February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
L_nasa performed first. It was the opening concert of their current tour, and there was no sign of jet lag in their music. Former North Cregg guitarist Paul Meehan temporarily filled the spot of Donogh Hennessy, who’s decided to leave L_nasa but will still be doing a few concert dates on this tour. Meehan, who plays with the Karan Casey Band, did a fine job with L_nasa’s tightly arranged material, which can be tricky to play, especially those hairpin turns and tempo changes within a medley.
From the outset it was clear that L_nasa was in fighting trim. The three-whistle weave of Se_n Smyth, Kevin Crawford, and Cillian Vallely was electrifying in the reels “Michael McDermott’s/Tuttles/Spoil the Dance.” The switch to fiddle by Smyth, to flute by Crawford, and to uilleann pipes by Vallely was done smoothly as Meehan on guitar and Trevor Hutchinson on bass kept the rhythm thrumming underneath.
During “Aoibhneas Eilis N