Blackstone River Theatre has made the difficult decision to CANCEL Saturday’s scheduled Summer Solstice Festival due to the impending forecast of all-day rain. Despite our intention, there is no rain date on June 18.
This decision is not made lightly but we hold the safety of our performers, volunteers, sound techs, vendors and you, our patrons, as our top priority. The risk of damage to valuable instruments, crafters wares, sound systems, and our own equipment from all-day inclement weather is not acceptable to our organization. We apologize for any disappointment but hope you will enjoy Father’s Day on Sunday and visit us for one of our many incredible concerts presented year-round. Thank you.
TICKETS STILL REMAIN! … but we have had to take our credit card processor offline. Please call in your reservations for our May 6, 8:00 p.m. concert with Seamus Egan to 401-725-9272.
It’s hard to think of an artist in traditional Irish music more influential than Seamus Egan. From his beginnings as a teen prodigy, to his groundbreaking solo work with Shanachie Records, to his founding of Irish-American powerhouse band Solas, to his current work as one of the leading composers and interpreters of the tradition, Egan has inspired multiple generations of musicians and helped define the sound of Irish music today. As a multi-instrumentalist, he’s put his mark on the sound of the Irish flute, tenor banjo, guitar, mandolin, tin whistle, and low whistle, among others. As a composer, he was behind the soundtrack for the award-winning film “The Brothers McMullen,” co-wrote Sarah McLachlan’s breakout hit, “I Will Remember You.” As a bandleader, Solas was the pre-eminent Irish-American band of their generation for decades, continuously renewing Irish music with fresh ideas. As a performer, few others can make so many instruments or such wickedly complex ornaments seem so effortless. Music comes as naturally to Seamus Egan as breath, but his mastery of the tradition is only one facet of his plans to move the music forward. He’ll be joined by Owen Marshall on bouzouki, mandolin and banjo and guitarist Kyle Sanna who has shared the stage or studio with many of today’s virtuosos, including Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile.
TICKETS STILL REMAIN! … but we have had to take our credit card processor offline. Please call in your reservations for our May 13, 8:00 p.m. concert with Old Blind Dogs to 401-725-9272.
Old Blind Dogs have long been at the forefront of Scotland’s roots revival, fusing dynamic percussion, polished vocals, soaring fiddle and stirring pipes. The current band line up has been settled for several years now and consists of four of Scotland’s finest traditional musicians at the top of their game. Original member Jonny Hardie (fiddle/vocals) is joined by Aaron Jones (cittern/guitar/vocals), Ali Hutton (pipes/whistles) and Donald Hay (percussion/vocals) and collectively they comprise one of the hottest live tickets on the traditional Scottish music scene today. The musical evolution of Old Blind Dogs began in Aberdeen in 1992 with roots that grew from the eclectic music scene that flourished there. Four musicians from very different musical backgrounds came together to create a full-time professional touring band with the aim of showcasing the rich tradition of songs and tunes of the North East of Scotland on an international stage. As recent inductees to the BBC ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards ‘Trad Music Hall of Fame’ Old Blind Dogs celebrated 30 years on the road in 2022 by launching their 14th studio album “Knucklehead Circus,” a joyous, uplifting album full of energy and intoxicating rhythm on which ‘OBD’ continue to innovate within their tradition while faithfully revealing its essence.
TICKETS STILL REMAIN! … but we have had to take our credit card processor offline. Please call in your reservations for our April 30, 7:00 p.m. concert with É.T.É to 401-725-9272.
Awarded the OPUS prize for “Discovery of the Year 2017-2018” among many other accolades since their debut album in 2017, this trio is quickly winning over the hearts of listeners worldwide. É.T.É are Élisabeth (fiddle, step-dancing, vocals), Thierry (bouzouki, podorythmie, vocals), and Élisabeth (cello, vocals). The word été in French means summer – a fitting tribute to how their original, lively take on Québec traditional music is infused with a new vitality. With lovely vocal harmonies, deep groove, and rich instrumentation, É.T.É are an explosive trio on stage, transforming the nostalgia of a kitchen party into an unforgettable show experience that celebrates the joie de vivre of Québecois culture. We are thrilled to host their first Rhode Island appearance; there are no Boston-area shows on this tour.
