Post by Joe on Jan 22, 2006 21:59:02 GMT -5
December 31, 2003
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
It was a FANTASTIC 2003 for The Cottars: 3 more awards, 7 more trips to the USA, appearances at large Celtic festivals, performances in Denmark and Japan, national radio & TV appearances, fundraisers & telethons, a Gemini Award nomination, and much, much more.
Here are a few of the highlights:
The year began in Halifax with The East Coast Music Awards. During the national CBC broadcast, The Cottars earned a standing ovation for a “live” performance of “The Briar & The Rose” and, minutes later, were presented with an ECMA (and a cheque for $5000) as winners in the “Best New Artist” category. Then it was off to Winnipeg for the wonderful Festival du Voyageur.
During “Canadian Music Week” in Toronto, the band played at the famous El Mocambo, and then opened for Bruce Cockburn at The Crystal Awards. Next, following an Eastern US tour, the quartet spent St. Patrick’s Week in Savannah (GA), Colorado Springs, and Denver.
In April, it was off to Louisiana where speaking French and eating alligator were the order of the day. “Idea City” in Toronto in June was another highlight, as the band rubbed elbows with TV stars, astronauts, and famed entrepreneurs from all over North America.
In June, it was down to Memphis (TN) and St. Louis (MO).
On July 1st, the band played before a crowd of a hundred-thousand during the CBC-TV national broadcast from Parliament Hill, Ottawa. Following this concert, The Cottars met the Prime Minister, the Governor-General, The Guess Who, and then attended a reception in the Parliament Buildings.
July and August featured appearances in Ontario, Alberta, BC, and the Eastern US. At festivals in Calgary, Edmonton, and Milwaukee, The Cottars shared the bill with Ricky Skaggs, Nora Jones, Elvis Costello, Daniel Lanois, Tommy Makem, Dervish, Jane Siberry, and many other internationally-known stars.
On August 5th, the four young Celts played the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Next it was off to Denmark to the Tønder Festival, where the foursome shared the stage with Celtic stars such as Eileen Ivers, Altan, and John Sheehan of The Dubliners. The festival’s closing concert ended with Riverdance, followed by The Cottars performing “The Briar & The Rose”. And, while in Europe, band members took the opportunity to visit Germany, Sweden and Amsterdam.
Then it was back to the US for concerts in Tennessee, New York, Massachusetts, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. October brought two M.I.A.N.S. Awards, as well as a hugely successful Maritime tour, where The Cottars sold out the region’s top seven concert halls.
November found the quartet in Japan, for its first of several planned tours. When not performing, Ciarán, Rosie, Fiona & Jimmy sampled traditional Japanese cuisine, including delicacies such as raw tuna and octopus. JVC provided royal treatment, and The Cottars fell in love with Tokyo and its citizens.
The year closed with a fabulous western US tour of Utah, Nevada, and California.
Besides performing, The Cottars had the opportunity to do major sightseeing: Graceland (TN), the Sun Record Studios (TN), the Martin Luther King Museum (TN), the famed St. Louis Zoo (MO), The Smithsonian — Space & Flight Exhibit (DC), The White House (DC), Legoland (Denmark), The Viking Museum (Denmark), the Anne Frank Exhibit (Amsterdam), the Lund Cathedral (Sweden), the Parliament Buildings (ON), Disneyland (CA), Hollywood and Beverly Hills (CA), San Francisco (CA), Salt Lake City (UT), Reno (NV), the Louis Riel gravesite (MB), Seattle (WA), The Rockies, the Mission of San Juan, Capistrano (CA), the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame (CO), the West Edmonton Mall (AB), the Asakusa Shrine (Tokyo), assorted concerts and major-league baseball games, and too much more to mention.
