The concept of house concerts is not a new one. Originally called salons centuries ago, patrons of fine music opened up their homes to musicians for performances. The idea was put away for some time as musicians began performing for large audiences and needed a stage and amplification. Now, singer/songwriters and bands alike are welcoming the idea of performing ‘unplugged’ in a cozy living room. It gives an opportunity to look the audience at eye level and the ambience and attention more relaxed and inviting. Little Lake Hill (read more on the Little Lake Hill link) is located right off of Wade Avenue on Dixie Trail in Raleigh and very near the beltline and I-40, very convenient to folks from everywhere!

Little Lake Hill opened its doors to its first house concert in July, 2000, presenting Leslie Ritter and Scott Petito in a wonderful and highly successful show! Little Lake Hill provides an elegant and intimate setting for such performances. The home built in 1932 sits on 3 acres of land in the center of Raleigh. It rests on a hill overlooking a pond (to be restored) thus, the name Little Lake Hill. Lush gardens, stone walls and steps, rock gardens cultivated many years ago grace the area. You can learn more about the home on the Little Lake Hill link.

The House Concert Series hosts an array of entertainment … many genres and many performers that are well known, and many that are not, but rest assured, are very deserving of being heard! There will always be an assortment of goodies on hand, but sharing is welcomed also. Not heard of Little Lake Hill House Concerts? It was voted one of the top places for entertainment by Independent Weekly in 2002! It takes quite a bit of effort and time to host a successful house concert. We attribute much of the success of the Little Lake Hill House Concerts to our vast array of contacts (via music, conservationist, artisan and political). The hosts must share a true love of the artist's music AND the confidence of the performance.
The June 12, 2004 issue of the online magazine "Indie-Music.com" contains an article about HOUSE CONCERTS! (Little Lake Hill House Concerts is interviewed!) You can read about it!

One thing the article does not capture is the amount of work it takes to put on a show and the wonderful response from the audience that really make the musicians feel appreciated. We put a lot of time and energy into the Little Lake Hill shows. This includes booking the artist; building & maintenance of the email and snail mail lists; a website with information about the artist including music selections which gives everyone a chance to preview; house rearranged (and cleaned!), chairs and sound set up, and torn down, food bought and prepared, etc. I estimate that we spend 48 hours getting ready for the concert. Our rewards are great since we get to see the satisfaction of a happy audience & happy artists and a chance to promote great music & the arts. I know that many of the artists  lead a hard (but creative) life on the road and struggle to make ends meet. This venue assures that 100% of the gate goes to the artist. Many  folks have come to nearly all of the shows here, so it's like being with family! (a LOT of family! ;-) Artists also get room and board! And some even stay with us when they are in the area playing at other venues. What we hope to achieve is that the audience will get a warm setting for music, a chance to for artist and audience to share an intimate evening with music and for the artist to explore and take risks where other venues would feel comfortable in doing so. The audience makes these evenings special for the artist and the artist often gives some of their best and most creative performances here. Each show is the BEST!

For those of you that haven't been to a house concert yet, perhaps reading the article above will get you out to explore one!
Scroll down to see our past shows and highlights over the years since beginning in July, 2000!

 

One would think that with as much we've been following Pierce Pettis (20 + years!) that he would have been at Little Lake Hill LONG before now! It is with great luck and schedule juggling that he is finally here in Raleigh!! Pierce is currently working on his 9th CD and his songs have been covered by artists such as Joan Baez, Garth Brooks, Jonathan Edwards, Susan Edwards, Art Garfunkle, David Roth, Tom Kimmel, Kim and Reggie Harris (to name a couple!). Several of his CDs are under the esteemed Windham Hill label, High Street and later CDs are recorded under the Compass Records label. Pierce's music is such a wide mix of genres.... some knee-slapping blues, some folk in style,  some gospel, some fingerstyle, some haunting melodies in alternate tunings....but rest assured, that there is a story and message in his lyrics. Pierce's learning of life and love is evident in his music.

PAST SHOWS
 

We are thrilled to have Andy Irvine back here! His 'Mother's Day' show several years ago is one the most memorable ones here. He played before a spellbound audience singing his songs, Irish songs, and playing some of the most fascinating rhythmic Balkan dance tunes. There was a lot of dancing going on in the halls! He was accompanied by Rens Van der Zalm, but this time we have Andy as a solo!

