2008 Schedule

Following is my schedule of both performances and dates or events you may find of interest.
I do my best to update this page as soon as information comes available.
When possible, I will provide links and other information which may aid in your booking or attendance.
I am available for weddings, memorials, birthday, retirement parties, corporate and most other types of events.
Please contact me early toward securing your booking.

DATE/TIME:    01Jan08
EVENT:    Hogmanay / First Footing
LOCATION:    Everywhere ... but for me all around Capital Hill
COST:    FREE
STATUS: Confirmed
DETAILS:    First Footing on Hogmanay -- Friends in the local Scots community get together to brave the cold and romp around spreading New Year cheer, traditional Scottish style with a Seattle flavour to the celebration. Members of my pipe and drum band -- John Cunningham Memorial Tartan (Alumni?) Pipes & Drums -- and others will be playing.

DATE/TIME:    25Jan08
EVENT:    Robert Burns Day
LOCATION:    Everywhere
COST:    FREE
STATUS: N/A -- THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ENTRY, NOT A SCHEDULED PERFORMANCE
DETAILS:    Commemorating one of Scotland's greatest poet of antiquity.

DATE/TIME:    26Jan08 evening
EVENT:    Robert Burns Celebration
LOCATION:    Nile Golf Course Shoreline, WA
COST:    TBA
STATUS: Confirmed
DETAILS:    The Caledonia & St. Andrews Society of Seattle in conjunction with another local organization (I'm not 100% sure which -- Masons maybe) are participating in holding a Robert Burns celebration including a supper and some entertainment ... which so far as I understand has me playing in some capacity -- hopefully this doesn't include a clown suit or something too nutz.

DATE/TIME:    27Jan08 evening
EVENT:    Gung Haggis Fat Choy Celebration
LOCATION:    Vancouver B.C., Canada
COST:    TBA
STATUS: Confirmed
DETAILS:    Gung Haggis Fat Choyis a 10 year old cross-cultural event celebrating Chinese New Years and Robert Burns -- entirely not traditional, entirely not proper, and entirely good clean fun. Started by "Toddish McWong" this has grown to attract 500-1000 people at a time ... and I get to go celebrate, play and enjoy.

DATE/TIME:    24Feb08 evening
EVENT:    Gung Haggis Fat Choy {annual}
LOCATION:    Ocean City Restaurant in Seattle's International District
COST:    $35/person? (whatever it is, it's worth every cent)
STATUS:    Confirmed
DETAILS:    Gung Haggis Fat Choy -- the cross-cultural Chinese New Years and Robert Burns Supper celebration, as invented by Toddish McWong of Vancouver BC and brought to Seattle. I performed as a part of this last year, and I'm very glad to be attending and performing again this year. For me tho this year -- new stuff -- I will be playing my Highland pipes with a hand-drummer, and playing loaned Fireside pipes with a Cape Breton fiddler. Let me know if you want to attend and I can get you the details on how to get tickets for this incredibly fun event.

DATE/TIME:    25Feb08 evening
EVENT:    Gung Haggis Fat Choy {annual}
LOCATION:    some restaurant in Vancouver, B.C.
COST:    $??/person (whatever it is, it's worth every cent)
STATUS:    Confirmed
DETAILS:    Gung Haggis Fat Choy -- the cross-cultural Chinese New Years and Robert Burns Supper celebration, as invented by Toddish McWong of Vancouver BC -- this time at the original event.

DATE/TIME:    15Mar08 noonish
EVENT:    The Seattle St. Patrick's Parade {annual}
LOCATION:    Downtown Seattle on 4th & possibly at The Seattle Center
COST:    FREE
STATUS:    Unconfirmed
DETAILS:    My group John Cunningham Memorial Tartan (Alumni?) Pipes & Drums looks to be playing in the 2008 parade in the City of Seattle. Contact me ASAP if you'd like to hire some Highland bagpipers and drummers for this weekend or for St. Patrick's Day on Monday the 17th. JCMT P&D might also be doing some pub shows after the parade.
...Oh, and if you're wondering why the parade is on Saturday instead of Monday...
A few years back a decision was made to start holding the parade in Seattle not on St. Pat's Day but on the Saturday before -- this allows more people to participate in and view the parade and get equally wet and/or cold together -- personally, I think its a good improvement.

