The fog had covered Jack London Square where Slainte Oakland is located. Many have the misconception of California as the proverbial ‘Sunshine State.” Locals know better. The summer months are fondly called “June Gloom,” “No Sky July” and, my favorite, “Fogust.” The grey sky gave the feeling of being in old Erin. However, it was a lively crowd at Slainte for the monthly June salon.
Yours truly, Lori Cassels, kicked off the salon with a bit about the IAWA organization’s mission statement, and recognition of Brian Wilson’s passing by reciting a few lyrics of his iconic songs, especially the California-themed ones. This kicked off the night where every musician performed one California-themed song in their sets.
Sean Lightholder, a prolific Irish American performer, began with a recitation of his humorous poem, “Out to the States” which began the Irish vs. America refrain, an immigrant’s tale of being forced away from Ireland:
But please, heaven forbid,
he hoped he wasn’t going,
Out to the States
By the end the audience all recited with Sean the refrain “Out to the States.”
Next, his original “Leaving Athlone” accompanied with his masterful guitar playing and rich vocals put us all on the journey of returning to California after living in Ireland. Sean ended with a heartfelt cover of Ralph McTell’s “From Clare to Here.”And I think I saw him choke up during the last verse.
Amelia Hogan sang a moving rendition of the “The Patriot Game” from her latest CD, “Burnished.” Next in her lilting Sean Nos style, she quieted the audience then sang the Irish language “Manx Lullaby.” Amelia’s California-themed song “Rolling in the Gold, always a salon favorite, had the crowd singing along with the chorus “We’re rolling in the gold of California.”
The next performer hails from Wexford. Karl McHugh, another amazing singer songwriter, in the Americana style, performed original songs from his latest release “Gold.” He began with “Outrun a Feeling” and then “Show You the Way” and ended the evening with his hard-hitting song titled “Everything’s on Fire”. This song he composed on New Year’s Eve and is a reflection that not all is well with the world, and many shared his sentiment. Karl mentioned that he led a songwriting tour in Ireland last December, where songwriters composed songs in the day and performed them at pubs in the evening. This host definitely wants to sign up for the next one.
Renaissance woman Deborah Crooks, accompanied by Kwame Copeland, performed a California-themed song, “Grandma’s Mission Blues”, followed by “57 Crows” and “The Times We’re In.” We sure are in some crazy time. Deborah does it all, composer, editor and writer.
Recognizing Pride month, Lori Cassels read a poem by Brad Peacock titled “Our Anthem,” on how the LGBTQ community cannot be erased. The host ended the night by recognizing the attendance of Teresa Morley and Tom Baxter; the co-presidents of the Eugene O’Neill Foundation-Tao House. Tao House is located in nearby Danville, Calif., and is the cultural treasure where O’Neill wrote many of his most produced plays such as “The Iceman Cometh” and “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” She recommended all to visit and take a tour. Quoting O’Neill “The one thing that explains more than anything about me is the fact that I’m Irish,” playwright Eugene O’Neill informed his son Eugene Jr in 1946.
Amelia led the audience in a rousing sing-along of “Wild Mountain Thyme” to conclude the salon.
