Jan 21, 2008:
Here's some info about an upcoming show in Renfrew......

Hi everyone, I would like to cordially invite you all to an evening full of fun with an amazing lineup of entertainment, on Friday March 28th at the AFAC WING in Renfrew. Ottawa Valley's own 'Searson' will be performing their first Live show in Renfrew in over five years. Searson is known for their high energy, toe tapping music that takes Rock,Country,Folk and Celtic music to their limits. Special guest opening act will be Lucky Ron, featuring Lurlene,Violet and Billy Saw of the McGillicuddy Sisters. Whether you have never seen Lucky Ron and the Sisters, or you are an avid follower, this is a show that you won't want to miss. Please have a look at the poster attached, and let me know how many tickets you would like. Limited tickets - buy early - don't be disapointed.

Portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to Valley Heritage Radio 98.7FM

Note to those in the Ottawa area, if there is enough interest I will arrange for a bus to and from the show. Please let me know! I look forward to seeing you all there!!
www.searson.org
www.mcgillicuddysisters.com

Sincerely;

Morgan Adams
Ceilidh Promotions
(613)401-0856

Dec 14, 2007:
Wow, has it been that long since we've updated the news? It's Dec 14th and we're sick of "winter" already...

Thanks to all who came out to the Elmdale House to see us and Nudie and his Turks. They sure put on a great show - next time they are in town it really is a must see event. As much fun as we all had, the after party was just as fun as Nudie, the Turks, and the Sisters (and Lucky Ron of course), jammed into the morning hours....Our next gig is tomorrow, Dec 15th, at the Carleton Tavern - a local favorite of ours. We should be on stage around 10pm for two sets, followed by Steve Stacey, and then a final set by us. If you can't make that show, we will be at the Black Sheep Inn on January 27th. It's a Sunday afternoon and we'll have a bus running from the Laff and back. We'll all be on it for sure....

Aug 23, 2007:
Well another summer seems to be coming to an end.....it seems to have flown by...

So far, our highlight was playing at Fred's Northern Picnic up in Cobalt a few weeks ago. It was a great time and a great turnout for our slot considering we kick things off Saturday at noon. Right after the show, Lucky Ron and Lurlene were off to a small airport nearby where our private plane was waiting to fly them back to Ottawa for his regular show at the Laff. They took off from Saint-Bruno-de-Guigues, Québec at 2:30pm, landed at Uplands airport, and arrived back at the Laff by 4:35pm - just on time. Many thanks to our pilot, Morgan Adams, for providing an enjoyable and safe flight....We will be posting some pictures of the picnic and the flight soon.

We'll be playing at Andrew Hayden park this Sunday, Aug 26th, from 2pm until 4pm. So come on out and have a good time.

June 7, 2007:
Saturday June 16th there will be a tribute to Handsome Ned at the Laff during the latter half of the Lucky Ron show (4-7pm). Several guests, including the McGillicuddy Sisters, will be performing some of Handsome Ned's songs. If you are not sure of who Handsome Ned is, click here for his My Space page. The old Lucky Jim show and the Lucky Ron show were conceptually based on what Handsome Ned was doing in Toronto in the early 80s. More details to follow....

May 22, 2007:
Well you must have noticed some slight alterations to the website. Changes will be on-going over the course of the next month as we look to introduce the new format and name changes for the current band line-up. We are now calling ourselves the McGillicuddys due to some line-up changes that have taken place since the beginning of the year. You'll notice Lucky Ron will now be featured in the line-up on lead guitar and sharing vocal duties with Miss Kitty. Fanny-Mae has decided to pursue other interests so has not been with us since the new year. We wish her all the best.

We have posted some new pics of the band in the "Scrapbook" and several upcoming summer shows in the "Gigs" section. There will be more to follow. Enjoy....

