Music & Dance
Music
From (bag) pipe and drum bands to Celtic rock, our festival features a variety of music rooted in Celtic traditions. Our three stages have music and dance performances throughout the weekend.
The Lt. Shadd Rohwer Memorial Stage was named in honor of Farmington Fire Fighter Shadd Rohwer. He was an integral part of our event and our dear friend. He was responsible for running the logistics with skill and smile.
The Connie Gotsch Memorial Stage was named in honor of Connie Gotsch who was one of our founding performers. She delighted our attendees with her stories.
2022 Line Up Keep checking for updates!
Angus Mohr
Listen at angusmohr.com
Playing Saturday and Sunday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Angus Mohr is:
Matthew McDaniel - Pipes, Penny Whistle, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Paul McDaniel - Lead vocals, Bass
Steve Mossholder - Drummer, Vocals
Michael Aggson - Guitar
Just as watery mist remakes the world and whisky remakes the man, Angus Mohr revitalizes traditional Celtic music’s brogue with an American blues accent while rejuvenating rock ’n roll’s broad spectrum with bagpipes and pennywhistles. No one is ever going to mistake Angus Mohr for a cover band. Sure, they play songs like “Foggy Dew,” the 1916 Easter Rising ballad, and “Whisky in the Jar,” a sixteenth century tale of love and betrayal, and their set list is peppered with songs penned by Dylan, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, and the Ramones. But you’ve never heard “Ring of Fire” or “I Wanna Be Sedated” until you’ve heard it with the pipes’ spiraling keen.
Smelter Mountain Boys
Smelter Mountain Boys have become known in the Four Corners area for traditional bluegrass with tight instrumentation and high vocal harmonies. It's a bit of North Carolina meets Colorado with Corey Clark bringing a extensive catalog of bluegrass favorites and standards spanning across the music's history. He's backed up by some Colorado boys that have grown up around the campground and festivals and jam circles of the Rocky Mountains. Featuring Steve Labowskie on bass and vocals, Pete Donahue on mandolin and vocals and Eli Emmitt lead guitar. While Eli plays flatpick style guitar he is also a jazz guitar student at Fort Lewis College, Eli was brought up on Colorado style bluegrass by his Father, Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon. The boys also explore jazz, roots, folk and Celtic avenues that intertwine with bluegrass which always makes for an interesting musical journey at each performance.
Patrick Crossing
Listen at www.patrickcrossingmusic.com.
Shiela Lane has been playing music since she was five years old, beginning with the piano, then the flute. She discovered the Irish penny whistles in 1997 and later took a trip to Ireland to discover more about Celtic music and to learn the various stylings. She began playing the violin in 2011, and she feels it is never too late to start playing an instrument and get started Celtic music. She brings to the band an incredible mix of talents ranging from Celtic whistles and flutes, to violin & viola along with lead and back-up vocals. She has composed many original tunes and interludes that the band performs.
Elizabeth Davis was classically trained on the violin at a very young age and has played Celtic music since 2007. She plays lead violin for the band. She is proficient on viola, switching between that and the violin for lovely overlays on songs. She also has an interest in Salsa Celtica stylings. She has performed both Celtic dance and her own stylings of Salsa dance put to Celtic music.
Molly Morningstar is a lead and harmonic vocalist for the band. She has performed at the National Cathedral and with the Prairie Home companion. She is also a 7th Grade School Teacher.
Erick Morningstar plays percussion and is known primarily for his complex playing styles and rhythms on the Bodhran and djembe.
CJ Alderton lays down the guitar work for Patrick Crossing and provides lead and back-up vocals. He is also a song writer for the band. Along with being a member of Patrick Crossing, he is the President of the Durango Celtic Society, with a passion to see Celtic music showcased in the Four Corners Area.
Shimmy Mob
Dance
We host a Highland Dance Competition during the event. Come to watch or to compete!
"Highland dance or Highland dancing (Scottish Gaelic: dannsa Gàidhealach)[1] is a style of competitive dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the 19th and 20th centuries, in the context of competitions at public events such as the Highland games. It was created from the Gaelic folk dance repertoire, but formalized with the conventions of ballet',[2] and has been subject to influences from outside the Highlands. Highland dancing is often performed with the accompaniment of Highland bagpipe music, and dancers wear specialized shoes called ghillies. It is now seen at nearly every modern-day Highland games event." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_highland_dance