"This Kansas City powerhouse is still growing musically, as evidenced by ‘Wanderin Life & Times,' strong story-telling and poetic lyrics backed by carefully thought-out musical accompaniment, at the same time capturing much of the energy and eclecticism of a live Elders show.
Mark Sisti / Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events
"Rocking music, thoughtful stories, and wonderful poetry."
Stephen McSweeney / Celtic Music Magazine
"Thrilling, propulsive, fantastic Celtic-pop. The Elders are a real find ... a band to shout from the rooftops about.”
Robert Oermann / Music Row Magazine
"The key to the band’s success is in its flawless blending of the Celtic storytelling tradition with contemporary instrumentation and, perhaps more importantly, their ability to write original songs that sound as timeless and authentic as the ancient jigs and reels that have inspired them."
Brian Baker / Paste Magazine
“The Elders weren’t the official headliner this evening, but they became the main event, drawing a crowd of 6,000 or so that spilled out of the pavilion and packed itself up to the northern edge of its adjoining lawn, which prompts an almost-absurd question: When is the last time a local Celtic/roots-rock band could say they outdrew the Backstreet Boys?”
Tim Finn / The Kansas City Star
“This band started off great and has only gotten better over the years. The rich arrangements create strong moods from anthem sounding songs to more folky things. I am amazed that such a talented band with such an appealing sound is not far more famous. I love how they bring in elements of other genres and make them fit. Their timeless sound deserves to be heard.” Jamie O’Brien / Philadelphia Irish Edition
“[The Elders album] ‘Gael Day’ gives us exactly what we’ve come to expect from The Elders, and that’s a good thing. Those familiar with the band’s prior releases know they’ll be greeted by infectious musical hooks that will lead into a rousing or stirring vocal tune, so catchy you’ll swear you’ve grown up listening to it”
Mark Sisti / Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events Newsletter
“...One of the hottest bands in the Irish rock category”
Veröffentlicht von Snik www.celtic-rock.de
“The Elders are marrow deep in their unique art, and it's not only pleasing as hell, but infectious”
Mark S. Tucker / Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
“The band’s extensive and diverse experience melds traditional Irish music and American roots-rock into a genre-elusive sound. Sturgis Journal
“As local emperors of Celtic roots-rock, The Elders have developed a reputation for bristling live shows and, even better, for exceeding their lofty reputation ... many superstar acts would envy the level of audience participation the Elders achieve.” Kansas City Star
“Righteous Celtic Music!”
Cal Koat / 1470AM, CJVB, Canada
“The Elders are simply the best contemporary Irish band in America! See them live and you’ll understand why they have such a following everywhere they’ve played.”
Doug Clifton / KCUV Radio, Denver
“I cannot say enough positive things about The Elders – their program was first class. This outstanding band literally had people dancing in the aisles.”
Douglas McFarlane / Williams Center for the Arts
“Simply put, one of the finest performances I have EVER seen, any genre, any venue!”
Timothy Ace Holleran / Fairfield County Irish Fest (CT)
"What I hear is absolutely amazing ...The Elders are without a doubt one of the greatest finds this century."
Charles Dewhurst / Lochbroom FM, Scotland
“Songs of magic and mayhem and of better days ahead … contemporary Irish Folk Rock at its very best.”
Shay Clarke / Irish American News
“The Elders’ music is far from common. The lyrical and musical excellence of these songs will stick in your mind long after the final track has played.”
Ray Sidman / Goldmine Magazine
“Great melodies, harmonies, musicianship, and song writing. The Elders are on a short list of great Celtic-Rock acts from around the world that I would speak proudly of.”
John Bowles / Paddy Rock Radio
"The Elders’ songs are up-tempo, high-energy and delivered with passion and fire …but they are clever… a solid 11.5 on the 'rollicking' end of a scale from 1 to 10."
The Humm / Almonte, Ontario
"It was quite a pleasure having The Elders at our fest. It was so cool to see how the audience morphed into a crazed mob during your Saturday night set. I look forward to your return."
Julie Rhyner / Pittsburgh Irish Festival
“...even when touching on the bittersweet, The Elders are fun--straight out of the rowdy pub and onto CD.”
