 3: Maggie McGuinness Pub, Huntsville, AL JUL 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series @ 8 PM JUN 21-28: Celtic Invasion of Wexford, Ireland SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KY 15:53 - LATEST NEWS See pictures from my Celtic Invasion of Scotland's Whiskey A few more weeks and I'll have shared all of my photos from my Celtic Invasion of Scotland's Whisky. You can see those on Patreon. Merch: Celtic Forever: Best Celtic Music of 2024 Celtic Forever is a compilation CD (you have…) and Album Pin (you have…) featuring 14 of the best songs and tunes as voted on by fans of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. There's music from The Gothard Sisters, Poitín, Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer, Cherish The Ladies, Marc Gunn, Sorcha, Mànran, Arise & Go, The Byrne Brothers, Screaming Orphans, Ian Fontova, Fialla, Matt & Shannon Heaton, Dancing With Hobbits. You can hear the complete list of songs and tunes on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcasts ​​Celtic Top 20 of 2024 #691. And if you check out show #695 Celtic Forever, you'll hear other tracks from these amazing Celtic artists. So why Celtic Forever. It goes back to the last song I featured earlier, “Kilty Pleasure”. Then I'm off to the pub or the fair or the fest A wee swing goes into each step ‘Cause I'm American born and Celtic forever And both are truly blessed I was trying to use that phrase to promote Selcouth with an album pin for the past couple of years. But the ideas just weren't working. Then Christopher Toler made the Cat in front of a Celtic Moon design that inspired the compilation artwork. I love the Album Pin design. So when you support the Album Pin on Kickstarter, you will get both the 14 track compilation, plus you'll get my album, Selcouth, as a bonus gift. 19:54 - THANK YOU GUNN RUNNERS Your generous support on Patreon is how I make a living with music. It is patronage that allows me to create new music and podcasts that help others out. Sign up as an official Gunn Runner for as little as $5 per month. You'll get exclusive, unreleased songs. You'll get podcasts, blogs, and you'll enjoy access to a huge archive of video concerts. If you can't support me financially right now, that's okay, take care of yourself first. You can join the club for free and get weekly photos of my Celtic invasions and regular updates of my musical adventures. Email follow@celtfather to get more details! 21:27 - Kinnfolk "The Water's Rising / Gwendal" from Star Above The Mountain Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you're listening. You can also message me on Facebook. Email me, send me pictures of where you're listening. follow@celtfather 27:10 - TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos. In 2025, you can join me for a Celtic Invasion of Wexford, Ireland. Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com. 28:33 - 17 Things to See and Do in Wexford, Ireland   Hook Lighthouse: Visit the world's oldest operational lighthouse and take a guided tour. Irish National Heritage Park: Explore this open-air museum showcasing 9,000 years of Irish history. Curracloe Beach: A pristine beach famous for being featured in Saving Private Ryan. Johnstown Castle & Gardens: Tour the Gothic Revival castle and stroll through its beautifully landscaped gardens. Tintern Abbey: Discover this 13th-century Cistercian abbey and nearby walking trails. Wexford Wildfowl Reserve: A haven for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. Selskar Abbey: Visit the ruins of this 12th-century abbey in Wexford town. Dunbrody Famine Ship: Step aboard a replica of a 19th-century emigrant ship. Rosslare Strand: Enjoy the beach, water sports, and seaside charm of Rosslare. Duncannon Fort: Explore this star-shaped fort with stunning views of the coast. Loftus Hall: A haunted 14th-century mansion on the Hook Peninsula. Ballyhack Castle: Tour this 15th-century tower house with connections to the Knights Hospitaller. Tacumshane Windmill: Visit one of Ireland's oldest windmills. Baginbun Beach: A secluded spot with historical significance tied to the Norman invasion. Saltee Islands: Take a boat trip to these birdwatcher's paradises. Enniscorthy Castle: Explore the medieval castle and its exhibitions. Raven Nature Reserve: Hike through this coastal woodland adjacent to Curracloe Beach. 33:12 - Erin Ruth "Oro My Little Boat" from single 25:42 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Folk Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. It was produced by Marc Gunn and my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Follow my Patreon blog for free updates and to listen to the podcast. Sign up to my mailing list for monthly updates and to discover where I'm performing. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. And Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and talk with others about how you can make a positive impact on climate change and your community. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #folksongs #celticsongs  

Today, I'm talking about… 9 Celtic Folk bands you want to watch in 2025. We also talk about simple actions we can take to combat climate change and improve our local community. This is Folk Songs & Stories #293 0:17 - WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic and Folk musician and host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send an email to follow@celtfather. Happy New Year! Climate change is a real issue, and it concerns me. I have two amazing daughters. I want them to have long healthy lives. I want them to continue to experience the great outdoors, going for hikes, and being a part of the beauty our world has to offer. That's one of the reasons I created the Album Pin. It's a beautiful product that connects you to the music. It may even make you think about how we consume. I also want to help other musicians create sustainable music careers. I believe Album Pin is the way to do just that. This year on Folk Songs & Stories, as well as my other podcasts, I have three goals. First, I will introduce you to some great Celtic and Folk musicians that I encounter as part of my travels or from through my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. We'll dig a little deeper into their music. Second, I hope to share simple, practical tips on how to live life more sustainably. And finally, I will promote my music, because that's ultimately what this podcast has always been about. I am currently planning monthly releases of this podcast. However, when I get the urge, I might release more. And this summer, I have a 10-part series promoting my Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers CD which was officially released 20 years ago. 20 years ago. This is also my 20th year as a podcaster and full-time musician. We're gonna start the year off by counting down 9 bands that you should keep an eye on in 2025 along with some of my favorite songs from the year. But I also hope that you will consider one change to support climate change efforts. Here are three that you can choose from. Just pick one. Buy fewer items with single use plastic Buy from small, local sustainable businesses, that includes bands. Talk to them about album pins and Patreon Together we can make a difference 5:00 - Marc Gunn “Come Adventure With Me” from Come Adventure With Me Vote:  Favorite songs on Come Adventure With Me? 9:28 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 1: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA @ 6-9 PM MAR 7-9: Cleveland Concoction, Cleveland, OH MAR 15: The Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 3-7 PM APR 25-27: Jordan Con, Atlanta, GA JUN 21-28: Celtic Invasion of Wexford, Ireland SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KY Sherwood Forest Faire TBD 10:12 - LATEST NEWS See pictures from my Celtic Invasion of Scotland's Whiskey Merch: Did you listen to the Celtic Top 20 of the 2024 episode of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast? The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast launches a Kickstarter in a couple weeks for a new CD and Album Pin where you can own and archive some of the best Celtic music of last year. There will be only 100 CDs printed. No more than that. This is a great way to celebrate your love of Celtic culture through music. THANK YOU GUNN RUNNERS ON PATREON Your generous support on Patreon is how I make a living with music. It is patronage that allows me to create new music and podcasts that help others out. Sign up as an official Gunn Runner for as little as $5 per month. You'll get exclusive, unreleased songs. You'll get podcasts, blogs, and you'll enjoy access to a huge archive of video concerts. If you can't support me financially right now, that's okay, take care of yourself first. You can join the club for free and get weekly photos of my Celtic invasions and regular updates of my musical adventures. Email follow@celtfather to get more details! 10:52 - The Langer's Ball "Irish Rover" from The Singles Collection 2023-2024 Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you're listening. You can also message me on Facebook. Email me, send me pictures of where you're listening. follow@celtfather 15:53 - TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos. In 2025, you can join me for a Celtic Invasion of Wexford, Ireland. Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com. 16:31 - 9 CELTIC FOLK BANDS TO WATCH IN 2025 20:08 - The Haar "Wild Rover" from Where Old Ghosts Meet 24:38 - 9 CELTIC FOLK BANDS TO WATCH IN 2025 (continued) 28:07 - Kinnfolk "Roanoke Puirt à Beul" from Star Above The Mountain 31:13 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Folk Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. It was produced by Marc Gunn and my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Follow my Patreon blog for free updates and to listen to the podcast. Sign up to my mailing list for monthly updates and to discover where I'm performing. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. And Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and talk with others about how you can make a positive impact on climate change and your community. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #folksongs #celticsongs #topcelticfolkbands  

Here's a holiday gift. It's a live concert from Dragon Con 2024. This is Pub Songs & Stories #292 0:09 - Marc Gunn & Mikey Mason “Hero of Christmas” from Browncoat Christmas 2:26 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic and Folk musician and host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Today, I'm sharing a live concert from Dragon Con 2024. Each episode has a timestamp and chapter marks. You can click those to straight where you want in each episode. Just head over to the show notes. 3:10 - LATEST NEWS New Show Title: Folk Songs & Stories Did you vote for your favorite song on Live at the Cactus Cafe? See pictures from my Celtic Invasion of Scotland's Whiskey. Next Celtic Invasion of Wexford, Ireland is on June 21-28, 2025. Merch: Dancing with Hobbits is on sale. Get the "I Went Dancing With Hobbits" album pin. Kickstarter: Launching a new Kickstarter for Irish & Celtic Music Podcast in January. Sign up to the Pre-Launch Page. 5:33 - TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I lead a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos. In 2025, you can join me for a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. This lesser known Celtic Nation is located in the Northwest corner of the country. It's secluded in the mountains. So Julius Caesar never invaded this country. It survived with its own unique linguistic dialect and its own unique style of bagpipes. Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com. 7:46 - UPCOMING SHOWS JAN 11: Maggie McGuinness Pub, Huntsville, AL MAR 1: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA MAR 7-9: Cleveland Concoction, Cleveland, OH MAR 21-23: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX MAR 29-30: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 25-27: Jordan Con, Atlanta, GA JUL 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series @ 8 PM, First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta. 470 Candler Park Dr. NE / Atlanta GA 30307. 404-378-5570. Presented by Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music (AAFFM) JUN 21-28: Celtic Invasion of Wexford, Ireland SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KY 8:50 - GUNN RUNNERS ON PATREON The ads on this podcast pay for the hosting and podcast editing. My time producing the show is paid for by my… A big thanks to all of my patrons who've been supporting me for months and years. When you join the community, you get access to exclusive videos and podcasts. You get some free early-release songs, blogs, and lots more. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially right now, just sign up on Patreon for free. You'll also get weekly updates. Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you're listening. You can also message me on Facebook. Email me, send me pictures of where you're listening. follow@celtfather 9:36 - LIVE AT DRAGON CON 1:07:59 - CLOSING 1:08:51 - Marc Gunn “Christmas in the Shire” from Celtic Christmas Greetings 1:12:34 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and talk with others about how you can make a positive impact on climate change. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com!   #pubstories  

Can album pins save the music business? I'll tell you what they're all about, why all musicians should be selling them, and how to get started with them. This is Pub Songs & Stories #291 0:13 - Marc Gunn “Blink” from Come Adventure With Me Listen to #277 Blink to learn more about the song Listen to In the Verse #2.1 Blink for more about the song 3:45 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F' Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Today, I'm talking about Album Pins. Album Pins have revolutionized my music business. I'll talk about them in a little bit. But first I have other news to share. Each episode has a timestamp and chapter marks. You can click those to straight where you want in each episode. Just head over to the show notes. NEWS Podcast: 17 Things to Do on the Isle of Man #290 Poll: Did you vote for your favorite song on Dancing With Hobbits? See pictures from my Celtic Invasion of Scotland's Whiskey Merch: Get the Sci Fi Drinking Songs Collection on Patreon. You'll get 6 albums for $50, including: As Long As I'm Flyin, Sci Fi Drinking Songs, What Color Is Your Dragon, Pirates vs Dragons, Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits, Firefly Drinking Songs Kickstarter for Brobdingnagian Bards album Another Faire To Remember 7:58 - UPCOMING SHOWS NOV 15-17: CONjuration, Duluth, GA NOV 23: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairborn, GA from 2-9 PM NOV 30: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairborn, GA from 2-9 PM DEC 8: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA WEDS: Coffee with The Celtfather 8:46 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: Donald Leatherman, Hugh Hainey, Paul and Tara S., Arthur Otzenberger, Beth Lynn Nolen, Nightmare Rabbit, Jeriel Ng, Matt Whitney, PR 3672 9:47 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I lead a small group of people on an exciting adventure, usually to one of the Celtic nations, but not always. 11:31 - Brother Sea "All As One" from Brother Sea EP Listen on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast 15:18 - WHAT ARE ALBUM PINS AND CAN THEY REALLY SAVE THE MUSIC BUSINESS? What is an album? What makes it unique? What makes a successful album pin? Postcards vs Business cards Does it have to be an enamel pin? 30:11 - Marc Gunn “Serenity Valley Waltz” from Selcouth Listen to the story of Serenity Valley Waltz #253 Listen to In the ‘Verse for Serenity Valley Waltz show show #1 for the discussion about it 33:22 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and help others to make a positive impact on our environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

So you want to go to the Isle of Man? Can you spend a full week there and find enough to do? I'll share with you 17 things you will enjoy on the Isle of Man. Plus, you'll get some music from Ruth Keggin & Rachel Hair. This is Pub Songs & Stories #290 0:14 - Marc Gunn “By Amazing Grace” from Come Adventure With Me 4:22 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic folk musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. This podcast is primarily for fans of my music in particular and Celtic music, in general. That's because I highlight some of the artists I feature on my other podcast the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. But today, we're doing a little bit of traveling to the Isle of Man. I traveled to the Isle of Man this summer as part of my Celtic Invasion Vacations. I learned a LOT about the island, its Celtic and Norse history, and I came up with a list of 17 things you can do on your own trip to this delightful Celtic nation. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com , over on my Patreon, or just send me an email to follow@celtfather. If you know someone interested in visiting the Isle of Man, please share this episode. 5:15 - UPCOMING SHOWS NOV 9: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with Inara NOV 15-17: CONjuration, Duluth, GA NOV 23: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairborn, GA from 2-9 PM NOV 30: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairborn, GA from 2-9 PM 6:12 - SOME STUFF TO KNOW News strategy to share photos on Social and Patreon Advertising on the podcast Poll: What's Your Favorite Track on Dancing With Hobbits? Merch: Buy Dancing With Hobbits Kickstarter for Another Faire to Remember Brobdingnagian Bards Podcast Hope at last #HARRIS2024 13:08 - Ruth Keggin & Rachel Hair "Arraneyn Cadlee" from LOSSAN 17:49 - THINGS TO DO ON THE ISLE OF MAN A long recap of Celtic Invasion of Isle of Man coming to Travel Ireland & Scotland podcast. See the Itinerary for CIV Isle of Man Electric rail Snaefell Laxey Wheel Boat trip around Music at Black Dog Oven Guided Tour with Jill Quirk Culture Vannin Fynoderee Distillery Peel Castle Castle Rushen Niarbyl Balladoole Viking Boat Cregneash Folk Village Maeyll Circle Douglas Manx Museum Weekly folk sessions Manx cat cafe Food Black Dog Oven The Boatyard 14 North 30:05 - FEEDBACK Mary Deal emailed photos from Central Coast Ren Faire and wrote: “San Luis Obispo, CA Been here all day. Loving every minute. Wish you and some of your folks were playing. We need more good music.” 30:19 -  SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: 30:50 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I lead a small group of people on an exciting adventure, usually to one of the Celtic nations, but not always. 31:31 - Dancing With Hobbits “Big Feet, Big Heart” from Dancing With Hobbits 32:58 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #isleofman #thingstodo  

Is there an Irish birthday song? There is now. It's by Marc Gunn with the song “Happy Birthday From Ireland”. Cedric of the Bedlam Bards hypnotizes with wit and charm. Then he shares how laughter is the best medicine, especially with something called Laughter Yoga. This is Pub Songs & Stories #289 0:21 - Marc Gunn with Rimbo “My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose” from Soul of Harper and The Secret World of Celtic Rock 2:56 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F' Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather Listen: Soul of a Harper Poll: What's your favorite song on Soul of a Harper? Merch: Buy Soul of a Harper on Patreon Plastic Free July. Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics? 5:17 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends.  But at the end of September, we're invading Scotland's Whisky distilleries in between hiking throughout the country. It's gonna be epic. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/ 5:52 - MY FAVORITES OF CELTIC TOP 20 Every week, the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast asks fans of the show to vote for your favorite songs in the podcast. Those votes are compiled at the end of the year to create the Celtic Top 20, your pick of the best music of the year. I don't just make the podcast, I'm a fan of it too. So here is another favorite from recent episodes. 6:54 - Melanie Gruben "Water Charges Song" from Like a Tide Upon the Land From Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #659: No Place Like Home 11:52 - THE STORY OF HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM IRELAND Written around the same time as The Leprechaun Musically inspired by Bing Crosby 19:48 - Marc Gunn “Happy Birthday From Ireland” from Soul of Harper Happy Birthday from Ireland lyrics and music by Marc Gunn On St. Patrick's Day, I was born. American by birth, my heritage unknown. Twas two years ago on a musical journey My heart flew to Ireland on the wings of a note. * O Ireland, how I long for your valleys and mountains! How I long to see your hills and streams. From my home 'cross the ocean, I hear your voice singing, "Happy Birthday from Ireland, my child of the green! La la laa, la di la laa, la laa di la la Happy Birthday from Ireland, my child of the green!" My Da played the tunes on squeezebox and fiddle. And the songs they were tuned to the harp in my soul. St Paddy, ye never told me that I was Irish. 'Till I heard your voice singing, bringing me home. Now two years have passed and Ireland sings with me. In every song that flows from my voice and from harp. But I see your eyes smiling and your arms wide open. From the way your children open their hearths and their hearts 22:46 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. You get it all ad-free when you listen and on Patreon. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our Superhero Patrons: Janice G, Cecilia F, Not Higgins, C.J.T. M, Sarah C, William M, Carol Bl, Eric R, James R, Troy R 23:58 - HYPNOTIZED WITH FUNNY MUSIC Cedric is the fiddler and one of the singers of Bedlam Bards, a comedic Celtic group from Austin, Texas that was one of my biggest influences when learning how to put on a show. This weekend, I sat down with Cedric to get an in depth interview about how he escaped Lubbock to join the SCA, form a Celtic band, and  hypnotize his audiences with charm and wit. 54:44 - Bedlam Bards “Crayfish” from Take Out the Trash 57:53 - LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE James Hazelrig is not only a funny fiddler, he's also a certified hypnotist in Austin, Texas with a lot of funny advice on laughing. I chatted with him at the Sherwood Forest Faire where I start the show with him using some of his hypnosis training and marketing prowess to promote his shows. Then we go into a wonderful discussion of his life as a hypnotist and Laughing Yoga. This is a funny and informative episode you will enjoy. Find more about James Hazelrig, aka Cedric the Fiddler, at hypnosisaustin.com. 1:30:49 - Bedlam Bards “Johnny Jump Up” from Furious Fancies 1:34:04 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Refuse, Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #famousefemalemusicians #middleearth

True love lost at sea. I share the story behind “Buttercup's Lament” inspired by Princess Bride. You'll learn why you should watch out for wild boar in Italy, see what happens when a juggler's props don't arrive, and learn about the most-beautiful place in Europe. Hear a story about biking across Italy. I interviewed jugglers Paolo Garbanzo and Carl Asch about their Ren Adventures. Plus, enjoy music from Scottish folk singer Ed Miller and Irish songwriter Enda Reilly. This is Pub Songs & Stories #288 0:32 - Marc Gunn “Lanigan's Ball” from Soul of Harper 3:43 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F' Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Listen: Soul of a Harper Poll: What's your favorite song on Soul of a Harper? Merch: Buy Soul of a Harper on Patreon Plastic Free July. Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics? 5:33 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. At the end of September, we're invading Scotland's Whisky distilleries in between hiking throughout the country. It's gonna be epic. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/ 6:05 - MY FAVORITES OF CELTIC TOP 20 Every week, the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast asks fans of the show to vote for your favorite songs in the podcast. Those votes are compiled at the end of the year to create the Celtic Top 20, your pick of the best music of the year. I don't just make the podcast. I'm a fan of it too. So here is another favorite from recent episodes. 6:36 - Ed Miller “More Than Just a Dram” from Lolander From Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #660: Drowsy Dancing Bear 10:56 - THE STORY OF BUTTERCUP'S LAMENT I wrote this song in December 2000. It began with the idea of a woman who's True Love was lost at sea. But as the story developed, it reminded me of Buttercup's "True Love"--Wesley--in the cult classic, "The Princess Bride"a, so I named it after her. It's a sad, but beautiful song, sung great a cappella or as I play it, with a solo autoharp. 15:24 - Marc Gunn “Buttercup's Lament” from Soul of Harper Buttercup's Lament lyrics and music by Marc Gunn There's a leaf on a tree and it's swaying And a girl 'neath the tree tears in her eyes. There's a wolf on the run saying 'Where have ye gone?' 'Oh where have ye gone sweet love of mine.' Oh wind, cruel wind, bring and end, an end To the storm that took me love afore his time Oh wind, cruel wind, bring and end, an end I long for him. Will ye bring my true love back to me side There's a puddle on the ground and it's growing And a girl above the pond tears in her eyes There's a fox on the run saying 'Where have ye gone?' 'Oh where have ye gone sweet love of mine.' There's a woman on the run saying, 'Where have ye gone? Oh where have ye gone sweet love of mine? Oh where have ye gone sweet love of mine? Oh where oh where? I long for ye here. Oh where have ye gone sweet love of mine? 19:09 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. You get it all ad-free when you listen and on Patreon. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our Superhero Patrons: Janice G, Cecilia F, Not Higgins, C.J.T. M, Sarah C, William M, Carol B, Eric R, James R, Troy R 19:54 - RENAISSANCE ADVENTURES IN JUGGLING You'll learn why you should watch out for wild boar in Italy, see what happens when a juggler's props don't arrive, and learn about the most-beautiful place in Europe. I interviewed juggler Paolo Garbanzo. Links for Today's Show: Paolo Garbanzo Ren Adventures 43:22 - Enda Reilly “Off the Grid For a While” from Single 46:59 - BIKING ACROSS ITALY WITH CARL ASCH Travel is a grand adventure to me. So I love talking with other adventurers. One such person is Carl Asch. He's a musician and juggler named Giacomo the Juggler. He sings with the band Empty Hats. He is also the co-founder with Paolo Garbanzo of Ren Adventurers, a tour company that takes you on small European trips much like my Celtic Invasion Vacations. But today, I wanted to talk to Carl about a bicycle trip he did across Italy. In this episode we'll explore: The origins of Giacomo the Jester How juggling, magic, and street performing can take you around the globe Double Indemnity and Empty Hats How to write a compelling show for Renaissance festivals Bicycling from Sicily to Venice following places mentioned in Shakespeare's plays Shakespeare's Guide to Italy Some of the trips on the Ren Adventures Find out more about Carl Asch 1:10:32 - Empty Hats “The Hat Came Back” from The Hat Came Back 1:12:48 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Refuse, Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #famousefemalemusicians #middleearth