Forty years on the road.......Andy Irvine has been hailed as "a tradition in himself." Many refer to him as the 'Woody Guthrie of Ireland!' He writes about the plight of the common man.
In 2001 Andy received the FIDDLER'S GREEN HALL OF FAME AWARD in Rostrevor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, "Presented annually to person or group who has made a significant contribution to the cause of Irish music and culture."
Here's what people are saying:

"His forte, his genius is playing his mandolin, mandola and bouzouki. I have never heard such clarity of sound, such perfect and precise rhythmic variations or brilliant melodic figures from this family of instruments," San Francisco Examiner. Hot Press says" Any Irvine is Woody Guthrie's representative on earth."  Boston Globe says "Andy has been one of Ireland's most creative talents for over 20 years." 
"Andy Irvine is a tradition in himself," the Irish Press.

Musician, singer and songwriter, Andy has maintained both personal integrity and highly individual performing skills throughout his 40-year career. From Sweeney's Men in the mid sixties and the enormous success of Planxty in the 70s, to THE Irish super group, Patrick Street, since the 80s, and his current “dream band,” Mozaik, Andy has been a world music pioneer and icon for traditional music and musicians. 
Irvine occupies a unique place in the musical world, plying his trade as archetypal troubadour, with a solo show and traveling lifestyle that reflects his lifelong influence, Woody Guthrie.  Few others can equal his repertoire, Irish traditional songs, dexterous Balkan dance tunes, and a compelling canon of his own material that defies description. 

In his two years with Sweeney's Men, the group ignited an interest in traditional Irish music that survives to this day. Their successful singles, "Old Maid in the Garret" and "The Waxie's Dargle" landed at the very top of the Irish Hit Parade. Andy left the band in 1968, and made his first trip 'way out yonder', traveling by 'the sunburnt thumb' in Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia, earning his living as a street musician and absorbing the musical traditions of the Balkans. Returning to Ireland, Irvine united with Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and Liam O'Flynn to form Planxty, fanning the flames of Irish Traditional Music well into the next generation. Planxty took a break in 1976 and Irvine worked and recorded with Paul Brady, making the classic album  “Andy Irvine & Paul Brady”. After a brief time with De Dannan, he rejoined the reunited Planxty from 1979 until its breakup in 1983. . Andy’s his first solo album, “Rainy Sundays ... Windy Dreams”, followed, as well as “Parallel Lines” a duo album with the great Scots troubadour, Dick Gaughan. Never one to rest on his laurels, Andy formed Mosaic, a pan-European band that included Donal Lunny and Hungarian singer Marta Sebestyen. After one blissful summer traveling through Europe with this band, Andy returned to solo and duo work. This work soon grew into Patrick Street, featuring Kevin Burke (Bothy Band), Jackie Daly (De Danaan) and guitar maestro Arty McGlynn. Patrick Street, originally billed as Legends of Irish Music – one of the few times such hoopla was accurate, recorded three albums from 1987 to 1990. Andy then recorded his second solo album, “Rude Awakening”, and created the hugely influential ”East Wind”, an album of Balkan music, produced by Bill Whelan and featuring Davy Spillane on Uilleann Pipes. Patrick Street regrouped in 1993 with Kevin, Jackie, Andy, and Ged Foley. To date Patrick Street has released eight recordings, all on the Green Linnet label. Early in 2002, Andy drafted some long-time musical friends and formed his “dream band” for a one-off tour of Australia. Calling themselves Mozaik, reminiscent of the earlier cross-genre group, Andy was joined by Donal Lunny, Dutch guitarist Rens van der Zalm, Hungarian bagpiper Nikola Parov and American fiddler Bruce Molsky. The response was so positive that they might well have another go at it. October 2002 saw the release of Patrick Street’s Street Life, arguably their best ever. It showcases an ecumenical approach, while never letting go of the tradition that binds these amazing musicians, all at the very top of their game. Although an integral part of the finest Irish bands of our time, Andy Irvine continues along the road he set for himself so long ago - a vibrant career as a solo artist in the old style, a teller of stories and maker of music. You can read more about Andy on his website.

Andy has countless CDs recorded with his many bands, as well as several solo albums. Have a listen to some of his tunes below and you can hear more at show #26 (scroll down below)

Reservations ($15) for this show are necessary and can be made at (919) 787-6378 or email bett@bettpadgett.com. Please limit reservation parties to 4 people and allow 3 days for a confirmation. We are thrilled to have Andy back here. There is already interest in this show, so don't wait too long to save your seats!