Darryl Morden / Buzzine Magazine February 2007
| Full Articles |
Mark S. Tucker / Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
After six CDs, it was time for this well-loved sextet of Celt rockers to issue another DVD - paramount, in fact, as audio discs don't always catch the full electricity of their flesh and blood performances. Not for nothing do the lads carry their "Arse-Kicking Music From The Heartland" banner proudly. This particular date opens with a rousing round of Michael's Ride, an energetic instrumental setting the players loose to raise cardiac rates and set toes to tapping. It's a perfectly appropriate gateway, as the key to The Elders lies in their impeccable chops and irresistible rhythms.
That cut gives way to a couple of rockers and then the band settles into a Fogelbergy Love of the Century ballad, laying out a warm multi-part vocal presence that's as much a trademark of the ensemble as the swooping fiddle and breezy accordion dominating their repertoire. Ah, but you only get a few minutes of such reverie and then it's off into another hipshaker, Turnpike, a showcase for Brent Hoad's violinic virtuosity and a damn fine tune in its own right.
Amidst all this, the Elders wear their American patriotism unabashedly, regaling the country's virtues and history in no shy manner, so none of this is a matter of old country partisanship by any means but rather a happy marriage of the two trans-Atlantic countries in a maverick tradition fully elemental to both. 1849 displays the trait in full measure as does the entire concert, an extension of their studio sound. The group's shimmering folk base is equally native to the shores of Eire, Angleland, and the New World, but so's the exuberant jam burn-down at the tail end of Devil's Tongue, drenched in top-notch musicianship, with high spirits born of the progressions rock and roll have brought to so many musics.
The Gem venue, a nice little hall, boasts a lineage, so it was a natural for a public television document, here presented in all its original footage but with a bonus: three cuts unaired when first released have been added, commencing with a jazzed variation of trad Celt airs, Brettski's Medley, the highlight of the show and a showcase for Brett Gibson, accordionist par excellence. Needless to say, bluegrassers will go wild for all the high-end chops from every member, complicated melodies in nearly the songs (except the ballads), and interlocking lines from the instruments and vocals, as enneagrammatic a blend as could be wished.
Breakaways are inserted, snippets of the crowd, which numbered many many Baby Boomers - some of whom took their kids along - as well as a healthy percentage of teenagers and young adults. It was surprising how many ticketholders happily boasted of the thousands of miles they'd traveled throughout the past year, forming a Deadhead brand of dedication, catching the band whenever possible. Given the unique sound and overall feel-good environment, that kind of devotion is easily understood. One guy, though, rendered a very apt appraisal: despite the evident inclusion of the modes purveyed and the shamrock-green base of Celtia, these guys really do play a style of music fused in a fashion no others have so far captured quite so well. Where older ensembles like Horslips ultimately failed to satisfy, The Elders are marrow deep in their unique art, and it's not only pleasing as hell but infectious.
ARTICLE IN GERMAN:
Alive and Live in Ireland
The Elders (2007, DVD und CD)
Veröffentlicht von snik am 7. Februar 2009
The Elders? Wer sind die Elders dachte ich, als diese DVD ankam. Ich hatte noch nie etwas von denen gehört, noch nicht einmal den Namen. Also gute Voraussetzungen unvoreingenommen an die DVD heranzugehen.
Als ich die DVD dann einlegte, erwartete ich einen normalen Konzertfilm, wie es ihn von anderen Bands zuhauf gibt. Aber ich sollte mich täuschen. Die Band hat nicht einfach nur ein Konzert aufgezeichnet um es dann als DVD unter die Leute zu bringen, sondern hier handelt es sich um die Dokumentation der einwöchigen Tour 2007 durch Irland.
Die Band stammt aus Kansas City, USA und wird angeführt von dem Iren Ian Byrne. In Amerika gelten sie als eine der heißesten Sachen im Bereich Irish-Rock. Ihre musikalische Bandbreite reicht von traditional Irish Music bis modern Celtic Rock.
2007 schnappe sich die Band ca. 150 Fans und eine Filmcrew und es ging zur Tour nach Irland, die auf dieser DVD dokumentiert ist. Herausgekommen ist ein aufschlussreicher und einfühlsamer Film mit Konzertaufnahmen, Interviews (mit Band, Fans und Konzertbesuchern) und behind the scene Szenen. Das ganze ist so unterhaltsam, dass die 67 Minuten wie im Flug vorbei sind. Aber man kann den Film ja noch einmal ansehen. Da man weiß was kommt, kann man sich ganz entspannt mit einem Bier, oder Whiskey oder einer Limo zurücklehnen und Elders noch einmal auf ihrer Reise durch Irland begleiten. Für alle die die Musik der Elders auch ohne Film genießen wollen hat die Band der DVD eine Bonus CD beigelegt, auf der die Songs der DVD gut abgemischt auch von jedem CD Spieler gehört werden können.