TICKETS STILL REMAIN! … but we have had to take our credit card processor offline. Please call in your reservations for our April 15, 8:00 p.m. concert with the Hanneke Cassel Band to 401-725-9272.
Effervescent and engaging, Boston-based fiddler Hanneke Cassel’s fiddle music fuses influences from the Isle of Skye and Cape Breton with Americana grooves and musical innovations. Tonight’s concert will celebrate the release of her new CD, “Infinite Brightness.” Hanneke has performed and traveled across North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Hanneke’s music is a blend of the contemporary and traditional, described by the Boston Globe as “exuberant and rhythmic, somehow wild and innocent, delivered with captivating melodic clarity and an irresistible playfulness.” Her incredible trio tonight features Keith Murphy on guitar/vocals, and Tristan Clarridge, a former 5-time Grand National Fiddle Champion, on cello. Newfoundland-born guitarist Keith Murphy began absorbing his native musical languages – folksongs, ballads and dance music – from an early age. A proficient multi-instrumentalist, he has long applied considerable energy to the rhythmic side of music, becoming a valued band member and highly sought-after sideman on guitar, mandolin and foot percussion. Tristan Clarridge founded the Bee Eaters with sister Tashina and switched to cello in the pioneering bluegrass-new folk sensation Crooked Still. He has toured with Mike Marshall, Bruce Molsky and Cape Breton fiddle phenomenon Natalie Macmaster.
TICKETS STILL REMAIN! … but we have had to take our credit card processor offline. Please call in your reservations for our April 8, 8:00 p.m. concert with Rock Hearts to 401-725-9272. See info on a Bluegrass Jamming Class offered 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. below!
Formed in 2013, Rock Hearts brings together five veteran musicians from Southern New England who love to sing and pick bluegrass, old country tunes, and seek out newer tunes from other genres to “bluegrass-ify.” Since the release of their well-received debut in 2020, “Starry Southern Nights,” they have experienced tremendous success on the national bluegrass charts and were selected as one of 20 Official Showcase Bands at the 2021 IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC. Their videos have amassed 250k views and the band has been featured in magazines including Bluegrass Unlimited, Bluegrass Today and the Bluegrass Situation. Tonight will be the CD release of “Wanderlust” – their debut project with The 615 Hideaway Record Label. Joe Deetz’s career on banjo spans over 40 years. A New England Bluegrass Boy with Joe Val, Joe has also worked with Back Eddy and many others. Alex MacLeod grew up in bluegrass. With a classic leading voice and rock-solid rhythm guitar, Alex has served as front man for several bands in the region including Northern Lights and Southern Rhode. Billy “BT” Thibodeau boasts an undeniable bluegrass pedigree and he brings his high tenor and lead vocals, along with his rock solid mandolin and guitar playing to Rock Hearts. He cut his teeth with his dad, Sam Tidwell and Uncle Bob in the Kennebec Valley Boys. Rick Brodsky is a multi-instrumentalist and a regular on the CT / New York bluegrass scene. Austin Scelzo was introduced to various fiddle traditions at Mark O’Connor’s early Berklee String Camps. He created the Bluegrass Coffeehouse, and launched the Connecticut Bluegrass Music Association.
Blackstone River Theatre is also hosting a Saturday Bluegrass Jam Class on April 8, 11:30 am-5 pm, with fiddler Austin Scelzo, preceding the Rock Hearts CD release concert. All bluegrass instruments welcome! Register through April 6. Read flyer for full information and registration: https://wernickmethod.org/event/as-2023-04-cumberland
TICKETS STILL REMAIN! … but we have had to take our credit card processor offline. Please call in your reservations for our April 1, 8:00 p.m. concert with RUNA to 401-725-9272.
Celebrating its 14-year anniversary as a band, Celtic-American roots group RUNA continues to push the boundaries of Irish folk music into the Americana and roots music formats. Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of jazz, bluegrass, flamenco and blues, they offer a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music. Earning them the reputation as one of the most innovative Irish folk groups of this generation, RUNA consists of vocalist and step dancer, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia, Dublin-born guitarist, Fionán de Barra, Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion, Jake James of New York on fiddle, and newest member Tom Fitzgerald of Canada on mandolin and vocals. The group has been honored internationally, winning Top Group and Top Traditional Group in the Irish Music Awards and three Independent Music Awards including Best LIVE Album, Best World/Traditional Song, and Best Bluegrass Song. Seeking to preserve and continue a traditional culture in a modern age, RUNA creates the backbone of its signature roots sound from the musical and geographical diversity of its individually established band members. Always a Blackstone River Theatre fan favorite, we are thrilled to welcome them back!
