Party for Paddy! Irish Traditions with The Weeds
Join father/son duo John and Tyler Weed with Stuart Mason for an evening of Celtic music and American song to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and the Irish-American musical connection. Watch the folk process unfold as John Weed and “Uncle” Stu Mason, two members of West Coast Celtic powerhouse band Molly’s Revenge and Nordic band New World String Project, pass their musical lineage to next-gen banjo/mandolin virtuoso Tyler Weed, a fresh voice upcoming on the West Coast scene. The Weeds will be joined for this tour by brilliant Irish dancer Marisa Gilman of Portland, Oregon.
Tyler Weed was raised in a musical family. His journey began on guitar which quickly led to earning money backing his father on fiddle. He then discovered flat-picking melodies while also developing a passion for jazz. This allowed him to be equally comfortable playing in the old-world fiddle styles as well as using swing-accompaniment on Irish melodies. Heavily influenced by Bay Area mandolin great Marla Fibish, he developed nuances traditional Irish tunes on mandolin — picking patterns for the different dance tunes, tone projection, and styling, which continues in his playing today. Tyler represented the next generation of mandolin players at his performance at 2023 San Francisco Festival of Mandolins. He has since journeyed into the world of tenor banjo. His banjo style can be characterized by ornate, percussive triplet stylings with a driving, yet hypnotic groove.
John Weed, fiddler for Molly’s Revenge and New World String Project, is a classically-trained violinist who has spent the last 25 years immersed in various fiddle styles. With an affinity for folk traditions, John’s exploration has emphasized Irish, Scottish, Swedish, and Old-Time fiddle. While he holds a bachelor’s degree of music from CSU Chico, the musical education that charted his path began through a long series of Irish sessions. There, he learned the nuance of aural passing of melodies and the tradition of conversing in a deeply musical manner. John’s passion for the vital expressiveness of the session lead to performing across the United States and internationally. In addition to being a full time performer and instructor, John is currently on faculty at Palenke Arts, a multicultural arts organization in Seaside, California.
Stuart Mason is known for his authentic vocals and nimble skills on guitar, mandola, and banjo. He is a member of the Celtic band Molly’s Revenge, and has performed at festivals in China, Scotland, Ireland, and many of the United States. He also tours with old time quartet SLO County Stumblers, Nordic quartet New World String Project, and in a duo with fiddler John Weed.
Stuart has won first place awards for traditional singing (Goleta Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention), mandola (Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest), and songwriting (West Coast Songwriter’s Association). When not gigging, he teaches, writes, and builds websites. His music blog Fiddlefreak has been going strong since 2008.