Have you ever read Lord of the Rings and noticed that each time the hobbits meet a new race along the road, it's the OLDEST RACE EVER?! I wrote a song about that bragging. There are a lot of famous male composers in history. Apryl Knight will introduce you to some of the incredible female composers that you may not have heard of. This is Pub Songs & Stories #287 0:21 - Marc Gunn “The Lady of Setliff Manor” from Soul of Harper 2:41 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F' Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Poll: What's your favorite song on Soul of a Harper? Merch: Buy Soul of a Harper on Patreon Plastic Free July. Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics? 5:46 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. That is usually how it rolls. But at the end of September, we're invading Scotland's Whisky distilleries in between hiking throughout the country. It's gonna be epic. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/ 6:12 - MY FAVORITES OF CELTIC TOP 20 Every week, the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast asks fans of the show to vote for your favorite songs in the podcast. Those votes are compiled at the end of the year to create the Celtic Top 20, your pick of the best music of the year. I don't just make the podcast, I'm a fan of it too. So here is another favorite from recent episodes. 6:34 - Emma Langford "Sailor's Wife" from Sowing Acorns From Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #656: Plant Your Boots for Freedom 9:32 - THE STORY OF MIDDLE EARTH BRAGGING SONG Original name “Never Give Up the Mountain” Wrote while visiting my mom and reading Lord of the Rings in Italy Middle Earth Bragging Song lyrics and music by Marc Gunn January 27, 2003 We're the Race of Men Conquer valleys and glens We build huge towers in the sky We're strong and we're bold, Though it be or it be cold We'll fight everyone till we die Oh, we'll never give up the mountain As long as hope remains And you will never see A race as important as we… We're the race of Dwarves In dark caverns we forge And shape the ore that we mine We're stout with beards But give us a beer, And we'll drink to the gold that we find Oh, we'll never give up the mountain As long as there's money to be made And you will never see A race as important as we… We're the race of Elves In forests we dwell At one with earth and the sky We're the race first born And our only concern Is how close to our gardens you lie Oh, we'll never give up the mountain At least until our time is done And you'll never see, A race as old as we… We're the race of Ents And we're what was meant When they said there are shepherd's to trees We've been stuffy and slow Since our women left home And many have fallen to sleep But we'll never give up the mountain Our trees are there to defend And you will never see A race as old as the trees… I am Tom Bombadill I can never stand still There's too many creatures to see. I've many songs to sing And a wife in the stream So whistle a diddle-diddle to call me. Oh I'll never give up the mountain Or say I'm the oldest alive For you'll probably see A hobbit climbing a tree And it won't matter diddle [whistle] It won't matter diddle [whistle] It won't matter diddle how high! 17:46 - Marc Gunn “Middle Earth Bragging Song” from Soul of Harper 20:19 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. You get it all ad-free when you listen and on Patreon. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our Superhero Patrons: Janice G, Cecilia Fairley, Not Higgins, C.J.T. Maxwell, Sarah Crockett, William McKissack, Carol Baril, Eric Ray, James Regan, Troy Rodgers 21:27 - GREATEST WOMEN COMPOSERS IN HISTORY I find it intriguing that I know the names of lots famous male composers through the centuries: Turlough O'Carolan, Mozart, Bach. But I can't name even one woman. So I got really excited to talk with Apryl Knight at Sherwood Forest Faire a few weeks back. She had me captivated by her knowledge of women in music through centuries. Apryl Knight has been playing music since she was 3 years old. She plays the bowed psaltery and the hurdy gurdy at Renaissance festivals, SCA events around the country. She does it solo as well as with her band Tulstin Troubadours. She started telling me about women in music in history. I decided to sit down and find out more through an interview. She shared some of her favorite medieval women in music, plus thoughts on traveling as a solo female on the road. And her favorite app while traveling as a vegan too. Music: “Sellenger's Round” from “Dance The Knight Away" Happy Cow app for vegans Apryl Knight on YouTube on Patreon Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart Hildegard von Bingen Cantigas de Amigo Trobairitz 37:55 - Apryl Knight “Sellenger's Round from Dance the Knight Away 39:31 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Refuse, Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #famousefemalemusicians #middleearth

The modern image of the leprechaun is very different from the leprechaun of Irish legends. But times change and not everyone adapts as easily. That doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate both the new and the old as we explore the origins of my song “The Leprechaun.” Ever dream of building your own castle and starting your own Renaissance festival? Dreams can come true. They did for George Appling of Sherwood Forest Faire. This is Pub Songs & Stories #286 0:24 - Marc Gunn “Parting Glass” from Soul of Harper 3:45 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F' Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Poll: What's your favorite song on Soul of a Harper? Merch: Buy Soul of a Harper on Patreon Nerdy Wonderland. Nerdy Wonderland is a unique and free shopping event that celebrates the geek in all of us. It offers a wide range of nerdy and geek-inspired holiday gifts. This event is designed to bring experts and enthusiasts together to explore and discover extraordinary holiday presents. 6:01 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. That is usually how it rolls. But at the end of September, we're invading Scotland's Whisky distilleries in between hiking throughout the country. It's gonna be epic. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. Learn more about the invasion at http://celticinvasion.com/ 6:29 - MY FAVORITES OF CELTIC TOP 20 Every week, the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast asks fans of the show to vote for your favorite songs in the podcast. Those votes are compiled at the end of the year to create the Celtic Top 20, your pick of the best music of the year. I don't just make the podcast, I'm a fan of it too. So here is another favorite from recent episodes. 7:04 - The Dustbunnies "Gillingham Ramshire" from What Goes Around From Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #655: The Cat's Meow 11:37 - THE STORY OF THE LEPRECHAUN “La Ta Tee Da” by Brendan O'Loughlin Driving to Dallas for gig with Bards Rewriting the song with Inara Lucky Charms breakfast cereal The Leprechaun lyrics and music by Marc Gunn There's a Leprechaun in me head, and I wish that I were dead For I don't think he'll e'er let me be. Oh, he tempts me with his gold, and if I were e'er so bold, I'd strangle him and leave him in the street. * Well, he says to me, "Ah, you're no Irish Laddie! And ye call that thing a harp?" But each time I share the lore that I am learning. He hides in shame while my friends they chant. * La ta tee, da diddley dee, la ta tee ta tee da La ta tee, da diddley diddley dai La ta tee, da diddley dee, la ta tee ta tee da La ta tee, da diddley diddley dai There's a leprechaun in my room. He swats me with a broom. That's the reason I forget the words of this song. Well, he shows me a four-leaf clover, and before me song is over, It's buried in a bowl of Lucky Charms. There's a leprechaun on the floor, and he says that I'm a bore. He yawns aloud as I sing my song. He feigns one last breathe stolen, but I see his eyes are open. And he's watching me with envy deep inside. There's a leprechaun on a hill, and his gold is buried there. So I grab him by the neck 'fore he gets away. The pot's too heavy, he giggles, so I pinch me just a little, And he thinks he's fooled me as I run away. 21:29 - Marc Gunn “The Leprechaun” from Soul of Harper 25:31 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. You get it all ad-free when you listen and on Patreon. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: James Liang, Carol Donahue 26:13 - CASTLE BUILDING AT SHERWOOD FOREST FAIRE Ever since I started performing at Renaissance festivals in 1999, I've dreamed about starting my own faire. I think most Rennies have. How exciting that would be! George Appling, or King George as he's known at the Sherwood Forest Faire, not only dreamed of it, he made his dream a reality. How did it happen? Where did this inspiration come from? Where has he seen his greatest successes and challenges over the years? 56:33 - Patsy O'Brien "Jack 'Brien" from Onward 1:01:32 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Refuse, Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

Vince Conaway shares his top 3 places to see in Italy along with some travel tips, and stories of busking in Italy. Music from Vince Conaway, Brobdingnagian Bards, and Ironwood. And if you're going to apologize, make it a good one. That's what I did when I wrote the song “The Bridge” as an apology. It's all part of a new series where I talk about my album Soul of a Harper. This is Pub Songs & Stories #285 0:30 - Marc Gunn “Killiecrankie” from Soul of Harper Inspired by the band Schiehallion out of Scotland about the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689. The first three verses and chorus were written by Robert Burns in 1789. 3:47 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F' Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Poll: What's your favorite song on Soul of a Harper? Merch: Buy Soul of a Harper on Patreon CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I lead a small group of people on an exciting adventure, usually to one of the Celtic nations, but not always. 7:04 - Ironwood "She Likes the Guinness" from Gretna Green 10:55 - STORY OF  SOUL OF A HARPER On back: “May your boots be well-worn and your soul, well-wandered” An autoharper's spiritual wandering through Celtic songs Cover photo by Nancy Pearsall Award-winning Graphic design by Marc Gunn Why did I record the album? Album title inspired by a song by Rie Sheridan Rose 20:24 - Brobdingnagian Bards “Soul of a Harper” from Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales 23:52 - THE STORY OF THE BRIDGE Originally recorded for Brobdingnagian Bards' CD, Gullible's Travels. Also released on A Celtic Renaissance Wedding Was it written as an apology at Pease Park near UT Austin Instrumental part in 4th verse 29:35 - Marc Gunn “The Bridge” from Soul of Harper The Bridge Lyrics by Marc Gunn Was it something I said that made you angry with me. Made you dig a deep river to keep you from me. Oh, the water is rushing, come to sweep me away 'Less I die of sorrow, I will cross it today. I would build me a bridge a hundred meters long To see the other side of what I did wrong Well you say you don't hate me, but I guess that I'm scared That with a river between us, you'll no longer care. I would build a boat, and paddle agaist all sorrow. And if I sail down the river, then I'll be back again tomorrow. I would face cold death, run and leap to your side. And if I fall in the river, I'll be warmed by your sight. I would beg your forgiveness for the pain I've fed And I'd find the source of the river you've bled. Then I'd close the gates of the dam I built there. And never again will you have anything to fear. Well I never knew that your tears ran so deep. But when I'ved dammed those tears, I will kiss your sweet cheek. I will hold you close 'till your tears finally cease. And I'll sing you a lullaby to bring you peace. 33:21 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. You get it all ad-free when you listen and on Patreon. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: 34:21 - INTRO – BEST TRAVEL TIPS 36:22 - BEST TRAVEL TIPS Best Travel Tips with Vince Conaway #212 If you love adventure, then you will find your heart pumping with an interview I did with Vince Conaway. He plays hammered dulcimer, is an incredible busker, and every year, he goes to exotic locations in abroad to play music in the streets and to become a part of the culture of the region. Having had years of Celtic Invasion Vacations where we sort of do the same, his story is dear to my heart. From Florence to Machu Pichu, Austria to Croatia, plus the Renaissance festivals he does the rest of the year, Vince has been all over. He even can explain what the dulcimer is in those various languages, which is just too cool. Vince will share his favorite memories and best travel tips. You can find him and his travel blog and photos at vinceconaway.com and he's also on Patreon. 50:51 - CLOSING – BEST TRAVEL TIPS 51:24 - Vince Conaway “Goblin Parade” from Musica Instrumentalis 54:16 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Refuse, Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

We're taking a journey today as I share the story of how I found myself playing Sci Fi Drinking Songs at science fiction conventions around the nation. This is Pub Songs & Stories #284 0:15 - Marc Gunn and Jesse Ferguson “Molly Malone” from Come Adventure With Me 2:52 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F' Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. This show is for fans of Celtic music and science fiction and fantasy. I create Celtic-inspired music. In fact, I also host the multi-award-winning Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I've done that for nearly 19 years now. But I also love science fiction and fantasy. I started playing at Dragon Con, the largest fan run sci fi convention in 2002 and in 2007, I started playing at Gen Con, the largest gaming convention. Both have been super instrumental to my music and career over the years. And today, I'm gonna share a live concert from Gen Con 2023 of Sci Fi Drinking Songs, where I not only share some of my more popular songs there, but I also share how I got here in the first place. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. I'm currently working on a new podcast series where I highlight my very first solo album, Soul of a Harper, which is 20 years old this year. I hope to release that series this summer. But I thought I'd give you a live show as you await the next series. New Poll: Come Adventure With Me Merch: Come Adventure Album Pin, Poster, Songbook and CD 5:34 - UPCOMING SHOWS JUN 8-15: Celtic Invasion of the Isle of Man, UK JUNE 22: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA AUG 1-4: Gen Con, Indianapolis, IN SEP 28 - OCT 5: Celtic Invasion of Scotland's Whisky, UK OCT 18-20: MultiVerse, Atlanta, GA NOV 15-17: CONjuration, Duluth, GA 7:26 - The Gothard Sisters "Nightfall" from Dragonfly On Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #656 11:38 - CELEBRATE THE THINGS YOU LOVE The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. That includes bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our new and returning patrons: Laura Belle, Michelle Powers, James Regan, Tim G. Thomas, Danny Faught 12:26 - SCI FI DRINKING SONGS SHOW FROM GEN CON 2023 If you are an official member of the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon, then you can also download all of the individual songs in this show. You can also just buy the songs on Patreon as well. 13:17 - “Intro” 13:56 - “Jedi Drinking Songs” 19:01 - “Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits” 24:23 - “Reavers, Malcolm, Reavers” 30:35 - “Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster” 35:28 - “The Leprechaun” 38:56 - “Come Adventure With Me” 43:46 - “Doctor of Gallifrey” 47:26 - “Close Your Eyes” 51:24 - “A Drop of Vulcan Blood” 56:48 - “Breathing” 1:03:31 - “The Mining Ship the Red Dwarf” 1:09:11 - “Naked” 1:12:27 - “Kilted For Her Pleasure” 1:15:16 - “Don't Blink” 1:19:45 - “Ring of Hope” 1:23:56 - “Mingulay Boat Song” 1:30:29 - “You Are My Thor” 1:35:10 - CLOSING 1:35:29 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #gothardsisters #gencon  

Pain is hard to deal with. Sometimes it feels overwhelming. You can get through it with maybe a little help from Doctor Who. We talk about my song Redemption. You can learn all about it today on Pub Songs & Stories #283 0:16 - Marc Gunn “By Amazing Grace” from Come Adventure With Me By Amazing Grace, Hat Came Back, Tartanic Inspired by the Firefly episode “Heart of Glass” featuring Andrew McKee of Brobdingnagian Bards and Jamie Haeuser) 4:23 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F'Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. New Poll: What are your favorite songs on Sci Fi Drinking Songs? New Merch Bundle: CD, Album Pin, Poster and Songbook for $90 9:32 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 23-24: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX MAR 28: Dragon Con Filk Music Concert w/Brobdingnagian Bards @ 8 PM MAR 30-31: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 19-21: Jordan Con, Crowne Plaza Ravinia, Atlanta, GA Make sure you check the calendar on the Marc Gunn homepage to see the latest list of performances. 10:35 - Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer “Folk Club Song” from Twelve Months & A Day 15:44 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: Laura Belle, Michelle Powers, James Regan 17:20 - THE STORY OF REDEMPTION Recorded for The War Doctor | Doctor Who #2.3 Inspired by “The Day of the Doctor” from Doctor Who Download the “Redemption” MP3 Lyrics and music Marc Gunn. Marc Gunn: autoharp, vocals; Rich Brotherton: bass, guitar, percussion. Mixed by Rich Brotherton Background This is a story about finding redemption. In the 50th anniversary Doctor Who episode "The Day of the Doctor", the 10th (Matt Smith) and 11th Doctor (David Tennant) meet The War Doctor. They are horrified and filled with dread to once again see themselves as the man who committed horrible atrocities wiping out the Time Lords and the Daleks with a doomsday weapon. But after centuries dealing with that pain. They finally come to grips with it. They accept the decision they made even though it caused the death of billions of people. But even better, they remember Who they are. The Doctor. Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up or give in. Doctors give hope. They are finally able to save the people they thought they lost. Redemption Lyrics I was so young. I made a mistake That I have never shared. Much to regret. I tried to forget. I ran. That just laid it bare. To speak the words out loud made me Shudder for the harm I done Now I help the innocent Still I feel the need to run. * Because I burn. I  burn. It won't cover the pain But it's time I learn. Time I learn. Redemption can come again (x3) Are great men truly forged in fire? While others light the flame? That's what I tell myself so that I can avoid the blame. Deep down inside there's a scared little child Smashing statues, filled with fright. Under cover, changing faces To hide away in plain sight But still I burn. I  burn. It won't cover the pain But it's time I learn. It's time I learn. Redemption can come again (x3) And still my monsters come from my past They shatter my future bones. Scary to face them, but time will heal Don't have to do it alone Promise to keep, tho I may weep For the pain I kept deep down Face my fears for 1200 years Hope will turn my life around No longer burn. No longer  burn. It may not cover the pain But it's time I learn. It's time I learn. Redemption can come again (x3) 26:11 - Marc Gunn “Redemption” from Come Adventure With Me 29:47 - CLOSING 33:25 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

Everything changes. But what do you do when your career, your life, your joy, comes to an end because everything must change. We're talking about the life of a scallop diver in Lamlash Bay. You can learn all about it today on Pub Songs & Stories #282 0:17 - Marc Gunn “Favor of a Dance” from Come Adventure With Me Favor of a Dance | West Side Story Meets Firefly Inspired by the Firefly episode “Shindig” 3:14 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F'Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. New Poll: What are your favorite songs on St Patrick's Day Songs for Kids? New Merch Bundle: CD, Album Pin, Poster and Songbook for $90 8:28 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 9: Senoia Beer Company, Senoia, GA @ 7-10 PM MAR 17: Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 3-7 PM MAR 23-24: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX MAR 28: Dragon Con Filk Music Concert w/Brobdingnagian Bards @ 8 PM MAR 30-31: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX Make sure you check the calendar on the Marc Gunn homepage to see the latest list of performances. 9:29 - The Byrne Brothers "P Stands for Paddy" from The Boys of Doorin JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: Laura Belle, Michelle Powers, James Regan 12:43 - THE STORY OF MYRA'S LAMENT FOR LAMLASH BAY I plagiarise songs into local events..the one I sang last night I wrote at 3 AM in the morning. My wife had been in hospital 100 miles away, for two months, and the chorus came to my head when I was feeling sorry for myself. Simultaneously, the Government had decided to ban us clamming in Lamlash Bay. I'd sustainably hand picked scallops there for 34 years. The trawler/dredgers were destroying the habitat, and they wanted to ban them. But they done us in as well… a Federal hammer to crack a wee nut!!!! So, the song is called “Myra's lament for Lamlash Bay”…Lamlash is at the Isle of Arran. Tommy Makem inspired my plagiarism with “The Boys from Killybegs.” Killybegs is a fishing port in Donegal, Ireland..Dun Na Gael…. The Fortress of the Stranger. Tommy famously sang and played banjo with the Glancy Brothers.. Sgheirs:- Gaelic..reefs pronounced “skerries. clams”:- generic term in Scotland for bivalve shellfish..we fish for scallops..Pecten maximus Sound:- navigable stretch of water between two pieces of land in this case formed by the Tarbert shore and Isle of Arran. Thole :- Lalands Scots (old Scots) my work they won't accept or tolerate. Dole:- Un-employment register Listen to the original version of the song on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #85. Myra's Lament for Lamlash Bay lyrics Liam Griffin, music Marc Gunn There are scallops in the sea, put there for you and me By the Lord who reigns from heaven above. And the divers catch and sell, but we won't go to hell, We treat the sea with joy, respect and love. * There's a wild and rolling sea bringing me back home to ye. To yer bed that's dry and crisp and woman warm And our lovin' knows no harm when I hold ye in my arms. When the Boys from Lerags Glen come rollin' home. There are rocks upon the shore, There are sgheirs even more* And the trawlers they are dredging to and fro' But the diver's in the gully, for the seabed we don't sully Hand pickin' is the way I chose to go. But today the sea is calm and the boat is full of clams** And swiftly we have cleared KilBrannon Sound..*** Sacks of scallops stacked up high All our divers safe and dry And soon for Lerags Glen we're homeward bound. But now a new day's dawned and time is moving on and conservation is a game that they al play and my work the cannot thole and I'm told to sign the dole No more from Lerags Glen go to the sea. 23:37 - Marc Gunn “Myra's Lament for Lamlash Bay” from Come Adventure With Me 27:22 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #lamlashbay #obanscotland  

