Gush Gush Gush!!!
Tartanic. I love Tartanic. With a passion, I love Tartanic.
Who in the world is Tartanic? To say that they are a band would be far too simplistic. To say that they are a drums and bagpipe band would hardly begin to describe them. To say that they are a drums and bagpipe band that are playing now through the first week of April at the AZ Renaissance festival completely falls flat. http://www.tartanic.com They are incredible.
As I've meant to say in those updates that I never wrote, I've been working at the Ren faire for the last month or so. Hawker/crier. It's lots of fun. The people I work with are great. I enjoy wearing a costume (except the hair-covering bit). And I love the fact that I don't have to wear a bra with my bodice. Granted I can't breathe real well, especially when I sit down, but there are trade-offs with almost any good thing.
And this is where I first saw Tartanic. And heard the glorious sounds of the bagpipes and drums. There are those who will doubt; I mean, it's fricking bagpipes. How much less cool could one get? They've obviously never seen the spectacle show that is Tartanic. I worked the high school student day this year. And I watched as a crowd of roughly 100 high school kids gathered of their own free will around these men in kilts (technically: man-skirts, but who's keeping track?) and clapped and cheered and danced enjoying the showmanship of a Tartanic show. They had a dance-off - one dancer from one side of the crowd versus one dancer from the other side. It was exhilarating. They even got a grandma, who must have been a chaperon, up dancing. It was wonderful.
And since the first time I have seen them, I try to see at least one of their shows every Sat and Sunday. Me and about 5-10 other girls. :) We prefer the 5 o'clock "clothing optional" show, but we also very much like the 5 o'clock techno-dance rave. Because I guess I haven't mentioned that most of the guys in the band (sorry Richard) are extremely handsome - Stuart and Adrian above the others. And dammit if I can't stop thinking of a verse from a song that the Sassy Lassies (who are so much fun) sing every time I see them: "Daughter, dear daughter, you must love a piper. A piper's a man who will treat you just fine. And besides that they know just how to please you, they blow, squeeze and finger all at the same time." Okay, Adrian is a percussionist not a piper, but you should see the way that man moves. >:) And after every show, we get signed and/or get hugged and/or get kissed mostly by Adrian. Arms, chests, faces, staffs, "celestial devices" (I bought mine this past Sunday), water canteens, whatever can be written on by a sharpie.
I could go on and on and on about how much I adore Adrian. How much of an awesome frontman he is. How he plays so well with the audience. How he takes time to talk to each and every person, patron and performer, that wants a moment of his shining attention after the shows. How I was thrilled when he blew me a kiss when I was hawking at Fairhaven on Sunday. How I wish he played on my stage, or how I wish I would get put on a stage that he plays at. How when he half-whispered, half-purred "farewell" in my ear on Sunday as I was about to go dance at the drum jam, EVERY HAIR on the back of my neck stood straight up.... *grins* *sigh*
And I know I'm not the only girl who shares this obsession. Por ejemplo, this girl: (a kindred spirit except that I've always liked bagpipe music) :)
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2005/03/06/entertainment/the_other_way/03becca.txt
And now a word about the drum jam. FUN!!!!!! At the same time as closing gate ceremonies, a bunch of the drummers from the different acts - Three Guys and a Bunch of Drums (love them), the other drummer from Tartanic (I'm sorry I keep forgetting your name), a couple guys from Domba, and some guys that I don't know get together and drum. And the rest of us.....we dance! Whatever style we might choose to utilize, we dance. We dance silly, we dance sexy, we dance in circles, we dance by ourselves, we dance techno, we dance latin, we bellydance, we dance as performers, we dance as ourselves, we dance with the children from the crowd, we dance ignoring the crowd. We dance. And I love every exhausting minute of it. Cannon sounds and we cheer, the drums get faster and it ends in a frenzy and everyone cheers and we can finally drop character because cannon has sounded and the day is over and I can lose that stupid snood which I don't like but is still better than a hat that makes my head itch. And I'm sore and tired and hungry, but happy because of being outside on a lovely or lovely and rainy day and because of Adrian and because of Tartanic and because I got to dance.
