Bummer of a night at session

[tripleblessed]

I co-host a weekly bluegrass jam, and after the Stone Mountain Games went straight from the park to the jam. Folk smiled and said they knew where I'd been, and they wished they could have gone. Now, kilted more than not at that jam. Was encouraged to expand to other bluegrass events. At "Bear on the Square" in Dahlonega, GA, I was not the only person kilted, both days had bunches of questions about clans and comments about their kilt, or their husband's kilt and how they should have worn theirs. One guy in Royal Stewart asked if I would come meet his Dad to show him the tartan, Isle of Skye that day; that's his next kilt. One guy said he'd play me a Scottish tune, and did. I asked if he knew any Niel Gow, and he played Gow's "Lament on the Death of His Second Wife". I said I'd heard that played on Niel's own fiddle, made by him, and played by a well known Scots fiddle player, Pete Clark, and maybe you've heard the name. A big grin, and he said he and Pete swap fly-fishing pictures and tunes over the web. You just never know.

Keep smiling, and showing up in the kilt. It'll work.

[OCD: obsessive collie dog]

My Gt Grand father used to compose with Neil Gow, His widow burned a heap of manuscipts when he died <Groan>

[Nathan]

When I wear it, the second most common question I get asked is, "Why are you wearing the kilt?" or "What's the occasion?". The implication is that people wear the kilt for ceremonial or occupational purposes. Sometimes I just wear it because I want to.

That said, I probably wouldn't wear a kilt to an Irish music session in Toronto or even a Scottish ceilidh or session in Cape Breton. It's not the common practice and people show how Scottish they are by how well they play not how well they dress...

I think I'd be percieved as a attention seeking show off among the hard core Gaels. Many of the local Gaels come from blue collar roots (fishing, farming, mining) so unlike the Highlands, we don't have a bunch of Lords, Lairds and Chiefs walking about. It would also be incongruous if I showed up to a session in a business suit, although the assumption would be that I was coming from somewhere that required such attire.

Maybe the session folk just thought you were showing off. I've seen that reaction for sure.

That wouldn't be the case at a wedding, Highland Games, Gaelic Mod, Feis, Black tie affair etc... etc...

[artroland]

I should probably clarify. It wasn't the session folk who gave me odd looks. On the contrary, everyone liked the kilt, and a few of them also perform kilted when they play out with their bands. These were the folks who happened to be there to catch the basketball game.

I do get your point about people who are less inclined to like the kilts, and no, I don't walk around like I'm royalty in a great kilt or anything. I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, my kilt, a sporran and boots. No flashes, though. Maybe that's what it was … LOL.