an irish hooley

AN IRISH HOOLEY
Sunday, March 15, 2015; 2 pm
Band Biographies/Special Guests Biographies/
Dancer Biographies
Matt Foyer (Mandolin, Pennywhistles, Flute). Masquerading
as a musician for the better part of 9 years now, Matt has been
involved with Slugger O'Toole since the band’s inception. In
addition, he has been known to croon with the trio The Johnny
Come Latelys - also with Johnny McKenna. Outside of these
music endeavors, he teaches acting and theater history at
Glendale College, while occasionally dabbling in saxophone
and clarinet, much to the joy and artistic sensibilities of his
neighbors. Matt started off life as an actor, actually meeting
Dan Harper nearly 30 years ago at their alma mater, Cal Arts.
SLUGGER O’ TOOLE
Band Background
Founded in 2006 by longtime friends Matt Foyer, Dan Harper
and John McKenna, the Irish-American band Slugger O'Toole
‘made their bones’ playing the pubs of Southern California.
Leaving their mark on legendary haunts like The Auld
Dubliner, O'Brien's, Joxer Daly's, the Tam O'Shanter and the
world-famous Molly Malone's, the band also played plenty
of Irish wakes, wild weddings and private hoolies along the
way (including a couple of particularly raucous affairs for
Mel Gibson!). Following the release of their 2008 debut CD
Hammer and Tongs and a knock-out performance at LA's
1,200-seat Ford Amphitheater, Slugger O'Toole burst onto the
Festival circuit, playing the terrific crowds at the LA County
Irish Fair & Festival, the Great American Irish Fair in Irvine,
the Bakersfield Celtic Music Festival, the Kern County Scottish
Games & Gathering and the Big Squeeze Accordion Festival!
Working with producer Margaret O'Carroll and Kerry Records,
Slugger O'Toole is bringing the mighty joy of lively, authentic
Irish songs and tunes to increasingly large audiences in
Performing Arts Centers throughout California, with standingovations, sell out performances and added shows at venues
that include Harris Center, Folsom, California Center for the
Arts, Escondido, Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine and Thousand
Oaks Civic Arts Plaza to name a few. In 2013 the band
documented one such performance on their independently
released CD Slugger O'Toole Live at Folsom.
Dan Harper (Guitar). Spending his childhood in the fighting
Irish city of San Francisco, Dan purchased his first guitar out
of a pawn shop window at age 12 and took the BART train to
Berkeley each week to take lessons from a real live hippie.
He graduated from the S.F. School of the Arts and moved
south to attend the California Institute of the Arts, where he
providentially met fellow Slugger Matt Foyer in 1987. Following
a 20-year career in performing arts marketing and education,
Dan left it all behind in 2013 to take on his most challenging
assignment to date: being a full-time dad to sons Henry (3
1/2 years) and James (14 months). Along with Matt Foyer and
Johnny McKenna, Dan cofounded Slugger O'Toole in 2006; he
has also performed in the psychedelic rock band High and
Mighty and the alt-country outfit LongRidge. He dedicates
his 2015 performances to his loving and infinitely patient
wife Melissa.
John McKenna (Button Accordion, Bodhran). A proud
"narrowback" born to Irish parents in the Bronx, John relocated
to Los Angeles in the 1980s and quickly discovered the Celtic
Arts Center of Southern California, which eventually led to his
meeting the other lads in Slugger O'Toole. In the downtime
between Slugger engagements, John fronts the trio The Johnny
Come Latelys and hosts a variety of traditional Irish music
seisiuns around Southern California. He is also a Voiceover
artist (listen for him in any Sleep Number commercial) and a
company member of the award winning Theatre Banshee in
Burbank. Johnny plays a vintage Baldoni accordion bought by
his father for his mother in 1954. He would like to dedicate his
performance to the memory of his loving parents, Maggie Ann
McKenna (nee Reilly) from County Leitrim, and John McKenna
from County Longford.