Am 20.02.09 brechen die Elders erneut von den USA aus auf um noch einmal in Irland einzufallen. Weitere Informationen hierzu auf www.eldersmusic.com und im Sommer können wir Sie live auf dem Folk im Schloßhof erleben!
ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
The Elders? Who are the Elders, I thought when this DVD arrived. I had never heard of them before, not even the name; the perfect prerequisite to approach the DVD without bias.
When I put the DVD in my player I expected a standard concert movie like they exist from other bands by the dozen. But I was wrong. The band didn’t just tape a concert to sell some DVDs. This is a documentary of the band’s one week tour of Ireland in 2007.
The band is from Kansas City, USA and is fronted by Irishman Ian Byrne. In America they are considered one of the hottest bands in the Irish rock category. Their musical spectrum ranges from traditional Irish music to modern Celtic rock.
In 2007 then band snatched some 150 fans and a film crew and went on a tour of Ireland that is documented on this DVD. The result is an insightful and informative film with concert footage, interviews with band members, fans and concert goers, and behind-the-scenes footage. The entire thing is so entertaining that the 67 minutes seem to go by in a flash. But you can always watch it again. Now that you know what to expect, you can recline and relax with a beer, whisky or soft drink, and accompany the Elders once more in their travels through Ireland. For all those who want to enjoy the Elders music without watching the movie, the band has included a bonus CD with the DVD. The CD contains the songs of the DVD and sounds great in any CD player.
On February 20, 2009 the Elders will again leave the US to invade Ireland a second time. Additional information is available at www.eldersmusic.com and in summer we’ll be able to see them live at ‘Folk im Schloßhof’ (Folk in the Palace Courtyard)!
All Music Guide - January, 2007
The Humm Newspaper Review - July 2005 – Almonte
The Elders -- Men on a Mission by Bill Cameron
"Turn off your damn television, and sing like a man on a mission." -- Keepin' the Faith
Music that gets tagged as Celtic can all be placed somewhere on a sliding scale between "ethereal" (Enya, Loreena McKennit) and "rollicking" (Irish Descendants, Great Big Sea and a myriad of others). There's no doubt where the Irish-American outfit The Elders fits this continuum: they are a solid 11.5 on the "rollicking" end of a scale from 1 to 10. The evidence for this, which you skeptics can confirm for yourselves by attending Almonte's Celtfest on July 17, can be found by listening to the band's recent CDs The Elders Live (Best Crowd We've Ever Had) and the studio recording Pass it on Down.
These guys are from where again? Kansas City? If you're thinking that's not the native soil of the Celts, think again. Irish culture is a huge presence in the American Midwest, and has been for over a century. For example, Francis O'Neill, the compiler/arranger of the essential collection of Irish fiddle tunes, actually served as the police chief of Chicago. Milwaukee has a huge Irish culture festival. Being Irish-American is practically a full-time job, particularly around St. Patrick's Day.
The Elders' up tempo, high-energy presentation of almost all-original material has plenty to recommend it. The songs are heavy on the time-honoured themes of drinking, mining, getting lucky with the lasses, and conversely, getting slapped upside the head (at least, I think that's what Ten Pound Ear-Hole is about...) but they are clever and delivered with passion and fire by lead vocalist Ian Byrne. The band doesn't seem much inclined to play instrumentals, but it's clearly not for lack of ability. Many of the songs are tied together by accordion/violin riffs expertly doled out by Randy Riga and Brent Hoad respectively -- fiddler Hoad also writes much of the band's material (Note: in 2004 Riga left the band and was replaced by expat New Zealander Brett Gibson.) When these traditional instruments aren't showing the way, Steve Phillips trades his mandolin for the devil's plaything, an electric guitar, and puts the rock into the Celtic, as in the miner's anthem (one of Hoad's compositions) Fire In The Hole.
