We are just 6 months away from St. Patrick's Day. So we're gonna celebrate with an extended show of Halfway to St Patrick's Day Celtic music from Black Market Haggis, Sharon Shannon, Lochlainn, Coast, Forkroot, Screeched Inn, Peat in the Creel, Mary Jane Lamond & Wendy MacIsaac, Mark Davies, Seamus Kennedy, Crepuscule, Screaming Orphans, Ed Miller, Men of Thunda, Fiddler's Green, Alasdair White, Kilmaine Saints, Nancy Daily-Green, Battlelegs, Kilted Kings. Listen and download 34 Celtic MP3s for Free! http://celticmusicpodcast.com Subscribe to the Celtic Music Magazine. This is our free newsletter and your guide to the latest Celtic music and podcast news. Remember to support the artists who support this podcast: buy their CDs, download their MP3s, see their shows, and drop them an email to let them know you heard them on the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. http://bestcelticmusic.net TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY LOUISVILLE IRISH FEST The Louisville Irish Fest is held on the final weekend in September of each year and features traditional Food, Unique Gifts, Children’s Events, Irish Dancing, Libations and Music from the Emerald Isle. Enjoy music from Blarney Castle, Runa, and Keltricity. http://louisvilleirishfest.com NOTES * Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. My name is Marc Gunn. I am a Celtic and Geek musician and podcaster. This podcast is dedicated to the indie Celtic musicians. I want to ask you to support these artists. Share the show with your friends. And find more episodes at celticmusicpodcast.com. You can also support this podcast on Patreon. * CELTIC PODCAST NEWS. Do you have news to share with the podcast or the Celtic music world? Use the hashtag #CelticMusicNews.  Altan is fundraising a new album through PledgeMusic. Traditional Irish musicians in the DFW area, with the support of the Traditional Irish Music Education Society (TIMES), are banding together to play a 24-hour session to raise money for those who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. Black Market Haggis, who played the first track of this podcast are helping to raise awareness for this event. Support Tunes for Texas right now! If you want more Halfway to St Patrick's Day music, I published a special for the Pub Songs Podcast. You'll enjoy a lot of traditional Irish & Celtic pub songs from my many bands. Listen and subscribe at pubsong.net. And if you enjoy my music, I have an incredible special. You can get 5 of my CDs for just $24. Follow the link to my Bandcamp page to take advantage of this low offer and save 68% off the regular price! The offer is good in September 2017 only. * I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK: What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? You can send a written comment along with a picture of what you're doing while listening. Email a voicemail message to celticpodcast@gmail.com Robert Eby emailed: "Thanks for your great work on the podcast, Marc! I love how much diversity of Celtic music you put into it. I especially love Celtic rock and you have a special hour just on that with bands I’m mostly unfamiliar with! Ed Miller used to host a Celtic segment on Austin’s NPR station, but he NEVER played anything with bagpipes. I have a theory that Ed Miller doesn’t like the bagpipes. But you, Marc, you aren’t afraid of anything!" You're very welcome Robert. That's one of the many things I love about this podcast. The diversity. That is what truly makes America great. A few years ago, I published my CD How America Saved Irish Music (listen to show #169). The main part of the story is that the Irish diaspora preserved traditional Irish music, which made it's way back to Ireland. But the other aspect is that we are melting pot of different cultures. And all of those influences end up in contemporary Irish & Celtic music, whether you're talking about rock'n'roll, R&B, jazz, country, bluegrass, hip hop, electronica. And it's brilliant. The traditional culture is important but so are the changes that affect the music