Do you ever get nervous or anxious? Sometimes the toughest thing to do, to overcome your fear, is to just take those first steps forward. Come Adventure With Me is the title track to my brand new album inspired by the 1977 Rankin & Bass film, The Hobbit. You can learn all about it today on Pub Songs & Stories #281 0:20 - Marc Gunn “Selkie's Life” from Come Adventure With Me Learn more about Selkie and Call of the Sea in show #234. 3:57 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F'Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. And I compost non-meat scraps. Come Adventure With Me comes out on March 4 If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. New Poll: What are your favorite songs on Come Adventure With Me? Little River Video of “Wherever I May Roam” New Merch Bundle: CD, Album Pin, Poster and Songbook for $90 Folk on Foot Podcast 7:21 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 9: Senoia Beer Company, Senoia, GA @ 7-10 PM MAR 17: Wings Cafe & Tap House, Marietta, GA @ 3-7 PM MAR 23-24: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX MAR 28: Dragon Con Filk Music Concert w/Brobdingnagian Bards @ 8 PM MAR 30-31: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX Make sure you check the calendar on the Marc Gunn homepage to see the latest list of performances. 8:47 - Mànran "Crow Flies" from Ùrar 12:04 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Thanks to my Kickstarter supporters: An extra HUGE thanks to Rich & Leslie Maynard, Carol Baril, Emily "dragondoodle" Gaskill, Larry & Sarah-Beth Cook, Les Howard, Sunshine & Navigator Burke, Janine Rinker, Zan Rosin, Vicki Solomon, Thomas Browne, Kris Dobie, CrimsonDraggen, Jason Denen, Kathy Smith, Dell Christy, DW, Tammy Glover, Angela Hughes, Ben Doran, Thul Family, Crab Donkey, Glen Bartram, Rumbly Porter, Carol "Crazy Cat Lady" Donahue, Mike and Sam Cavanaugh, Jan & Jim Czenkusch, Tony & Enzo Lamanna, Jennifer Crispin, Mark Peters, Wendy Erisman, Rie Sheridan Rose, Tracy O'Shea, Kathleen Sloan, Lawrence Lang, James O'Dell, LeighAnn Mott, Kelley Durski. Thank you! 14:04 - THE STORY OF COME ADVENTURE WITH ME 1977 Rankin & Bass film, The Hobbit from In The ‘Verse podcast #2.2 Features Sam Gillogly on violin and Rich Brotherton on guitar The original story behind “Come Adventure With Me” was published on Patreon. First saw The Hobbit in 6th after moving to Texas from Maryland. Inspired my Love of Dungeons & Dragons Story of transformation and overcoming fear. 70's songwriter feel with the minor chord change. Come Adventure With Me Lyrics and music Marc Gunn There's a secret door to a hall unknown Inside are fears that Turn me to stone Do I step forward Or head back home Which is the path for me I raise my head and Take one step more The ground it shakes. I look back to the door Feel like I'm caught and stuck to the floor And so I cut myself free * This world's a treasure that is full of strife Every moment can enrich your life Just face your dragons with the edge of a knife It's a better life you see Come adventure with me. There are ugly goblins doing scary things Deep down in dungeons there are magic rings Live or die with the riddles we bring You'll find your way through the dark My Precious life Has so many memories Fluttering birds, butterflies in trees My home is comfort, comfort is a breeze But there's another way to live So many wars. It's an endless fight To slay our dragons that soar through our night But I'm no coward. I'll do what is right. Before I make my way home. Now I'm back with stories that ring A truth That soars up on eagle wings Let's not forget the songs elves sing Oh the joy that they bring! 25:25 - Marc Gunn “Come Adventure With Me” from Come Adventure With Me 29:54 - CLOSING Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #adventurepodcast #thehobbit  

"If they take the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their clothing – and if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order." Zoe's description of reavers on the TV show Firefly sounds pretty insane. And every time we meet the reavers in the show and movie, they seem just as insane. And yet… they can fly spaceships. I share the story behind my song “Reavers Drinking Songs” today on Pub Songs & Stories #280. 0:25 - Marc Gunn “Molly Malone feat. Jesse Ferguson” from Come Adventure With Me 3:00 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F'Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. Come Adventure With Me comes out on March 4 If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. New Music Video: When She Held Me in Her Arms What are your favorite songs on Selcouth? There's a poll in the Gunn Runner's Club. 5:09 - UPCOMING SHOWS FEB 24: Maggie McGuinness Pub, Huntsville, AL @ 7:00 PM MAR 2: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA @ 6:30-9:30 PM MAR 9: Senoia Beer Company, Senoia, GA @ 7-10 PM MAR 23-24: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX MAR 30-31: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 19-21: Jordan Con, Crowne Plaza Ravinia, Atlanta, GA 6:06 - The Elders "Down at the Pub" from Well Alright Then Featured in show #644 10:12 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. 10:53 - THE STORY OF REAVER DRINKING SONG Inspired by the episode “Bushwhacked” from the TV show Firefly Check out Episode 3 of In the Verse: Song Crafting Reavers Drinking Songs Lyrics "Reaver Drinking Song" lyrics and music Marc Gunn * Bash their heads flay their skin Make them scream in pain Let ‘em alone and think you're done Let's start another refrain Niska was old and scary, A bad reputation And then he heard a reaver scream His body's gone for cremation. Badger was a businessman Roots in the community A reaver ate his little gang And now he can't even pee Durran's steak was always rare Before I first met him He met a reaver now won't eat steak He's a vegetarian Bester loved ships and women They howled when he boarded them He shipped was boarded by reavers. Now He howls when they board him. Boss Higgins' word was law What he said was set in stone Then reavers hit Higgins' Moon The law is now written in bone Fanty and Mingo are fine twins You can't tell one from t'other Until they met a band of reavers Now Mingo's the prettiest brother Jubal was a bounty hunter A sadist through and through He rambled about philosophy While a reaver started to chew No mercy, they all were weak Cattle for the slaughter Open them up, look inside I think I see Harry Potter 18:23 - Marc Gunn “Reaver Drinking Song” from Come Adventure With Me 20:57 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #thehaar #comeadventure   

Is it all a game that we all fall into? Saffron certainly thinks so in “Our Mrs Reynolds from the TV show Firefly. Hear the story behind my song “Spiderwebs”. We're also making waves with music from Matt McGinn. This is Pub Songs & Stories #279 0:17 - Marc Gunn “Bright Side of Everything” from Selcouth 3:28 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F'Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. Come Adventure With Me comes out on March 4 If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. What are your favorite songs on Selcouth? There's a poll in the Gunn Runner's Club. It's open to all. 4:41 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 2: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA @ 6:30-9:30 PM MAR 9: Senoia Beer Company, Senoia, GA @ 7-10 PM MAR 23-24: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX MAR 30-31: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 19-21: Jordan Con, Crowne Plaza Ravinia, Atlanta, GA 6:02 - Matt McGinn "Making Waves" from Behind Every Door Go listen at Rose in the Heather #645. 8:56 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email follow@celtfather ! Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Laura Belle If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. 9:28 - THE STORY OF SPIDERWEBS Inspired by the episode “Our Mrs Reynolds” from the TV show Firefly Talked about it in episode #6 of In the Verse. Mal: Now, think real hard. You've been birddoggin' this township a while now. They wouldn't mind a corpse of you. Now, you can luxuriate in a nice jail cell, but if your hand touches metal, I swear, by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you. Spiderwebs Lyrics Bad men are bird dogging our town Dogging our town, Bird dogging our town Bad men are bird dogging our town We'll lay a trap for them. We're gonna spin a spiderweb Spiderweb, Spiderweb We're gonna spin a spiderweb That's how we will catch them. I'll wear a soft cotton dress A soft cotton dress, soft cotton dress I'll wear a soft cotton dress With a pretty floral bonnet on top Will shoot them down in the spider web Spiderweb, spiderweb Will shoot them down in the spider web And celebrate our win A pretty little girl has lured me in Lured me in, lured me in A pretty little girl has lured me in Declared her love for me She caught my heart in a spiderweb Spiderweb , Spiderweb She caught my heart in a spiderweb Now how will this all end She's leading me to the end of the line End of the line, end of the line She's leading me to the end of the line We'll put things right again I'll break free from her spiderweb Spiderweb, spiderweb I'll break free from her spiderweb And never kiss a girl again Come here little lady, May I meet you I meet you, I meet you Come here little lady may I meet you Guess it begins again It's all a game of spiderwebs Spiderwebs, spiderwebs It's all a game of spiderwebs And everybody falls in 15:21 - Marc Gunn “Spiderwebs” from Come Adventure With Me 17:27 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

Let's get Naked! Or at least I'll share a story of one of my songs inspired by an episode of Firefly. Plus, The Haar are featured on this week's show. This is Pub Songs & Stories #278 0:13 - Marc Gunn “Bright Side of Everything” from Selcouth 3:25 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F'Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. Come Adventure With Me comes out on March 4 If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. What are your favorite songs on Selcouth? There's a poll in the Gunn Runner's Club. 40 Minute Workout episode of Irish & Celtic Music Podcast 4:14 - UPCOMING SHOWS FEB 15: Hobbit Drinking Songs on Bandcamp @ 7:30 PM FEB 17: Goblin Market: Frost Faire @ 6:00-10:30 PM MAR 23-24: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX MAR 30-31: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 19-21: Jordan Con, Crowne Plaza Ravinia, Atlanta, GA 6:14 - The Haar “Wild Rover” from Where Old Ghosts Meet 10:43 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email follow@celtfather ! Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. 12:27 - THE STORY OF NAKED Inspired by the episode “Trash” from the TV show Firefly Check out Episode 11 of In the Verse: Song Crafting G C G C Gregory Alan Isakov "Second Chances" from The Weatherman The Coupling Naked Lyrics You're a stunning lady Your emotions you hide You tear down my defenses With a wink of your eye * You think it's a game That only you can win But that is insane, girl Cuz it's you...Who's naked That I undress your heart You choose to downplay Try to reclothe your thoughts But your feelings you betray Bridge: You're breaking down now Can I hold you when you cry? Or will you disarm me? 'Fore you tell me goodbye And leave me naked Don't shut yourself off There's no need to hide Wanna know every part of you Please let down your guard 21:27 - Marc Gunn “Naked” from Come Adventure With Me 24:35 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

They don't kill you in the normal sense of the word. Rather they feed off the life that might've been. My song, Blink is a parable about missing out on the best things in life. This is Pub Songs & Stories #277 0:14 - Brobdingnagian Bards “Oor Hamlet” from Real Men Wear Kilts 4:02 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F'Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. Come Adventure With Me comes out on March 4 If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to pubsong@celtfather. 7:42 - UPCOMING SHOWS FEB 15: Hobbit Drinking Songs on Bandcamp @ 7:30 PM FEB 17: Goblin Market: Frost Faire @ 6:00-10:30 PM MAR 23-24: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX MAR 30-31: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 19-21: Jordan Con, Crowne Plaza Ravinia, Atlanta, GA 8:11 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to videos like my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Email pubsong@celtfather If you can't support us financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. 10:29 - THE STORY OF BLINK Lyrics I love old things. They make me feel sad Take me back to the past, And all the happiness I had. But when I met you,  I could not close my eyes I couldn't even blink, Lest you disappeared into time. Asked you out for a drink. While the rain fell down. I tried not to think. That you might turn me down. You're like an angel as old as the universe You saved me from a lonely life that is so much worse. Don't blink. Don't look away. Life is too short. I won't blink. I won't turn my back. Let go of the hurt.     I won't blink. Things don't always happen. Like we dream and plan. It's confusing at times. That's why I take your hand. To grow old with you for as long as time goes by. You showed me this moment and you opened up my eyes 22:06 - Marc Gunn “Blink” from Selcouth 25:40 - CHORD STRUCTURE 28:23 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

Imagine a holiday market for nerds and geeks. I talk with one of the creators of Nerdy Noel and share my own Nerdy Wonderland story. Plus, I have a new album on Kickstarter. It's called Dancing With Hobbits. Find out why you should support this CD and Musical Pin. This is Pub Songs & Stories #276 0:20 - “Celtic Christmas Elf” by Marc Gunn from Celtic Christmas Greetings WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F'Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm at Conjuration this weekend. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to pubsong@celtfather. You can subscribe and download all of my songs in this show. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know you're favorite Sci F' Irish song. 3:13 - WHAT'S NEW Broadsheets Video stories 6:33 - UPCOMING SHOWS Weds; Coffee with The Celtfather @ 11:30 AM EST on Patreon NOV 16: Bandcamp Internet Concert @ 7:30 PM NOV 17-19: Conjuration, Sonesta Suite hotel, Gwinnett Place, GA DEC 3: Nerdy Wonderland Holiday Market at The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA DEC 10: Nerdy Noel, Huntsville, AL 8:12 - “Hobbit Hornpipe” by Dancing With Hobbits from Dancing With Hobbits 10:36 - CELTIC MUSIC NEWS There are three new Celtic Christmas albums that are now available. The Celtic Kitchen Party has an album called One Celtic Christmas. I interviewed the band for Celtic Christmas Music podcast. It's upbeat and fun. You'll hear some of the songs on upcoming episodes. The McDades have a new Christmas album as well. I've barely touched the surface of that one. But I have fallen in love with The Gothard Sisters new album, A Celtic Christmas. I have an interview with Greta from the band that'll be out in early December. Next episode is out on Sunday, Nov 19. Listen to Celtic Christmas Music at CelticChristmasPodcast.com. Runa has a new album coming out. It's called When the Light Gets In. It's everything I've come to expect from this fantastic band. It comes out in February. 11:53 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month. Email pubsong@celtfather ! Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: If you can't support us financially, you can leave a review for free. 12:21 - ABOUT DANCING WITH HOBBITS 19:13 – “Hobbit Polka” by Dancing With Hobbits from Dancing With Hobbits 22:26 - THE STORY OF NERDY NOEL Nerdy Noel is a holiday market for nerds and geeks by Komai's Oh My! 32:53 - Marc Gunn “Yuletide” from Single Listen to the Story of Yuletide on show #246. Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can follow and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Become a patreon because your generosity allows me to keep bringing you podcasts, videos, exclusive blogs, photos, and songs every month. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

Who was the red-headed queen of Ireland? Why did she assault the harpers of old? Author Rie Sheridan Rose tells the story behind her song “Soul of A Harper”. New Star Trek inspired musical pin. This is Pub Songs & Stories #275. 00:14 - Brobdingnagian Bards “The Unicorn Song” from Songs of Ireland 3:38 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Sci F'Irish musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. I have a livestreaming concert this Thursday on Bandcamp. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or even better or you can subscribe and download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email.  pubsong@celtfather. You will get an auto responder to download the month's songs. You will also get that subscribe link. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. 5:04 - WHAT'S NEW w Star Trek Pint Glass- Musical Pin Shirts by Miranda Nelson Designs Kickstarter Coming for Dancing With Hobbits Are you subscribed via Google Podcasts? Try Podcast Addict, Amazon Music, or Spotify. In the Verse podcast - Stormtrooper drinking song “Star of the County Down” story by Rod Nevin on May 2021 Podcast with songs by Rie Sheridan Rose 9:30 - UPCOMING SHOWS OCT 19: Bandcamp Internet Concert @ 7:30 PM OCT 20-22: Multiverse Con, Atlanta, GA OCT 27: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 6:00-9:00 PM DEC 3: Nerdy Wonderland Holiday Market at The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA DEC 10: Nerdy Noel, Huntsville, AL 11:12 - Fire In The Glen "Whup Jamboree" from Cutting Bracken 14:48 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month. Email pubsong@celtfather ! Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Mykael, Mia If you can't support us financially, you can leave a review for free. 15:39 - THE STORY OF SOUL OF A HARPER BY RIE SHERIDAN ROSE 19:18 - Brobdingnagian Bards “Soul of a Harper” from Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales 22:49 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Sign up for new podcasts, videos, and songs every month. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can follow and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I'm performing. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. #pubstories #unicornsong #riesheridanrose  

Did I go drinking with hobbits this year? You bet I did. Hear all my stories escapades from Dragon Con 2023. Learn what new musical pin is in my store and how I'm keeping them organized through upcycling. This is Pub Songs & Stories #274. 0:20 - Marc Gunn “Arthur McBride” from St Patrick's Day 3:02 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a rhythm and folk musician and podcaster. I perform at Ironshield Brewing in Lawrenceville, Georgia this Saturday. If you're new to the show, please follow us on your favorite podcatcher. You can do that PubSong.com or even better or you can subscribe and download all of my songs in this show and the last one. Just send me an email.  pubsong@celtfather. You will get an auto responder to download the month's songs. You will also get that subscribe link. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. 3:44 - WHAT'S NEW - UPCYCLING MUSICAL PIN CASES 8:48 - UPCOMING SHOWS SEP 23: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 5:30-8:30 PM OCT 13: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 6:00-9:00 PM OCT 19: Bandcamp Internet Concert @ 7:30 PM OCT 20-22: Multiverse Con, Atlanta, GA DEC 3: Nerdy Wonderland & Holiday Market at The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA DEC 10: Nerdy Noel, Huntsville, AL 12:29 - Dan the Bard “Drink Drink Drink” from Unicorns & Dragons 14:44 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. Every week, you get bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month and save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: DWS, Melissa Randall, A. Lynch, Traci Girard-Turner, Michelle Hahn, Lisa, David Willer, Jo Navarre, Tracy O'Shea, Antoinette Brenion, John Dowling, Kate Smith, Gina Colaianni, Ruth Acoya, Gordy Euler, Iain Benson, Kerry Komai, Dannan Tavona, Tom DiGenno, Mazer If you can't support us financially, you can leave a review for free. 15:49 - DRAGON CON THURSDAY - SATURDAY 24:56 - Marc Gunn “Those Characters Died” from Sci Fi Drinking Songs 29:56 - DRAGON CON 2023 - SATURDAY - MONDAY 37:09 - CLOSING 37:45 - OUTRO  Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Sign up for new podcasts, videos, and songs every month. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can follow and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I'm performing. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. #pubstories #danthebard  

Dragon Con weekend is back. There's Firefly, hobbits, Brobdingnagian Bards, musical pins and madness. Music from Marc Gunn, Wakefire, Brobdingnagian Bards, Mikey Mason.  This is Pub Songs & Stories #273.  0:21 - Marc Gunn “Raise a Glass to Flyin'” from As Long As I'm Flyin' 1:57 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a rhythm and folk musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. Where I'll be performing at Dragon Con this coming weekend.  If you're new to the show, please follow us on your favorite podcatcher. You can do that PubSong.com or even better or you can subscribe and download all of my songs in this show and the last one. Just send me an email.  pubsong@celtfather.  You will get an auto responder to download the month's songs. You will also get that subscribe link. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode.  3:44 - UPCOMING SHOWS AUG 31-SEP 4: Dragon Con Friday: Firefly Drinking Songs Sat: Bards Concourse show and evening concert Sun: Hobbit Drinking Songs Mon: Live Pub Songs & Stories SEP 14: Bandcamp Internet Concert @ 7:30 PM SEP 16: Pontoon Brewing Company, Sandy Springs, GA @ 2-5 PM SEP 23: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 5:30-8:30 PM 7:36 - As featured on the latest Irish & Celtic Music Podcast: Wakefire “Storm Warning” from Meaning of Life Thurs: Centennial  Friday: Concourse Saturday: Concourse 11:03 - JOIN THE CLUB  The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. Every week, you get bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month and save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Alice M, Karla A, Triskele, Ayden   If you can't support us financially, you can leave a review for free. 11:57 - BARDS AT DRAGON CON 2023 14:59 - Brobdingnagian Bards “I Will Not Sing Along” from I Will Not Sing Along 20:02 - THE STORY - MUSICAL PINS 25:27 - Mikey Mason “Shades of Gray” from Shades of Gray Friday: Concourse Friday: Hyatt Hanover Saturday: Concourse Sunday: Hyatt Hanover 32:17 - OUTRO   OUTRO MUSIC: Marc Gunn & Sam Gillogly “Hobbit Polka” from Dancing With Hobbits Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Sign up for new podcasts, videos, and songs every month. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs.  You can follow and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I'm performing.  And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment.    #pubstories #dragoncon2023 #dragonCon  