"Anthem" is a word that frequently springs to mind when listening to the joyous and musically sophisticated choruses to songs like Devil's Tongue and Keepin' the Faith. Musically The Elders are right up there with their compatriots the Kipps Bay Ceilidh Band, and their use of strong original material delivered with traditional verve and rock oomph reminds me of the sadly lamented Newfoundland combo Rawlins Cross. On paper, the chorus "...It's a night that'll turn some boy to a man, and he'll always remember the taste, and the friends who are keepin' the faith" might not read like Brendan Behan, but when it's sung by Byrne and friends, and followed by a burst of Phillips' searing guitar work and a side order of mixed accordion and fiddle, it makes me a believer.
Both of these recordings are fine work, and they contain a number of the same songs. After repeated spins I have a preference for the studio-recorded Pass It On Down, which contains several excellent songs not on the live album, including Keepin' the Faith, Blaze of Glory and an amused cover of Richard Thompson's Don't Sit On My Jimmy Shands. And let's face it, on-stage patter like "let's hear all the girls sing" doesn't wear well on a recording. But if you really, really like the live show that The Elders deliver, The Best Crowd We've Ever Had might be the souvenir you're looking for. I'll see you all up at Celtfest. Wear loose clothing suitable for dancing -- or prepare to get out of the way!
The Kansas City Star Wed Jan 31, 2006
When it comes to Celtic rock bands from Kansas City fronted by a custom cabinetmaker, it's a safe bet no group can rival the Elders.
Even beyond that narrow niche, "Racing The Tide" is impressive. The Elders are well-established in the Midwest, and their fourth studio album merits wider attention.
Ian Byrne moved from Ireland to Kansas City in the 1980s, started a cabinet business and now moonlights as the Elders' lead singer. He sounds like more than a part-time performer, though, because his lusty vocals make every song soar. And the band is far from a one-man show — instead, the breadth of instrumental and composing prowess is part of the sextet's charm.
There's a strong Irish flavor to the lyrics and rollicking music, which has more in common with the Pogues and Saw Doctors than with U2. Traditional jigs, reels and fiddle tunes flavor songs about fish, ghosts, war and peace. The melodies are catchy and arrangements varied, with Byrne occasionally sharing lead vocals and the group swapping leads on fiddle, whistle, accordion, mandolin and guitar.
It's all thoroughly Celtic, and astounding given the band's home base — like learning some guy from Denver wrote "Ulysses."
“The Elders appeared about 10 minutes after their scheduled time. By then the crowd in front of them was enormous -- many, many thousands -- and it gave the band the kind of welcome Springsteen gets at the Meadowlands or MSG.
They put on a typical show: loaded with energy and humor.”
-Tim Finn, The Kansas City Star
http://backtorockville.typepad.com/back_to_rockville/2007/09/irish-fest-2007.html#ixzz1eGzFzQ4j
Irish Fest 2007: Too popular?
Timothy Finn / The Star
After Saturday night's attendance at the fifth annual Kansas City Irish Fest, it's safe to say that Kansas City doesn't merely respects its Elders, it adores them.
About 30 minutes before the local Celtic/rock band was scheduled to perform on the main stage at the festival, the ticket sellers stopped selling tickets, which discouraged scores of people who'd expected to pay at the gate and walk in. Worse, they weren't admitting people who had bought advance tickets or who'd already entered but left the festival grounds at Crown Center and expected to re-enter.
It turns out the fire marshal had showed up, cruised the grounds, saw how many people were already inside the gates and declared the place too crowded. In this case, an uneasy situation took care of itself. About the time the Elders were getting ready to take the stage, the gates were carefully re-admitting people with stamped hands and those with advance tickets. Apparently, the conditions around the main stage were so forbidding, people were heading out the gates, too.
The Elders appeared about 10 minutes after their scheduled time. By then the crowd in front of them was enormous -- many, many thousands -- and it gave the band the kind of welcome Springsteen gets at the Meadowlands or MSG.
They put on a typical show: loaded with energy and humor. Anyone who has seen them within the past two years would recognize most of the songs, like "Banshee Cry" and the fail-proof "Moore Street Girls," and some of the stories before them, like Ian Byrne's fishing story before "Story of a Fish."
But the Elders had a few new twists for this crowd, including songs like "Better Days Ahead." They saved the best for the end, inviting the 50-plus member Shawnee Mission East High School choir to join them on stage for the rendition of "Men of Erin."
The choir's vocals weren't resoundingly clear back where I was standing (a couple hundred yards from the stage), but they were strong enough to give the song a refreshing gospel flavor -- the kind we used to hear at midnight Mass.