May 7, 2007:
Well the Washboard Hank show was a lot of fun Friday Apr 27th. Lucky Ron joined us on stage and really stepped things up.....I think he'll be playing a lot more with us in the near future. Washboard Hank was fantastic and hilarious - he put on an amazing show.

Our next gig is a mid afternoon show at the Parkdale Market on Mother's Day, May 13th. It's the annual "Arts In the Park" celebration. Oh ya, we'll also be joining Lucky Ron on stage at some point Saturday May 12th after 6:00pm or so to celebrate his wedding anniversary to Lurlene

Apr 27, 2007:
Big show tonight at Irene's opening for Washboard Hank. Lucky Ron will be joining us on stage to play some lead guitar and perform some songs as well. Hope to see you all there. Starts at 9:00pm.

Apr 22, 2007:
Hey - It's been awhile since we've given any updates...but with spring gearing up and many summer gigs on the horizon, we'll be updating it more often. This Friday Apr 27 we'll be opening up for the one and only Washboard Hank at Irene's pub on bank street. We'll be on around 9:00pm or so and Lucky Ron will be joining us on stage to play lead guitar, sing backup and sing lead on a few songs. It should be barrels of fun so hope to see you all there. Washboard Hank is a sight to behold so if you've never seen him live, it will be a treat.

More show listing to come in the very near future....

Mar 1, 2007:
Well with spring around the corner we'll be gearing up for some more shows in and around town. We're going through a bit of a line-up change so things have slowed down slightly as far as playing regular shows. However, the last two we're a blast - it's always a pleasure playing at the Black Sheep Inn and at the Laff, so thanks to Paul and his staff in Wakefield and the staff at the Laff for all the support. We've got a few projects in the works for the spring but no details to share yet - you'll just have to stay tuned. We'll start posting our spring/summer plans soon.

Jan 30, 2007:
We'll be playing 2 shows in the next week. The first one will be at The Laff this Thursday night, Feb 1st. It is in celebration of Lucky Ron's 21st anniversary of performing his unique show. We'll be on at around 9:00pm after which Lucky Ron will be performing followed, we hope, by some vintage footage of Lucky Ron from back in the day. I hear there will also be vintage Lucky Ron paraphernalia for sale.

We also have an afternoon at the Black Sheep Inn lined up for Sunday Feb 4th in beautiful Wakefield, Quebec. There will be a bus leaving The Laff at 3:00pm Sunday afternoon and returning by around 9:00pm. We will be on stage at 4:15pm, followed by Lefty McRighty and Lucky Ron. Hope to see you at one or both shows.....Later....

Jan 2, 2007:
Thanks to everyone who attended any one of our Christmas shows in December. Looks as though we'll be taking a break from playing live while we start putting together our next CD. There will be the odd show over the next few months but nothing concrete planned right now. Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year's celebration......We'll let you know how things are progressing and the date of our next gig over the next few weeks.....

Dec 1, 2006:
Well Winter is finally upon us - and just in time as our Christmas song has been recorded and is currently being mastered and produced for your listening pleasure. Many thanks to Lucky Ron for all his time and efforts recording us (and for song writing as well). It should be available sometime next week.

As far as our next gigs go, come on down to the Christmas Bash at The Royal Oak on Wellington Friday Dec 8th. We'll be hosting the party which starts at around 9:00pm. On Saturday Dec 9th we'll be playing right after the Lucky Ron show at the Laff to support the Ottawa Food Bank. Please bring a can or two of whatever you have stting in your cupboard - anything you can offer will help. The Lucky Ron show starts at 4:30pm, we'll be on at around 7:00pm.

Be careful out there......

Nov 7, 2006:
Hey everyone! We'd like to thank all those folks who came out to Dacre last Friday night for the Combermere Storm relief benefit show. It was great playing in the depths of the valley and we had lots of fun doing it. The event was very well organized (kudos to Morgan Adams) and a great success as over $2,200 was raised for the township. Lucky Ron was on fire and the opening act, Jim Beattie (and fiddler), put on a good show too. All apologies for anyone staying next to us at the Rocky Mountain Lodge in Renfrew that may have suffered from severe lack of sleep the next day. Winding down from the show with some drinks and laughs took awhile - like until 10am the next day for some of us....