This pub is not a real Irish pub, but it's the most-authentic Irish pub that is not in Ireland. Enjoy music from Kinnfolk and Fire in the Glen. Learn when Coffee with The Celtfather returns and what the future holds for this fall. This is Pub Songs & Stories #272. 0:19 - Kinnfolk “Siúil a Rún” from Kinnfolk 3:34 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a rhythm and folk Celtic musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. This episode kicks off the fall season of Pub Songs & Stories. I'm gonna talk about what I have in store for the fall. I'm also gonna share with you a live concert from the Maggie McGuinness Pub. The most-Irish of Irish pubs that are NOT in Ireland. The first band was Kinnfolk. They are a wife and husband duo out of Virginia. They hosted show #609 of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Where they talked about Irish sessions they performed at during their recent honeymoon in Ireland. That song is from the CD… If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or even better or you can subscribe and download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email.  pubsong@celtfather . You will get an auto responder to download the month's songs. You will also get that subscribe link. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, well album, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. 5:10 - UPCOMING SHOWS AUG 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series at First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta. 470 Candler Park Dr. NE / Atlanta GA 30307. 404-378-5570. Presented by Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music (AAFFM). Tickets $10 AUG 24: Marc Gunn Livestreaming Concert on Bandcamp AUG 26: Pepper Place Farmer's Market, Birmingham, AL AUG 23: Coffee with The Celtfather Returns AUG 31-SEP 4: Dragon Con with Brobdingnagian Bards 6:36 - WHAT'S COMING THIS FALL I tried a lot of new things out in the spring. I tried 2 or 3 different show names. I bounced the format around. I did an interview. I shared tips for visiting County Mayo, Ireland. I linked the podcast more tightly to my newsletter. I even shared a Countdown of Celtic music favorites from 2022. It felt to me like I didn't have a direction. And to a large degree, I didn't. As always, I love having this podcast and opportunity to talk about what's new and promote what's coming up. I love sharing stories about sustainability and how to protect our planet. I love sharing stories from my travels. I enjoyed interviewing people. I also know that I don't have a ton of time for this podcast, especially because I have the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. That's my main show. It's the one I promote. It's tough promoting multiple shows. But this podcast serves a very special audience, you, the Gunn Runners who enjoy my music. So the show will continue in a very similar fashion… without the constant show name changes. Whether Pub Songs & Stories is a misnomer or a reflection of my love and appreciation of public house music… folk music for people, it's gonna continue in a similar fashion. I have a list of about 40 things I'd love to talk about. They include shows about sustainability and climate change, stories from my recent trip to Ireland, making better choices for your community, staying healthy with exercise, looking to the future to make things better, and of course, I'll share the stories behind each of the songs I write or have written. Plus, I still want to highlight my fellow musicians, Celtic or otherwise. Because that's just what I do. So we're gonna do that right now with a funny track from the band Fire in the Glen. Rod hosted show #611 of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast and shared a story for Star of the County Down in this podcast. 10:52 - Fire in the Glen “From Amish to Irish” from Cutting Backen 14:23 - JOIN THE GUNN RUNNERS CLUB The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You will access scores of podcasts, download dozens of songs and sheet music. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Those shows return on Wednesday August 23 at 11 AM Eastern. Sign up for as little as $5 per month and save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: DWS, Melissa Randall, A. Lynch, Traci Girard-Turner, Michelle Hahn, Lisa, David Willer, Jo Navarre, Tracy O'Shea, Antoinette Brenion, John Dowling, Kate Smith 15:32 - LIVE SHOW FROM MAGGIE MCGUINNESS PUB 16:36 - “Slainte Mhaith” 20:37 - “Kilted” 23:38 - “Mingulay Boat Song” 29:41 - “Reaver's Lullaby” 34:44 - “Bright Side of Everything” 41:41 - “Shiny” 46:39 - “Breathing” 52:13 - “Mingulay Cat Song” 58:57 - “Black Velvet Band” 1:02:39 - “Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits” 1:06:45 - “Wild Mountain Thyme” 1:11:04 - “Come Adventure With Me” 1:16:55 - “Johnny Jump Up” 1:22:03 - NEXT TIME I'm gonna share some stories from my Celtic Invasion of County Mayo. So make sure you subscribe. And also please consider posting a review on Apple Podcasts. I'm still hoping to get those 10 new reviews. I'm still about 8 shy. Seriously, it means a lot to me when you post a review of the show. It also helps others know if they should subscribe as well. And if you can't support me financially, you can always leave a review for free. 1:22:44 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Every week, you'll get a new podcast or song or video or video concert. You'll save 25% off all the merch in my store. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I'm performing. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #irishpubsongs #irishdrinkingsongs  

Greetings Gunn Runners,  The Fall 2023 season of Pub Songs & Stories will be back on Mon Aug 14 at 6 PM Eastern. So mark your calendar and of course subscribe if you haven't done so already. You can do that at PubSong.net You will enjoy a live concert, some stories from my Celtic Invasion of County Mayo, Ireland. I will continue my series talking about sustainability in the music industry and what you can do to fight climate change. You'll hear music from musicians I find on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast and beyond. We will look to the future to make things better. And of course, I will tell you the stories behind the songs I write and perform. It's all on Pub Songs & Stories starting August 14.  Oh! And if you want to support the new Kickstarter for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. You'll find a link to that and more at pubsong.net.  MUSIC IN THE PUB THIS WEEK "Bright Side of Everything" by Marc Gunn from Selcouth "Hero of Canton" by Marc Gunn from As Long As I'm Flyin'

The first Friday of May is no pants day. Learn about the origins of this hilarious holiday, and if it was actually invented by a Scotsman in Glasgow in the early 1800s. I talk about a man who wears a kilt every day. You will also learn about some sustainable green bath products. Listen to music by Marc Gunn, Vicki Swan and Johnny Dyer, Niamh Dunne, and Brobdingnagian Bards This is Pub Songs & Stories #270. 0:25 - Brobdingnagian Bards “Seven Drunken Nights in Hobbiton” from I Will Not Sing Along 4:49 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES This is the audio edition of my newsletter. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a rhythm and folk Celtic musician and podcaster living in Atlanta, Georgia. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com/free or even better or you can subscribe and download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email. You will get an auto responder with a link to download this month's songs. You will also get that subscribe link. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. 6:04 - WHAT'S NEW STORY 7:40 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAY 17: Coffee with The Celtfather on YouTube @ 10:30 AM Eastern JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland JUN 24: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GA @ TBD JUL 22: Burnt Hickory Brewery, Kennesaw, GA @ 6:30 - 9:30 PM 8:50 - GUEST SONG: Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer "1924" Hear the story behind the song in show #603 Celtic Tides of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. 14:44 - STORY OF NO PANTS DAY In 2000, the Knighthood of Buh, a student organization at the University of Texas at Austin, held their first annual No Pants Day celebration on the first Friday of May. Andrew and I were practicing daily on the South Mall of the university as the Brobdingnagian Bards. So we were there as a bunch of students ran through the school shouting and waving signs about the oppression of pants. The event resonated with me because, well, we wore kilts at all of our shows. We were “pantless” too. The event spread to other locations around the nation and eventually the world. But it took me four years before I wrote “A Man Who Wears A Kilt Every Day”, a parody of the traditional Scottish song “Jock Stuart”. Instead of “a man you don't meet every day”, my song was about a man who loved wearing kilts, like I did. I didn't stop there. Again, I felt like No Pants Day was a Scottish holiday. So I decided to create a backstory for my song. I wanted people to think that the origins of No Pants Day was actually a Scottish holiday called No Troosers Day. I researched Scottish history and learned about the Proscription Act of 1746. This act banned the Scots from wearing “highland clothing”. The goal of course was to assimilate the Scots into Great Britain, just like the Disarming Act banned the Scottish from wearing weapons. From that base, I wrote a fictional history of an uprising in Glasgow where the Scots removed their trousers and donned their kilts and rewrote “Jock Stuart” to celebrate their love of the kilt and their culture. The best thing about this fictional history was that a few years later, a newspaper in Canada quoted the blog where I shared this fake history saying that this was ACTUALLY the origins of No Pants Day. This should serve as a reminder to all of us. Check your sources! I finally recorded this song in 2009 for my CD, Kilted For Her Pleasure. “Jock Stuart (A Man Who Wears A Kilt Every Day)”  lyrics by Marc Gunn, May 6, 2004, music traditional Oh my name is Jock Stuart, I´m a trooser-less man And my roving young fellows move freely * So be easy and free in nae boxers or briefs I´m a man who wears a kilt every day. I'm Highlander made and a piper to trade And the tartan is me flag that I wear. I go out with my gun and my dog for to hunt Try to make me wear troosers, and you'll pay. I've got acres of land, I've got ships to command So burn your pants on No Troosers Day So come fill up my glass with whiskey or rum Then send o'er your lass and you'll see. It's better easy and free in nae boxers or briefs I'm a man who wears a kilt every day. 20:52 - Marc Gunn “A Man Who Wears A Kilt Every Day” from Kilted For Her Pleasure 23:40 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. Every week, you get bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month and save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Don S, Melissa Randall, A. Lynch, Traci Girard-Turner, Michelle Hahn, Lisa M, David Willer, Jo Navarre, Tracy O'Shea, Antoinette Brenion, John Dowling 26:59 - Niamh Dunne "Tides w/ Karan Casey" from Tides   30:25 - GREEN PRODUCTS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT I'm actively trying to buy fewer items that are packaged in plastic because plastic is made from chemicals from fossil fuel production. It also lasts pretty much forever. It is virtually impossible to remove it entirely from what I buy. But I have found a few items that I enjoy that are not that I thought I'd share. Did you know you can buy shampoo and conditioner in bar form? This was one of those weird rabbit holes I went down. Once upon a time, we didn't have liquid shampoo and conditioner. It certainly wasn't in a big plastic bottle. A day after I started researching this a few months back, Gwen came home with a Love Beauty and Planet shampoo conditioner bar from Target. I immediately tried it out and loved it. You can see a list of Shampoo and Conditioner bars here. My favorite body soap is the Dr Bronner's Lavender soap. I was starting to lament losing that when I just saw they have bar soap also. And of course, all of those are wrapped in paper and I can get it at my local Publix. 34:58 - Marc Gunn “Kilty Pleasure” from Selcouth 38:59 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Every week, you'll get a new podcast or song or video or video concert. You'll also save 25% off all the merch in my store. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I'm performing. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories  

My goal is to get someone to share what I make. Highlight a new theme each week. Your mom is calling! Or is it? It might be a scammer. But I can help you protect yourself. Can we make the music business more sustainable? I have an interview with Kyle Carey. This is Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories #269. 0:16 - Marc Gunn “Romulan Ale” from Sci Fi Drinking Songs 3:23 - WELCOME TO SCI FI PUB SONGS & STORIES This is the audio edition of my newsletter. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Rhythm & Folk Celtic musician in Atlanta. I play traditional Irish and Scottish drinking songs, but I am also a songwriter. I write songs Celtic culture and fuse them pop culture, things like Lord of the Rings, Firefly, Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who and more. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that at PubSong.com. Or even better send me an email to pubsong@ celtfather. You can not only subscribe, but you can also download all of my songs in this show. You will get an email with a link to download this month's songs. It's quick and easy. Oh! And let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. And as you hopefully heard in the last episode when I say I have CDs. Your job is to shout, “You have CDs!” 5:01 - UPCOMING SHOWS APR 6: Dragon Con Filk Music Concert with Brobdingnagian Bards @ 7 PM CST APR 8-9: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 20: Cat Drinking Songs on Bandcamp @ 7 PM EST APR 21-23: Jordan Con, Atlanta, GA APR 29. The Lost Druid Earth Day Biking Concert, Avondale Estates @ 6:30-9:30 PM JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland 5:43 - Marc Gunn “A Well-Dressed Hobbit” from Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits 8:02 - KYLE CAREY IS MAKING MUSIC MORE SUSTAINABLE Kyle Carey plays Gaelic Americana music. She's originally from New Hampshire and sings songs in Irish and Scots Gaelic. Her songwriting is inspired by American and Celtic folklore. She has a brand new Kickstarter currently running for her album, The Last Bough. 23:59 - Kyle Carey “June Day” from North Star 27:50 - SUPPORT THE THINGS YOU LOVE If you enjoy this show and want to keep it going, join over 150 other Gunn Runners on Patreon. Every week, you get bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts and discounts on merch. Sign up for as little as $5 per month. You can also save 15% with an annual membership. I make music and podcasts because of your generosity so please join the Club today! Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Alice M, Karla A, Triskele, Ayden B 28:49 - DEFENDING YOURSELF FROM AI DEEP FAKES One of my favorite podcasts to listen to is called Akimbo. It's by Seth Godin, a brilliant marketer and thought leader. He constantly challenges his listeners to “make things better by making better things.” That resonates with me. One of my early Irish & Celtic Music Podcast slogans was “changing the way you hear Celtic music.” That was about improving the culture, embracing change, recognizing that our past is important but so is our future. That's what podcasting is all about. Or it can be. This week, Seth didn't something intriguing. He asked ChatGPT to evaluate the functions, the future, and the problems of artificial intelligence like ChatGPT. He recorded the responses… Well, sort of. It turned out the entire recording, except the intro, was an AI voice manipulator that sounded almost exactly like Seth Godin. There was one moment in the recording that I thought, this is kind of dry sounding. I chalked it up to ChatGPT. Little did I know, it wasn't Seth speaking. My mom just shared an AI scam that's happening. I have an idea on how to fix. Thank you Harry Potter! The scam is that an AI simulator will call you on the phone and have the same voice as someone you know. They say that they are in financial trouble. They ask for your help. What do you do? At some point, the simulator will be good enough to fool you. Just like Seth Godin's podcast fooled me. We're already there. But I immediately came up with a defense. It's from the final books of Harry Potter. I'll let ChatGPT explain: “In the final books of the Harry Potter series, Remus Lupin asked Harry Potter a question to prove that he was not an imposter. The question was: "What is the secret of the Marauder's Map?" This was a question that only the true creators of the map - Lupin, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew - would know the answer to. Harry correctly answered that the map was activated by tapping it with one's wand and saying "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," and that it could be closed by tapping it again and saying "Mischief managed." This answer convinced Lupin that Harry was indeed who he claimed to be.” Yeah. I was talking about it with my mom and realized this is the way we need to protect ourselves from THIS AI scam. We ask a question that only the person we're talking with would know the answer to. Seems simple. But it's a good lesson to pass on. So please please share this idea. Because at some point, you won't be able to tell who's real and who's not. Mind you, that's not to scare you. As I said at the beginning, change is inevitable. We need to work with this bizarre new paradigm. As Seth Godin's podcast points out, it can be beneficial or it can be hurtful. We have the power to choose and to make change. So let's do something for the better. Oh and if you want some more thoughts on ChatGPT by Andrew McKee and me. We did a great podcast on it on the Brobdingnagian Bards Podcast. 37:47 - Marc Gunn “The Long Arm” from As Long As I'm Flyin' 39:33 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I'm performing. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #kylecarey #ecofriendlymusicians

What happens when a traditional Irish song is rewritten about zombies? And I have CDs!!!! If you didn't say, “You have Cds…”, you'll find out why it's important. It's kind of funny. This is Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories #268. 0:16 - “Isn't It Grand Boys” from Happy Songs of Death 4:09 - WELCOME TO SCI FI PUB SONGS & STORIES This is the audio edition of my newsletter. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a rhythm and folk Celtic musician living in Atlanta, Georgia. I play traditional Irish and Scottish drinking songs. I'm also a songwriter. I write songs inspired by Celtic culture as well as pop culture, things like Lord of the Rings, Firefly, Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who and more. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com/free or even better or you can subscribe and download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email.  pubsong@ celtfather You will get an auto responder with a link to download this month's songs. You will also get that subscribe link. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. We kicked off the show… 5:04 - WHAT'S NEW STORY I really should talk more about the stuff I sell in my store. But it feels uncomfortable to do so. That's one of the reasons if you go to any of my live shows, and I say, “I have Cds”. Audience members will shout “you have Cdddsss?!” It's a little gimmick I use to draw attention to my merch. And it's really catchy. I was listening to the last episode of the podcast about writing drinking songs. While I talked about my song “The Cat Came Back… the Cat's Perspective,”. It's from my C-D… And then I paused, just like I do at live shows. When I listened to the episode, I responded, “You have CDs…” It got me thinking. Could we do that same thing through a podcast? I don't know. But we're gonna try. We're gonna make this podcast into a sort of an interactive drinking game. Each time I mention CDs, your job is to audibly respond, “you have CDs…” 6:25 - UPCOMING SHOWS APR 1-9: Sherwood Forest Faire, Paige, TX APR 6: Dragon Con Filk Music Concert with Brobdingnagian Bards @ 7 PM CST APR 20: Cat Drinking Songs on Bandcamp @ 7 PM EAST APR 21-23: Jordan Con, Atlanta, GA APR 29. The Lost Druid Earth Day Biking Concert, Avondale Estates, Ga @ 6:30-9:30 PM JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland 9:24 - The Celtic Kitchen Party “Covid-19 Shanty” from Last Call 11:11 - COMMENTS I don't get a ton of feedback for this show. But if you send an email to pubsong@celtfather with a short comment about the show… or just mentioning CDs that you love, that's a great way for us to interact and have more of a conversation. In fact, if you need a starter, I'd love it if you would grab your phone. Go to your voice recorder app. Say, “You have Cds”. Then email it to me. Marisa Halvorson emailed: "Hello Marc! I have been listening to your songs practically nonstop this St. Paddy's season (I'm in NOLA and work on Magazine street so season it is) I had to work on the day the Irish Channel parade rolled and definitely enjoyed it more with your songs keeping me company while locked in my building by parade goers. Thank you for always keeping me company and my spirits up with your music." Kennedy Johnson emailed: "Happy St Patricks Day to you Marc.  I hope you and your family are well on this day of Green & Orange

St Patrick's Day isn't just about drinking. But I will tell you the story of how I learned to write drinking songs so you can write your own… just sing along a little more easily.  I share 17 amazing Celtic Bands you should check out for St Patrick's Day. Learn a green idea for investing in our climate. This is Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories #267. 0:22 - Kilted Kings “Ride On” from Flower of Scotland 4:42 - WELCOME TO SCI FI PUB SONGS & STORIES Happy St Patrick's Day! I am Marc Gunn. I'm a rhythm and folk Celtic musician living in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the audio edition of my weekly newsletter. I play traditional Irish and Scottish drinking songs. I also write songs inspired by pop culture, things like Lord of the Rings, Firefly, and Doctor Who. That's why this is Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories. But this week, I'm mostly focusing on St Patrick's Day fun. 5:17 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 17: Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, Ga @ 7:00-7:30 PM, St Patrick's Day Show with my Family MAR 18: Pontoon Brewing, Sandy Springs, GA @ 12-3 PM MAR 18: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7-10 PM APR 29: The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, Ga JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland 8:15 - WHAT'S NEW STORY Studio Days NPR Tiny Desk Concert performance of “Blink” 15:53 - Marc Gunn & Jamie Haeuser “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye” from How America Saved Irish Music 19:47 - FEEDBACK Mitchell Petersen responded to my last newsletter about “Saying No Even If It's Included”. I said “When I choose fruit and vegetables, I pick the ones that aren't in plastic bags. I get a little grossed out by putting them on the scanner. But then I wash them when I get home.” He responded: “FYI, we have these bags for fruits and veggies at the grocery store and they are awesome and you don't need to use the plastic bags OR have to put your stuff straight in the basket” 21:08 - One of the best things about Dragon Con… 21:55 - DOWNLOAD MY FREE EP You can download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email.  pubsong@ celtfather You will get an auto responder with a link to download this month's album. You can also subscribe to the podcast if you're not already subscribed. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. 24:08 - Jiggy “King of the Faeries” from Translate New video: “Fiery Arrow” 27:21 - STORY OF THE CAT CAME BACK… THE CAT'S PERSPECTIVE I learned how to write a drinking song thanks to “The Cat Came Back… The Cat's POV”. First, let me point out, a drinking song isn't about alcohol. It's a song with a fun, easy-to-sing chorus. Sometimes it's interactive. “Wild Rover” has claps in the chorus. “Rattlin' Bog” and “The Unicorn Song” have a whole bunch of motions that act out the lyrics. “Seven Drunken Nights” and “Big Strong Man” have phrases that the audience shouts back at the singer. These were the songs I was thinking of when I wrote the cat's perspective of a famous folk song. I never liked “The Cat Came Back.” It was cruel and I love cats. So I decided to rewrite the song using the melody of “The Moonshiner”. But I wanted to make it a call-and-response song. So I added “Ka-Boom”, “Gurgle” and more to the end of the verses. But when I finally decided to play it live, I had NO idea how to get the audience to interact with the song. Eventually, I taught the audience the 5 different responses (five, really? What was I thinking?). I introduce each exclamation before the verse. But it's still difficult to get them involved. If you want to write a drinking song, keep it simple. One call and response throughout is best. Teach it at the beginning of the song. “Slainte Mhaith” is a great drinking song. It has an easy-to-sing chorus. But it also has a super easy call-and-response. “When I sing slainte mhaith, you shout it back to me. Slainte mhaith! [Slainte mhaith]”. Sometimes you learn to do something the easy way. With this song, I learned what not to do. Ah well. Live and learn. Here's the lyrics to “The Cat Came Back… The Cat's Perspective”: I was a crazy cat for many a year, My years are advancing. Now I sleep in my chair. But old Mr. Johnson still wants me to play If I don't get active, he'll send me away. I'm a yellow tabby, kinda flabby. And I'm coming home. And if you don't like me, then leave me alone! I'll eat when I'm hungry. I'll sleep when I'm tired. And if you try to wake me, you'll wish you had died. His neighbor ambushed me with shotgun and dynamite. My cat senses warned me. So I put up a fight. I clawed at his cigarette. It fell to the floor. It lit the dynamite as I ran out the door. KA-BOOM! He gave me to a boy with a dollar and a note To drown me in the river when we were afloat. I saw the rope come towards me and let out a yowl. The boat tipped on over. The poor boy was drowned. GURGLE! He gave me to a man going up in a balloon. I clung to his head. I am no buffoon. The man tried to free me, but then lost control. I stole his parachute as he crashed ‘gainst a knoll. KER-SPLAT! He took me to the mill where the meat was ground. He left off the lights, so I wouldn't look around. But I saw that food processor come closer to me, I jumped to the floor. He tripped bloodily. CRUNCH! Mr. Johnson, Mr. Johnson, I know you hate me, But I have nine lives and you haven't even three. Blessed are the cat lovers. Blessed are all kitties So love me or leave me alone for to sleep. PURR 32:22 - Marc Gunn “The Cat Came Back… The Cat's Perspective” from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers 35:34 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. Every week, you get bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month and save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Alice M, Karla A, Triskele, Ayden B 36:07 - 17 CELTIC BANDS FOR ST PATRICK'S DAY Whether you're a die-hard Celtic music fan or your interest tends to heat up more around St. Patrick's Day, we have a band for you! We've assembled 17 of them here for you to add to your holiday playlist, or to check out in your spare time. Each of them has earned a spot on the list because they have something special to offer, so take a listen—and enjoy! Read the blog. 44:16 - CLIP: Poitin “Dirty Old Town” from One For the Road 45:13 - Poitin “The Knife in the  Bread” from One For the Road 49:17 - INVESTING IN A GREEN ST PATRICK'S DAY It's fascinating how creative people are when it comes to finding innovative new ways to combat climate change. One of the more creative is through banking. The fossil fuel industry is funded by investors. What happens if investors refuse to invest in them because they don't want to support the fossil fuel industry? We will see greener energy. There's a campaign in the U.K. asking people to green their investments. Thinking about that I just migrated to a new Mutual Fund so that my money no longer supports Fossil Fuels. Yeah. My small mutual fund will not make a huge difference. But imagine if just you and I made this change and we had the exact same amount in our pension? What if 10 other people on my mailing list did the same? Or 30? Multiply your pension times 30 and we start to make a real impact. That's really what it takes. It takes each of us being aware and making small changes to force banks to stop investing in fossil fuels and start investing in the health of our planet. 52:34 - Marc Gunn “St Patrick Never Drank” from Kilted For Her Pleasure 54:50 - ALBUM GIVEAWAY CONT… 56:47 - Marc Gunn “Wild Mountain Thyme” from The Bridge 1:01:29 – CREDITS Thanks for listening to Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Every week, you'll get a new podcast or song or video or video concert. You'll also save 25% off all my merch in my store. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I'm performing. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #jiggy #poitin  

