Lawrence C. Connolly's Blog, page 41

Rocking the Pour House:A Great Way to Spend a Friday Night

Riley’s Pour House just keeps getting better. Since Jim and Cheryl Riley took over a few years back, the pub has become a mecca for people who love funtimes and good music . . . and last night was no exception.

My good friend Duane Davis joined me on bass and backing vocals. We’ve been playing together for years, first teaming up in a band fronted by my brother John Connolly and then in the Laughrey Connolly Band.

We opened with “Wagon Wheel” then moved on through a set of contemporary tunes be...

All-Star Night (Part 3):Richard “Shag” Shaughnessy

craic

(/kræk/ krak) — n

news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland.

— wikipedia.org

Of all the 21st-century scopswho frequent the storytelling nights at Riley’s Pour House, perhaps the the greatest practitioner of craic is Richard “Shag”Shaughnessy.

[Read and hear more at The 21st Centruy Scop.]

All-Star Night (Part 3):Richard “Shag” Shaughnessy

craic

(/kræk/ krak) — n

news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland.

— wikipedia.org

Of all the 21st-century scopswho frequent the storytelling nights at Riley’s Pour House, perhaps the the greatest practitioner of craic is Richard “Shag”Shaughnessy.

Delivered in a folksy,conversational style, Shag’s stories brim with local flavor and history . . . and they always end with a terrific payoff.

The story he shared at last month’s All-Star Night is a...

All-Star Night (Part 2):Finding Hysteria with Stephanie Wytovich

Welcome back! Just in time to start the New Year off with a little hysteria.

Yesterday’s post featured Owen Kilbane and his story about discovering the powers of music in attracting the opposite sex. If you missed it, you will definitely want to go back and check it out. Here’s a link.

Owen’s performance was one of eleven featured at this month’s All Star Story Night at Riley’s Pour House — a night of entertainment that featured some of the best storytellers from Riley’s 2014 series.

Also featur...

All-Star Night:When Scops Come Out to Shine

scop(skop) — n

(in Anglo-Saxon England) a bard or minstrel

—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008.

If Riley’s Pour House is continuing the tradition of the Anglo-Saxon meed-hall by providing a public space to celebrate the art of story, then the storytellers who show up every month to share their tales. . . [Read and hear more at The 21st-Century Scop.]

All-Star Night:When Scops Come Out to Shine

scop

(skop) — n

(in Anglo-Saxon England) a bard or minstrel

In addition to being an entertainer who composed and performed his own works, the scop served as a kind of historian and preserver of the oral tradition […].

—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008.

If Riley’s Pour House is continuing the tradition of the Anglo-Saxon meed-hall by providing a public space to celebrate the art of story, then the storytellers who show up every month to share their tales are indeed following in the footsteps of the an...

Spotlight on All-Star Storytellers: Marlene Pendleton

Only sevenmore scopping days till All-Star Story Night, and, if you’re still wondering what to get that special someone, you might want to check out the limited edition Tri-Lax Chair (pictured here).

It’san inspired piece of German engineering, and it’s also the subject of a story thatMarlene Pendleton will be telling when she returns to Riley’s Pour House for an encore performance on December 30.

A designer who studied art at AIP, Marlene created our Story Night mascot Babe the Mannequin (pict...

Spotlight on All-Star Storytellers: Marlene Pendleton

Only sevenmore scopping days till All-Star Story Night, and, if you’re still wondering what to get that special someone, you might want to check out the limited edition Tri-Lax Chair (pictured below).

It’san inspired piece of German engineering, and it’s also the subject of a story thatMarlene Pendleton will be telling when she returns to Riley’s Pour House for an encore performance on December 30.

A designer who studied art at AIP, Marlene created our Story Night mascot Babe the Mannequin (pic...

Spotlight on All-Star Storytellers: Joe Coluccio

The Twelve Days of Story Night continues with a spotlight on another one this year’s top storytellers: Joe Coluccio.

Truly a man for all seasons, Joe is currently the President of Parsec,Pittsburgh’s premier science fiction organization, founded to promote awareness of all aspects of the speculative fiction genre. As part of its mission, Parsec annually sponsors Confluence, one of the country’sfriendliestregional sf conventions.

Joe’s additional accomplishments include founding the comedy group...

Spotlight on All-Star Storytellers:Larry Ivkovich

It’s almost here. Not Christmas. Not New Year’s Eve. I’m talking All-Start Storytelling, the event that will feature this year’s top storytellers from Story Night @ Riley’s Pour House.

With fewer than two weeks to go to the event, I’d like to begin highlighting some of the storytellers who will be appearing at ouryear-end competition.

First up is Story Night regularLarry Ivkovich, whomade his first Riley’s appearance at the Writers on Writingsession back in May. He then returned in July for Mid...