Category: Port Angeles

Rhythm of the Dance

I was treated to a performance by the National Dance Company of Ireland on Sunday. In addition to a fabulous four day festival in May, our Juan de Fuca Foundation offers a season of concerts, music, dance, and performance. A friend had a spare ticket and I got lucky. A front row seat to Irish dancing.

It was a blur of high energy step dancing accompanied by lively music. Check their website here for a video and more information about the company. They have traveled the world and are touring the U.S. over the next month with a schedule that looks exhausting.

Port Book and News

Port Book and News in Port Angeles is one of the local stops on a book lover’s circuit. They sell both new and used books and have a robust selection of periodicals. After combing library book sales — another great resource for readers — I managed to find two more Michael Connelly books to fill out my obsessive growing library of Bosch mysteries.

The Courthouse

This is our Clallam County courthouse, located in Port Angeles, the next city west of Sequim. It was originally built in 1914 and has twice been restored. It was designed in Classical Revival style by architect Francis Grant.

The clock in the courthouse tower has an interesting history. It was originally manufactured in 1880 by E. Howard & Co. in Boston, then shipped around Cape Horn to Seattle. Unclaimed by a buyer, it was warehoused for 29 years until it was discovered by Francis Grant and purchased by the County for $5,115. The tower and clock were renovated in 2010-2011. Click here if you’re interested in more information about the courthouse.

Juan de Fuca Festival 5

Have you heard of forest bathing? It’s an immersive, mindful practice of walking in the woods and focusing on just being.

Attending the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts for me was music bathing, taking in, savoring, loving what music has to offer.

David Jacobs-Strain, above, was one of the reasons we went to this year’s festival. Slide guitar, deeply soulful singing, and moving, evocative songs. He helped me realize I was taking a dip in music bathing.

Bob Beach sings, plays harmonica and flute. We heard him first as a duo with David Jacobs-Strain and again in a second performance with Jacobs-Strain and two other terrific performers, Keith Greeninger and Dayan Kai.

Keith Greeninger is an award winning singer/songwriter with a husky voice presenting songs full of soul. He improvised and played masterfully.

Dayan Kai is described as “a true musical force of nature. Born without sight he began playing classical piano at the age of two.” In concert at the festival he moved between guitars, wind instruments, and percussion. And, yeah, the guy can really sing.

The Juan de Fuca Festival offered dozens of performances. We could have spent up to nine hours a day taking in everything from ballet to zydeco. Music bathing at its best.

Juan de Fuca Festival 4

We saw Bruce Coughlan, above, twice at the Juan de Fuca Festival. First he played and sang as the duo of Whiskey Minstrels, then with Tiller’s Folly. Coughlan is a longtime songwriter and musician from Canada.

Nolan Murray performed twice with Coughlan. An award winning fiddler, he easily moved from fiddle to mandolin to mandocaster. I love mandolin and Murray was effortlessly brilliant.

Canadian Laurence Knight joined Coughlan and Murray as bassist and vocalist of Tiller’s Folly.

Juan de Fuca Festival 3

I have an enormous playlist on my iPod, packed with music I love. But even my most-played, favorite song is no match for live music. Room-filling, soul-stirring, dynamic. Rosie & the Riveters at the Juan de Fuca Festival is an example.

Rosie & the Riveters ended a ten week tour at the Juan de Fuca Festival at the top of their game. They performed their own songs, described as “playfully defiant,” and “confident talk-back harmonies” with titles like “Ms. Behave,” “Gotta Get Paid,” and “I Wanna Be King.”

Though their set was light and upbeat, a new song “I Believe You,” was filled with such raw honesty to bring me to tears. It caught a very current moment. You can hear it at their website.

The group is from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. From left to right they’re Farideh Olsen, Alexis Normand, and Allyson Reigh. They’re great performers and we’re already looking forward to their return for a solo concert next March.

Juan de Fuca Festival 2

When I said yesterday that the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts draws performers from far and wide I wasn’t exaggerating. One of the groups we saw perform twice on Saturday, All Our Exes Live in Texas, hails from Australia.

The singer-songwriter group has won the ARIA, Australia’s Grammy, for best roots/blues album of the year. They came to the festival in Port Angeles as part of a world tour.

Halie Loren, above, is based in Oregon and has also toured internationally. Her rich, bluesy voice was perfect for her set which included an unexpected version of the 1967 hit, “Ode to Billie Joe,” best I’ve ever heard. And she set a fresh new standard with many of her other songs. Top notch.

Today is Memorial Day in the U.S. It’s a time to remember and appreciate our veterans who gave their all. These service men and women have always made America great.