The departure of the Irish from Ireland in the 1800s had some tragic consequences. Jamie Haeuser's songs “Men of New Basin Canal” and “Bridget's Prayer” dig into that. So we're gonna dig into the songs and the album How America Saved Irish Music. Great news about my next album, Come Adventure With Me. Bandcamp now playlists. And learning to say no. This is Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories #266. 0:30 - Marc Gunn “Old Dun Cow” from St Patrick's Day 4:35 - WELCOME TO SCI FI PUB SONGS & STORIES This is the audio edition of my newsletter as well as the liner notes for the songs I record so that you can enjoy my music even more! And who am I? I am Marc Gunn. I'm a rhythm and folk Celtic musician living in Atlanta, Georgia. I play traditional Irish and Scottish drinking songs. But I'm also a songwriter. I write songs inspired by Celtic culture as well as songs inspired by pop culture, things like Lord of the Rings, Firefly, Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who and more. That's the reason one brewery I play called my music Sci F'Irish music. It's also why this is Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories. WHAT'S NEW St Patrick's Day music on Irish & Celtic Music Podcast 6:08 - UPCOMING SHOWS MAR 10: Tucker Brewing Company, Tucker, Ga @ 6:30-9:30 PM MAR 11: Pontoon Brewing, Tucker, Ga @ 3-6 PM MAR 15: St Patrick's Day Concert on Bandcamp @ 7 PM EST MAR 18: Pontoon Brewing, Sandy Springs, GA @ 12-3 PM MAR 18: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7-10 PM JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland 9:34 - Lauren Oxford “What Rings True” from Lauren Oxford 14:40 - IF YOU'RE WAITING TO COME ADVENTURE WITH ME… Then you don't have too much longer to wait. Well, assuming you were part of the Kickstarter. My engineer, Mitchell, sent me three songs last week. I listened to each of them while I was getting my car emissions tested. We spent the rest of the morning emailing and forth with mixes and edits. I love the result, and those are the final tracks for the album. I should have a track listing soon. I want to make sure we nail down the last of those songs. But I greenlighted Mitchell to start creating a song order so I could start listening. The other thing I finally did was come up with a couple Album Pin designs thanks to Miranda. I ran a poll on Patreon between two different designs: one a dragon and one a compass. It was a tight poll. They both are pretty fantastic. But as they say in Highlander: there can be only one! That's actually not at all true. I can do more. But for the Kickstarter, I went with the Compass design that reads: “Never Stop Adventuring”. I'll send that to the printers as soon as I have a track listing. Finally, I'm still on target for sending out the digital album to everyone on Kickstarter on March 17. Here's hoping! 21:10 - Marc Gunn “Whiskey in the Jar feat. Andrew McKee, The Irish Bard” from St Patrick's Day 24:26 - DOWNLOAD MY FREE EP You can download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email.  pubsong@celtfather You will get an auto responder with a link to download this month's album. You can also subscribe to the podcast if you're not already subscribed. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. 25:00 - STORY OF MEN OF NEW BASIN CANAL I was living in New Orleans in 2009 when I got a phone call from Jamie Haeuser. She was driving back from an Irish session in NOLA to her home in Robert, Louisiana across the causeway. She told me she had written lyrics for two songs. She asked if I'd set them to music. Of course, without hesitation, I said, “Yes! What are they about?” She then told me how the Causeway she was driving across had once been the New Basin Canal. It was a shipping canal from Lake Pontchartrain through swamp to booming uptown part of New Orleans. Work on the canal began in 1832. Almost immediately, they ran to problems. Yellow fever ravaged the workers. It was deemed too costly to use slaves to build the canal. So instead, the Irish immigrants were hired to build it. Many people don't realize that New Orleans was one of the top immigration points for the Irish behind New York and Boston. As a result, it's estimated that between 500-30,000 Irishmen died digging the New Basin Canal. No one knows for sure the exact number. Wikipedia suggests 8000 might be a more accurate number. But holy crap! But even a popular number of 8000 people dying to dig this canal is insane? So Jamie decided to write a song called “Men of New Basin Canal” to share their story. 26:43 - Marc Gunn & Jamie Haeuser “Men of New Basin Canal” from How America Saved Irish Music Here, we came to find a bit of land Land our fathers never had No land we found but only death From fever, the yellow jack The yellow jack, one day you're up The next you're in the grave A grave they call New Basin Canal For us six miles of pain * Heave ho, boyo, it's dig and death Heave ho, God help us all O‘Hanlan was the first to fall Then down went Mike O'Shea The boss called up and down the line For men to bear away The men who fell, hundreds a day Shook like a Mayo gale Too few there were to dig the trench Too few to bear away. Why is it Erin's sons are called When slaves they cannot spare When earth and water must be moved To make the rich man's share From lake to river to move the goods That make the rich men more Down we fall time and again And none to hear our prayer But we will rise, somehow, sometime To rule those who rule us We'll fight to o'ercome the loss Of thousands of Ireland's best We will be known as men who died Will live to make our mark The men of New Basin Canal Known as New Orleans own It's a powerful story. It had me mesmerized imagining the almost shanty style of work to dig the canal. So when I came up with the melody and chorus, that's the rhythm that I picked. Especially with her “Heave ho, boy”. It just screamed sea shanty. Later, Jamie and I recorded the song for our CD, How America Saved Irish Music. The one little thing I had to add to it was a crash symbol. You see, I have long thought this was a great sing and interact along. In particular, I always imagined clapping like this. Heave ho, boyo, it's dig and death [clap, clap] Heave ho, God help us all It gives it a great energy. But for the recording, I didn't want clapping. I wanted that crash symbol much like the one used in the song “Zombie” by The Cranberries. Jamie didn't stop at one song though. She also wrote “Bridget's Prayer.” It's basically the same story but it's from the perspective of women who watched their men die digging the canal. The ones buried them. It's another great song. Oh, Michael, please don't go today You're shakin' like a leaf We will make do, o stor, maron We will make do somehow I've washing in, I can do more Just don't go back, I pray It's death my darlin' one, I know It's death in that new canal I pray, in holy Bridget's name I pray, God help us all My babies need their father here My babies need you so Please don't go back, I know that you Will fall if go you do I can find work, I'll sew and wash ‘Till bloody my fingers are Just don't go back, oh, stor maron It's death in that new canal Oh, Michael love, I cannot live Without you, dearest heart Find other work, I care not what Find anything but that I cannot stand to see you fall Like our friends before have done Too many widows made too young It's death in that new canal A big thanks to TJ Barrens, our sound engineer, Doctor Sick, who provided fiddle and mandolin, and Katie Haeuser who shared some amazing background vocals for the album. 29:52 - INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE HAEUSER 49:27 - Marc Gunn & Jamie Haeuser “Bridget's Prayer” from How America Saved Irish Music 51:31 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. Every week, you get bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month and save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Alice M, Karla Ad, Triskele, Ayden B 52:25 - SAYING NO, EVEN IF IT'S INCLUDED Inara asked me to fill her juice bottle up to a certain line. No higher! I asked her why. She said it was because if she drinks more than that, then she'll get filled up and not be hungry for breakfast. I was blown away that at age 8, she already knows her limits. I might've learned that by 48… She also knew that it was too tempting if I gave her more than her limit. She might end up drinking it. Seth Godin wrote a blog recently about saying no, even if it's included. He concludes that “No might be better than free.” I've come to appreciate saying, “No,” a little bit more recently. I do it on those rare times I go eat fast food. “Do you want the meal?”. No. Not really. Thanks. But I'm also thinking of it in terms of environmentalism. The Album Pin printer I use, GS-JJ, automatically put each album pin in plastic when it is shipped. I really don't want those little pieces of plastic that encase each pin. It just occurred to me today, I can say, no. I can ask them to not put them in there. I bring canvas tote bags to the grocery store so I can bag the groceries myself and not take another plastic bag home with me. When I choose fruit and vegetables, I pick the ones that aren't in plastic bags. I get a little grossed out by putting them on the scanner. But then I wash them when I get home. I don't need more stuff in my life. If I buy it, it needs a reason to stick around. Sometimes that can be for pure enjoyment. Sometimes it's like you want to archive something you love, like many of you do with CDs or USBs. But most of the time it's gotta be something practical. So I do my best to say no. Obviously, I'm. not perfect. I don't do all of these things every time. But as long as I'm learning to say no to excess more than I say yes, I'll call that a win! What about you? What do you say “no” to? 1:00:57 - Brobdingnagian Bards “The Orange and The Green” from Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales We talk about AI on the next Brobdingnagian Bards Podcast. 1:03:22 - BANDCAMP APP NOW HAS PLAYLISTS One of the big reasons I started selling my music through Bandcamp was because of their app. Yes. You can download music as MP3s or whatever lossless format you prefer, but you can also stream the music through their app. But up until now, I could only listen to one album at a time from one artist at a time. No longer! You can now create your own playlists with music that you own. So if you've been buying my music on Bandcamp these past few years, head on over. Make your own playlist. Buy some merch while you're there. The full store opens up on Wednesday. And this Friday, March 3 is Bandcamp Friday, Bandcamp waives all of their fees. So I earn a little bit more from each purchase. It's prolly a good time to pick up some USBs to archive your music! Or get a ticket to my St Patrick's Day concert. If you love this episode, then take a screenshot on your phone. Post it on social media. And tag @celtfather. Tell me what you like about this episode and what you'd like to hear in the future. 1:06:02 - Marc Gunn “Tae the Begging” from St Patrick's Day 1:10:20 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Every week, you'll get a new podcast or song or video or video concert. You'll also save 25% off all my merch in my store. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I'm performing. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #stpatricksday #irishdisaspora

Happy Valentine's Day! I have a love song story to share with you from my newest CD, Selcouth. Find how my next album, Come Adventure With Me, is progressing. I added another February gig to my calendar. I share things no one ever told me about running. And is Arbor Day in February? This is Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories #265 0:24 - “Galway Shawl (live)” by Marc Gunn from Camping Trip 2022 6:13 - WELCOME TO SCI FI PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio edition of my newsletter as well as the liner notes for the songs I record. You can follow this show at PubSong.net or send an email to pubsong@celtfather to sign up and get the MP3s for my songs featured in this episode. 7:19 - UPCOMING SHOWS FEB 17: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7-10 PM MAR 10: Tucker Brewing Company, Tucker, Ga @ 6:30-9:30 PM MAR 15: St Patrick's Day Concert on Bandcamp @ 7 PM EST MAR 18: Pontoon Brewing, Sandy Springs, GA @ 1-4 PM MAR 18: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7-10 PM JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland WHAT'S NEW? Thanks to everyone on Patreon who voted for the next Internet Concert theme. Next month's theme is Irish music for St Patrick's Day. In April, we'll sing Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. Read the Daily Journal from my Celtic Invasion of Loch Lomond. Oh! Make sure you subscribe to Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories. I'm sharing songs I recorded on a camping trip last fall. They're kinda romantic too! 8:47 - COME ADVENTURE WITH ME… Is the title of my next album. I did a Kickstarter for it about this time last year. It was a huge success, fully funded a few days into the campaign. I gave myself until July to actually release the album to supporters. But that's not good enough. I'm gonna try to release the digital music to supporters by my birthday, March 17. Will that happen? We shall see. Right now, I have 8 songs fully completed. I have four more that are being edited. So I'm well on the way to completing it by that date. There are several other tracks. I still haven't come up with a good album pin idea. But I'm hopeful I can figure that out in the next few weeks. But I am super excited that the project is almost done. Because I have three other albums to work on: Dancing With Hobbits, Another Faire to Remember by Brobdingnagian Bards, and whatever the next album will be… I have an idea or two… 12:07 - “Wherever I May Roam (live)” by Marc Gunn from Selcouth 14:55 - DOWNLOAD MY FREE EP You can download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email.  pubsong@ celtfather You will get an auto responder with a link to download this month's album. You can also subscribe to the podcast if you're not already subscribed. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. 15:06 - WHEN SHE HELD ME IN HER ARMS In 2001, the Brobdingnagian Bards were performing at a lot of faires. Kansas City Renaissance Festival was one of the biggest and the coolest gig we had booked to that date. They paid us to fly to KC from Austin, Texas for several weekends. They put us up in a hotel. We hung out with 3 Pints Gone. We made a lot of new fans. We were even hired to perform at a wedding. I don't remember all of the details surrounding the writing of “When She Held Me In Her Arms”. But that festival stands out in my mind. I remember writing the song in the hotel after a long day at faire. It flowed out of me, filled with so much hope, love, and romance about finding true love and never turning back. Andrew and I recorded it shortly after that. We went into the studio. The Bards recording was decent enough, but the performance was way too fast. So it did not end up on A Faire to Remember or Songs of Ireland. But when I was trying to put together a compilation of music so we could book some wedding gigs, I added that song to A Celtic Renaissance Wedding. But I was never really happy with it as a recording. Nevertheless, I continued to sing the song over the years. When I met Gwen in 2009, I sang it to her at MileHiCon in Denver. She was living in Virginia at the time. But she flew to Colorado to be with me for that con. It took another five years before I recorded it again, and some years after that before I dug up the recording and the guitar additions by Daniel I Briggs before I finally sent it to Sam Gillogly to add fiddle. That was when I knew the song was finally done. I love the result. Best part about it for me is when I come to that line about “twenty years later I've not regretted a day.” Then I realize that Gwen and I are now on 13 years of marriage. Wow! Mind blown! And yup, no regrets! Here's the lyrics: When She Held Me In Her Arms Lyrics and music Marc Gunn Through a market, I wandered and prayed That I'd find me a woman I might marry some day. Well, I never dreamed when I prayed that prayer That the woman I longed for was standing there. When she held me in her arms that night, I held her close, and I held her tight. And I swore that day forth, I'd love her all of me life. When she held me in her arms that night. She smelled of the sweetest lilac skin. And I admit it now it drew me in Oh, her voice cast a spell I could not disobey. Every word was a river that swept me away. Oh, the market became a more beautiful place: The flowers more fragrant, and the clothing all lace. And her eyes, oh, her eyes! They begged me to stay And twenty years later, I've not regretted a day. 20:15 - “When She Held Me In Her Arms” by Marc Gunn from Selcouth 23:01 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. Every week, you get bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, or stories from the road. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month and save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Alice M, Karla A 23:55 - THINGS NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT RUNNING I started running right before the pandemic closed everything down in 2000. It made a huge impact on my life. But I also realized that most everything I knew about running was wrong! You don't have to warm up before running. I know. This sounds like sacrilege. But I don't like flexing and stretching before I run. Instead, I just start walking. That's all the warm up I need. You don't have to run constantly. Just because you say you're going for a run doesn't mean you are running non-stop. It's tiring. So I walk. Some days I walk a LOT. Other days a rarely stop. But almost always walk on my “run”. Run up hills for an extra workout. One of my running mates set this idea in my head. You can't walk up a hill. You have to run up it. Hills are now my favorite part of my run. Shoes don't need to be tight. I spent the first year trying to get my shoes to fit “right”. I tightened them, cut off the circulation. It was miserable. Now, they are fairly snug. But not tight. Get good running shoes. That really helps a lot, especially if you're running on pavement, which is the easiest, most-accessible way to run. You'll also need to replace them at least once a year depending on how much you run. Listen to podcasts to stay entertained while running. My biggest challenge with running before I got AirPods was staying entertained. Podcasts make a huge difference. Most days, I enjoy the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. But many days, I use it as a time to catch up on whatever my podcast of the moment is. Some days it's okay just to walk. Going back to not running constantly. If you're tired or just uninspired. It's okay to walk. Take it easy. Stroll. You'll get back to it soon enough. Running is the best way to lose weight. I've never been overweight. But when I finally started running, the aerobic activity is what finally got me in control of how much I weighed. Wireless Headphones are the best. One of my excuses for not exercising years ago was those dang dangly headphone wires. When I finally got wireless headphones, my world was changed. Humidity matters for temperature. This morning the temperature was 39 degrees. But with 78% humidity, it felt like 31 degrees. What a big difference whether you're hot or cold. How should you dress? Again humidity matters. But here's a rough guide for cold weather. Wear short sleeves and shorts when the temperature is in the 60s. Long sleeve and shorts in the 50s. Long sleeve and long pants in the 40s. And of course, make sure your head is covered and maybe an extra shirt in the 30s. You can read more of my thoughts on it in my blog. 35:35 - “Naked” by Marc Gunn from Camping Trip 2022 38:27 - ARBOR DAY IN FEBRUARY? National Arbor Day is celebrated in April.  What you may not know is that each state celebrates Arbor Day from January to May depending on the regional season for planting trees. The State of Georgia celebrates its Arbor Day on the third Friday in February. It is a day to reflect on the importance of trees in our state and across our nation. Scientific research is increasingly adding to the evidence that trees are essential to global environmental health. So go plant a tree, play outside, enjoy the beauty of trees, create art inspired by trees, or honor trees in any way that pleases you! That's all according to Trees Atlanta. When is your state's Arbor Day? Oh! Mark your calendar for April 29. I'm going back to The Lost Druid. But I'm not doing it the regular way. I'm biking there. If you're able to bike there or carpool or reduce your own environmental impact that day, as well, that'd be brilliant. Come join us! If you love this episode, then share it with a friend. You can send one of the MP3s from your EP of the Month or just ask them to listen to the show. Maybe tell them one thing that really inspired you. Just spread the word. 42:00 - “When She Held Me In Her Arms” by Brobdingnagian Bards from A Celtic Renaissance Wedding 44:27 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Every week, you get a new podcast or song or video or concert. You'll also save 25% off all my merch in my store. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and find out where I'm performing. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #runningtips #valentinesday