No currently scheduled performances.

DATE/TIME:    06Apr08
EVENT:   National Tartan Day {annual}
LOCATION:    America, Canada, and I think Scotland
COST:    FREE
STATUS:   N/A -- THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ENTRY, NOT A SCHEDULED PERFORMANCE
DETAILS:    Americans of Scottish descent have played a vibrant and influential role in the development of the United States. From the framers of the Declaration of Independence to the first man on the moon, Scottish-Americans have contributed mightily to the fields of the arts, science, politics, law, and more. Today, over eleven million Americans claim Scottish and Scot-Irish roots -- making them the eighth largest ethnic group in the United States. These are the people and accomplishments that are honored on National Tartan Day, April 6th. On March 9, 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 41 recognizing National Tartan Day!

DATE/TIME:    24-26May08, Memorial Day weekend
EVENT:    Northwest Folklife {annual}
LOCATION:    Seattle Center in Seattle, WA
COST:    FREE
STATUS:   Confirmed
DETAILS:    The current plan is for my Highland bagpipe/drum-kit band Nae Regrets to play somewhere on the grounds -- at present this will be our debut performance coming out of hiatus and following a name-change. We are scheduled to play a stage performance on the Fountain Lawn Stage around 5PM on Saturday.

EVENT:   City of Edmonds 101st Independence Day Parade
LOCATION:    Edmonds, WA
COST:    FREE
STATUS:   Confirmed
DETAILS:    My pipe band, John Cunningham Memorial Tartan (Alumni?) Pipes & Drums played this parade 2006 & 2007 and had a lot of fun. We're hoping to be asked for 2009, 2010, 2011...

DATE/TIME:    14-15Jul08
EVENT:   Skagit Valley Highland Games & Celtic Festival {annual}
LOCATION:    Riverside Park or something in Mount Vernon, WA
COST:    see website
STATUS:   Confirmed
DETAILS:    See the Skagit Valley Highland Game's website

DATE/TIME:    26-27Jul08
EVENT:   Seattle Scottish Highland Games {annual}
LOCATION:    King County Fair Grounds in Enumclaw, WA
COST:    see website
STATUS:   Confirmed... I just have to figure out how I'm getting there.
DETAILS:    This is the 2nd largest Highland games on the west coast -- this is a no-miss event on my calendar. I will probably be playing solo for a Seattle area Scottish Country Dance group while they take a break from their performance. The event runs Friday evening through Sunday early-evening, but I only plan to be there on Saturday.

DATE/TIME:    02Nov08 approx 9-11AM
EVENT:   All Saints Day observance {annual}
LOCATION:    St. Dunstan's in Shoreline, WA
COST:    FREE
STATUS:   Confirmed
DETAILS:    For the past couple of years I've performed for a particular church's All Saint's Day observance. Very nice congregation, and I'm grateful to get to be a part of their service. They usually hold this on the Sunday morning closest to actual All Saint's Day.

DATE/TIME:    14Nov08 approx 730-930PM
EVENT:   Bagpipe Presentation
LOCATION:    Lake City Presb. Church, Seattle, WA
COST:    FREE + suggested $5 donation to participate in tea/light-dinner
STATUS:   Confirmed
DETAILS:    I am a member of the Caledonian & St. Andrews Society of Seattle {est. 1902} -- technically I am or am going to be dubbed the 'official piper' there-of. The orginization exists to 'advance Scottish culture in an American context in the Seattle area'. In addition to attending the monthly meetings, I play as members/guests arrive and again to open the meetings. This month I have been asked to give a presentation on the history of pipes, explain how they work, and to demonstrate some of the various music styles through some playing. I should have a few other performers working with me, possibly including members of Northwest Junior Pipes & Drums, and two friends of mine, one playing ulliean pipes and the other some pipes from one of the numerous countries he's visited. My intention is to present this in a work-shop fashion, and looks to be a nice evening.

DATE/TIME:    30Nov08
EVENT:   St. Andrew's Day {annual}
LOCATION:    Everywhere
COST:    FREE
STATUS:   N/A -- THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ENTRY, NOT A SCHEDULED PERFORMANCE
DETAILS:    St. Andrew's Day used to be a very popular feast day in Scotland. St. Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland and the origin for the “X” on the Scottish Flag.