2013 Featured Performers

Blackthorn

Blackthorn is a Celtic band that saw its inception back in 1988 when a small group of ex-pats found a common interest in a music that wasn't all that common in Vancouver at the time. Since then, the group has travelled a long road through the streets of traditional and not-so-traditional Celtic music, expanding their repertoire and musical skills along the way.

Blackthorn's repertoire celebrates the traditional music of Scotland and Ireland as well as folk music of English and French Canada. This means that they are not only in demand for Robbie Burns and St Patrick's Day events but also Highland Games, festivals, ceilidhs, concerts, conventions and private functions throughout the year.

Blackthorn can rip up a reel, bounce along with a jig, pull your heartstrings with a mournful ballad and have you laughing and singing along to a favorite old tune all in the course of a performance. They play in their own style, with their own interpretation of the music and it is very apparent when watching them, that they have fun and enjoy what they are doing.

''a leading light in the Celtic music scene in B.C. - and beyond''

- Rogue Folk Review

Performing with professionalism and joie-de-vivre, Blackthorn always creates smiles and tapping feet. Their crowd-pleasing mix of Celtic, Quebecois and folk music gives their shows an appeal that crosses cultures and generations. Blackthorn's shows in Harrison Hot Springs have ended with well-deserved standing ovations and encores.

- Phyllis Stenson, Executive Director, Harrison Festival Society

The 2009 Maritime Festival at Britannia Heritage Shipyard had the largest attendance to date, largely due to the fact that Blackthorn, a Vancouver based Celtic band headlined the Musical Expressions series on the Saturday night. As the Producer of the festival's stage and music series, it was a pleasure to have Blackthorn on the bill this year. Their performance was magical, a highlight of the summer series. They are amazingly talented musicians. Their voices blend together beautifully and they moved the audience sometimes to tears. I also love their in between song antics, it really brings the audience in, making them feel like they are a part of the show. I had many emails after the show from fans of the Musical Expressions series, telling me how much they loved Blackthorn.

- Cherelle Jardine, Producer, Musical Expressions

For further information, visit www.blackthornband.com

Brother

celtic - tribal - mongrel

Chances are you've seen BROTHER on NBC's 'ER', maybe heard their music on the classic 'Baraka' soundtrack or UPN's ' Twilight Zone.' The band has shared stages with Joe Walsh, John Entwhistle, Linkin Park, and Alicia Keys and are the only independent band to have played the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Fusing signature vocals and guitar with the deep pulse of the didgeridoo, the soaring highs of the bagpipes, and tribal percussion, BROTHER is wholly original. The band's powerhouse live performances are an energetic celebration, captivating and engaging the audience from the first song to the last.

Angus, founding member of BROTHER, arrived in Los Angeles from Australia with his brothers a decade ago as little more than fresh-faced farm boys. In LA, they found themselves busking at Venice Beach, the Hollywood Bowl and Universal Studios to survive. Since those days, BROTHER evolved its trademark sound while touring extensively in the United States and in Canada, Japan, France, Egypt and Australia.

They did it all free from standard industry trends and pigeon-holes. BROTHER has self-released 12 albums, sold more CDs in the USA than any other independent Australian act and has regularly been cited as a role model within the independent scene.

BROTHER live today is a powerhouse celtic tribal trio. The band's legendary live shows have reached a whole new level, with soul brothers Angus, Dalbo and Drew filling the stage with their energy and sound.

a band that you must hear!...

with influences from every culture you can imagine… wonderful music.

River Rhythms Festival, Wisconsin, USA

the most popular act in the six-year history of the Michigan Irish Festival.

Muskegon Chronicle, Michigan, USA

Brother is one of the most unique, creative and primal trips

I've ever experienced in a live performance.

No Cover OC Event Guide, California, USA

For further information, visit www.brothermusic.com

Colin Grant - Adams

Colin Grant-Adams, recording artist, Scottish/Celtic Folksinger, Guitarist, originally from Oban Scotland, presents a program of traditional, contemporary, and nationally acclaimed original folksongs about Scotland's rugged landscape, "These are My Mountains", it's turbulent history, "Ye Jacobites By Name" and the Scottish immigrants' influence on American folk and Bluegrass music, with "Scottish American" and "Kentucky in the Spring Time."

