Top drawer band from Oregon to make a welcome return to Clonmel

Clonmel World Music is back with a great show , on Tuesday 9 May, in Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel. They are delighted to welcome The Foghorn Stringband, all the way from Portland, Oregon, USA.

 “The last time The Foghorn Stringband came to Clonmel they played to a full house in 2017, and we had a really fun night of fantastic music and songs. They are a really top drawer band, and we are privileged to get them to Clonmel”, says Gerry Lawless. “It is a big coup to get this band to come to play a show in Clonmel. They are over in Europe for The Shetland Folk Festival, and are in Ireland for The Baltimore Fiddle Fair in West Cork. Clonmel is one of a limited amount of other gigs in Ireland on this tour”

The Foghorn Stringband is the present day gold standard for real-deal hard-hitting genuine old-time American string band music, with ten albums, thousands of shows, over 20 years of touring under their belts, and an entirely new generation of roots musicians following their lead. American roots music is a diverse and never-ending well of inspiration, and The Foghorn Stringband continually and obsessively draw from old-time, bluegrass, classic country, and Cajun music traditions in an ongoing quest to present a broad span of American historical music with an unparalleled youthful energy, joy, and virtuosity.

Each member of Foghorn Stringband exemplifies the best of the roots music traditions from their respective native cultures. Caleb Klauder’s (vocals, mandolin, fiddle) wistful, keening vocals and rapidfire mandolin picking are influenced by Southern roots music. Reeb Willms (vocals, guitar) hails from the wind swept Eastern farmlands of Washington. Her musical family and rural upbringing are are on display with every note she sings. Nadine Landry’s (vocals, upright bass) roots lie in the rural backroads of Acadian Québec, and her high lonesome vocals have delighted audiences the world over. Her earth-shaking bass playing is the rumbling backbone of the Foghorn sound. Minnesotan Stephen ‘Sammy’ Lind, (vocals, fiddle, banjo) simply put, is the old-time fiddler of his generation whose tone and voice are as old as the same hills that gave birth to this music. Together, these four have forged a sound like no other roots band. When it comes to faithful recreations of old time string band music you’re hard pressed to find anyone doing it better than The Foghorn Stringband. 

In performance, Foghorn Stringband gather around one microphone, balancing their music on the fly, and playing with an intense, fiery abandon. To the band, this music is as relevant today as it was at it’s birth a century ago. They see themselves not only as cultural revivalists, but also as historians and fans of this music. Their performances and recordings are a joyful celebration of music from a bygone era that still holds the power to delight audiences worldwide.

Special guests for this show are The Barceló Brothers, from Headford Galway. They are a vibrant young band formed by brothers Séamus and Mícheál Barcelo, along with their father Miquel. They perform an explosive mix of zydeco music, rhythm and blues, soul and funk music. Their concerts are always fun and heartwarming. Séamus and Mícheál sing their own heartfelt songs infused with instrumental virtuosity, impromptu dance moves and a contagious ‘joie de vivre’.

From a very young age, the brothers have been tinkering with a wide range of instruments and musical genres until they fell in love with the french and afro-caribbean sounds of south west louisiana.

We are delighted to bring the Barcelo’s to town, for their Clonmel debut

Doors for the show will open at 7.30pm. The Barcelo Brothers will be onstage at 8.20, and The Foghorn Stringband will take to the stage  at 9pm prompt. 

Tickets for this great gig are on sale now, and are available online at www.clonmelworldmusic.com, or from Gerry Lawless on 086 3389619.

“Many are called, but few are chosen. On their new recording Devil in the Seat, Foghorn Stringband proves once again that they are still the Chosen Ones when it comes to down-home, footstomping, ass-kickin’ old time music.” — Stuart Mason, FiddleFreak 

“They let their own musicality and the tunes speak for themselves.” “There's an honesty to this music....It's pure and simple, ingredients that often go missing in this day and age. “Foghorn Stringband makes the music their own with instrumental virtuosity and intense dedication to the sources.” -Old Time Herald 

“Portland’s Foghorn StringBand stands at the top of today’s vibrant old-time music revival and a fine example of what an unending revival it is. Each album finds them deeper into the tradition, more familiar with the rich resources of roots music, and more focused, but still propelled by that undercurrent of punk energy.” ---Art Menius, WMMT