• For making 2003 an unforgetable year, The Cottars would like to thank: family, friends and fans, McDermott Entertainment, John McDermott, Bob Jensen, Pat Garrett, Warner Canada, and the media •
THE YEAR IN REVIEW
It was a FANTASTIC 2003 for The Cottars: 3 more awards, 7 more trips to the USA, appearances at large Celtic festivals, performances in Denmark and Japan, national radio & TV appearances, fundraisers & telethons, a Gemini Award nomination, and much, much more.
Here are a few of the highlights:
The year began in Halifax with The East Coast Music Awards. During the national CBC broadcast, The Cottars earned a standing ovation for a “live” performance of “The Briar & The Rose” and, minutes later, were presented with an ECMA (and a cheque for $5000) as winners in the “Best New Artist” category. Then it was off to Winnipeg for the wonderful Festival du Voyageur.
During “Canadian Music Week” in Toronto, the band played at the famous El Mocambo, and then opened for Bruce Cockburn at The Crystal Awards. Next, following an Eastern US tour, the quartet spent St. Patrick’s Week in Savannah (GA), Colorado Springs, and Denver.
In April, it was off to Louisiana where speaking French and eating alligator were the order of the day. “Idea City” in Toronto in June was another highlight, as the band rubbed elbows with TV stars, astronauts, and famed entrepreneurs from all over North America.
In June, it was down to Memphis (TN) and St. Louis (MO).
On July 1st, the band played before a crowd of a hundred-thousand during the CBC-TV national broadcast from Parliament Hill, Ottawa. Following this concert, The Cottars met the Prime Minister, the Governor-General, The Guess Who, and then attended a reception in the Parliament Buildings.
July and August featured appearances in Ontario, Alberta, BC, and the Eastern US. At festivals in Calgary, Edmonton, and Milwaukee, The Cottars shared the bill with Ricky Skaggs, Nora Jones, Elvis Costello, Daniel Lanois, Tommy Makem, Dervish, Jane Siberry, and many other internationally-known stars.
On August 5th, the four young Celts played the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Next it was off to Denmark to the Tønder Festival, where the foursome shared the stage with Celtic stars such as Eileen Ivers, Altan, and John Sheehan of The Dubliners. The festival’s closing concert ended with Riverdance, followed by The Cottars performing “The Briar & The Rose”. And, while in Europe, band members took the opportunity to visit Germany, Sweden and Amsterdam.
Then it was back to the US for concerts in Tennessee, New York, Massachusetts, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. October brought two M.I.A.N.S. Awards, as well as a hugely successful Maritime tour, where The Cottars sold out the region’s top seven concert halls.
November found the quartet in Japan, for its first of several planned tours. When not performing, Ciarán, Rosie, Fiona & Jimmy sampled traditional Japanese cuisine, including delicacies such as raw tuna and octopus. JVC provided royal treatment, and The Cottars fell in love with Tokyo and its citizens.
The year closed with a fabulous western US tour of Utah, Nevada, and California.
Besides performing, The Cottars had the opportunity to do major sightseeing: Graceland (TN), the Sun Record Studios (TN), the Martin Luther King Museum (TN), the famed St. Louis Zoo (MO), The Smithsonian — Space & Flight Exhibit (DC), The White House (DC), Legoland (Denmark), The Viking Museum (Denmark), the Anne Frank Exhibit (Amsterdam), the Lund Cathedral (Sweden), the Parliament Buildings (ON), Disneyland (CA), Hollywood and Beverly Hills (CA), San Francisco (CA), Salt Lake City (UT), Reno (NV), the Louis Riel gravesite (MB), Seattle (WA), The Rockies, the Mission of San Juan, Capistrano (CA), the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame (CO), the West Edmonton Mall (AB), the Asakusa Shrine (Tokyo), assorted concerts and major-league baseball games, and too much more to mention.
• For making 2003 an unforgetable year, The Cottars would like to thank: family, friends and fans, McDermott Entertainment, John McDermott, Bob Jensen, Pat Garrett, Warner Canada, and the media •