Audiences have enjoyed Colin Grant-Adams performances in the famous folk clubs of Great Britain, Norway, Sweden and Europe and across the United States. Grant-Adams brings new life to the traditional tunes and are delivered with a touch of humor, the telling of mystical stories and even a few sing-along songs that leave the crowds asking for more.

Weaving tales of Scotland's turbulent history and haunting beauty with his remarkable ballads, Grant-Adams takes you on a journey across the seas to Scotland and the Islands.

Colin captivates the audience's heart, mind and soul.

His repertoire ranges from the well-known classical songs: "Skye Boat Song," "Will You Go Lassie Go," and "Dark Lochnagar" to the contemporary, and traditional music of Scotland and Ireland to the Bluegrass music of Kentucky, plus his acclaimed original compositions, "Where the Rhododendrons Grow," "Blood in the Ground", "Scottish American," and "The Lone Piper."

Grant-Adams has produced nine recordings, "Come by the Hills," "Glencoe," "Old Friends Across the Sea," "Scotland - Land of My Father", "Scottish American," "Traditional and Original Songs of Scotland," "This Land Called Scotland," "Colin Grant-Adams and His Guitar", and "A Toast To Scotland."

Grant-Adams has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, and concerts all over the United States, plus at the acclaimed Carnegie Hall, NYC.

Please visit www.colingrant-adams.com for more info.

Golden Bough

"There is a love of this music by the performers that is obvious. A great example of how to do something the right way when many are just doing it, period."

Wind and Wire Magazine

"Although the instruments are superb, what really sets this group apart are the vocals - harmonies so tight that it's often hard to know who or how many are singing; but the resulting sound is enchanting and breathtaking."

Burt Meyer, Olympia Center of Folk Arts and Music

Formed in January of 1980, Golden Bough's first performances were in and around San Francisco. Soon they were touring Europe where they played the streets and small folk clubs of Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Holland and Switzerland. These simple beginnings soon led to major tours of European cities and a recording contract with the premier European folk music label, ARC Music.

Golden Bough continues to tour the United States, performing in theaters, at festivals and Highland Games. They have also performed in Canada, the Caribbean and Japan (where they were met by enthusiastic fans holding up Golden Bough's recordings, ready for autographs).

Recently Golden Bough's music was featured in the PBS documentary Visions of Scotland. Currently they are in the studio recording music for the audio book of the Scottish children's tale, The Man Who Spoke With Cats. This book, written by T.E. Watson, won the 2009 "National Readers Choice" and "American Authors Association" awards.

Rooted in the traditional music of Ireland & Scotland, Golden Bough also performs the music of the lesser known Celtic lands of Wales, Cornwall, The Isle of Man, French Brittany and Spanish Galicia. With over 25 recordings to date, Golden Bough has become a popular and in demand group on both sides of the Atlantic, gaining critical acclaim and enthusiastic support from folk fans wherever they perform.

In the recording studio, as well as on stage, Golden Bough captures the essence and joy of traditional folk music and captivates listeners with the uniqueness of their original compositions. Their music is well received and enjoyed by audiences of all ages. Please visit www.goldenboughmusic.com for more information on Golden Bough recordings and concerts.

Songs of Scotland (CD)

"Margie Butler, Paul Espinoza and Kathy Sierra have produced an eminently listenable collection of well-known Scots ballads and, although many of these have been done to death in the past, it is to Golden Bough's immense credit that their versions bring a feeling of freshness to the whole album. Recommended!" The Folk Diary, UK
Please visit www.goldenboughmusic.com for more info.

1916

Celtic rock has been redefined with 1916's panache for punk rock music laced with kilted flair. As soon as their music escapes the amps it creates an electrifying buzz within the audience. Whether it's through their original works such as "Common Sense", or twists on traditional Celtic music such as "Irish Rover" and "Danny Boy." Through their innovative works and traditional Celtic songs, 1916 breathes new life into music with powerful vocals, strong beats, and intensity that would rival the Energizer bunny. Their contagious rhythms and personalities will beckon young and old to the dance floor, and is guaranteed to have feet tapping and hands clapping.