Upcoming shows: Scheduled shows for fall/winter include Pierce Pettis and Robin Bullock with Steve Baughman. Reservations for these shows can be made 3 weeks prior to the show . Those on the mailing list will be sent a reminder --- want to be on the list for reminders? Email me!

SOLD OUT! PADDY KEENAN (of famed BOTHY BAND) SATURDAY, MAY 17 8:00

With Guitarist John Walsh

 It's been four LONG years since Paddy's first performance and we are pleased to welcome him back! Yes---he is known as 'King of the Pipers'. Generally acknowledged as the most accomplished uilleann piper performing today, Paddy is certainly one of the most brilliant musicians of his generation. He can rightfully claim his place alongside such open-style legends as pipers John Cash and Johnny Doran.

Paddy Keenan was born in Trim, Co. Meath, to John Keenan, Sr. of Westmeath and the former Mary Bravender of Co. Cavan. The Keenans were a Travelling family steeped in traditional music; both Paddy’s father and grandfather were uilleann pipers. Traditional Celtic music was the fabric that held his family together.  Paddy took on the pipes at the age of ten. He played his first major concert at the Gaiety Theater in Dublin when he was fourteen. Later, he played with his father and brothers around Ireland in a group called the Pavees. At seventeen he left Ireland to play blues and rock and roll in England and Europe, broadening his musical range. upon returning to Ireland he began playing traditional music again. Paddy soon found even wider acclaim as a founding member of the Bothy Band and traditional music has never been the same since. The Bothy Band recorded six legendary albums from 1975-1979, all of which still hold a place in the best of popular Celtic music. The band's sound merged a driving rhythm with traditional instrumentation. Paddy's virtuosity on the pipes and his fervor of playing made him a key driving force of this legendary group. Bothy Band-mate, Donal Lunny, describes Paddy as the 'Jimi Hendrix of the pipes"! and more recently, due to his genius for improvisation and counter-melody, he has been compared to jazz great John Coltrane. While he most often plays traditional Irish music, he's equally adept at other styles and can play anything from bluegrass to jazz. He has 4 solo CDs and has recorded on more than 28 other CDs and movie soundtracks. Paddy was the winner of the coveted TG4 Gradam Ceoil 2002 Award for Musician of the Year. Since receiving the award, Paddy has established The Long Grazing Acre Foundation, an educational trust fund for the Traveller community in Ireland; the fund provides student recipients with scholarship money to further their education.

Among his  film projects are Traveller, a major studio release starring Bill Paxton and Marky Mark (1997), as well as projects focusing on the history of the Navajo people  and on  pagan culture ---Invisible People—The Genocide of the Traditional Navajos . He has recorded in recent years with many major artists in the world of Irish traditional music and beyond, including fiddler James Kelly, flute player Larry Nugent, Steve Morris of Deep Purple and the Dixie Dregs, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bela Fleck and Tim O’Brien. On his own label, Hot Conya Records, Paddy produced Na Keen Affair in 1997, featuring Bothy Band-mate Tommy Peoples, Seamus Creagh, Niall Vallely and several Newfoundland musicians; and The Long Grazing Acre in 2001, with singer and guitarist Tommy O’Sullivan, former Bothy Band-mate Triona Ni Dhomhnaill, James Blennerhassett, Steve Housden, Greg Sheehan and others. Both albums were met with critical acclaim.  You can learn more about Paddy at his website.

Paddy brings with him John Walsh,  an Irish guitarist living in the New York area. John grew up in Kilkenny, Ireland, where he picked up his first instrument, the tin whistle, under the supervision of Brother Jacob at the CBS school in Callan, Co. Kilkenny. After learning some tunes on the whistle, his mother’s guitar seemed a logical progression. To his luck a local musician, John Travers, was kind enough to show him around the fretboard, and soon John found a thriving music scene in Kilkenny. 

John moved to the US with his wife Carole and their children in 1992. He studied Audio Engineering and now owns and runs St. Canicea’s Backyard, a recording studio specializing in Irish traditional music. John has worked with great musicians such as Pat Kilbride, Chris Brown, Keith O’Neilll, Paddy Keenan, Eric Everett, Frankie Gavin, David Power, Maria Miller, The Derivatives, Ciaran Somers, Seanachai and others. You can learn a bit more at John's website.

