Arts and Entertainment

Kevin Burke, “An Evening with Kevin Burke” • Burke surely needs no introduction, but his introductions might. Fortunately, for those who have never experienced him in a live setting, this album spotlights both his musical and public speaking talents. Of... Read more
Kevin Burke, “An Evening with Kevin Burke” • Burke surely needs no introduction, but his introductions might. Fortunately, for those who have never experienced him in a live setting, this album spotlights both his musical and public speaking talents. Of... Read more
There’s something about the phrase “between the earth and sky” that really works for the Dublin quartet Lankum – which will make its Boston-area debut Jan. 11 at Club Passim in Harvard Square – and not just because that’s the name of their most recent... Read more
There’s something about the phrase “between the earth and sky” that really works for the Dublin quartet Lankum – which will make its Boston-area debut Jan. 11 at Club Passim in Harvard Square – and not just because that’s the name of their most recent... Read more
Most artists spend a lifetime perfecting their craft. But whether someone is an actor, singer, dancer, writer, designer, or painter, he or she may not be completely comfortable in maneuvering the business side of the arts. Longtime arts administrator... Read more
Highlighting January’s area Irish/Celtic events is the 16th annual Boston Celtic Music Fest (BCMFest), which takes place Jan. 17-20 in Harvard Square. In addition to spotlighting many performers with ties to Greater Boston, the festival will welcome... Read more
Not surprisingly, holiday-themed performances – such as “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” and the Robbie O’Connell-Rose Clancy “Celtic Christmas” benefit [see stories elsewhere in this issue] – are plentiful amidst this month’s offerings of Irish/Celtic music... Read more
Steph Geremia, “Up She Flew” • New York City’s Geremia, now living in Galway, is familiar to many for her fine flute and whistle-playing and vocals with the Alan Kelly Gang. But her musical development may not be, and is quite fascinating: In college,... Read more
A local holiday-themed event coming up in early December offers a very desirable combination: great entertainment to help support a worthy cause that is inspired by one person’s good works. Legendary Irish singer-songwriter Robbie O’Connell and Cape Cod... Read more
“A Christmas Carol” celebrates its 175th anniversary this year.  First published as a novella in 1843, Charles Dickens’s classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption has been adapted again and again for film and stage audiences around the world. From Dec... Read more
Former All-Ireland champion Brenda Castles, outstanding on both concertina and tin whistle, and The Fretless, a Canadian quartet that has championed the “chambergrass” folk-string ensemble sound, will make their debuts at this year’s “A Christmas Celtic... Read more
The return of all-star fiddle ensemble Childsplay – which plays at the Somerville Theater on Nov. 20 – highlights Boston-area Irish/Celtic music events these next several weeks. Childsplay comprises some two dozen musicians – many from Boston or elsewhere... Read more
Altan, “The Gap of Dreams” • One of Donegal’s greatest natural resources returns to the firmament with this, its 13th studio album. Where Altan’s previous release, “The Widening Gyre” (2015), was Irish-Americana fusion (with guest stars like Alison Brown... Read more
by R. J. Donovan Special to the BIR From the time he was a small boy growing up in Marblehead, Lucas McMahon set his sights on becoming a commercial theatrical producer. Even when he was performing in a show, he was focused on what was going on backstage... Read more
It’s not just the regular influx of high-profile, established acts – Lúnasa, Dervish, The Chieftains, Altan – that make Greater Boston such an Irish/Celtic music fan’s dream. Area venues also frequently host performers who have attained a solid following... Read more
The Boston-area Irish harpist and singer Áine Minogue has a certain philosophy about brainstorms: If you have one, don’t get in the way – just let it happen and then figure it all out afterwards. So, a few years ago, Minogue found herself in what she... Read more
Gloucester native Emerald Rae has been singing for about as long as she has been fiddling, which is since childhood. But it’s only just now, she feels, that she has found her voice. A mainstay of the Greater Boston area’s Celtic/folk music scene for... Read more
In today’s world of Facebook, dating apps, and rampant catfishing, it’s hardly a surprise when someone creates a fake profile online. What may be surprising is that the practice isn’t all that new. In Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play “The Importance of Being... Read more
Early on, New York City-based fiddler-composer-arranger Dana Lyn got the message that playing music was about more than, well, just playing music. “My classical violin teacher was all about interpretation and expression,” recalls Lyn, who will appear at... Read more
The High Seas, “The High Seas” • One of the more captivating albums of recent years, not just for its content but also its context: Young performers hitting that sweet spot in presenting Irish music with skill, and respect for the tradition, and showing... Read more

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