As for our next adventure, we're in the midst of working on a Christmas song over the next few weeks to be ready for airplay in late Nov. So stay tuned for more details.

Oct 18, 2006:
Well those guys from PEI, Nudie and the Turks, sure put on a great show at the Laff on Friday Oct 6th (and Saturday as well I hear). It was fun opening up for them - they have more energy "than you can fill into a hollowed out pig's head" (to borrow a phrase from Lucky Ron). Hope they come back to Ottawa soon.

As for our next show, it's for a Storm Benefit in Dacre for the Combermere Storm relief effort following the tornado that passed through that area this past summer. Lucky Ron will also be appearing. Here are the details:

"The McGillicuddy Sisters and Lucky Ron will provide the entertainment at a benefit concert in Dacre Friday Nov 3 on behalf of the Combermere Storm relief effort. The 8 p.m. concert will be held at the DACA Centre with proceeds going to help the rebuilding effort in Combermere, which was devastated by a tornado Aug 2. The $10 tickets for the concert are available at Aikenhead's Drug Store in Renfrew, Pine Valley Restaurant in Griffith and Mill Valley Trading in Dacre. They will also be available at the door."

Oct 5, 2006:
This Friday night, Oct 6, we are playing at our favourite bar, The Laff, with a band from PEI - Nudie and the Turks. We'll be on sometime between 9:00pm and 9:30pm. Nudie and the Turks will be on sometime after 10pm. They have an eventful night as they'll also be playing for the Dwight Yoakam line-ups at the NAC beforehand. Should be a good night all around so come on down for a quart or two or three.....the official Laff hockey pool is back as well so you can pick up an entry form while you're there.

We'd also like to thank both Casey Comeau and the CTWC and the Center Ice Pub for having us play with/for them over the last few weeks. Casey's new CD is great so we suggest going to check her out live if you get a chance.

Sep 20, 2006:
This Saturday, September 23, at Irene's Pub (885 Bank St.), 9pm, the McGillicuddy Sisters will help celebrate the release of Taking Routes an EP by local country singer Casey Comeau and her band the Centretown Wilderness Club.

From the press release:

"The album sounds like country music made in the city, a mix of traditional intonation, rock reverberation and sweet vocal harmonies. The fiddle, accordion, guitars, bass and drums are played by an all-star cast of musicians from noted local bands the Halfmilers, Kepler, Golden Famile, Mono Hum, Casadore, and others. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered in Ottawa at Dave Draves' Little Bullhorn Studios. The lyrics on the album take a look at the routes that we take in the short time between birth and death. Sincere and simple, this album concerns itself with the graceful alignment of meaning and sound...."

Sep 14, 2006:
So mark next Saturday Sept 23rd on your calendar as we are playing at Irene's on Bank Street opening for Casey Comeau and the CWC. We'll be on by 9:00pm or so to celebrate Casey's new CD. And our show at the Rainbow last Sunday evening was lots of fun so many thanks to the hosts.

Here is an update from a charity benefit we did this past August:
"Despite the busy Ottawa weekend and the cool, dark weather the "Music for Wishes" benefit on August 19 collected $3200 for the Children's Wish Foundation -- a generous outpouring from the music lovers who attended the afternoon and evening of music, food and a silent auction. The McGillicuddy Sisters, Puddle Alley, Tools of Creation, Lucky Ron, Steve Stacey and "Graham" provided the lively tunes. Many folks helped organize and carry out the event and several Kemptville and area businesses loaned equipment and donated food and drink. Thanks to all from the Children's Wish Foundation."

