So my friends Marianne and Damo told me about some free show on the beach in Bray on Saturday night, and since I had no plans and it wasn't raining, I thought sure what the hell, that sounds fun!

I had heard of the musician, Damien Dempsey, but I had never heard his music or really anything about him. Marianne warned me that it wasn't everyone's cup of tea but I went in with an open mind.

When we got to Bray, there were amusements! We didn't go on them, but I took some photos, of course. Before we left Dublin, we got some beers and such (they got beers; I got such), and we realized when we got there that there was security and no booze allowed! That was easy for me and my little bottle of whiskey, but not so much for the other guys with their big bottles of beer! So they covertly buried the bottles in the "sand" (rocks) to be retrieved after the show.

By the time Damien Dempsey was going on, it was getting dark and the Ferris wheel lit up the sky.

Well it's safe to say I'm a Damien Dempsey fan now. He was fantastic! And the crowd had this real fraternal energy that was infectious. I took photos of people jumping up and down, singing along, fists pumping.

And I also recorded the people around me: Voice001 by changela It was the kind of experience that just makes you feel closer to the people around you, feel more alive, feel more tender and raw but so, so happy.

Here was this guy I'd never seen before singing songs I'd never heard before, and yet I felt like I got his whole deal and I wanted to be part of it too. But not knowing the songs, I made another recording of people singing along: Voice002 by changela And then - the icing on the cake! Marianne tugged on my arm and called my attention to the back of the stage, and who should be standing there, singing backup but Sinéad O'Connor! Unfortunately you couldn't hear her, and he never announced that she was there (it's almost like he didn't know himself), but it was definitely her. I snapped a photo, but you can barely see her!

Still, I was thrilled. You can listen to Damien Dempsey's music (streaming) by clicking here.

Then coincidentally, some friends of theirs were playing in a pub down the street, so we went to have a gander. I chatted with a very nice guy named Allen who told me about how he is trying to convince his girlfriend to move with him to Canada. I sure hope she does! Allen, if you're out there, remember the selling points we discussed and you won't go wrong! (I'm pretty sure we outlined an entire strategy, and it was brilliant.)

Our second show was also a good time, and I'm proud to say that even after a few drinks, I am still fully able to make quality napkin earplugs for myself. Gotta take care of those ears, you know!

Unfortunately, we eschewed the last train to Dublin so it was an expensive cab ride back (luckily shared between 4 of us), but it was worth it! All in all, a fantastic night.