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CARTHAGE – New England Celtic Arts will host the Maine based Killa Céilí Band at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center in South Carthage, Maine on Sunday, July 18. The concert starts at 7:00 PM. A pre-show jam will start at 6:15. Audience members are invited to bring their instruments and join in a jam session with the artists for a few minutes before each show.
The music of The Killa Céilí Band has evolved from many years of playing Irish Traditional music in Maine. Kevin McElroy, David Stimson, and Christian “Junior” Stevens have played for traditional dancing and audience performance in many formats. Their joining together is certain to entertain audiences with a host of instrumental combinations. Fiddle, button accordion, concertina, guitar, bouzouki, banjo, melodeon, bodhrán, mandolin, piano and singing are showcasing their wide range of talents.
On Fiddle, Bouzouki, Mandolin, and Vocals, Kevin has performed traditional Irish music professionally since the age of 19. He has performed with some of Ireland’s most famous instrumentalists including Seamus Connolly, Joe Burke and Paddy Keenan, and has taught at the Augusta Heritage Arts Program-Irish Week at Davis and Elkins College. He currently teaches private fiddle and mandolin lessons at his violin shop where he also works as a restorer of fine instruments. Kevin has three recordings (Up the Winding River, Heather on the Moor, Irish Music for the Mandolin. Brian O’Donovan of WGBH radio’s A Celtic Sojourn says of Kevin: “His music and infectious enthusiasm inspire the listener to learn and enjoy. It is a testament to the many years he has spent playing in sessions, pubs and kitchens, festivals and dances.”
David Stimson has been playing traditional Irish music for more than 30 years. He plays finger picking and flat-picking style with his guitar tuned in dropped D, using creative bass runs and lots of rhythm. He also plays fiddle, concertina, tenor banjo, piano, and tin whistle, but not all at the same time.
Performing on Button Accordion and Anglo Concertina, Christian Stevens has honed his craft at the feet of some of the finest musicians at home and abroad, as an active participant in the New England session scene, as a highly sought after dance musician, an experienced teacher, and as a natural performer, gracing stages across the country with some of the genre’s most talented artists. He combines a deep respect for the raw energy inherent in centuries old traditions, with a constantly evolving appreciation for modern musical sensibilities of all shapes and sizes. Christian also performs with The Press Gang and Magic Foot.
Skye Theater is located 3 miles West of East Dixfield village at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Rd and US RT. 2 in South Carthage. Ticket price is $10.00 at the door. Call New England Celtic Arts at (207) 562-4445 for reservations and directions. More information at: http://www.necelticarts.com