Sep 6, 2006:
It's been awhile since we've update this but things have been fairly quiet as we've been starting to work on new material. We do have a few upcoming shows to mention starting with this Sunday, Sep 10th, at the Rainbow. We'll be on sometime between 5:00pm and 5:30pm. This show is related to a house party we had raffled off for charity but is open to the public so come out and have a beer or two on a nice Sunday afternoon.
Sept 23rd we'll be opening for Casey Comeau at Irene's for their CD release party. This one proves to be a real humdinger of a time. We're on around 9ish so come out early and stay late - heard a few songs already from Casey's new cd and they are great. On Friday Oct. 6th at the Laff, we have some guests from PEI (Nudie and the Turks) sharing the bill with us. Friday nights at the Laff are always good times so do not miss this one. We'll be on at 9:00ish. Keep your eyes peeled as we may be lining up some gigs around Wakefield later this fall.

Aug 15, 2006:
Well, we have to admit we had a fabulous time in Cobalt, ON, at Fred Eaglesmith's Great Northern Picnic. The organisers did an excellent job in running the event - and the food was superb (steak, ribs, burgers, corn, etc.). Many thanks to Terry Graves and the rest of the volunteers for treating us, and everyone else, so well.

Honestly, it was both a humbling and inspirational experience to be surrounded by such great artists. Every act that played was amazing - from Duane Rutter and Joe Gee, through Brock Zeman (and Peter), to Tom Wilson and Elliot Brood and everyone else in between and around. The Sisters were fortunate to kick off the event Friday night and our set went really well. It was good to go on first as we spent the rest of the weekend just kicking back, enjoying the rest of the music, and having a great time - nothing like sitting outdoors in the beautiful weather on a Saturday afternoon (or around a campfire at night), having quite a few drinks, and listening to some fantastic music.

As for Fred Eaglesmith and his band, they put on killer shows. For most of us it was the first time seeing him and he was amazing to say the least. His entire show was filled with terrific songs and poignant stories. Willie P. Bennett is currently playing mando and harmonica for him which was also very cool and he did an awesome solo show on Sunday.

It was great fun hanging out around the campfire after the music ended both Friday and Saturday nights while the guitar was passed around. Brock Zeman and Peter were exceptional (as was their show on Saturday), as were all the others who joined in by the fire (especially the lady on the upright bass). Miss Kitty and Rob Kealey got "Jackson" (Johnny Cash) going by the fire which was classic. Also got to meet the guys from Elliot Brood Saturday night - they are fine lads and seem to have a fascination for Dr. Mcgillicuddy and his fine selection of elixirs. Kudos to Jolene McGillicuddy who managed to outlast everyone including the security guard Friday night (well, Saturday morning) - she filled in guarding the fire and witnessed the changing of the shifts at 6:15 am.

It was by far the best weekend of the summer for those who were able to stay and take it all in. It would be an honour to be invited back but even if we are not asked to play, some of us will be returning for the weekend just for the music and good time. It is a really beautiful corner of the province.... We'd also like to thank Steve B. (major "Fredhead") for recommending us to the organisers of the event - we wouldn't have been there if not for him.

Jul 21, 2006:
Nice to have a bit of a layoff between shows after playing 4 in the span of 8 days last week. The next big one is up in Cobalt on Aug 11th with Fred Eaglesmith. It gives us a chance to work on some new material and start planning out our next cd.

Jul 14, 2006:
We had lots of fun at Bluesfest - hope you all liked the show. We saw many friends out there in the crowd which was great. Thanks to everyone who came out early to support us! We had our own dressing room/trailer, free food and beer and got to mingle with the other bands so we also thank the Bluesfest organizers for the excellent treatment.

Anyone who wants to come out to Wakefield on what is shaping up to be a beautiful Sunday, July 16, can just get down to the Laff for 2:45 pm to catch the bus or drive out there yourself for 4:00 pm or so. Should be a good chance for us to unwind from the Bluesfest show while playing all our favorites...