Tim McNamara (Bass). Raised by Irish-Catholic parents in
a working class Detroit neighborhood, Tim remembers his
father playing the recordings of the Clancy Brothers, Tommy
Makem, and the Dubliners. The Irish music made an indelible
mark, and although he spent a large portion of his musical
career playing rock, blues, country, and bluegrass, the music
of his ancestral homeland stayed close to his heart. A chance
meeting with John McKenna and Dan Harper at a Pogues
concert in Los Angeles many years ago led to Tim becoming
the bassist in Slugger O’Toole. In addition to playing the bass,
Tim is an accomplished guitarist and pianist. He makes his
home in SouthernCalifornia with his beautiful wife Barbara and
their dogs Moose and Dingo, and is the proud father of grown
children Shannon and Sean.
www.harriscenter.net SPRING 2015 PROGRAM GUIDE B 39
AN IRISH HOOLEY
continued
SPECIAL GUESTS
Hana Rivas (Percussion). Hana Rivas is 24 years old and
has been playing music since the age of 12. His recent work
has included: playing for LA musicals such as "Hedwig and
the Angry Inch", being the live musical director/drummer
for the artist "Happy Pills" (featured Co-Star on the hit HBO
show "True Blood, Independent Artist) touring with the Sony
Indie Artists “The Miracle Dolls”, and playing for “The Moog”
(opening band for the 2012-2013 “B52’s” tour).
Emmily Moore, (Violin). An alumnus of Berklee College
of Music and currently pursuing a Masters Degree at the
University of Southern California, Emiy Moore is a California
native who began playing the violin at the age of four. She
has recorded for Will.I.Am, Macy Gray, Miki Howard and for
numerous other artists and film composers. An in-demand
session player and performer, she has studied contemporary
technique extensively on the violin and is also an active
composer and string arranger. In 2015, a collection of her
pop string quartet arrangements will be published and
starting in September, she will be presenting her work at
K-12 workshops throughout the non-profit organization,
Music on the Verge. In 2014, Emily co-founded Spirit Strings,
an alternative string quartet, and Ruled By Venus, a folkrock band, both based in Los Angeles. Emily has performed
with: Kerry Records, daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra, Video Game
Orchestra, Golden State Pops Orchestra, Irish Tenors,
California Philharmonic and countless other organizations.
Keara Osborne, (Kerry Dance Troupe). Keara has been an
Irish dancer for 25 years. She has competed numerous times
at the local, regional, and national levels. Now retired from
competitive dance she enjoys performing regularly with
world touring bands such as The Young Dubliners and The
Fenians. . In 2012, she was delighted to be a part of the Irish
dance ensemble in Battle of the Dance in Anaheim, California.
Keara has made several television appearances as an Irish
dancer, including the Disney XD show Crash and Bernstein
in 2013 and the DJ Tommy Trash "Lord of the Trance" music
video in 2014. In May, 2013 Keara completed her Masters of
Social Work at the University of Southern California. Kerry
Records is thrilled to welcome Keara as a returning member
of The Kerry Dance Troupe.
Carrie Scott Stotmeister (Kerry Dance Troupe). Carrie began
Irish dancing at the age of 6 with the Cashel-Dennehy School
of Irish Dance in Milwaukee, WI. She quickly excelled in Irish
music and dance and holds medals at the Regional, National,
and World Championship levels. In her professional career
she has toured the United States and internationally with
the Trinity Irish Dance Company and was a member of Battle
of the Dance. Carrie has performed with major names in
Irish music including Cherish the Ladies, Black 47, and the
Chieftains. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA where
she works in Fashion and teaches Irish Dance classes. She is
thrilled perform with the Slugger O'Toole band!
MEMBERS OF THE KERRY DANCE TROUPE
KERRY RECORDS
Kimberly Gerard (Kerry Dance Troupe). Kimberly has been
involved in Irish dancing for twelve years. She competed for
The Sean Gavin Academy as well as Aniar Academy of Irish
Dance in Orange County. She advanced quickly especially
in 'soft shoe' which is her favorite form of Irish dance and
competed in local, regional, and national competitions.
Kimberly joined the Kerry Dance Troupe as a professional
dancer in 2011 and after a year she became the troupe's
Dance Captain, a position she has held for the past three
years. She is very excited to perform with the great Slugger
O'Toole band for the fourth year!
Kerry Records is a Los Angeles-based production company.
The company presents Irish projects in performing arts
centers throughout the United States and has become an
integral part of Irish music in America proudly promoting
Ireland and its rich traditions of music, song, dance,
storytelling, poetry and literature. Kerry Records continues to
work with major organizations in the promotion of Ireland and
in 2013 and 2014 partnered with PBS and Tourism Ireland in
a televised presentation of An Irish Christmas. The company
is delighted to bring An Irish Hooley with Slugger O' Toole to
Harris Center.
40 SPRING 2015 PROGRAM GUIDE B www.harriscenter.net