BY RUTH RICE
RRICE@TRIBDEM.COM
Although it’s a wee bit early, Irish eyes will be smiling on the fourth annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Ace’s, 316 Chestnut St. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.
Doors will open at 8 p.m. Saturday for dancing and partying.
The celebration has always been held as close to March 17 as possible, but this year, the Irish party is being held early so that patrons can celebrate before and on St. Patrick’s Day, said Terri Single, who along with her husband, Dave, performs with Ribbon Grass.
Members of Ribbon Grass and YUM have planned the event from its inception.
The local Celtic-Irish group, Tree, will take the stage at 8:30.
Ironically, this will mark the first time that an Irish-Celtic group has played for the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.
“I had the idea, but didn’t call in time,” Single said.
“We thought ahead last year and asked them well in advance before they booked anything else.”
Single and her husband met the husband and wife team of Matt and Jen Harnett, who lead Tree, at last year’s Flood City Music Festival.
“We all knew each other from the Johnstown music scene, but had never met,” Single said.
The two groups had used Chris Klym as drummer at various times before his death last year.
In addition to Matt Harnett on vocals and acoustic guitar and Jen Harnett on fiddle, Tree has grown to include Jason Pinto on bass and Mike Dixon on drums.
The celebration’s other groups will feature Shades of June with modern rock, variety and dance music and YUM and Ribbon Grass, both with variety and dance music.
Each band will perform for an hour.
The four groups will share equipment as much as possible so that there will be minimal time between sets.
“Everything will be hooked up before we start, and as soon as each group is ready to go on, they can go,” Single said.
Single said crowds of the past three years have averaged around 700, with the second year spiking at 1,000.
Each of the groups is promoting the event on their Facebook page, and Ace’s also has a page on the social networking site.
“The energy for this show is indescribable,” Single said.
“We’re going to take it up a notch. We can trade off with the other musicians and sing or play with the other groups.
“We get to do songs we don’t usually do.”
Even with more music, the ticket price will remain at $10.
“With the economy still struggling, we didn’t feel right about raising the ticket cost,” Single said.
“We didn’t want to make it so that some couldn’t afford to come.”
Ace’s owner Gary Matolyak said that in addition to the regular Ace’s fare of haluski, sausage, kielbasa and hot dogs, he will serve Irish stew that he described as “a kicker.”
Event
What: Fourth annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Ace’s, 316 Chestnut St. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.
Tickets: $10, available at the door.
Information: 536-4176.