The music that these two produce together is phenomenal! Have a listen to several selections

Folks----this is going to be one GREAT and FUNNY SHOW!!!!  Lou and Peter Berryman began their musical partnership in high school in Appleton, Wisconsin, way back in the sixties. By the eighties, they had established themselves as a prominent feature of the songwriting subculture of Wisconsin's capital, playing their original material every week for almost ten years in the run-down but trendy music room of Madison's Club de Wash. Gradually expanding their circuit, they began crisscrossing the continent and gaining national attention with appearances on such programs as Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion and NPR's Weekend Edition. Regular appearances at festivals and folk music clubs all across the country now serve as venues for the songs contained in their twelve recordings and three songbooks, which have been performed by a legion of professional musicians, including Peter, Paul & Mary, Peggy Seeger and Garrison Keillor, as well as shower singers everywhere. Their whimsical and wonderfully accessible performances of their hilarious, quirky, yet oddly profound songs leave audiences with cheeks aching from smiling. The popularity of Lou and Peter Berryman -- whose friendship survived a brief marriage in the seventies -- is a testament to their intelligent and wickedly funny material which is never bawdy or risqué but is rich with wordplay and witty images. This duo is not to be missed. 
Plays piano-accordion and button accordion. Also accomplished on piano, harpsichord, banjo, viola de gamba, saxophone, lute, guitar and write sthe melodies. Peter was trained in classical music, plays the 12 string guitar and writes the lyrics.

Tom Lehrer says about the duo, "Rhymes that rhyme! I love your material, and if I were still performing, I'd steal it!
Tom Paxton says, "When it comes to being funny, I think I've spent the first thirty years trying to be as funny as Tom Lehrer and the last part will be trying to be as funny as the Berrymans. They don't come any funnier than that.
Pete Seeger: Lou & Peter Berryman! Long may they wave! Their song "A Chat with your Mother" is one of the great American folksongs of the 20th century.
Christine Lavin: Lou & Peter Berryman are the funniest thing on four legs and brilliant songwriters.
You can read much more and testimonials about the Berrymans on their VERY entertaining website. A visit there to learn more about them will certainly draw you here!

Have a listen yourself to their wit, humor and music!                                              

Reservations for this show ($20) is necessary and can be made by calling (919) 787-6378 or email bett@bettpadgett.com. Please limit reservation parties to four people and allow 3 days for a confirmation --- and don't wait too long. Lou and Peter have a strong following and folks have been waiting for them to appear in this area for a long time! I anticipate this show will sell out soon!

It's been four years since these two favorites were at Little Lake Hill together and those who came to their first two shows here will remember them for sure! Both shows sold out early so we've asked them to do TWO shows this year to make sure everyone has a chance to see them. They were our 14th and 41st shows---check them out below. We are so fortunate to be able to have them back!

If you ever listen to Thistle and Shamrock (WUNC 91.5 FM on Sunday evenings) you have heard these two artists! Called one of Celtic music's most gifted singers and arguably the best songwriter in the entire folk tradition, Andy M. Stewart has been delighting audiences with his music and humor for two decades. Born in Perthshire, Scotland, Andy grew up in a family noted for its fine traditional singing. He first drew the attention of the music world with his work as lead singer and instrumentalist for Silly Wizard, with whom he toured until their break-up in 1988. It was while Andy was in the Wizards that he gained much recognition for his beautiful interpretations of the traditional songs of Scotland and Ireland and also became known as a master of songwriting in the traditional style.  "The Ramblin' Rover", the "Queen of Argyle", and "Where Are You Tonight, I Wonder" have become classics. He has been recorded on 23 albums, 4 of which are solos: By the Hush, named Folk Album of the Year by Melody Maker Magazine, Songs of Robert Burns, Man in the Moon, and his most recent release, Donegal Rain.  He has also recorded three albums with Manus Lunny: Fire in the Glen (also featuring Phil Cunningham of Silly Wizard), Dublin Lady, and At It Again. The Boston Globe says, "Andy M. Stewart is among the finest interpreters of Scottish folksongs and a wonderful songwriter." Dirty Linen says, "Stewart's trademark is his vocal power and uncanny ability to capture every emotional nuance in a lyric....vivid, passionate and compelling." Known for his wicked wit and sterling live performances, Andy M. Stewart is among the finest singers in the Scots/Irish traditional genre, with a voice that "conveys more emotion in one line than most singers do in a lifetime." (Beacon Herald) You can learn more about Andy at his website.

