Blogging from Dublin: Concert and Hen Party

Concert in Dublin:

I just got back from my first concert in Dublin so, naturally, I feel like writing about it. I went to see Opeth play at the Olympia Theatre, but since people have varying tastes in music and I don’t feel like shamelessly promoting my own, I’ll leave out the details. I will say they played a great set, though.

Instead, I want to talk about the theater itself in case anyone has plans to attend a show there. From outside, it’s difficult to make a judgment on its appearance because it kind of blends in with the rest of Temple Bar, but it does have one of those theater awnings so it is easy enough to spot. Entering the theater, you immediately notice that the place is old (or at least has that appearance) and is an actual theater. The cramped halls open up into the main room and make it look much larger than it really is. I would say the floor is around the size of Higher Ground in Burlington, but with the addition of a balcony and four boxes. The main room is very ornate looking with red and gold all over everything from floor to ceiling. Pretty neat place to see a show, and I suspect many plays are put on as well.

Music in the North:

I want to talk a little bit about our trip to Northern Ireland this weekend. Besides the fun of the run of the mill tourist stops around Belfast, the Giant’s Causeway, et al, we had quite a unique experience in Ballintoy. The town is small and is home to only two pubs (unheard of in Ireland) so keep that in mind when I explain part of the night. After our hostel dinner, we all took a walk down to the pubs to enjoy a drink. Upon arriving, we found out there was going to be a hen party in one of the pubs that night so we were thrilled. Long story short, the pub filled completely with American college kids and locals singing songs and playing guitar for hours. The group really got into the affair and quite a few of us took a jab at the microphone; I ended up playing a Pogues song on the guitar, much to the pleasure of the bride to be. All in all it was a fun night that hopefully both we and the townspeople will remember for a long time.