If this long cold winter is creating cabin fever at this stage here, are some weekend suggestions for your listening and dancing pleasure. Down in the Delaware Valley area, local radio host Marianne MacDonald (Come West Along the Road, WTMR-800 AM or www.wtmrradio.com Sundays noon-1p.m.) invites the locals into the Fireside Room of the Commodore Barry Irish Center (Emlen and Carpenter Streets in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia) on Thursday, February 19. It's the inaugural night of a new free initiative called the "Irish Center Rambling House" where participants entertain one another with songs, stories, jokes, music and dance just like in the old country where the Rambling House nights brought neighbors together before the days of the big Dance halls and television. Call On Friday at 7:30 p.m. the trad concert series at the Irish American Community Center in East Haven, Connecticut resumes with Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. Hayes, now resident outside of Hartford doesn't do that many concerts in the Nutmeg State so it's a chance to see the dynamic duo in action. Call John O'Donovan at 203-281-3563 or visit www.iacc-ct.com. Also on Friday from 8 p.m.-midnight, the Pearl River Ceili Group hosts the Ceol na gCroi Ceili Band led by drummer Brendan Fahey and a revolving set of great musicians. Taking the musical chairs this evening are box player John Nolan, fiddler Bernadette Fee, Jerry O'Sullivan on the pipes and Keith Sammut on keyboards. It all takes place at the Clarkstown Reformed Church on Strawtown Road, West Nyack in Rockland County. Call Dan Dennehy at 845-349-6047. Finally, don't forget that Nolan and Sean Quinn will be inducted into the CCE Hall of Fame, Saturday night, Feb. 21 at the Mineola Irish American Center. I'm looking forward to another great night of music and dance New York style and seeing so many friends and devoted readers of "From the Hob." Be sure to say hello.
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