Celtic-Roots Band Set to Record Live Album at BlackRock on St. Patrick’s Day
The innovative and award-winning Celtic-roots band RUNA will record a live album in Germantown on March 17 at 7:30 pm at BlackRock Center for the Arts.
Quickly gaining recognition as one of Irish music’s new “super-groups,” RUNA has been enchanting audiences by pushing the boundaries of Irish folk music since their formation in 2008. Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of bluegrass, flamenco, blues, jazz, RUNA offers a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music.
Aptly scheduled for St. Patrick’s Day, the live recording will be held in BlackRock’s Mainstage and will be a treat for ticketholders and, ultimately, fans everywhere. Featuring the option of a superb meal of Irish fare to start (for an additional cost), the evening will end with an intimate performance of several new songs and favorites from past albums that include Current Affairs (2014), Somewhere Along the Road (2012), Stretched On Your Grave (2011) and Jealousy (2009).
Recent Top Group & Top Traditional Group winners at the Irish Music Awards, 2013 and a repeat winner for Best World/Traditional Song at the Independent Music Awards 2014, 2013, RUNA is a fusion of musical influences and geographic upbringings. Members include bandleader, vocalist, and step dancer, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia; Dublin-born guitarist, Fionán de Barra; Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion; Dave Curley of Galway on mandolin, vocals, bodhrán, and step dancing; and Maggie Estes of Kentucky on the fiddle.
Together, members of RUNA have played with Solas, Riverdance, Slide, Clannad, Fiddlers’ Bid, Moya Brennan, Eileen Ivers, Hazel O’Conner, Keith & Kristyn Getty, Barcó, Téada, Jonathan Edwards, and the Guy Mendilow Band.
Since 2008, RUNA has toured internationally, enchanting live audiences with its haunting traditional melodies, intoxicating rhythms and sheer musical sophistication. The band’s sound, like its name, is a “mystical” blend of traditional Celtic flair and contemporary American music dubbed “timeless and flawless” by PA Music Scene and “lyrical” by Irish Philadelphia.
Tickets for this St. Patrick’s Day treat to see RUNA perform live and be a part of the live audience recording on Thursday, March 17 at BlackRock Center for the Arts are $18-$40 and are on sale in person, over the phone by calling 240.912.1058, or online at blackrockcenter.org.
Photo courtesy of McGuckin Entertainment
