If you were invited to come to a warm inviting place where friendly folks will serve yummy snacks and outstanding professional artists will perform from their vast repertoire of Irish-American songs, what would prevent you from accepting the invitation?
Would it be the price of admittance, even though a ticket to this cozy concert costs just $10? Or would it be that it’s taking place in Arcanum, which could be — oh, probably at most, a half hour drive from where you live?
Maybe the fact that the venue is Arcanum Historical Society’s Wayne Trail House and you don’t know exactly where that is seems intimidating. Well, the address is 123 West George St., and Arcanum is not that big; you should be able to get there within five minutes of reaching the city limits. So, okay; now you might be willing to consider venturing out to an unfamiliar location; your next question is, “What will I find when I get there?”
And here’s your answer: On Thursday, February 27 at 7 p.m., Darke County Center for the Arts will present a casual Coffeehouse Series concert featuring Siusan O’Rourke and Zig Zietler, purveyors of traditional and original Irish songs as well as American roots music, whose abundant talents have earned awards along with myriad fans throughout the Eastern U.S.
The show will take place in the living room of the big old brick house that is home to the Historical Society, and the hospitable members of the Society will serve up delectable delights and drinks at intermission. You will mingle with neighbors, perhaps interact with old friends and make new ones, and certainly hear music that will lift your spirits and warm your heart. Doesn’t that sound like something that’s worth taking a chance on?
Daughter of first generation Irish-Americans Siusan O’Rourke has been playing music since she was a small child, and possesses a warm, rich voice that easily conveys the emotion of any song she sings. Also an accomplished songwriter, Siusan moves seamlessly from treasured timeless standards to Irish traditional songs to contemporary American roots music, leaving audiences enthralled with the warmth and power of her singing.
Her husband, Zig Zeitler brings his dextrous instrumental skills to the guitar, banjo, fiddle, harmonica, and the Irish bouzouki, playing the blues and Louisiana Cajun songs and every kind of American roots music as well as Irish-themed tunes. Together Siusan and Zig own and operate the White Crow Conservatory of Music, a premier teaching facility in Saginaw, Michigan, are founders of the Great Lakes Gathering which brings a world class Irish Festival to the Great Lakes Region every August, and host their own Irish radio hour which airs weekly on NPR stations in the region.
On stage together, the couple bridges time and culture through music, warmth, and wit, exactly the vibe that DCCA hopes to accomplish with their Coffeehouse Series. If you’d like to take a chance on enjoying an inexpensive, casually elegant evening right here in your home community, contact DCCA for tickets at 937-547-0908 or on-line at www.darkecountyarts.org
