Try some contra dancing

Posted on by goodfootband

This Friday, November 18th, Good Foot will be the house band for the Charleston Folk Contra Dance with Jack Mitchell calling. No experience necessary. No partner necessary.  There is a short instruction session for beginners at 7:30 and all dances are taught and prompted throughout the evening. It’s a great way to burn off some steam and calories while having a whole lot of fun.

It’s at Advent Lutheran Church, 3347 North Rivers Ave. in North Charleston. Admission is a mere $8.00.  Here is a link to more information:

http://charlestonfolk.weebly.com/

 

Celtic Night – January 31, 2016

Posted on by goodfootband

Celtic Night2

Good Foot is very excited to performing again for the Charleston Music Hall’s Celtic Night on January 31, 2016.  Make sure to get your tickets now!

Purchase Tickets on Etix.com

More Details:

The Charleston Music Hall is thrilled to bring back Celtic Night on Jan. 31, 2016. The city of Charleston is deeply rooted in Irish history, and this show is meant to celebrate that history and Irish culture through the performance of Irish Music. Three amazing local Irish bands will perform, Banna de Dhá, Castle Crossing, and Good Foot, and an Irish Tenor, John Corless will sing traditional Irish tunes between each set. This evening is presented in part by the College of Charleston. Proceeds from the concert will go to benefit the newly founded Irish and Irish American Studies Program at the College.

Banna de Dhá – Tom Morley & Hazel Ketchum

“The best new act at Celtic Fest,” said the sound man last year, after hearing the duo Banna de dhá, featuring Tom Morley of Fairhope, Alabama on fiddle and Hazel Ketchum of Charleston, South Carolina on guitar and vocals. The name (pronounced bonna da gha) is a loose translation from the Irish for “bond of two (elements)” and makes reference to the bond between fiddle and guitar, but the musical whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Taking their inspiration from great Irish Traditional music duos, Banna de dhá uses the repertoire of Irish, Scottish and North American instrumental and vocal music as their starting point, while keeping it all fresh and unique with unexpected improvisational turns. The dynamic musical connection and creativity between the two musicians in Banna de dhá assure audiences that they’ll take a unique trip through a Celtic landscape together—one that will never be repeated exactly the same way twice.The duo has performed on concert series, festivals and house concerts throughout the

Southeast, including Celtic Fest Mississippi and the Savannah Scottish Games, and opened for top Irish acts Solas and We Banjo 3. Their first CD, Band of Two was released in late 2013 and has received airplay on top-rated podcasts, internet stations, and public radio stations across the U.S., including: Marc Gunn’s Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, Celtic Radio Network, Blarney on the Air, Celtic Road Radio, The Celtic Universe, and the nationally syndicated program Celtic Crossroads. The album was a #1 top-requested CD at CelticRadio.net (where it also received a ‘5 star’ review) and the duo was named one of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast ‘Top 20 Celtic Folk Bands of 2014.’ Most recently, music from the album has been used in the soundtrack to the DVD documentary film The Battle of Mobile Bay. Visit Banna de dhá on Facebook and at www.banndedha.com.

Castle Crossing

Castle Crossing performs an eclectic mix of Celtic and Americana covers and originals on vocals, guitar, bass, fiddle and bodhran. These four seasoned musicians breathe new life into traditional and contemporary roots music.

Based in Charleston, SC, band members include Jeff Castle (guitar, vocals), Ellie Jos (violin), Frank Ruopoli (bass) and Regina Ruopoli (vocals, bodhran). The two vocalists, male and female, alternate leads which expands the diversity of their melodic sound.
The band released their debut CD in 2015. Some tracks revive ancient Celtic folk songs popularized by artists such as Old Blind Dogs, The Dubliners and Christy Moore, while other tracks pay homage to modern pieces by artists such as Solas, Glen Hansard and Gillian Welch.
Castle Crossing regularly performs at festivals, pubs, restaurants, concerts and private events. Visit http://www.castlecrossing.comfor more information.

Good Foot

Good Foot PhotoGood Foot is named after an old Oklahoma expression that’s used to describe someone who is feeling fine. Folks remark,“looks like you’re dancin’ on your good foot”. It’s an apt description for the Charleston area Celtic band (originally formed as a contra dance band) whose joyful groove makes you want to get up and dance. Each member (Karin McQuade: fiddle and lead vocals; Susan Conant: flutes, whistles and vocals; and Bart Saylor: multi-instrumentalist) brings a different background to the group resulting in a fun and engaging variety of traditional jigs and reels, jazzy improvisations, quirky new tunes and vocals.

The band has just released their debut disc, Good Foot. Their past appearances include: Celtic Night at the Charleston Music Hall; St Patrick’s Day at Seanachai Social Club (Charleston’s most authentic Irish pub) the Gage Hall Coffeehouse, St John’s concert series in Summerville, SC and are a regular band for the Charleston Folk contra dance.

Here are some comments that enthusiastic fans have posted on social media:

“Your music is a joyful soundtrack to our lives…thanks for sharing it….”
”Congratulations to my friends on their CD release. They are part of what makes Charleston’s folk music scene unique and lively.
“… a talented, funny and quirky trio that can rock it out at venues ranging from bars to contra dances”
“Really enjoyed your set in Lake City tonight. Such a pleasure.”
Band Members Karin McQuade, Susan Conant and Bart Saylor

Karin McQuade’s (vocals, fiddle) sparkling vocal improvisations, energetic fiddling and sprite-like spontaneity exude irresistible energy. A student at the College of Charleston, she delights in learning anything and everything from new instruments and world music to Gaelic languages and psychological oddities. Her fresh approach can be heard when she breaks out in a vocalization using her own Gaelic-inspired vocabulary.

Raised on a diet of traditional music and dances, Susan Conant (flutes, whistles, vocals) cut her teeth on 17th century pop tunes and has played extensively for all kinds of British Isles dancing. Her musical journey has since ranged far and wide from her conservatory training to playing in a Brazilian roots music band. She enjoys working with musicians of all backgrounds and discovering new ways to layer folk, classical, beatboxing and jazz flute styles.

Bart “Pops” Saylor (bouzouki, guitar, banjo, bodhran, vocals) calls himself the Grandaddy of South Carolina Deadheads but he is well known as the father of the contra dance scene in Charleston, SC. He never met a musical instrument that he didn’t like. His reply to the question, “How many instruments do you need?” will always be, “Just one more!” He corrupted a generation of young musicians by enticing them into the world of traditional music. Responsible for providing the band’s groove, Bart’s perpetual energy is evidence of his motto: “Never stop rockin!”