The itinerary for my Celtic Invasion of Westport, Ireland is now online. Find out what my Firefly song, “Blue Sun”, has to do with Monopoly and Walmart. Get an Atlanta Food Recommendation. Then go out to eat with your own Celtery. This is Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories #264. 0:20 - Kilted Kings “Blue Sun” from Flower of Scotland WELCOME TO SCI FI PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio edition of my newsletter as well as the liner notes for the songs I record. You can follow this show at PubSong.net or send an email to pubsong@celtfather to sign up and get the MP3s for my songs featured in this episode. 3:10 - WHAT'S NEW: A NEW SHOW NAME One of my weaknesses is sometimes I have to try something before I can see how effective it is. The past two episodes were called Atlanta Pub Songs & Stories because I wanted and still want to highlight things around Atlanta, where I currently live. The problem is I wasn't sure what to do. Yes. I have a food recommendation coming up. But when I put myself in the shoes of potential listeners, like you, I just don't see the Atlanta part as being useful for reaching an audience. More than likely, you're interested in Sci Fi, fantasy, Celtic music and culture, or pop culture because that is what I do. Atlanta is not as essential to the music story even though most of my shows are located in this city. And so, I'm pleased to introduce Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories. 5:15 - UPCOMING SHOWS FEB 9: Drinking Songs Concert on Bandcamp @ 7 PM ET FEB 11: Pontoon Brewing, Sandy Springs, GA @ 12-3 PM JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland 6:25 - CELTIC INVASION OF WESTPORT, IRELAND This June, I'm bringing a small group of people to Westport, Ireland. I'd like you to join me. Westport is part of the Wild Atlantic Way. That's a spectacular, scenic route from Irishowen in County Donegal all the way down the west coast of Ireland to Kinsale in County Cork. It's broken up into 14 stages, two of which are in the area we are staying, Achill Island and Clew Bay, and Westport to Clifden. 5 Things You Should Do in County Mayo, Ireland Go to Matt Malloy's Pub in Westport. Visit Westport House and take a train around town to get to know the history behind the Irish of County Mayo Hike up Croagh Patrick, This pilgrimage area has a story that St. Patrick himself scaled this mountain and fasted atop it for 40 days way back in 441 AD. It's definitely a revered site in this area of the country, and can make for a great stop on any trip to the region. Take a boat out to Clare Island to visit O'Malley Castle, one of the castles owned by the Pirate Queen, Grace O'Malley. Take pictures all along the Wild Atlantic Way. I completed the itinerary for the trip and already I think I scheduled way too much. There are so many fine castles, cliffs, and amazing things to see, not to mention the time I hope to spend in Matt Malloy's listening to music. It's gonna be an incredible trip. I still have space for just two more people. If you'd like to join me in Ireland, hear me perform live in your living room, you won't be sorry. It's gonna be spectacular. Check out the itinerary for the Celtic Invasion Vacations of Ireland 2023 and drop me an email to let me know that you want to go! 10:35 - Marc Gunn & Jamie Haeuser “Gypsy Rover” from How America Saved Irish Music 13:50 - DOWNLOAD MY FREE EP You can download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email to pubsong@ celtfather. You will get an auto responder with a link to download this month's album. You can also subscribe to the podcast if you're not already subscribed. It's quick and easy. While you're emailing me to get your free EP, let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. 14:35 - STAND AGAINST BLUE SUN CORPORATION AND GET LOCAL I loved Monopoly as a kid. I taught Kenzie it. After just two games, I was kinda done. The game drags on just way too long. Unfortunately, Kenzie is not done with it. She loves it and makes us play as often as we will let her. So I finally figured out how to endure the game. It's a quick win or lose strategy. If you're lucky enough to buy all the property as soon as possible, then demolish and win. If you're not, do your best to lose and get out of the game as soon as possible. Kind of sad. But that's what a monopoly is. If you learned about early 20th century monopolies, it wasn't much better. In fact, the woman who created the game was trying to teach people the evils of monopolies. Yet, we haven't learned. The government allowed Live Nation to create a monopoly of concert venues. Ticket sales for Taylor Swift's summer tour busted their online system. Well, actually, it was already busted thanks to bootleggers. Monopolies are one of the reasons I finished “Blue Sun”. But the song actually goes back before that, all the way back to the writing of “Monahan's Mudder's Milk”. That's when I wrote the chorus. Blue Sun. Blue Sun Another corporation with their hand on the gun Blue Sun. Blue Sun. Free yourself to run from Blue Sun. Blue Sun is the corporation in the TV show Firefly with a seemingly nefarious background. You see their imagery on Jayne's shirt, on the docks of Persephone, and other places. The blue color makes me think of the Two by Two, Hands of Blue from the episode Ariel. I can't help but wonder if a connection is there. It feels to me like Blue Sun is a monopoly that largely is in control or at least has a big blue hand in their Alliance government. And because they have a monopoly, they can do what they want. They can also destroy what they want all in the name of profit for their investors. I did my best to come up with what a bully corporation would do. That's what the first two verses are all about. It's about subjugating the people they are supposed to “serve”. They terraformed the lands of many fine worlds Then bloodied our hands with our boys and our girls They offered us cans of food that curdled And piled on chains by the ton. You see their emblem emblazoned on crates On walls, on wombs, even on your dates You may fall victim to their seductive gaze So raise up your hands to shun Now we come to the final idea that motivated writing this song. My family is from a small town in East Texas. It was never a super vibrant town. As a kid, it looked like they stopped growing as a community in prolly the 40s or 50s. But they did have a downtown area. That downtown area disappeared when Walmart moved in. Walmart's strategy was to build a big store on the edge of town. It offered low, low prices, on everything. We were all thrilled. That's where I first experienced the store. I loved it. Before long, the downtown of our local community was closed down. You've prolly heard the term “Buy Local”. It took a while for me to understand that idea. The fact is that we need to support our local community if we want to see it thrive and grow. Much like “Monahan's”, this song turns into a Woody Guthrie style protest song against corporations. Their manacles we'll cast off our tired wrists. Their suits we'll pummel with our bloodied fists Cut through the red tape and expunge the vile cyst That cripples our will to run So raise up your voice and shout to the firm Let those who control know what it feels like to squirm Their products we won't buy, but oh they shall burn For this is their will undone I love the imagery in these verses. It is very down-to-earth. And fierce. Complete with burning their products in protest. I made two recordings of this song. The Kilted Kings version features Randy Wothke on percussion. The As Long As I'm Flyin' version has Lyrics and music Marc Gunn Marc Gunn: autoharp, vocals Daniel Briggs: bass, mandolin, octave mandolin, vocals LT Panzarella: dumbek So I wrote, this song, not just as  a stance against corporations but also as a stance FOR small businesses, local organizations and companies and individuals and bands 24:25 - Marc Gunn “Blue Sun” from As Long As I'm Flyin' 26:50 - THANK YOU GUNN RUNNERS! The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. Every week, you get bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, or blogs. Plus, you get weekly access to my Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month and save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Emil Volcheck, Bob Harford, Marguerite Kearns, Matt Van Zandt, Chrys Barnette, Eric Eller, Kain Thrace, Jan Czenkusch 28:01 - ATLANTA THAI FOOD RECOMMENDATION My wife and friends tried going to a Trivia night with friends last Sunday. The one that looked most promising was in Sandy Springs. So we drove 30 minutes over there only to find the place was very smoky. Something I'm not big on. Happily, we were close to Pontoon Brewing Company. We stopped and had a drink while we picked a place to have dinner. We were all tired from the day. One of the closest places that sounded interesting was a Thai food restaurant. We drove over to Sweet Chili Thai Cuisine. I love Thai but never have I loved it as much as I loved it here. There were four of us. We had four appetizers, three meals and two desserts. Every, single, dish, was, AMAZING! The coconut soup was so creamy and delicious. They recommended Curry Puffs and WOW! The Basil Rolls were so fresh. The Nom Sod was delicious. Drunken Noodles, Spicy Green Beans, and Chef's Catfish special. Omg! They apparently just opened six months ago. So now is the time to go. Because this food was incredible. Oh! And the price was very reasonable for Thai food. Go check out Sweet Chili Thai Cuisine. 31:26 - Marc Gunn “Botany Bay” from Going for Brogue 34:36 - ARE YOU CARRYING YOUR OWN CELTLERY? You heard that right—Celtlery. I'm looking for more eco-friendly merch that I can create and sell at shows. I finally packaged up one such item-Travel Celtlery. How many times do you go to a lower-end restaurant where they give you a small plastic bag filled with plastic cutlery and a napkin that smells like pepper. You know what I'm talking about. I find this so frustrating because no matter how many times I order out and I tell them no silverware is needed, they bring it. What do we do with that stuff. You open it up. The plastic bag is not easily recycled. The plasticware usually goes straight into the trash. One of the things I'm trying to teach myself to do is to bring my own cup and cutlery so I don't have to use more plastic than I have to. That's why I'm trying out selling Travel Celtlery. This is a small bag to hold bambooware that you can take with you so you too don't have to add to the plastic problem that is destroying our planet. Right now, I have a small handful of Celtlery Bags in my store. What do you think of the idea? Want your own? Shop for Celtlery now! Oh! Shortly after writing this, I found a downloadable guide from Beyond Plastics about how to reduce plastic use at restaurants. If you love this episode, then take a screenshot on your phone. Post it on social media. And tag @celtfather. Tell me what you like about this episode and what you'd like to hear in the future. 38:08 - Marc Gunn with Mikey Mason “Tough Times” from Selcouth Listen to the Tough Times episode. 42:05 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Sci Fi Pub Songs & Stories. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Every week, you'll get a new podcast or song or video or video concert. You'll also save 25% off on all my merch in my store. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Subscribe and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to read the show notes for this episode and get notified when I'm next performing near you. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #fireflytvshow #irelandtravel

Was Robert Burns a Vulcan? Learn more about one of the most-famous songs by the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns. Get ready for the pub that's not really a pub. Catch a bus at a Buzz Stop. It might help beautify your neighborhood and fight climate change. 0:20 - “Ride On” from Flower of Scotland by Kilted Kings 4:40 - WELCOME TO ATLANTA PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio liner notes for the songs I record and play and for the stories I gather and the people I meet in the city of Atlanta. It's also the audio edition of my newsletter. You can subscribe at pubsong.net, you'll get the written version of this podcast, along with quick access links to many of the stories listed I'm telling you about. 5:10 - WHAT'S NEW? Interviewed Heather Dale at GaFilk Check out the Folk on Foot podcast Kilts, Celts and Rock'n'Roll on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast 2022 Year in Review Atlanta Irish & Celtic Music Free Irish Music Published my Daily Journal from Celtic Invasion of Loch Lomond, Scotland 7:40 - “She's Shiny” from As Long As I'm Flyin' 11:56 - MAGGIE MCGUINNESS PUB Maggie McGuinness Pub is not your typical Irish pub. Not unless your typical Irish pub is located in the basement of an Irish American home in the suburbs of Hunstville, Alabama. “To The Irish!” That's their slogan. And you best be ready to shout when the time comes. Aside from that, the Pub is just a fun place to play. For over a decade, I have packed that basement, decorated to look the most-traditional of Irish pubs. I am excited to return there once again in January. 12:50 - UPCOMING SHOWS Here are some more shows happening this month: JAN 21: Maggie McGuinness Pub, Huntsville, AL @ 7 PM JAN 25: Coffee with The Celtfather on YouTube @ 10:30 AM EST JAN 28: The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates @ 6:30-9:30 PM FEB 11: Pontoon Brewing, Sandy Springs, GA @ 12-3 PM JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland Is there a venue that you think I should perform at? Please let me know about it. I'm looking for new places to play this year. Maybe there's a spot near you. And if you live in the Atlanta area, then it's even more possible. Let's make it happen! 13:35 - “Loch Lomond” from Selcouth 16:27 - GREEN GROW THE RASHES I got a t-shirt at a Highland Games as a kid. It read, “Spock is a Scot.” I never understood that until I heard Scottish singer, Ed Miller, introduce “Green Grow the Rashes”. He joked, “I know a Scotsman who loved a woman so much. He almost told her.” The joke is that Scots are not very emotional. And yet, this song by Scotland's National Poet, Robert Burns, is one of the most beautiful, touching, and emotional songs ever written. There's naught but care on every hand, In every hour that passes, O! What signifies the life o' man, And 'twere not for the lasses O? * Green grow the rashes O! Green grow the rashes O! The sweetest hour that e'er I spent Were spent among the lasses O! The war'ly race may riches chase, And riches may soon fly them, O! And tho at last they catch them fast, Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O! But gie me a cannie hour at e'en My arms about my dearie, O! And war'ly cares and worldly men, May all gae tapsalteerie, O! For you sae douce wha sneer at this, Ye're not but senseless asses, O! The wisest man the world e'er saw, He dearly loved the lasses, O! Auld Nature swears the lovely dears, Her noblest work she classes, O! Her apprentice hand she tried on man, And then she made the lasses, O! I don't remember who I learned this song from. But I've always been a hopeful romantic. I loved it. Brobdingnagian Bards performed it regularly even before we recorded it for our album, Real Men Wear Kilts. However, I do remember Royce Perry was an inspiration for recording that CD. Royce was the head of Clan Gunn in Texas. He was excited to have a Gunn singing Scottish songs for our clan. He was So very encouraging. I remember his gentle smile the most. It was very kind as he listened. It was us performing  this song that really made him happiest. So when I finally re-recorded it for Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion. He was in my thoughts. Just read those lyrics and you'll understand. Well, if you understand basic Scots. Robert Burns was apparently quite a ladies' man. He said what was most important in life was spending time with a lady. The worldly man chases money. Money is fleeting and short lived. Just give me an hour with a woman. All the cares in the world will disappear. The last verse is my favorite. Nature did some great things. She even made man while she was an apprentice. But then she mastered the art and created women. How perfect! I don't play this song nearly enough these days since I have quite a few beautiful ballads. But it definitely stands out in my mind as being exceptional. It's also a great song to sing at your annual Burns Supper. These are fancy dinners that celebrate the poetry of Robert Burns. Read more about Robert Burns on Wikipedia. You can listen to it on my Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion album on Bandcamp. The CD is in my Mage Records Store from February 1-10. 22:20 - “Green Grow the Rashes” from Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion 26:34 - DOWNLOAD MY FREE EP You can download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email.  pubsong@celtfather You will get an auto responder with a link to download this month's album. You can also subscribe to the podcast if you're not already subscribed. It's quick and easy. But this is a free gift just for listening to the audio edition of my newsletter. Let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. 27:02 - WATCH BURNS DAY SING ALONG Three years ago, I played a Coffee with The Celtfather while I was still living in Birmingham. The show was dedicated to Robert Burns. It's no longer publicly available. But you can watch it because you're subscribed to my newsletter. Thank you! Watch Robert Burns Sing Along. BTW. If you enjoy shows like this, Coffee with The Celtfather is still going. However, it's not exclusively available in the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. The show starts back this Wednesday, January 18. But there will be a public show available on the 25th. Just remember the time moved up 30 minutes to 10:30. 28:30 - “The Moonshiner” from Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion 30:42 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast and my music, please join the Club. You get 4-10 new things every month. That includes bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, stories from the road, and access to Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month. And you can save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: 31:20 - EMAIL CLEAN UP I love email. It is the absolute best way for me us to communicate. Unfortunately, if I send an email and there are a lot of dead email addresses on my list, then email servers get suspicious. They dump my emails into spam or promotional folders. That's why I did some email clean up last week. If you're subscribed to my newsletter and regularly open an email. Then you're all good. But if you don't… then I might've sent you an email saying, “Goodbye”. Those who didn't respond were unsubscribed. Hopefully, this will mean those of you who want to hear from me will. I thank you for that. 32:27 - READ. HAVE YOU HEARD OF BUZZ STOPS? This is cool. A bunch of bus shelters are converting their roofs to be green. They are filled with plants that attract pollinators, like bees. The idea began in The Netherlands and spread to Sweden, Denmark, and now the UK. The idea is to offer a new way to support these vulnerable insects. Plus, it makes the city a bit prettier. I've long thought that every the office buildings should have a garden on their rooftop to make the city more beautiful and to offer new ways to fight climate change. Is this something that could work for your community? You can read more about it here. I learned about this from The Daily Difference. It's a newsletter by the Carbon Almanac with practical tips on how to fight climate change, one action at a time. 34:22 - LISTEN. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SCI F'IRISH SONGS? I'm still working on this Spotify playlist. But I need your help. This could be something great. What are some great Sci F'Irish songs that should be added? Listen to Sci F'Irish music. Send me your song request. I'll send you access to the EP OF THE MONTH that I'm releasing as part of Atlanta Pub Songs & Stories. There's a new EP every month. 35:19 - “Flower of Scotland” from Flower of Scotland by Kilted Kings 37:55 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. You can also subscribe to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you'll get more stories behind several of my most-popular songs. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #robertburns  

There are demons beneath your bed that are gonna eat you up this year. I am unofficially performing at GaFilk this weekend in Atlanta. And I count down the Best Celtic Bands of 2022. This is Atlanta Pub Songs & Stories #262.   0:16 - “The Prettiest Hobbit” by Kilted Kings from Flower of Scotland 2:08 - WELCOME TO ATLANTA PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic and folk musician living in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the audio liner notes for the songs I record and play and for the stories I gather and the people I meet in the city of Atlanta and beyond. This is the first episode as an Atlanta-centric podcast. Hopefully, I can do it justice. 4:26 - WHAT IS GAFILK? Filk is the music of fandom. The name started as a misspelling of folk music that was happening at science fiction conventions back in the 60s. GaFilk, or Georgia Filk, is a convention that happens every year here in Atlanta, Georgia. I was first introduced to it when Brobdingnagian Bards was invited as a Super Secret Guest. We were still performing together in Austin. It's a different kind of convention. There aren't a whole bunch of panels on your favorite fandoms. It's all about the music… and the people. Folks from all over the nation gather together to sing songs inspired by science fiction, fantasy, parodies, and just geek out together. And it's a RelaxaCon. It's super laid back. I've been a guest about three times, including with the Bards. This year, I'm just going for fun. But I'll have CDs and album pins and will do my best to entertain you when it's my turn in the filk circle. 6:50 - UPCOMING SHOWS Here are some more shows happening this month: JAN 6-8: GaFilk, Atlanta, GA JAN 12: Internet Concert with Special Guest @ 6:30 PM EST JAN 21: Maggie McGuinness Pub, Huntsville, AL @ 7 PM JAN 28: The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates @ 6:30-9:30 PM JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland 10:06 - Altan "Dúlamán" from Island Angel 13:45 - JOIN THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast and my music, please join the Club. You get 4-10 new things every month. That includes bonus podcasts, downloadable songs, printed sheet music, blogs, stories from the road, and access to Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. Sign up for as little as $5 per month. And you can save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Rich C, Janice G, Emil V, Bob H, Marguerite K 14:42 - COUNTDOWN OF TOP 10 CELTIC BANDS OF 2022? I was listening to a podcast called Hit Parade. They talk about the hits. The host is a Charts Nerd. Like me, he listened to Casey Kasem's Top 40 Hits back in the 80s. I wasn't quite as obsessed as he was. But I did love the show. My interest in charts really took off in the early 2000s when the Brobdingnagian Bards were topping the charts. I was able to figure out the system and how to maximize our success there. So now I have Two Charts that I keep track of each year. One is the Celtic Top 20. This is the last episode of the year of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I highlight fan votes for the top 20 songs and tunes of all of the episodes of the year. The second is my organic pick of the Top 10 Celtic Bands. Meaning, these are the bands I played the most. I didn't plan to play any band more than any other. But I did. You can read the blog, Top 10 Celtic Bands of 2022, on my website. You can also check out my 5 Celtic Bands to Watch in 2023. 24:37 - DOWNLOAD MY FREE EP You can download all of my songs in this show. Just send me an email.  pubsong@celtfather You can let me know what you're doing while listening to this episode. I'd love to hear from you. You will get an auto responder with a link to download this month's album. Please subscribe to the podcast if you're not already subscribed. It's quick and easy. And just like this Free EP, it is FREE! 25:38 - “Biddy Mulligan” by Banshee in the Kitchen from Last Pint - NOT 31:38 - STORY OF CLOSE YOUR EYES & REAVERS LULLABY One of my most-popular songs since 2009 is a song called "Close Your Eyes". It's commonly known as "The Demon Lulllaby". The song was written in 2003 by filker, Daniel Glasser. It won Best Comedy Song in the 2008 Pegasus Awards. That's also the year I first heard the song. It was a I-Con Science Fiction Convention in Stony Brook, New York. I remember those filk circles fairly well. Now if you're not familiar with the word filk, that is the music of fandom. It's the music you hear at science fiction conventions. The word was first used as a misprint of folk music that was happening at conventions back in the '50s. I guess con goers liked the term, because next thing you know, filk circles exploded. The filk circles at I-Con were my first. My old band, Brobdingnagian Bards, were invited to be guests at I-Con back in 2002, I believe. I saw Emerald Rose was performing there and thought, "why on earth is a Celtic band like us playing at science fiction convention". So I booked us and realize con goers love Celtic music, and that we were also playing filk, with songs like "Do Virgins Taste Better" and "If I Had A Million Ducats". Any case, we were invited to the I-Con Filk Circle. We sang our songs and began building an audience. 2008 was our last year at the convention before we broke up. I don't remember who sang "Close Your Eyes". But I loved it. After we parted ways, I did an internet search to find the song. Lo and behold, I found it on the Pegasus Awards website. I contacted Daniel Glasser and asked if I could record the song. He was extremely generous to say yes. I had never played the song live when I recorded it in January 2009 for my CD Kilted For Her Pleasure on the North Shore in Louisiana at my friend Jamie Haeuser's house. Jamie recorded percussion on a couple of tracks for that album. As a lullaby, I kept the song pretty barebones, just me and the autoharp. And it worked. As I played it at shows, it was an immediate favorite. "The demons in your bed are gonna eat you up". One of my most-memorable moments was performing it a giant ballroom at Dragon Con in 2009. The stage was simple with me dressed in my black kilt, long hair flowing, the enormous sideburns, and an autoharp as I sang the song, pausing for comedic effect. (YouTube video)The audience was in tears by the end. It was a brilliant start to my solo career. The song was an obvious hit. I'm gonna play the song for you right now. And then I'll share the filk of the song in a moment. 37:10 - "Close Your Eyes" by Marc Gunn from Kilted For Her Pleasure 40:51 - STORY OF REAVER'S LULLABY In 2010, my first daughter was born--Kenzie. Having a daughter made this song even better. Not only do I like singing it to her. But there's no better way of finishing the song and stating, "If you enjoy this song, then your CD purchases help to pay for my daughter's therapy when she grows up." And it's true. Your purchases do help to pay for her therapy. So please.... Well, if she wasn't disturbed, then she has been when I filked the filk. I think it was 2014 when I first filked "Close Your Eyes". The song was already popular at my many shows. I started performing it at my Firefly Drinking Songs show at Gen Con the year before. It was well-loved. Now when I'm up on stage, I'm always looking to use things from the moment to include in the show. Some people complain about hecklers. I don't think I've ever met a heckler I didn't like. They just give me ammo to improve my show. The year before "Close Your Eyes" was a hit. But could I make it funnier? “Close your eyes and sleep There are... reavers in your dreams.” Reavers! Hey that works! I remember thinking. The reavers in your bed... I can't tell you why I decided to change the next line. But the response was mind-blowing. “The reavers in your bed… Are gonna eat your face!” The room erupted. Those who knew the original song already thought it was funny. But the visual of the horrifying reavers eating someone's face... well, it worked! Over the next few years, I tried changing the lyrics more to suit Firefly, but they never really came. Meanwhile, several Browncoats kept asking, "when are going to record that song?!" I set a Milestone on Patreon in 2017. If I raised enough money, I would record the song for a short EP. The goal was met. I sat down to record the song and ended up recording a whole bunch of Firefly songs. Lo and behold I had a new album. The album is called As Long As I'm Flyin'. It will be officially released on March 6, 2018. March is the only month that you will be able to buy a physical copy of the album online for the foreseeable future. So mark your calendar. If you want a download of the album, along with a bunch of notes about it, become a Patron of music. JOIN THE GUNN RUNNERS CLUB ON PATREON! You'll be able to buy it everywhere online. And you can stream it through Spotify. I would deeply appreciate it if you would help me spread the word. You can share this podcast. Of course, my previous Firefly album with Bedlam Bards, Firefly Drinking Songs, is on sale. If you ever wanted to experience what it's like going to a pub in Canton on Higgin's Moon, you want to own this album. 48:26 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Atlanta Pub Songs & Stories. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the show wherever you find podcasts. O can also subscribe to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you'll more stories behind several of my most-popular songs. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #celticmusic #top20