TICKETS STILL REMAIN! … but we have had to take our credit card processor offline. Please call in your reservations for our March 18, 7:00 p.m. concert with Open the Door for Three to 401-725-9272.
We couldn’t be more excited to present the R.I. debut of the amazing trio Open the Door for Three on St. Patrick’s Day weekend! Open the Door for Three is fiddle player Liz Knowles, uilleann piper Kieran O’Hare, and Dublin-born singer and bouzouki player Pat Broaders. Their music is a rare combination of unearthed tunes from centuries-old collections, newly composed melodies, fresh arrangements of songs old and new, homages to the musicians and bands they grew up listening to, and the unmatched energy of a trio of good friends playing great Irish music together. Liz, Kieran, and Pat have been mainstays of the Irish music scene around the world, having distinguished themselves over the last two decades as soloists with Riverdance, Cherish the Ladies, String Sisters, Anúna, and more. As a trio, they have played to a wide range of audiences from Irish festivals, to concert halls, to pubs. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, at L’Olympia and the Palais des Congrès in Paris, in theatres from Shanghai to São Paulo, and even in a bullring in Mallorca. Most recently, they have been featured at The Kennedy Center’s Ireland 100 festival, the Celtic Colours festival in Cape Breton, at The Milwaukee Irish Festival, and in The Masters of Tradition series in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland. Not to be missed!
TICKETS STILL REMAIN! … but we have had to take our credit card processor offline. Please call in your reservations for our March 25, 3:00 p.m. concert with Máire Ní Chathasaigh and Chris Newman to 401-725-9272.
The celebrated virtuoso partnership of Máire Ní Chathasaigh – “the leading figure of Irish harpers” (Scotland on Sunday) and Chris Newman – “one of the UK’s most staggering and influential acoustic guitarists” (fROOTS), has brought its special musical vision to venues large and small in 22 countries on five continents. Shows are a breathtaking blend of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, coupled with striking new compositions and Chris’s delightfully subversive wit. Chris was named “Male Musician of the Year” in the 2019 Live Ireland Awards. Gradam Cheoil TG4, the national Irish-language TV station’s Award for Irish Traditional Musician of the Year was presented to Máire in 2001 “for the excellence and pioneering force of her music, the remarkable growth she has brought to the music of the harp and the positive influence she has had on the young generation of harpers” at a televised ceremony in the Cork Opera House. The Gradam is the highest, most prestigious honor for a traditional Irish musician and Máire was the first harpist recipient.
THIS SHOW IS SOLD OUT! There are still tickets for the 7 PM show, however! Please call in your reservations for our March 12, 7:00 p.m. concert with Lúnasa to 401-725-9272.
We are thrilled to bring back our friends Lúnasa so close to St. Patrick’s Day for a two concerts featuring special guest singer/bouzouki player Daoirí Farrell. Named for a Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. For 25 years its members have formed the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade. Bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key member of The Waterboys. Kevin Crawford, considered to be among the finest flutists in Ireland, played with Moving Cloud and piper Cillian Vallely comes from the same talented musical family as brother Niall, of the Karan Casey Band. Dynamic guitarist Ed Boyd made a name for himself with bands such as Flook, Kate Rusby, and Cara Dillon and is joined by award-winning fiddler Sean Smyth, who performed with Donal Lunny’s legendary Coolfin and accordionist Alan Kelly. Inspired by the legendary Irish group The Bothy Band, Lúnasa uses melodic interweaving of wind and string instruments pairing flutes, fiddle, whistle and pipes in breathtaking arrangements. They are universally acclaimed as one of the best Irish bands in the world and will be joined by Dublin-born traditional singer and bouzouki player Daoirí (pronounced ‘Derry’) Farrell who has been described by some of the biggest names in Irish folk music as one of most important singers to come out of Ireland in recent years.