Patrick D'Arcy with the uilleann pipes

Celtic Pink Floyd is a project devoted to the arrangement of classic Pink Floyd songs with a Celtic rock twist.

Traditional instruments such as uilleann pipes, fiddle, tin whistle, accordion, banjo, dulcimer, bodhrán, mandolin, and bones are utilized, as well as contemporary vocals, guitars, bass and drums.

Started simply as a “crazy, but just may work” idea, Celtic Pink Floyd has some amazing vocalists and musicians contributing their expertise to this twelve-track CD. Arrangers, producers and musicians, Damon Stout & Brian Stout are the guilty parties behind the madness, all while working in conjunction with producer Michael Vail Blum (Titan Music Inc) to form a hybrid of traditional Celtic music combined with classic rock.

While not a “band” in the traditional sense, each musician came into the project and provided their individual attributes to create a sensational album. The masses agree, which put the Celtic Pink Floyd album up as the #5 spot on the CD Baby Top Seller Chart.

Released on St. Patrick’s Day 2011, this album has become one of the finest crossover albums in recent history… even with CMH Celtic’s Erin Go Rock! album released back in 2009.

Marian Tomas Griffin records her vocals

IF YOU ARE SOUTH OF THE ZIGZAG LINE FROM VENTURA TO BARSTOW TO THE MOJAVE AREA, READ THIS!

Spread the word, pass it along, share among yourselves and friends! The spiffy flyer edition to save and forward through the masses!

VIEW THE CALENDAR HERE!

• The burger was a burger. Aside from the fact that the kitchen staff added some extra greenery and veggies to the plate (substituted a salad for fries), it was a standard hamburger and cheese thing.
• The shepherd’s pie didn’t have any depth to it. The vegetables inside were tender, and the mashed potatoes on top honestly had more seasoning than the meat inside. This was a disappointing dish for something that can normally be considered a comfort food, and can so easily be made at home.
• With the Fish and Chips, the chips were palatable, but the fish had an odd, subtle tang to it. And yes, this was before Vinegar had the chance to be added. On the plus side, no one got sick from it, so it might have been an added seasoning of some kind.

If you’re going to the pub for the food only, you might be better off at one of the nearby Asian or specialty style eateries. If you’re going to the pub for a few drinks (which are reasonably priced), by the time the food arrives, your taste buds might be numb enough to make it a better eating experience.

The drinks were poured quickly, and eventually someone came around to bus the plates from the table. Aside from lacking someone to actually take food orders and keep drinks refreshed over on the dining side, the staff and service were friendly and accommodating.

After the first or second set, we bid adieu to the band, and took our leave. The lack of Air Conditioning on the hot Los Angeles night made the pub smell like a locker room and overall experience left a feeling of “icky-crankiness”.

If you plan on checking out the Irish Times Pub, ponder on visiting on a chilly winter day when no entertainment is scheduled. You might get a waitress running around helping out, and more bearable indoor temperature conditions. There are a good number of TVs showing the various sports channels, if that’s your cup of tea. In regards to possibly better food being served during the day, well, post your experience in the comments below!

• Harp Beer Cheese Soup (in a bread bowl): It’s cheesy deliciousness combining Parmesan, Cheddar, and Jack, and has strong undertones of the Lager. As a bit of a bread and carb snob, the bread bowl wasn’t as fresh as one would hope for it to be. The entrees ended up coming out fairly quickly, so after a few tastes of the soup, it was put aside to keep as something to hold us over through the evening’s music. The soup itself actually kept decently well, and even cold, was welcoming in between the pints of beer.
• Guinness Braised Beef: The beef was incredibly tender, and just shy of melting off of the fork. The sauce/gravy was flavorful and deep. The mashed potatoes weren’t anything to scream about, but they were palatable. While not the star attraction in a plate with Guinness Braised Beef, what blew me away were the seasonal veggies. On the menu, it appeared to be just an added on side to balance out the mashed potatoes. Ever wary but accepting of the fact that they might not be eaten, the veggies, more often than not, usually end up being flavorless and limp. Not so in this case. It was actually the first thing completely consumed from the plate. They were well seasoned and properly cooked to keep a bit of the crisp.
• Guinness Meat Pie: Slightly different from the Guinness Braised Beef, this dish brings a bit of a higher level to the whole “meat pie” world. This is not something to eat with your hands. It comes as Guinness braised sirloin tips (again, just about tender to the touch) and sandwiched between two flaky pastry pieces. Accompanying it was a standard dinner salad. A bit of lackluster plating for a directly off-the-menu option, but the meat pie was definitely filling and hit that comfort food spot.

While seriously hoping to have enough room for dessert, even with the remaining hours spent at the pub dancing, laughing, and tipping back the pints, we weren’t able to partake in any of them. Perhaps a future trip will involve a dessert run to sample the Irish Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce, Bailey’s Crème Brulee, the Whiskey Cake, or Irish Sundae (“Warm Irish Whiskey Brownie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and Bailey’s”).

The dinner service was prompt and quick. Our drinks usually didn’t stay empty for too long, and the wait staff we encountered were friendly. As the evening progressed, the pub started picking up a bit more momentum as Comic Con attendees started venturing out looking for a good time, and as the band started prepping for their set. It was at this point that we had started having to hunt down our waitress for more drinks and water refills. It’s completely understandable, but at one point, after a rather vigorous jig, the water glasses stayed empty for about 10 minutes after we had asked for it.

All in all, Dublin Square mixed with The Sheleighly’s and Comic Con presented an amazing weekend experience. The Ceili & Craic tastebuds hope to be venturing back in the future.

*If you’re not able to foot it, there are the exciting bike hoppers that can cart you around most of the Gaslamp Quarter for a nominal fee.

]]> http://ceiliandcraic.com/?feed=rss2&p=695 0 http://ceiliandcraic.com/?p=685 http://ceiliandcraic.com/?p=685#comments Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:52:52 +0000 admin http://ceiliandcraic.com/?p=685


Is there anything more perfect than discovering a new pub, where the food is good, the music is craicin’, and so inviting that it makes you feel at home?


Feckin’ Around is the new section at Ceili & Craic, and will feature pub reviews. Everything from grub to the pub house, and the people who make it what it is. From the elaborate to the simple, no pub will go unnoticed. Of course, this would imply that road trips are necessary, which adds to the adventure.

Let’s start feckin’ around.

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