The Chieftains, Legendary Irish Band, Makes Penn State Debut February 27
February 5, 2007
The Chieftains, the planet's preeminent Celtic band, makes its Penn State debut with special guests Líadan, an all-female Irish band, plus step dancers Jon and Nathan Pilatzke, Irish harpist Triona Marshall, traditional Irish dancer Cara Butler and keyboardist/vocalist Ryan MacNeil at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
"The Chieftains have always aimed high," writes a Boston Globe critic. "From the start, they sought to bring traditional Irish music out of the pubs and into theaters and opera houses around the world. They've done that with style."
Tickets for the Center for the Performing Arts presentation are $42 for an adult, $28 for a University Park student and $36 for a person 18 and younger. For tickets and information, visit www.cpa.psu.edu or phone (814) 863-0255. Outside the local calling area, dial 1-800-ARTS-TIX. Tickets are also available at Eisenhower Auditorium and Bryce Jordan Center, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; Penn State Tickets Downtown, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; and HUB-Robeson Center, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. University Park Allocation Committee makes Penn State student prices possible.
Paddy Moloney, the uillean pipes player who started the Dublin band in 1962 and serves as its music director, embodies The Chieftains‚ inclusive creative spirit. He's joined by Kevin Conneff (bodhrán, vocals), Seán Keane (fiddle) and Matt Molloy (flute).
The band has released more than 40 albums–among them collaborations with the Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Sting, James Galway, Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos–and earned six Grammy Awards and 19 Grammy nominations.
Live From Dublin: A Tribute to Derek Bell, a homage to the longtime band mate who died in 2002, was among the nominees for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 2006 Grammys. The group's 2006 release, The Essential Chieftains, is a two-disc gathering of gems from across the decades. The Eisenhower concert is scheduled to include selections from both albums.
In 1975, The Chieftains recorded the soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick's film Barry Lyndon, which featured the song "Women of Ireland." The tune earned the group an Academy Award.
In 1988, the lads joined talents with countryman Van Morrison on Irish Heartbeat, which began a series of prominent collaborations with a who's who of rock, folk, classical, world and popular musicians.
In 1992, The Chieftains recorded the double Grammy-winning Another Country, which included performances by American country and folk stars Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs and Willie Nelson. A decade later they returned to Nashville to record Down the Old Plank Road, a Grammy-nominated CD with special guests Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, Martina McBride, and many others.
Líadan (LEE-a-dun), meanwhile, makes music "that is unique and personal and music worth falling in love with," insists a critic for Irish Music magazine. The six musicians from Galway, Limerick and Dublin, who formed their band in 2004, have captivated audiences in Ireland, Europe and America with their singing and creative instrumentals.
AmeriServ Bank sponsors the performance. WTAJ-TV 10 and WPSU are the media sponsors. Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring a visiting artist or local expert, is offered in Eisenhower Auditorium one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity. Seating is available on a first-arrival basis.
Contact: Laura Sullivan, 814-863-6379