Jul 11, 2006:
Hope to see a lot of familiar faces among the throngs of people this evening at the bluesfest. We're looking forward to having some fun up there while trying to stay relaxed right now. I think there'll be a booth for us near the back where we'll have some cds and stuff for sale and hang out after the show. Hope the weather holds out.....

Jul 4, 2006:
We've had two fun shows in the past two weeks. The Solstice shindig at the New Edinburgh Boathouse was a great party. We had a variety of bands and a selection of art. All party-goers were entertained and you couldn't have asked for a more pleasant evening weather-wise. Thanks to everyone who came out to experience it, all who pitched in to help out, all the performers and artists, and the boathouse committee. The only downside was that many of you may have been waiting a little while for your burger - but Ugly did a great job with what he had. The rodeo in Fort Coulonge was also a big success. Pontiac County is a beautiful area and the turnout was outstanding - 10,000 people for the entire weekend. The organisers and crew did a great job turning a bush lot into a rodeo venue within the span of nine months or so. If they go ahead and organise it for next year, we'll make sure to be back.

Now for the next big show: Tuesday, July 11th on the Main Stage at Bluesfest opening for Blue Rodeo (and David Knopfler). Hope all of you supporters can turn out early (6:15 showtime) to stomp your feet and clap your hands to the hillbilly music that is the McGillicuddy Sisters....oh ya, and Blue Rodeo will be great too....Keep your eyes peeled this Friday (or maybe Thursday) in the Ottawa Citizen. You may see a few Sisters in the Driving Section (or Entertainment).

June 16, 2006:
We have a big Summer Solstice party coming up on June 23rd at the New Edinburgh Rowing Club located on the Rockcliffe Parkway (west of the RCMP horse stables; east of the Lookout). The atmosphere is beautiful -- right on the water. Don't worry, if you don't know how to get there, there will be a free shuttle service to/from the Chateau Lafayette (42 York St.) throughout the evening, so if you're stuck without transporation, we suggest you go there and have a beer while you wait a bit and catch the shuttle. We'll be serving hamburgers and hotdogs at the party (just throw a few loonies into the jar) from 7 - 9 p.m. As far as entertainment goes there is an Art Show and Sale from 7 - 9 p.m. and music (6 bands in total including Lucky Ron) from 9 - 1 a.m. It should be a grand ol' time -- the McGillicuddy Sisters will be on stage first as we're hosting the evening and need to make sure that everyone is having fun. Tickets are only $10 and can be picked up at the Chateau Lafayette, Compact Music ( 134 Bank St., 785 Bank St.), Birdman Sound ( 593 Bank St.), from any McGillicuddy Sister, or at the door.

June 6, 2006:
Sad news: we are NOT opening for Stompin' Tom - guess it was too good to be true anyways. The organizers in Kemptville found out that Stompin' Tom does not allow opening acts; just him and his band. Oh well, very disappointing though.

But we will be at Babylon's tomorrow night, Wed June 7th, for a show. Check out gigs for details.

May 25, 2006:
It just keeps getting better – we’ve been booked to open for the most popular Canadian music icon of the century, Dr. Stompin’ Tom Connors, eh!!! in Kemptville, July 29th. We’re not sure what could top that … go check out our Gigs sections for the link to his website.

Oh ya, the Arts Park show got rained out so sorry to anyone who came by - we spent the afternoon in the Carleton Tavern so it wasn't a total disappointment. Stompin' Tom!!!!!

May 5, 2006:
The Sisters will be at the Carleton Tavern Saturday, May 13th for a show to celebrate Lurlene McGillicuddy's birthday. We'll be on first at around 9:30pm or 10:00pm. That'll give Lurlene a chance to celebrate properly - Hillbilly style that is!!! Steve Stacey and folks will end the show. Feel free to buy Lurlene a drink - she'll know what to do with it...

