Story Road – Scholarship Benefit Concert, San Jose

The San Jose-Dublin Sister City Program proudly presents Story Road at Prospect High School Performing Arts Center in Saratoga.

Enjoy one of the premier traditional Irish bands on the West Coast, with stunning vocalist Colleen Raney, two members of Molly’s Revenge, award-winning fiddler John Weed, multi-instrumentalist Stuart Mason, and phenomenal flautist Hanz Araki. See sample, taken in San Jose on March 3, 2013, sans Hanz.

Story Road began in 2012 as a side project for two members of Molly’s Revenge (Santa Cruz, CA) and vocalist Colleen Raney (Portland, OR). Before long they had become one of the premier traditional Irish bands on the West Coast. They convene twice a year for autumn and spring tours that have earned them the love of trad music fans from Santa Barbara to Seattle. Their live show ranges from driving dance tune medleys to heart breaking songs of love and immigration. This year&’s presentation promises a taste of Americana as well, and a singalong or two in the mix.

Fronting the band is Portland, Oregon’s stunning Colleen Raney, whose open-minded and warm-hearted approach to her repertoire was instilled by Seattle’s celebrated Raney Family, where she grew up steeped in step-dancing and song. Colleen breathes new life into the old tunes, finding facets in the music that haven’t been heard before. In Story Road, Colleen performs in the company of gifted friends who illustrate both the most delicate and upbeat aspects of her winning style which earned her a following among longtime adherents of Americana and Celtic music as well those new to these genres. In 2013, Colleen released her fourth album, Here This is Home, to international critical acclaim.

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. Molly’s Revenge has performed at many of the top folk festivals and performing arts events in the USA, and prestigious events in Australia, Scotland, and China. They have released 11 albums and appeared on stage with John Doyle, Liz Carroll, Aaron Jones, and other top 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.

This performance proceeds benefit the San Jose-Dublin Sister Cities Program Pat McMahon Scholarship Programs. Tickets