Raymond Coleman, saying thank you.
The only thing better than hearing Raymond Coleman sing is to hear him duet with some of the region’s best performers—and his brother, Mickey.
That was the thank-you gift—along with some delicious free hors d’ouevres–the Tyrone-born Coleman gave his supporters on Thursday night at “Raymond Coleman Appreciation Night” at The Plough and the Stars on at Second and Chestnut in Philadelphia.
The thank you? It was for the guitars and equipment that their donations helped Coleman to buy after all of his gear was stolen from his van more than a month ago. “Now he has a better PA system than I have,” joked Mickey Coleman, a singer-songwriter who is making a name for himself on the New York music scene.
“The reason we’re here is because you helped me out,” Coleman said, before starting his show with the song, The Hills of South Armagh. He singled out Jamison’s Frank Daly for launching the crowd-sourcing campaign online that raised more than $3,000 for Coleman in 24 hours.
“It took me a minute and a half on my phone while my kids were getting ready for the school bus,” said Daly, who performed a couple of songs with Coleman on stage on Thursday night.
Also on the duet schedule: The Hooligans’ Joe Kirschen, founder with his wife, Kim, of The Love Lounge Studios online concert series which features local talent like Coleman; Bob Hurst of the Bogside Rogues; and John Catterall of the King Brothers. Fiddler Erin Loughran, who has her own school of Irish music in New York, also performed. And there was even some spontaneous dancing.
We were there and took a few pictures, which we like to do.
