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Story Road Concert -- John Weed's Surprise Birthday

Story Road
Story Road, one of the premier traditional Irish bands on the West Coast, takes to the St. Mary's stage again for an appearances featuring acclaimed vocalist Colleen Raney, award-winning fiddler John Weed, celebrated multi-instrumentalist Stuart Mason, and phenomenal flautist and singer Hanz Araki.

Portland, Oregon's Colleen Raney is a gifted traditional singer who is among the finest interpreters of traditional songs of her generation. Her four solo albums, including 2013's critically acclaimed Here This is Home, have staked her claim as a serious presence in Irish music today and have seen her performing from coast to coast and overseas in both Japan and Ireland. Her voice provoked Hearth Music to enthuse, "Singing with a deep love for the tradition and the dark poetry of Celtic song, Colleen has been drawing new life from old ballads and renewing our love for Irish music" and Irish Music Magazine to declare her "among the best in her genre."

An accomplished fiddler across genres, John Weed has spent much time in Ireland and immersing himself in the traditional styles of Clare and Donegal. The result is an old-time Irish fiddling style that compliments his forays into bluegrass, swing, and other American music. Stuart Mason has been collecting and performing traditional music for over 30 years. He has appeared on stage from Ireland to China performing Celtic, old time bluegrass, and his original compositions, which have won awards from the West Coast Songwriters Association. Together, John and Stuart are two-thirds of Molly's Revenge, the dynamic, acoustic Celtic band known for its unique and infectious enthusiasm. They have released 11 albums and appeared on stage with John Doyle, Liz Carroll, Aaron Jones, and other internationally recognized Celtic artists.

One wouldn't imagine that six generations of mastery of the Japanese shakuhachi would lead to a career in Celtic music but as Irish Music Magazine says, Hanz Araki is definitely a master of his art." An accomplished singer and flute player, Portland, Oregon's Hanz Araki has been prominent in the Irish music community of the Pacific Northwest for more than 2 decades. In that time he has released 10 award-winning albums; played countless festival stages including the Vancouver Folk Fest, Milwaukee Irish Fest, Austin Celtic Music Festival, and Celtic Connections; toured internationally in Ireland, The United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, Canada, and Mexico, and collaborated with a number of renowned musicians within and outside of the Celtic music genre.