The band consists of: lead vocals and guitar by Richard Cheney; back up vocals and rhythm guitar by Travis Byler; Douglas Kirk on bass and assisting with vocals; Walter Baldwin on drums; and Chelsea Wells with pipes.

Initially established in 2006 as a fun and creative outlet, these Bakersfield natives have evolved and matured from their 2007 CD Uprising. Since the release of their second independent CD Long Road Home in 2010, the band has garnered well-deserved attention. With influences and sounds comparable to Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys, 1916 is steadily carving their niche on the American music scene. Touring predominately in California, Washington, and Nevada, they play Scottish Gatherings and Games, Irish Festivals, parties, and pubs.
For further information, visit: www.1916rocks.com

Seattle Knights

The Seattle Knights, the Northwest's premier sword fighting and jousting organization, is a theatrical troupe whose specialty is Medieval Fantasy. Their dedication to the principal of "Education through Entertainment" has made the Seattle Knights the top stage combat troupe in the country.
The actor-combatants perform choreographed combat using real armor and weapons. Men and women perform on equal footing, taking up spears, pole weapons, war hammers, axes, daggers, and, of course, swords of almost every variety. For all the ferocity and excitement, it's all good, clean fun.
The Seattle Knights proudly maintain the best safety record in the industry, and have performed for schools, businesses, private functions, parades, charities, festivals, and renaissance fairs around the United States.

For the Pacific Northwest Scottish Highland Games & Clan Gathering, the Seattle Knights swap armor and horses for kilts and comedy, displaying their skills with rapier and repartee throughout the day. Join us for music, mirth, and merry mayhem.

For more information, visit: http://www.seattleknights.com.

Carl Peterson

Over the last 20 plus years Carl Peterson has undeniably become the most successful and busiest Scottish singer in North America, performing at numerous festivals and concerts, and creating nearly 30 recordings. He was the first singer/entertainer to appear in most of the east coast Scottish festivals, opening up a market for many singers and musicians.

Carl was born and raised in Greenock, Scotland, on the banks of the River Clyde, where a great shipbuilding industry flourished for hundreds of years. In the 1800's, many Irish came to these lowland shipyards looking for work, joining the throngs of Scottish Highlanders who had been chased from their hills and glens. Seafaring men from other nations as well, joined the ranks in the Clyde Valley shipyards. One of these adventurers, a Swedish sailor, married highland lass in Port Glasgow - they were Carl's great-grandparents. Thus, Carl was born four generations hence, a Nordic Scot, with Swedes on one side and Highlanders on the other; an ancestry sprinkled with surnames such as McLean, McBryde, Caithness, Duke, and somewhere an Irish McGuire.

In Canada, Carl Peterson performed from Newfoundland on the East Coast to British Columbia in the West. Eventually Carl turned his attention south to America. It didn't take him long to find success in the festival market. In 1994 Community Concerts of New York signed him. Apart from averaging about 40 festivals a year, Carl was handling between 50-70 concerts a year from Maine to Hawaii. After five years with Community Concerts Carl spent two seasons with Allied Concerts from Wisconsin, performing mostly in the upper Midwest states. The only two states Carl hasn't performed in are Rhode Island and Alaska. He has performed in every province in Canada except PEI.

Over all these years Carl has released over 30 recordings, 1 video and published one book. In 2007 and 2008 Carl's CD Songs of the South with Bagpipes and Banjos won the Vintage Album of the Year award from The Southern Heritage Music Association. It was with the release of his highly acclaimed double CD, Scotland Remembers The Alamo and the follow up release of the companion book Now's The Day And Now's The Hour that Carl has taken an interest in writing. The double CD and the book chronicle the strong influence of the Scots and Scotch-Irish at The Alamo and in early Texas history.

Meanwhile Carl's recordings continue selling worldwide as he works on new releases at his studio in Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit:.http://www.carl-peterson.com