Little Lego Loki, Wizard Rock and more stories from The Blibbering Humdingers and Hawthorn and Holly. This is Pub Songs & Stories show #261. 0:13 - “A Man's A Man For A' That” from Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion 2:56 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio liner notes for the songs I record and play. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast and my music, please join the Club. You'll get new stuff every week. You'll get bonus podcasts, be able to download songs featured in this show, print sheet music, and access to Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. You get a lot for as little as $5 per month. And you can save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Rich C, Janice G 3:45 - UPCOMING SHOWS DEC 10: Pontoon Brewing, Sandy Springs, GA @ 2:00 – 5:00 PM DEC 17: Three Taverns Craft Brewery, Decatur, GA @ 12:30 – 3:00 PM JUN 3-10: Celtic Invasion Vacations, County Mayo, Ireland 4:27 - WHAT'S NEW? Once again, I am changing the podcast name. But not much. Look for the name: Atlanta Pub Songs & Stories with Marc Gunn You'll see the name change in the next episode, which will come out in 2023. The content won't change. This is still the audio liner notes for my music. But I want to add a little bit more content where I talk about and promote things I love in Atlanta. That will include talk about the breweries, conventions, and festivals that I perform at. I'll also talk about things I find and love in Atlanta. So I hope you'll stick around. Second, you can download all of my songs in this show each month. Just send me an email.  You'll get an autoresponder where you can subscribe to the podcast, and you'll get a special link to download all of the songs in the show. Email me.  pubsong@celtfather MASTODON I signed up to a new social media account on Mastodon. While I'm still not a fan of social media, signing up here reminded me about why I first signed up and even enjoyed social media way back when. 7:50 - STORIES FROM CONJURATION I returned to CONjuration this year. Once again, I recorded a live episode of this podcast with stories not just by me, but also by two friends, The Blibbering Humdingers and Hawthorn and Holly. 9:56 - “Blink” by Marc Gunn 15:23 - “Little Lego Loki” by The Blibbering Humdingers 23:03 - “Love Will Get Us There” by Hawthorn and Holly 29:47 - “I Lose Myself” by The Blibbering Humdingers 34:59 - “At the End of the Night” by Hawthorn and Holly 44:34 - “Doctor of Gallifrey” by Marc Gunn I hope you enjoyed the show. This is the last episode of 2022. Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the regular show wherever you find podcasts. You can also subscribe to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you'll get more stories behind several of my most-popular songs. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories

Why do cats knock stuff off tables? I think I figured out the answer. I share it with my story and song about the Mingulay Cat Song. It's Pub Songs & Stories #260. Marc Gunn "There Are No Pubs in Kirkintilloch" from Scottish Songs of Drinking & Rebellion WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio liner notes for the songs I record and play. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast and my music, please join the Gunn Runners Club. You'll get something new every week: sheet music, access to Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts, bootleg concerts, behind the scenes photos and videos, and even download songs featured in this show. You get a lot for as little as $5 per month. And you can save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Zak H, Kain T 0:56 - UPCOMING SHOWS NOV 19: Three Taverns Brewery, Decatur, GA @ 12:00-1:30 PM NOV 19: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7:00-10:00 PM DEC 2: The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 6:30-9:30 PM JUN 3-10, 2023: Celtic Invasion of County Mayo and Pirate Queen, Ireland 1:34 - CLOSING UP SHOP I'm doing something different this year. I'm not doing any Black Friday discounts or sales, like all of the marketers encourage musicians to do. I know I've done them in the past. But I've never been comfortable doing that as you might've heard in a past podcast I did about the Ethics of Black Friday. What it boils down to is that I prefer celebrating the day after Thanksgiving as Buy Nothing Day. A day to fight back against consumerism. So for that reason, I'm closing down all physical sales on Friday, November 18. If you go to my store on Bandcamp. You will not be able to buy any CDs, shirts, album pins, songbooks or whatever else I have there. You can still buy digital downloads, but everything else will be gone. I will reopen the story on December 1. But only for a few days. I've been considering my environmental impact. Someone suggested that if you only ship products in a shorter time span, it's better for the environment, which makes sense to me. 2:46 - “Nancy Whiskey” from St Patrick's Day 4:47 - FAVORITE BEERS FROM THE LOST DRUID Come join me on Friday, Dec 2 at The Lost Druid Brewery. 10:30 - "There's a Bug in Cabin Six" from As Long as I'm Flyin' 12:43 - WHAT'S NEW? It's been eleven since I last posted an episode of the Cat Lovers Podcast. Seems like only yesterday. That's not true at all. It feels like 11 years. I thought about rebooting it. But I decided instead to do this special feature on Cats and Celtic music. That's because I released a new album this year. It's called Selcouth. Which means when everything is strange and different yet you find it marvelous anyway. It's also the reason I released a new song on the album which I'll talk about in a bit. But first, I want to thank a few of my Celtic Cat Fans on Patreon. I sent out a call and these amazing folks responded. Don Rice is from Moorhead, MN. He writes: “Definitely a cat lover, as we have owned many. Two currently- Chessie and Napoleon, both Grey striped tabbies. I'm a member of Poitin Band and a sci-fi lover as well.” You can find them on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Kelly Melville said: "My 11 year old daughter Lorraine Melville (from Hampton, GA) is the biggest cat and cat song fan in our family. We all are, but she's the one who has a bunch of your cat songs memorized and sings them to our cat. It would be a super fun surprise to hear her name in the podcast. She recently lost her first cat that she named White Tickle Ninja when she was 4 because as a kitten he would hide around corners and jump out to attack our toes with his tickly little paws. He loved people, and would run meowing up to everyone he saw, even complete strangers, in the hopes of food or pets. I think he thought he was a dog. He would wag his little stub of a tail when we played with him, pant, and even play fetch with balled socks. Ninja was the boss of the house, but our other cat Sherlock is the sneaky one who figured out how to open doors and one day set off our burglar alarm and brought the cops out to the house." Marie from Centennial, Colorado said, “My kitty is Annie. She will be 18 in July. I rescued her in August 2020, at age 16 and just under 7 pounds. She is the sweetest little thing and has a voracious appetite! They told me that they didn't think she was hungry but rather just liked to eat. (Really??!!) Well, I took her to a vet for a wellness check, naturally, and she had hypothyroidism pretty badly. We put her on medicine and she has been getting better. She runs to greet me when I get home from work and sleeps beside me every night. When I'm home doing paperwork or watching TV, she sits in my chair beside me and sprawls out with her front legs over my one leg. See you at DragonCon then Kentucky!” Finally, Carol Baril keeps the Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers group on Facebook going strong by sharing cat memes. She's out of Acworth, GA in the Atlanta area. She has a favorite cat video guy on YouTube she watches. “He is my go to guy for all things CATS!” She shared a video from Jackson Galaxy on playing with your cat! Check out these Kitties from Annie: If you want to join these amazing Gunn Runners, join the Club. 16:12 - “Lord of the Pounce” from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers 20:31 - WHAT'S NEW WITH MY CATS? Since last I podcasted, my oldest daughter is 12 and my youngest is now 7. Sadly, all four of our cats we had when my wife and I first met have passed away. Rainey was the last one, just last year. Two years ago, we adopted two kittens that a friend found in their apartment parking lot in Birmingham. Pompeii is an ash-colored tabby boy who's grown quite enormous. He likes to meow at us at about 4 AM every morning when we don't lock him up. Though he's an indoor cat, he loves to run out the back door when he can to take in the sights and smells. Emmie is his sister. She looks a lot like him except she's smaller by a third and has brown fur. But their markings are very similar. Emmie loves playing fetch. And if you ever hear me podcasting and a cat starts begging for attention, it's usually Emmie. She loves to play, but she does not love it when I pick her up. She's fine when Kenzie picks her up, but not me. We have two new kittens in our house. A different friend from Birmingham had a cat that just gave birth. Gwen volunteered to help get them adopted. So he brought them over at the end of April. All but one are spoken for. Soooo we decided to keep him. Thorne Murder Cat Gunn is a black kitten with a little white dot on her chest. She's a bit more shy than some of the other cats. I'm gonna say that's because she's an introvert like the rest of our family. Emo is an all black boy. He was loving early on. Now he's a boy cat. 23:37 - Marc Gunn "A Lil Bit O'Love" from The Bridge (Celtic and Folk Music) 28:00 - STORY OF MINGULAY CAT SONG “Mingulay Cat Song” is by far my favorite cat song to sing. Certainly, I love the original song “Mingulay Boat Song” by Sir Hugh S. Roberton. You can hear the story behind that song in episode #243. Follow the link in the show notes. Unlike many of my cat parody songs, this one stands out in that I love to sing both versions and they are their own unique sound. I wrote “Mingulay Cat Song” when my oldest daughter, Kenzie, was probably 3 or 4 years old. I think she was in daycare. Every weekday morning, I would feed Kenzie before I took her to school. Then I'd race back home and work as much as I could before I head to pick her up again 4 hours later. One morning, I remember her sitting in her high chair eating cheerios or some other hand food off the table. She had a sippy cup that she usually drank, first thing. But the morning in question, she only had a tiny bit of the cup before I realized I was gonna miss her drop off time. I quickly gathered her up. Threw her in my arms. Grabbed some shoes. We raced out the door. I got back 30 minutes later. I took off my shoes, ran up the steps into the living room. I walked into the kitchen to clean up the food she had finished. Squish. My sock was soaked. And not just soaked. It was sticky soaked. The juice was all over the floor next to the cup. A moment later, Jenga rubbed against my leg and I knew. If you've ever had a cat, you've probably experienced something similar. Cats like to knock things over. Plain and simple. Jenga was our knocky-over cat. She was an overweight tuxedo cat. If ever we had an open drink sitting out for more than three minutes, she was not far away. She passed away several years ago when we moved to Atlanta. We don't have other cats that actively try to knock over drinks. And yet, we still prefer to use water bottles in our house. That was one of the bizarre consequences of her actions. No open liquid containers left unattended. I actually get a little neurotic when people take the cap off their water bottles and leave it off. It drives me crazy. The first two verses of “Mingulay Cat Song” were fairly easy to write. Just use actual experiences, like Kenzie's juice bottle moment. How many times did we run to the bathroom with a show running and come back to find whatever drink we were drinking now all over the coffee table and floor. The third verse, however, took a little bit more imagination. My wife likes cold icy water at bedtime. But fortunately, Jenga never knocked over icy water by the bed… But every time, I saw that icy water sitting there and Jenga jumped up on the bed, I just saw it happening in my mind. But I have seen her try to stick her head in the water so much that I really love adding the “tongue can't reach it” during the live shows to add a bit more comedy to this serious song. The final verse attempts to answer WHY cats knock water over. I think most cat fans like to say that their cats are just jerks… which, ye know, has it merits. But I love that add a scientific approach. They are conducting a physics experiment. And of course the last lines: “Tap the glass cats, watch it jiggle If it doesn't tip over, then knock it again” In mind, are just beautiful comedy. 33:07 - “Mingulay Cat Song” from Selcouth You can download this song as an MP3 when you join my Gunn Runners on Patreon. What are you doing while listening to Pub Stories? I'd love your thoughts and feedback. So take a picture of yourself or where you are or what one of these stories reminds you of. Post it on social media. Use the hashtag #pubstories so I can find it and share your story. Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the regular show wherever you find podcasts. You can also subscribe to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you'll get more stories behind several of my most-popular songs. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #catmusic #catpodcast #catsongs #pubstories #mingulaycatsong  

A Celtic Halloween ghost story. Can Death stop Johnny from grabbing a drink after a hard day at work? It's Pub Songs & Stories #259. WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES 0:10 - “Black Velvet Band lyrics” by Marc Gunn from The Bridge I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio liner notes for the songs I play. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast and my music, please join the Club. You'll get 2-3 podcasts per month. You'll be able to download a song featured in this show, get sheet music, and access to Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. That is all for as little as $5 per month. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Lisa and Troy 4:02 - WHAT'S NEW? Music? You may ask. But where's the story? I'm trying another change to the podcast. So I'm gonna share a few tracks in this episode, along with a story about my original song “I'll Drink from Dusk Til Dawn”, a ghost story, no less, just in time for Halloween. I'm revving for the end of the year. I launched the Celtic Christmas Podcast last week. And yes, I know we haven't gotten through Halloween yet. But when you're a DJ, you have to plan way early. Speaking of Halloween, if you haven't listened to “Lament for a Halloween Rabbit”, go check it out. I released that episode last year. You can hear my Bugs Bunny Halloween song in that episode. And make sure you pick up my Celtic Halloween EP. It's one of the bonuses you get when you are a member of my Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. 6:36 - “High Jeannie High” by Marc Gunn from Happy Songs of Death 8:41 - RECYCLING TIP I learned something interesting about recycling recently. I wanted to share. I think most of us know we should recycle. But there are a LOT of hiccups in learning how. In Birmingham, AL, we could only recycle glass by taking it to a glass recycle dumpster. But in Atlanta, we have a lot more options. So I'm gonna share two quick and easy tips. First, don't put plastic bags into the recycle bin. Plastic bags are too thin and they will tangle up in the machinery. That means, they have to shut down the equipment to get the plastic bag out. You can take all types of thin plastic to the recycle bins at grocery stores. It says plastic bags. And we think about grocery bags. But it includes all thin plastic. Second, it also includes trash bags. Those should not be dumped into the recycle bin. I used to bag all of my recycle material into a plastic trash bag and dumb that into the recycle bin. Turns out when you do that, the collectors frequently throw those bags into the regular trash because the trash bag also will get caught in the machinery. So instead, dump the recycle loosely into your blue bins. It seems weird. But it's more likely to get recycled. I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me. 10:51 - UPCOMING SHOWS NOV 4-6: Conjuration, Atlanta, GA NOV 19: Three Taverns Brewery, Decatur, GA @ 12:00-1:30 PM NOV 19: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7:00-10:00 PM 11:56 - “La La La Geek” by Marc Gunn from Sci Fi Drinking Songs 14:08 - STORY OF I'LL DRINK FROM DUSK TIL DAWN I wrote “I'll Drink From Dusk Til Dawn” around 2001, I think. I don't exactly remember when. But I do remember quite a bit about this Irish ghost story. The original title of the song was “Johnny at the Door”. I first recorded it with the Brobdingnagian Bards for our album Songs of Ireland. It was one of the few original songs. [insert snippet of bards version] This is one of those songs I was super proud of. I wanted to write a traditional-style ghost story and I succeeded tremendously. I had so many people ask us back then where I “found” the song because they thought it was a traditional Irish song. That was a big part of my goal in writing it. I wanted a song that was indistinguishable from traditional Irish songs. So on that front I succeeded. I also succeeded because of the name–”Johnny at the Door”. It's a good ghost story name. It evoked wonderful imagery. It's the story of a man who goes to work just longing for the end of the day and a good pint of beer with his friends. He dies on the journey. And his ghost finishes his quest to have a good pint of beer. But yes, I changed the name. That was because of MP3.com. We were doing quite well on MP3.com. I was learning a lot about naming things in search during that time. It was the start of my study of SEO (search engine optimization) which was super important in the aughts. But this was less SEO and more naming. If you know the song, “Johnny at the Door” sounds cool and kind of creepy. But it doesn't really get much attention until you hear that chorus. You see, this was one of my more successful attempts to write a drinking song. But again “Johnny at the Door” doesn't really say anything about it being a drinking song. Not until you hear it. I was convinced that if I renamed the song, that it would be more popular on MP3.com. And I was right. I changed the name and the song shot up on the Celtic music charts. It wasn't super stellar. But it was good enough that when I decided to re-record it in 2009 for my CD, Happy Songs of Death, that I should use the new name instead of the one that Bards had used on Songs of Ireland. This recording was produced by Ari Koinuma. He was the Japanese American producer I hired to also produce Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. Aside from the autoharp, he played all of the instruments on the album. I think he sang on track as well. But most of the background vocals were me singing in different voices, something I was learning to do on Going for Brogue. Ari told me later that this was his favorite song on the album. He had fun producing it and building the intensity. 19:19 - “I'll Drink From Dusk Til Dawn” by Marc Gunn from Happy Songs of Death You can download this song as an MP3 when you join my Gunn Runners on Patreon. What are you doing while listening to Pub Stories? I'd love your thoughts and feedback. So take a picture of yourself or where you are or what one of these stories reminds you of. Post it on social media. Use the hashtag #pubstories so I can find it and share your story. Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the regular show wherever you find podcasts. You can also subscribe to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you'll enjoy more stories behind several of my most-popular songs. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #celtichalloween  

