Jonathan Ramsey

  I’ve put MP3s for streaming and for sale on my site. These are from my 31 March show at O’Malley’s. I’ll put more recordings from O’Malley’s and other recent shows up soon. I’ve been dealing with problems with the drum (stomp box) levels on a lot of them –a bit hot in places on some songs. This is a common issue for do-it-yourself live recording, I’m afraid. Strangely, it doesn’t sound hot, but it shows a definite spike in the level on every beat where it’s an issue.

Check them out at my music page.

Tags: mp3 live+recording irish+songs o’malley’s+irish+pub irish+music

If you’d like to help, I’m looking for Street Team members in Kansas City. If you can hand out flyers; put handbills in coffeehouses, record stores, book stores, and Irish stores; pass out handbills at other shows; and help get the word out about upcoming shows in Kansas City, I’m looking for you.

Send an email to streetteam@jonathanramsey.com with your name, age, and general location. You’ll get an exclusive Jonathan Ramsey Street Team Tee, and free entry to upcoming shows.

Tags: street+team kansas+city missouri

Your favorite shows are ending. Your less faves just had their season finales. Fret not! Bud Light, the USARPS, and RawVegas.tv come to the rescue.

Check out this coverage of the Second Annual USARPS Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas:

Tags: rock+paper+scissors sports las+vegas mandalay+bay usarps

I’ve added more MP3s to my MySpace page myspace.com/jonathanramsey.

These are live from O’Malley’s, 31 March, and include all the bumps and bruises of a live performance. The 31st was in the second cellar at O’Malley’s, so it was nice and intimate. We did enjoy, though, visits by the wedding celebrants coming up from the third cellar.

I’ll put more up soon, so keep coming back. I’m going to rotate them in and out. Feel free to share any downloaded versions with your friends. Better versions will be available on my store, as soon as final mixes are ready.

Cheers!

Tags: free+mp3 live+music o’malley’s+irish+pub weston+mo download+mp3

Today is an excellent day to honor the tight relationship between Mexico, Ireland, and the United States. You can also find some really great fiestas, private and public, today.

Saint Louis, and the rest of the erstwhile “Louisiana Purchase”, was also once a holding of Imperial Spain, and of Imperial France. So, we have an abstruse connection with the young Mexico pitted against the forces of Napoleon III. If that’s not good enough, Anheuser-Busch of Saint Louis, MO partners with Grupo Modelo in the import/export of A-B products to Mexico and of Grupo Modelo products to the United States. Beer and imperialist origins intertwine to form a lasting relationship that manifest in one heck of a Cinco de Mayo party from Downtown Saint Louis, throughout Soulard, Westport, the Loop, and the Central West End.

¡Bravo!

Now, did you know who wrote the Americas’ first Declaration of Independence? That’s right, William Lamport. A native of Wexford, Co. Wexford, Ireland, Lamport’s exploits took him to Dublin, to study; England, to hobnob, then be exiled; to France; then, to the Irish exile community of Galicia, Spain. This led to his move to Mexico, where he took up the cause of native Mexica, African slaves, and all the oppressed of New Spain. In 1642, Lamport drew up a plan to lead New Spain into independence, end all taxes paid to the King, and bring social equality to all inhabitants in the country. Arrested before carrying out his plan, it was cut short, but the broad points of his vision lived on for almost two centuries before Mexico finally achieved independence. Of course, we celebrate that in September.

For more about William Lamport, check out The Dictionary of Irish-Latin American Biography.

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo 2007!

Tags: cinco+de+mayo mexico irish+mexico irish+history mexican+history william+lamport guillen+lamborto declaration+of+independence

Count me among Eddie Delahunt’s biggest fans. I’ve known Eddie for most of two decades, now, and have enjoyed watching him perform, performing with him, and just hanging out with the man. Occasionally, I even perform a song or two that I must admit I learned, not from my granddad nor from a musty chunk of vinyl, but from Eddie.

Now, after years in Kansas City, our ballad-rendering friend has been garnering a good sum of well-deserved press. As I mentioned in an article a few months ago, our man, and one of Dublin’s Top Expatriots in Kansas City, Eddie opened a coffeehouse in the West Plaza neighborhood last year. The business has been building, and Eddie has two baristas on staff. In addition, some of my other friends, and many other musicians, have been popping in to perform in the courtyard. Artists have included Eddie and his band, Kelly, Roger Landes and Chipper Thompson, and many other local and regional bands.

So, next time you want a bit of cráic, a scone, and a nice cup of java, check out Eddie Delahunt’s Cafe & at 1811 W. 45th St, Kansas City, MO. Also, check out Eddie at http://www.eddiedelahunt.com.

Cheers!

Tags: eddie+delahunt coffee coffeehouse cafe irish+music kansas+city+entertainment kansas+city+irish+music

Here’s a cool video sweeping the Irish blogosphere. It’s a chronical of the life and work of Cork musical genius Giordaí ua Laoghaire. Giordaí is a very fascinating subject, and I highly recommend watching this 42 minute look at the man.

Tags: giordaí+ua+laoghaire irish+music cork ireland post-punk 1980s documentary biography irish+blogs

After much ado, and gnashing of teeth, I have a live version of “Johnny Jump Up” on MySpace. This is available for streaming or download. It’s Creative Commons, so feel free to mix it with your favorite drum track, and mess with it a bit. Let me know if you come up with something fun.

This is from a live recording of my show at O’Malley’s Irish Pub (O’Malley’s 1842 Pub), in Weston, MO. It’s very raw, and uncluttered.

Check it out at my MySpace page

Cheers!

Tags: free+mp3 johnny+jump+up live+recording bootleg myspace psycho-folk irish+song irish+music o’malley’s+irish+pub