CARTHAGE – New England Celtic Arts will present Scotland’s undisputed master’s of tradition at the Franco American Heritage Center in Lewiston, Maine on Tuesday, May 10, at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center in South Carthage, Maine on Wednesday May 11th, and at Unity College Center for the Performing Arts in Unity on Thursday May 12th. Curtain at the Franco Center and Skye is 7:00pm and 7:30pm in Unity. Pre-show jam sessions at Skye and Unity start one hour prior to curtain.
Since forming in the early 1990’s, Old Blind Dogs have stood on the cutting edge of Scotland’s roots revival. The band has developed its own trademark style with an energetic mix of songs and tunes. Dynamic percussion, polished vocals, soaring fiddle and stirring pipes fuel the delicately-phrased melodies and traditional songs.
“The Old Blind Dogs play with a compelling energy and intoxicating rhythm,” says The Scotsman, “as players and audience seem to share a wild ecstasy of emotion.”
Sixteen years is a long time in the life of any band and most who reach that milestone are content to rest on the tried and true formulas that have worked in the past. Not so for Scotlands Old Blind Dogs whose newly released Four on the Floor takes them bravely in many new directions.
The Dogs, one of Scotlands most highly touted traditional folk bands, are not known for shying away from change. A strong, shared musical vision has allowed the group to ride out inevitable line-up changes to the extent that the only original member still with the band is Jonny Hardie (fiddle, guitar and vocals). The Dogs popularity has never dimmed though and the current foursome of Hardie, Aaron Jones (bouzouki, guitar, vocals), Ali Hutton (Border pipes, whistles, vocals) and Fraser Stone (drums, percussion) have proven more than capable of carrying on the tradition of the band that the Montreal Gazette called …a Scots neo-traditional super-group with a bracingly modern musical attack.
Together, in varying line-ups along with past members Buzzby McMillan (bass, bouzouki, vocals), Davy Cattanach (percussion, vocals), Fraser Fifield (saxophone, small pipes), Paul Jennings (percussion), Rory Campbell (Border pipes, whistles, vocals) and singer/guitarists Ian Benzie and Jim Malcolm, the Dogs have released ten albums and have won numerous awards including the prestigious title of Folk Band of the Year at the 2004 and 2007 Scots Trad Music Awards. Their latest album ‘Four On The Floor’ also picked up the IAP ‘Best Celtic CD’ Award.
The Franco American Heritage Center is located on 46 Cedar Street in Lewiston, 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. UCCPA is at 42 Depot Street in Unity. Ticket price is $20.00 at the door. For reservations call FAHC at (207-783-1585), or Skye Theatre at (207) 562-4445 or UCCPA at (207) 948-7469. Reservations are strongly suggested at all three venues.
More information is available at: http://www.necelticarts.com