Where are we going on the next Celtic Invasion Vacation? Listen and also enjoy some music related to the invasion. Plus, you'll learn what you can expect to experience when you join an invasion. It's Pub Songs & Stories #258 WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio liner notes for the songs I record and play. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast and my music, please join the Club. You'll get 2-3 podcasts per month. You'll be able to download songs featured in this show, get sheet music, and access to Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. You get a lot for as little as $5 per month. And you can save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Cecilia F 1:01 - WHAT'S NEW? This is a bonus episode. I finally settled on where to go for the next Celtic Invasion Vacation in 2023. I looked at Galicia in Spain, the Wicklow Mountains, south of Dublin, Ireland, and Westport in County Mayo, Ireland. And the winner is… Westport in County Mayo. I don't yet have details about the trip. Nor have I opened it up to the public. I'm gonna spend the next month working those out. But there are few things I want to explore while we are there. First, County Mayo was the home of Grace O'Malley. She was known as the Pirate Queen of Ireland. A quick search revealed that there are not many records of her. However, there are some letters that were exchanged with Queen Elizabeth I, which show a mutual admiration of each other, two strong women in a time of men. I'm gonna research a bit about the Pirate Queen and see what we can find. And to give you a small taste, The Gothard Sisters have a song inspired by Grainne, as she is often called. 2:15 - “Grace O'Malley” by The Gothard Sisters from Mountain Rose 5:49 - MORE ON TRAVEL One of my regular invaders, Jim, once said that what he enjoyed about our trips is that there are frequently different types of travel that we do. Meaning we might take a boat or train, instead of a car. So I'm always looking out for something cool like that for at least one day. Happily, Clare Island is nearby. I honestly know very little about Clare Island. Although, it sounds like Gracy O'Malley spent some time there as well. What I do know about it is that The Saw Doctors have a fantastic song called “Clare Island”. It makes me excited to see it. That's what I have so far. 6:31 - UPCOMING SHOWS SEP 28-OCT 2: ALEP, Shakertown, KY with Brobdingnagian Bards OCT 8: Ironshield Brewing, Lawrenceville, GA @ 7:00 – 10:00 PM. OCT 14-16: MultiVerse, Atlanta, GA NOV 4-6: Conjuration, Atlanta, GA I'm gonna share a replay from the Celtfather Unkilted podcast. I noticed after publishing that episode last month that there is one thing that is a bit off at present. That is the requirement of a vaccination card. I am not requiring that at present though the sentiment is still valid. These trips are small and your fellow invaders should be treated like family. Meaning I do expect that you will get vaccinated as needed to protect your family. 7:54 - WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT ON A CELTIC INVASION VACATION? If you go to the website you won't find much information. I usually list the itinerary when it becomes available but that can be January or March before the trip. You will find podcasts and links to pictures and videos. I don't know that any of it really paints a good picture. So I thought I would try to break down how these trips work to help you decide if you want to join me in the future. Celtic Invasion Vacations are not your typical travel tour experience. Most tourists travel on big buses. They go place to place. You stay up late. You get up early. There's 30, 60 or even 90 people packed on one to three tour buses. If you're like me, that sounds pretty miserable. My first two trips were on tour buses. Everyone was a fan of my music. So that was pretty awesome. The bus drivers were awesome too. But that's a lot of people for an introvert like me. I don't know how much of the fatigue was from so many people or the staying up late/getting-up-early business. But it's not my preferred way of traveling. I like small groups. My mom moved to Italy in 1985. So I've gone back-and-forth to Europe for a long time. My mom is an awesome adventurer. I went to school on an American military base in Vicenza, Italy for my senior year of high school. While all the other high school seniors went to Remini to get drunk, my mom and I went on in artistic pilgrimage following the works of Piero Della Francesca. She instilled in me the value of planning as well as spontaneity. You see that in my Celtic Invasion Vacations itinerary. When I finally make one that is. Typically, I don't have a full itinerary when I announce the latest trip. I have… ideas. In fact, I usually have one big idea. Then I find a way to make it work. One person told me he was disappointed when my trip to the Highlands of Scotland a few years back did not also include the Isle of Skye, like it was initially listed on the early itinerary. That was because I had a big idea. But when I finally settled on details, I realized it was impractical. I learned from that error. If I make any big changes to what was planned, you are welcome to back out. I don't usually settle on solid itineraries until December or January. I just don't have enough details to make a solid decision. That might make some people uncomfortable, especially when you're putting down nearly $3000, plus air travel, to join me. The adventure is worth it! The great thing about traveling on the Celtic Invasion Vacation in my opinion is that it is a small group. That means maximum flexibility for adventure. So let's answer some questions. 11:08 - WHEN ARE THE CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS? This can always vary. But typically I run my trips in late May or early June. This seems to be the best time to travel to Ireland and Scotland. People talk about rain in Ireland. June seems to invariably have one of the lightest rain falls ever. It's just... perfect! 11:28 - HOW LONG IS EACH TRIP? Celtic Invasion Vacations are about seven days long. The trips are officially scheduled from Saturday to Saturday. That's because that's how long most vacation rentals book. But I'm not going to be taking you to seven hotels in seven days. We stay in one place most of the week. If the vacation rental is more than a couple hours from the airport or there's something cool to see closer, we may stay in a hotel near the airport on the last night of the Invasion. It just depends on how soon everyone on the trip has booked their departure. 12:00 - WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE? I usually ask Invaders to arrive the day before the trip. That way you can recover from jet lag and adjust to the time change. But that also allows us to leave first thing in the morning on Saturday to drive to our vacation rental. While it is recommended, it is not required. As long as you arrive by 11 am on Saturday, we will adjust. You are also responsible for the hotel on Friday night. But you might find a roommate with other Invaders. 12:39 - WHEN SHOULD I DEPART? Again, it's up to you. I prefer you to set your departure after noon on Saturday. You can stay as long as you want. I usually leave on Sunday after the trip is over. 12:50 - HOW DO YOU SELECT THE DESTINATIONS? Destinations are chosen by invaders and of course me. I usually have an idea of a place I want to see. I look for a suitable vacation spot. But sometimes I ask for suggestions from Invaders. Our trip to Brittany and Cornwall were both chosen because some regular Invaders wanted to visit all seven Celtic nations. Of course, I get the final say. And if I can't get enough people to attend one of these more remote spots, I may make adjustments. Once we settle on a big destination, the next step is figuring out the generalized itinerary. 13:23 - IS THERE DOWNTIME? Yes. This is not an intense, constantly moving tour. Celtic Invasion Vacations are about relaxation, adventure, and fun. But how much can be up to you. There's usually at least one day where we are near to the cottage and take it easy. We explore the local town. Wednesday's have the option of a little extra downtime for those who need it. 13:49 - HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE ITINERARY? You can't make an itinerary until you know where you are going, right? Well, the challenge for me is that I need to know the exact place we are staying to figure out where our itinerary will go. My next step then is to start researching vacation rentals. I look for rentals in our destination area that hold between 8-12 people (sometimes more). I want it to look nice, comfortable and easily accessible. In fact, I want the majority of the cool stuff that we will explore to be within 30 minutes of where we are staying. Once I know the exact location, I can plan the itinerary. 14:23 - WHAT DOES A TYPICAL ITINERARY LOOK LIKE? The first day of the trip involves driving to our destination. We need at least one interesting place to stop along the way. Maybe two if you include lunch. When we arrive, we need groceries. I confess, there's something extra fun about going to a grocery store in Europe. Some of our Invaders join me for a shopping experience as we load up on breakfast and a couple dinners. I make dinner the first night, typically my secret pasta recipe. That evening is usually concluded with a little music by me. The second day is usually a good day to stay local. So we explore one or two of the cool things nearby. We try to spend time out of the car, walking around. It's good to stretch our legs after traveling. On either the second or the third day, I like to bring in a tour guide, if possible. My trips are not geared around "tours", but local guides are great for adding a little bit of history, culture, and legends to the experience. Guides are also good at giving us a local perspective of things we should check out that are not necessarily on our itinerary. In Brittany, we found some cool cairns that were not on our original itinerary. In Cornwall, we got an overview of Tintagel and found some standing stones I would've never found. In Wales, Gwilym Morus shared the incredible legends of Merlin and introduced us to an eco-resort, hidden in the mountains. In Donegal, we found some great restaurants and a former passage tomb. Around day three, we're ready for a different travel experience. That's when I try to get us out on the water or on a train. Something to shake up the feel of the trip. Day four is the midweek break. Again we stay local. Some choose to relax in our cottage. Others explore something new that's local. Day five usually takes us on a long adventure. We'll get in the van and drive further to see something outside of our main region. This gives us a nice look at other regions nearby. It also adds to the fun adventure. Day six is intentionally left open. We usually find something cool by this time that we might not have realized before the trip began. Or perhaps a guide or a local we met had a recommendation. That's when we take the advice of others to explore something different The final day is usually spent fairly local. It's time for last minute exploration of our area. Sometimes we pack up and make our way back  towards the airport. One or two bonus destinations end up on the final day. 17:17 - WHAT MAKES A CELTIC INVASION VACATION DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TOURS? I like to stress that Celtic Invasion Vacations are not tours. They are vacations. I want my Invaders to feel relaxed and happy by the end of the trip. Not exhausted, like I was on my first two trips to Ireland. You should be energized and excited for the next Celtic Invasion experience. 17:36 - HOW MANY PEOPLE JOIN THE INVASION? The number can vary. But I usually aim for between 8-12 invaders. Too many people and I start having trouble finding restaurants to eat at. 17:55 - WHAT PERSONAL PAPERS ARE NEEDED FOR TRAVELING ON A CELTIC INVASION VACATION? You DO need a passport. It's usually good to get your passport at least 90 days out. I would suggest applying for one a minimum of six months before you depart. But there are some expedited services that can get them sooner. Just plan ahead. You do NOT need a visa. You don't need an international drivers license either. In fact, your regular driver's license is fine if you plan to drive in Europe with any car company. Make sure you bring that at the very least. But of course, driving on the Invasion is usually done by me. Since the pandemic, you will need a vaccination card. Invasions are like family vacations. We want to take care of our fellow invaders. So your COVID vaccination card is essential for my trip and a lot of European travel. 18:45 - HOW MUCH DO CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS COST? That varies year to year. It starts at about $2800 for the land part of the trip, for each person on the trip. It does not cover the cost of air travel. You handle your own airline tickets. Your fee covers your housing for a full week. That's for a shared room, either a double if you're a couple or two singles. Depending on our housing, it may cost extra to get a single room to yourself. Your fee covers a breakfast every day and dinner at least five times. Often I cover more than that. Sometimes it works well to make lunches if we're not planning to be near restaurants. So I happily pay for lunch supplies if we need them. But in general, you are responsible for your own lunch. You can have what you like for breakfast each morning. Some days we have a full breakfast with eggs, bacon, yogurt, fruit, cheese, or whatever you want. Grocery shopping usually happens on the first day. So whatever you need, we can probably find it. Other days, if we want to get going early, then we will have a Continental Breakfast with just breads, cheese, yogurt or fruit. And yes, there's coffee. Every morning. And tea too. I need my coffee! I cook dinner at least 2 days during the week. We have my world famous secret pasta meal. And then there's the Celtic Invasion specialty... Prince Charlie... Secret. It's a recipe we picked up years ago and is now a tradition on the Invasions. There may be more than two meals. But of course, we like to eat out too. The toughest thing about dining on the Celtic Invasions is finding a place to eat. If the group is under nine people. That's usually not too difficult. But if we have more than that, it can be a challenge. I plan ahead for that. Because who doesn't like to eat out in Europe!?!?! I consider that a big part of the experience. 20:38 - IS THERE MUSIC? At least twice a week, we spend the evening relaxing at our cottage with dinner... and music. I am, of course, host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. But I'm also a musician. I play Celtic music with a sci fi drinking song twist. I call it Sci F'Irish music. You can hear my music through my website at celtfather.net. I plan to play for at least an hour. But a lot of it depends on you and how excited you are to hear some music. If we're really lucky, you might bring an instrument too. Then we can have an Irish session with songs and tunes afterward. And if we're really fortunate, I will find a musician or bring in a musician to come play for us. That's frequently difficult to pull off.  But when it happens. It's absolutely amazing! 21:27 - WHEN DOES OUR DAY BEGIN AND END? Breakfast is usually around 7:30 or 8 AM with a departure time of 8:30-9 AM. We don't usually do too much in the evening. Since Irish sessions usually don't begin until 9 PM, it's not something we usually attend outside of our cottage. But if it's something you want to do, we might be able to make it happen. 22:29 - HOW OLD IS TOO OLD? HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG? I have had people ages 18 on into their 70s on my Celtic Invasion Vacations. I'd say the vast majority are in their 40s, 50s and 60s. But I don't really think much about it because I adjust each trip to who's on it. In 2019, the younger group hiked up Skellig Michael while the less physically able landed on the Greater Blaskett Island by boat. The physically active walk, hike and run ahead if they so desire. Those who aren't, take it at their own speed. The Isle of Skye was one of the few places we went where it was better to be physically active. There's a lot of hiking on that island. But ye know, I don't think anyone's vacation fun was hindered by their physical activity. As for younger folks, I typically don't prefer to have young kids on the trip. I know the challenges associated with that. But I'm willing to consider it as long as the you feel the kids are up to getting up and going. One lady asked about a teenager. I think I might be open to a teenager who is a bit more independent but still willing to follow the rules. 23:48 - HOW DO WE TRAVEL? Typically we travel in a van. These are usually large nine-seaters with lots of luggage space. Sometimes we will add a second van or a car to carry extra Invaders. Speaking of luggage, we do have limited space. I find one suitcase per person is plenty, plus a carry on. You typically don't need more. There's usually laundry facilities too. So you can always wash something extra. There's a whole bunch of videos on YouTube where you can learn how to travel light. If you truly need an extra suitcase, that's fine. But your experience is so much better when you travel light. 24:32 - HOW DO YOU SIGN UP? The first step is for me to open up the Invasion to the public. You see, former Invaders get first dibs. Once it's public, here's what you do. First, email an application form to me. Second, send me a check for your deposit. That reserves your spot on the Invasion within 2 weeks of emailing your application form. Finally, just send me your final payment before the deadline and you're golden. Speaking of your final payment, you are welcome to break it up into multiple payments if you don't want to or can't pay all at once. I'm happy to work with you to make the trip happen. 25:05 - HOW DO I CANCEL IF I NEED TO? First off, there is a $400 non-refundable deposit. Though there is a caveat for the "non-refundable" part. If I change the dates, you can get a refund. If you can find someone to take your spot, or someone willing takes your spot, then you can get a refund. However, if you are sick and turned away by an airline or country, I can't offer a refund. Typically, 30-60 days before the trip, once I start paying for things, like our housing, vans, tour guides, whatever, I can no longer offer a refund. That usually starts about the time of the Celtic Invasion deadline. I'm not a corporation though. So there may be flexibility. My goal here is to have people "sign up" and then not drop a month later as happened on my very first Celtic Invasion. If you wanna go, make a commitment with a non-refundable deposit. 25:54 - CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS – CLOSING REMARKS All in all, Celtic Invasion Vacations are about happily experiencing the fun culture, history, and legends of one small but magical location. I hope you'll consider joining me on the next Celtic Invasion Vacation. Sign up at CelticInvasion.com so you don't miss out on this incredible adventure! And if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. 26:20 - STAR OF COUNTY DOWN PLACEHOLDER Let's finish up with a recording of “Star of the County Down”. This was released on show #255 ConJuration: From Ren Fest to Sci Fi Conventions. You can download this song as an MP3 when you join my Gunn Runners on Patreon. 26:45 - “Star of the County Down” by Marc Gunn also from How America Saved Irish Music 30:24 - CLOSING What are you doing while listening to Pub Stories? I'd love your thoughts and feedback. So take a picture of yourself or where you are or what one of these stories reminds you of. Post it on social media. Use the hashtag #pubstories so I can find it and share your story. Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the regular show wherever you find podcasts. You can also subscribe to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you'll enjoy more stories behind several of my most-popular songs. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #countymayo #thegothardsisters

West Side Story meets the TV show Firefly. We're digging into fake gallantry, a duel with swords, and fighting back against those who feel the need to control others. It's all on Pub Songs & Stories #257. WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. This is the audio liner notes for the songs I record and play. The show is brought to you by my Gunn Runners on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast and my music, please join the Club. You'll get 2-4 podcasts per month. You'll be able to download songs featured in this show, get occasional sheet music, and access to Coffee with The Celtfather video concerts. You get a lot for just a little, just $5 per month. And you can save 15% with an annual membership. Thanks to my newest Gunn Runners on Patreon: Rex H, Kathryn H, Timothy H, Bobby C 0:59 - WHAT'S NEW? My pizza stone cracked yesterday. I'm not really surprised. But I'm really sad. This is my first pizza stone. I didn't know how to cook with it when I started, let alone take care of it. And to be completely honest, I'm also a bit negligent on a lot of things. As I took the broken stone out of the oven, I carefully cleaned off the burnt cornmeal that remains after making pizza. I learned through trial and error that if you have cornmeal on the stone, the pizza slides off it easier. A lot of that cornmeal falls onto the bottom of the oven. What do I usually do with that cornmeal? I leave it there. I don't finish the job. It's sort of like the twisty tie that came off the finished loaf of bread. I saw it lying by the back door on the floor. Usually, I leave it where it lies in my home. I don't clean it up. But I picked it up yesterday. I'm still learning about personal responsibility. It's been haunting me a lot more as time goes by and our world becomes more partisan. It's the first stepping stone for communal responsibility. Something just as important, yet just as ignored. I understand better now. Picking up that twisty or cleaning up the stove is essential for the health of our home. It also means I have less time doing things I WANT to do. However, it could mean that the pizza stone that I loved might not crack. I wouldn't have wasted good money and added waste to our environment. Hm… I just finished re-reading Shepherd's Tale, the story behind Shepherd Book of Firefly. I feel this whole thought process is relevant. I'll let you know more when we publish the new episode of In the ‘Verse. In the meantime, I have a new Firefly song to talk about in today's show. But first, let's talk about upcoming shows. 2:50 - UPCOMING SHOWS SEP 10: Middle Tennessee Highland Games & Celtic Festival, Hendersonville, TN SEP 14: Coffee with The Celtfather SEP 22: Hobbit Drinking Songs Livestream @ 8 PM ET SEP 28-OCT 2: ALEP in Shakertown, KY OCT 8: Ironshield Brewing in Lawrenceville, GA @ 7:00 – 10:00 PM. OCT 14-16: MultiVerse, Atlanta, GA 3:58 - STORY OF FAVOR OF A DANCE “Favor of a Dance” is a single I released at the end of June. It features the music of Vicki Swan & Jonny Dyer, with backing vocals by Jamie Haeuser. I love the instrumentation that Vicki and Jonny added to the song. Jonny's guitar takes a big lead on it. And Vicki's flute playing adds a joyful, touch of brilliance. I liked the song before. But I love it so much more with those two playing along. The song is based on the episode Shindig, the 4th episode of Firefly. I originally wrote the song for the 4th episode of In the ‘Verse. That's a podcast I make with my friend Mikey Mason. I recommend you check out that TV and podcast episodes too, or at least the synopsis, if you want context for the song, but I'll share a shortened version for those who don't do that. I love the story of my song. “Favor of a Dance” is based on the episode “Shindig”. It's a love triangle about respect, rules, and kindness. In the episode, Malcolm Reynolds runs into Inara at a ball. She and her customer, Atherton Wing, are dancing. But despite his fake gallantry, Atherton proves himself to be the kind of man who believes in controlling women. Malcolm picks up on that and picks a fight with Atherton by asking Inara for a dance. This leads to a punch in the face and eventually a duel with swords. I feel like my story does a good job following the storyline of the episode. The first verse talks about the “social event of the season”. It talks about Mal's and Inara's joy of dancing, and ends with the hostile, controlling nature of Atherton. Verse two digs into that hostility. “His hand is tight around your arm”. I love that line. I have trouble coming up with good metaphors when I'm writing songs. Especially the initial drafts. I frequently add those in later, like I did here. I feel like this is a great line to show the mean nature of the antagonist. The last lines of the second verse dig into the rules aspect of the episode and how sometimes you have to break the rules to bring kindness to a situation. Each chorus has a slightly different phrase in it. “Give me the favor of a dance” was a line that Mal respectfully uses to ask if he can dance with Atherton's guest. And it's all done from the perspective of Mal. The third verse again continues the original story. Mal and Inara dance even though Mal is not a great dancer. But they have a nice time, at least until Atherton breaks up the dance and pulls Inara away from Mal. This is where the story for me takes a twist. The two main characters draw swords to fight. And thematically the song starts to remind me of West Side Story. If you haven't seen West Side Story, you're missing out. That musical was written as a modern version of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. There are some brilliant musical-based, choreographed fight songs. In one scene, there's this big dance off. Lots of posturing, back and forthing as they threaten each other. This culminates in a big Rumble with even more fantastic dancing to music and then the death of one of the main characters. “Favor of a Dance” makes me think of those dance scenes. Except my song is doing the same thing, lyrically. So the second chorus talks about the animosity of Atherton. But it also uses the idea of sword-fighting as dancing. Or fighting as dancing. What is that, a boxing phrase, “you wanna dance with me?” That's how the chorus ends. You can hear a little grumble in my voice as I sing that one asking for a fight. The final verse announces the defeat of the antagonist. It uses the idea of a puddle of blood. But instead, I changed the line to a “puddle of shame” because in the episode, Atherton isn't killed. He's stabbed, because “mercy is the mark of a great man,” says Mal. Then he stabs Atherton a few more times and says, “I guess I'm just a good one.” The dance and the verse conclude. Our hero has won. But he doesn't feel like it. It just feels like a different game that people play. Different rules. A different world. Some people feel the need to control others, to install their own values on someone else. That is the opposite of kindness. People should be in charge of their own bodies. Their own lives. They should make their own decisions as long it doesn't affect another living, thinking human being. And yes, I am referring also to the right of women to choose what happens to their bodies too. They should have that individual right.  And not having legislators try to control and manipulate them through legislation. But that's a tangent. Ultimately, “Favor of a Dance” is about kindness and generosity. I took the idea of generosity from my friend Jamie Haeuser, who sings on the song. She has continually proven herself to be overflowing in generosity. She's one of the most generous and giving people I know. Whatever game we play, we should approach things through kindness and generosity. Whether that means not throwing trash on the ground or picking up a piece of trash someone else threw on the ground, so that our community is improved. That's one of the areas I'm still waking up to. We have some control. We can pick up stuff that we didn't toss, because it's the right thing to do to make our community better. Of course, it could be as simple as making time and taking better care of the things in our own homes, so that they last longer. They don't need to be tossed out like my pizza stone. We can take care of our world with kindness, generosity and respect for ourselves as well as for our community. 9:41 - “Favor of a Dance” by Marc Gunn with Vicky Swan & Jonny Dyer and Jamie Haeuser from Come Adventure With Me 12:37 - CLOSING I hope you enjoyed the song. “Favor of a Dance” will be on my next album, Come Adventure With Me. The album is on Kickstarter right now until September 11, 2022. So there's less than a week to go for you to support this album and the merch that I am fundraising for. Oh! FYI. There's a $100 level that pretty much has everything. That is your best option for this album. So please consider it. You can download this song as an MP3 when you join my Gunn Runners on Patreon. Finally, What are you doing while listening to this Pub Songs & Stories? I'd love your thoughts and feedback. So take a picture of yourself or where you are or what this story reminds you of. Post it on social media or email it to me. Use the hashtag #pubstories so I can find it and share your story. Thanks for listening to Pub Songs & Stories. The show was produced by Marc Gunn, edited by Mitchell Petersen with graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. You can subscribe and listen to the regular show wherever you find podcasts. You can also subscribe to my mailing list. You will get regular updates of new music, podcasts, special offers, and you'll get more stories behind several of my most-popular songs. And of course, please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories #westsidestory #shindigfirefly