Gerry O'Beirne is no stranger to our stage. First appearing here as Andy's accompanist in 2002 (they have worked together since 1991), he returned for TWO sold out solo performances (the last one in November of 2007), playing 12 string, 6 string guitars and tiny ukulele with unbelievable talent! AND, for a fourth time with the Willow Band, in March 2004. Hailing from the West of Ireland, he is a self-taught master of the six and twelve string guitar, accomplished songwriter, and skilled arranger/producer. He has toured with Patrick Street, Waterboys, Sharon Shannon Band, Kevin Burke and Andy Irvine. His songs have been covered by Mary Black, Maura O'Connell and many others. His first long-awaited solo DC, Half Moon Bay, has been chosen as one of the best 12 independent releases of 2000 by Performing Songwriter magazine. Also, it was chosen as one of Folkworld's top ten albums of the year. Gerry will have with him his brand new CD, The Bog Bodies And Other Stories: Music For Guitar!! Read more about Gerry at his website.

Gerry's outstanding arrangements and accompaniment brings a beautiful rich texture to traditional standards and is a brilliant underscore for Andy's voice and lyrics. The Los Angeles Times describe the duo's performances as 'moving from achingly gorgeous ballads to romping jigs....Andy's hilarious introductions have become as treasured as his music."

To have a peak at their music click on the tracks below. It was difficult to choose which songs to put here for you to enjoy as I love everyone of them, but can't put the entire CDs here!

 Reservations for these shows ($20) are necessary and can be made by calling (919) 787-6378 or email bett@bettpadgett.com. Please limit reservation parties to four people and allow 3 days for a confirmation --- and don't wait too long as these shows will sell out soon!

 

Christine Kane's CDs have been in my CD player for more than a year  (at least)! The moment we listened and learned more about her it was an instant connection! We are SO happy to have  her here to kick off the 2008 season at Little Lake Hill House concerts! She is blazing a trail that explodes the boundaries of the typical singer-songwriter track. Christine headlines at celebrated music and arts festivals, like the Kate Wolfe Festival and Chattanooga’s Riverbend Festival, as well as at popular venues and theaters across the country from the Freight & Salvage to The Birchmere. But that’s not all. Christine has toured with the North Carolina Dance Theatre in support of a ballet they choreographed to her music. The show toured to rave reviews in 2006 and 2007, put Christine in the spotlight at major performing arts centers around the U.S., and featured her in Dance Magazine. The Charleston Ballet Theatre has also choreographed a ballet to Kane’s music, which debuted at Charleston’s 2007 Piccolo-Spoleto Festival.

SHOWS OF 2007

SHOWS OF 2006

SHOWS OF 2005

SHOWS OF 2004

PAST SHOWS from 2000-2003

some scenes from past shows. some memorable moments!

	David Roth asks Bett to join him on his encore. The entire audience sings 'The Water is Wide' with us
Billy Jonas' outdoor show. We must have had nearly 300 kids (and 'old' kids on the front lawn. This show fell on the weekend after September 11, 2001
	As you can see, this was a great show, and appreciated by kids of ALL ages!!!

	ANDY IRVINE AND RENS VAN DER ZAM IN A SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY SHOW
PRESTON REED STAYED ONE EXTRA DAY FOR A WORKSHOP! BOY, DID SOME OF US FEEL LIKE BEGINNERS ALL OVER AGAIN!

	SOME OF JOEL HAAS' YARD SCULPTURE. HIS CREATIONS WERE FEATURED ALSO AT THE COOL JOHN FERGUSON CONCERT. PHOTO COURTESY OF SLAMMIN' SAM
FINGERS FAST AS LIGHTENING! THEY GLIDE UP AND DOWN THE NECK OF THE GUITAR SO QUICKLY. COOL JOHN MAKES IT LOOK SO SIMPLE!   PHOTO COURTESY OF SLAMMIN' SAM
	IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT DOWN AND HEAR COOL JOHN FERGUSON PLAY. THIS SHOW WAS A STANDING AUDIENCE. THERE WERE CHAIRS ON THE OUTSKIRTS AS THE MUSIC COULD BE HEARD EVERYWHERE....BUT FOLKS WHO WANTED TO SEE COULD SEE AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ALL DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY! PHOTO COURTESY OF SLAMMIN' SAM