It's bodhran day in Pittsburgh this Sunday with two afternoon workshops and a FREE evening concert.

MASTER BODHRAN WORKSHOPS SUNDAY, JULY 22, 1:30 + 3:30 PM North America's foremost bodhran maker and one of its great bodhran players, Albert Alfonso of Dallas, Texas will be leading bodhran workshops this Sunday, July 22, at The Celtic Collection in Bellevue. The advanced workshop runs from 1:30 to 3 PM and the beginner's workshop from 3:30 to 5 PM. Each workshop is $20; drums available for use or purchase. For workshop details and enrollment, see www.hooley.info/drumworkshop.html and www.thecelticcollection.com.

FREE SPOT/ALBERT CONCERT SUNDAY, JULY 22, 8-10 PM The Irish-based duo Spot/Albert, on their first east coast tour, will perform at the Backstage Bar at Theater Square in Pittsburgh on Sunday, July 22 from 8 to 10 PM. Admission is free; limited seating.

About the duo:

Spot/Albert has mostly played at festivals the past few years but they have lately been taking their unique "bend the rules" approach to bars, nightclubs and coffeehouses with great success. They are equally adept at performing for quiet listening audiences as they are at shaking the sensibilities of rowdy beer drinkers in rock environments. No small feat.

Spot is a solo guitarist and tenor-banjoist, from Austin, Texas. Equally at home on acoustic and electric instruments, he does not fit into the usual singer-songwriter genre. In his own words: "I play both kinds of music -- good and bad!" His style is best described as "two-fisted picking" a la Richard Thompson, Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, Seamus Egan and seasoned with the sensibilities of Monk, Beefheart and Waits. Most importantly, he backs it up with outstanding composition and writing. He has toured and shared stages with such indie rock legends as Mike Watt, Sonic Youth, Bob Mould, Guitar Wolf, Cherry Valence, Rasputina, Drive-by Truckers, The Sadies, Eugene Chadbourne, DeVotchka, Fugazi, and with folk and traditional artists such as Alejandro Escovedo, Jen Hamel, Jean-Michel Veillon & Yvon Rio, Michael Hurley, Ed Miller and Michael Fracasso.

Albert Alfonso, well known in the Irish-music community as a master drum maker and bodhran player, hails from Dallas, Texas and is the man that the legendary Irish performer and folklorist Mick Moloney calls "The Celtic-Cuban Connection." Albert has performed or recorded with Celtic-music artists Solas, Altan, Liz Carroll, Roger Landes, Greenfields of America, Brian McNeill, John Doyle, Jerry Holland, JP Cormier, Mike Dugger and Tim Britton. In addition, he has conducted drum workshops across North America as well as with the Royal Academy of Music in Glasgow and London.

Their new album is entitled In the Bag.

For more information about the duo, see www.spotbooking.com and www.albertalfonso.com.

About the venue:

Located in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh's cultural district at 655 Penn Avenue, between the O'Reilly Theater and Katz Plaza, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Backstage Bar at Theater Square is a first-rate 70-seat bar and restaurant often featuring free weekend entertainment, with Guiness on tap and other craft beers and drinks, and great food. While normally closed Sunday evening, the Backstage Bar is extending its hours this Sunday only to accommodate the theater crowd for the 6:30 show of the musical "Chicago." Arrive early to be assured of seats.

For details about the venue, including directions and menu, see www.backstagebar.com.

About the bodhran:

For those who may not know, the bodhran is the Irish-frame drum that is played uniquely with a double-end stick in one hand and tonal control by the other. It is pronounced BOW-rawn in the south of Ireland or BOR-on in the north; the letter D is silent.

Attention Red Hats

This bevy of lovely ladies adorned in red hats have a meeting each 3rd Thursday of the month on how to have fun, do good works and keep eating. We are looking for more ladies who are willing to enjoy life.

…Let it be you!