The following Sunday afternoon at 2pm (Lucky Ron on at 1pm), we'll be playing across the street in the Parkdale Market for "Arts Park". They will have an art exhibit and other musical acts as well. We'll hope to have shaken off the cobwebs from the night before by then...

Last week's gig at the laff was fun - nice to see the warm weather back as the patio doors were wide open for all the passers-by to hear...I think the laff patio is now open as well.....

April 27, 2006:
Ok, this is some big news.....the Sisters are cookin' like a beaver tail! The Ottawa Citizen reports we're scheduled to play the Ottawa Bluesfest on Tuesday, July 11 - Main Stage!!! We're on at 6:15pm followed by David Knopfler at 7:30pm and Blue Rodeo at 9:00pm

Not bad for a little fun-lovin' hillbilly band from the valley eh?.....should be a great time to say the least.

April 7, 2006:
On April 5, the Sisters shared the stage at the very successful 2006 Crime Stoppers Jail or Bail Fundraiser. The benefit raised in excess of $45,000. We extend our thanks to Dick Tennant who played a major role in organizing the event, the many volunteers, and the entertainment: singing policeman Dominic D'Arcy, country rock artists Puddle Alley, and the legendary Lucky Ron. Also thanks to the bar inside the shopping mall for being there.

We've also added two more shows to our schedule - April 29th at the Laff @ 6:30pm - right after Lucky Ron, and June 7th @ Babylon's. See gigs for more info.

March 28, 2006:
Several new shows have just been added to our spring/summer Valley Tour. Check them out under "Gigs."

Our next appearance is a "Jail or Bail" benefit taking place at St Laurent Shopping Centre, April 5th at 4:50 p.m to 5:50 p.m. Lucky Ron will also be appearing from 8:20pm to 9:00pm. The money raised will benefit National Capital Area Crime Stoppers, a charitable organization that pays cash for anonymous calls providing confidential information that helps police solve crimes.

On another note, we would like to extend belated yet sincere thanks to Dan Witmer for his outdoor photos of The Sisters in late 2005, and to Jean-Marc Carisse for indoor studio photos earlier this year. Thanks Dan and Jean-Marc for your efforts and patience.

March 21, 2006:
The Sisters would like to extend a special thanks to Jake Davies, reporter/photographer for the Arnprior Chronicle-Guide, who wrote a feature article on us for both the Arnprior Weekender and the West Carleton Review Weekender. It appeared in both papers on March 17. If you have a hard time finding a copy you can read the articles here (Note: to read PDF documents you need Adobe Acrobat Reader v6.0 or later on your system):

Arnprior Weekender, March 17, 2006: Click Here

West Carleton Weekender, March 17, 2006 Click Here

Thanks Jake - see you at the next show!

March 14, 2006:
Well, we've just completed another McGillicuddy Sisters Weekend with back-to-back shows at Irene's Pub in Ottawa on March 11 and at The Black Sheep in Wakefield on March 12.

The show at Irene's was interesting to say the least. Technical difficulties led to a 45-minute delay which meant we didn't start until almost midnight. Once we got rolling, the double set went over smoothly. Thanks to everyone who stuck it out for both sets and our apologies to those who had to leave early. Also, thanks to Lefty McRighty and the Boxcar Cadavers for opening up for us.

The Black Sheep Inn show was fabulous from start to finish. Thanks to Lucky Ron and Steve Stacey and the Stump Splitters for warming up the crowd and to Paul for another amazing job on sound. We even had a special treat featuring Lucky Ron, Mike Coffey (Crazy Cavan 'n' The Rhythm Rockers), and the bass player from the Stump Splitters performing some classic Rockabilly tunes. And Handsome Johnny was busy entertaining everyone with his unique moves. The bus ride there and back from the good ol' Laff was a hoot - more of you should have taken advantage of this - next time. We hope to be back there in the very near future.

Jan 10, 2006:
Big thanks to Ugly over there at Home Concepts for help with the web site. (http://www.homeconcepts.ca/)
Looks great!!!