I love Tartanic. Gush, gush, gush.
Who in the world is Tartanic? To say that they are a band would be far too simplistic. To say that they are a drums and bagpipe band would hardly begin to describe them. To say that they are a drums and bagpipe band that are playing now through the first week of April at the AZ Renaissance festival completely falls flat. http://www.tartanic.com They are incredible.
As I've meant to say in those updates that I never wrote, I've been working at the Ren faire for the last month or so. Hawker/crier. It's lots of fun. The people I work with are great. I enjoy wearing a costume (except the hair-covering bit). And I love the fact that I don't have to wear a bra with my bodice. Granted I can't breathe real well, especially when I sit down, but there are trade-offs with almost any good thing.
And this is where I first saw Tartanic. And heard the glorious sounds of the bagpipes and drums. There are those who will doubt; I mean, it's fricking bagpipes. How much less cool could one get? They've obviously never seen the spectacle show that is Tartanic. I worked the high school student day this year. And I watched as a crowd of roughly 100 high school kids gathered of their own free will around these men in kilts (technically: man-skirts, but who's keeping track?) and clapped and cheered and danced enjoying the showmanship of a Tartanic show. They had a dance-off - one dancer from one side of the crowd versus one dancer from the other side. It was exhilarating. They even got a grandma, who must have been a chaperon, up dancing. It was wonderful.
And since the first time I have seen them, I try to see at least one of their shows every Sat and Sunday. Me and about 5-10 other girls. :) We prefer the 5 o'clock "clothing optional" show, but we also very much like the 5 o'clock techno-dance rave. Because I guess I haven't mentioned that most of the guys in the band (sorry Richard) are extremely handsome - Stuart and Adrian above the others. And dammit if I can't stop thinking of a verse from a song that the Sassy Lassies (who are so much fun) sing every time I see them: "Daughter, dear daughter, you must love a piper. A piper's a man who will treat you just fine. And besides that they know just how to please you, they blow, squeeze and finger all at the same time." Okay, Adrian is a percussionist not a piper, but you should see the way that man moves. >:) And after every show, we get signed and/or get hugged and/or get kissed mostly by Adrian. Arms, chests, faces, staffs, "celestial devices" (I bought mine this past Sunday), water canteens, whatever can be written on by a sharpie.
I could go on and on and on about how much I adore Adrian. How much of an awesome frontman he is. How he plays so well with the audience. How he takes time to talk to each and every person, patron and performer, that wants a moment of his shining attention after the shows. How I was thrilled when he blew me a kiss when I was hawking at Fairhaven on Sunday. How I wish he played on my stage, or how I wish I would get put on a stage that he plays at. How when he half-whispered, half-purred "farewell" in my ear on Sunday as I was about to go dance at the drum jam, EVERY HAIR on the back of my neck stood straight up.... *grins* *sigh*
And I know I'm not the only girl who shares this obsession. Por ejemplo, this girl: (a kindred spirit except that I've always liked bagpipe music) :)
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2005/03/06/entertainment/the_other_way/03becca.txt
And now a word about the drum jam. FUN!!!!!! At the same time as closing gate ceremonies, a bunch of the drummers from the different acts - Three Guys and a Bunch of Drums (love them), the other drummer from Tartanic (I'm sorry I keep forgetting your name), a couple guys from Domba, and some guys that I don't know get together and drum. And the rest of us.....we dance! Whatever style we might choose to utilize, we dance. We dance silly, we dance sexy, we dance in circles, we dance by ourselves, we dance techno, we dance latin, we bellydance, we dance as performers, we dance as ourselves, we dance with the children from the crowd, we dance ignoring the crowd. We dance. And I love every exhausting minute of it. Cannon sounds and we cheer, the drums get faster and it ends in a frenzy and everyone cheers and we can finally drop character because cannon has sounded and the day is over and I can lose that stupid snood which I don't like but is still better than a hat that makes my head itch. And I'm sore and tired and hungry, but happy because of being outside on a lovely or lovely and rainy day and because of Adrian and because of Tartanic and because I got to dance.
I love Tartanic. Gush, gush, gush.