They stayed on stage for "Devil's Tongue" and then "Ten-Pound Ear Hole." And unlike a Greek chorus, an Irish chorus isn't there to deliver conscience or commentary; they're there for the party, and by the time the band started "Devil's Tongue" the SME bunch shed the robes and jumped in the fray.
Before the Elders took over the main stage , more than a dozen other bands and singers had performed at the festival's three stages. On the main stage: the Canadian band Glengarry Bhoys, who fuse Celtic music with the sounds of Scotland and their native Canada (especially Acadia).
Gaelic Storm followed the Bhoys, and by then the crowd in front of the terrace stage was as large as it was last year when the Elders performed -- an ominous sign. Gaelic Storm is a Celtic/American band that gives traditional Celtic music a contemporary sheen, but it can sound old-school when it wants to, as it did during the Canadian drinking song, "Barrett's Privateers."
While Gaelic Storm was keeping the big crowd happy at the main stage, Beoga was giving Celtic music a different twist at the Boulevard Stage. Beoga calls itself a "traditional" band, though one with a guy, Liam Bradley, who plays a Yamaha keyboard. They also have two accordionists, who keep the band's sound rooted in their native traditions. However, this band likes to swerve and glide into other flavors, especially jazz and American blues.
Beoga drew a big, appreciative crowd, although some seemed to be there just so they could grab a folding chair, sit down and not deal with the throng up at the main stage. In 2003, a biblical two-day monsoon washed away the inaugural Kansas City Irish Festival and nearly broke it.
According to someone-in-the-know, this year's turnout not only wiped out the debt, it had given the festival a healthy reserve. After watching some people grumble about not being able to get in (or have to wait to re-enter) now organizers may have to worry about being too popular. How do you say "Be careful what you wish for" in Gaelic?
http://backtorockville.typepad.com/back_to_rockville/2007/09/irish-fest-2007.html#ixzz1eGzSFwP2
Ray Sideman /Discoveries Magazine
November 2005
“Traditional tunes or edgy rock, they play both with passion and proficiency.”
I heard of this Kansas City band when they formed some six years ago, but never heard their music. Upon the initial listen of this album, I wanted all four Elders’ CDs (including three studio albums). Aware of instinct but following my cranial Mr. Spock, I spun the CD a second and third time, both times coming to the same conclusion as on the first listen.
Before succumbing to my inner child, I decided to sit down with my music collection and consider when I last acquired an album that struck me so strongly. After careful consideration, I decided the verdict was summer 2003 – 16 months ago. Given that I’ve added several dozen CDs to my collection in that time, I felt this supported my quest for all music Elders.
Next day, I hopped online and placed an order at the band’s Web site.
Those are the facts. Now the opinion part of the presentation. (Sir, radar shows an unidentified dramatic flair in the upper atmosphere, closing fast ...)
Don’t let the name mislead you. Looking at the Best Crowd photos, The Elders are probably in their 30s and 40s. And these guys are energetic, as listening to this CD reveals. Beyond that, the artwork contains a distant shot of the band onstage outdoors, and two of the members (lead man Ian Byrne and guitarist Steve Phillips, I’m guessing) leaping Finian’s Rainbow in a single bound.
And they handle a wide range of Celtic. Traditional tunes or edgy rock, they play both with passion and proficiency.
The band bookended the music on Best Crowd with the fabulous song “1849,” the closing track being an acoustic version. You might think this self-indulgent of the lads ... you’d be wrong. Opening, closing and all points in between, solid song order. Granted, since the advent of the CD age, this aspect of album production has become merely scholarly exercise. Regardless, The Elders did it right on this live effort.
Listening to the opening track, you learn the album title comes from a calling card at the band’s live shows, as the lads tell each crowd they’re ...
Other fine tracks: “Packy Go Home” (nothing to do with a certain cheese-embroidered NFL team), “Fire in the Hole,” “Ten Pound Earhole” (not the only crowd-participation song, but clearly the most popular) and many others.
The Elders possess a wondrous and authentic Irish sound. You needn’t be an avid listener of NPR’s “Thistle & Shamrock” to find yourself singing along and playing air mandolin.
With regard to any future Elders albums: If you wonder how good they are, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll tell you. I’m buying each of them ASAP.
Kevin R. Convey /The Boston Chronicle
Friday, March 9, 2007
“Celtic-flavored pub rock.”
“Racing the Tide”
Pub Tone | Grade: B
Somewhere between the shots-at-closing-time aggression of the Pogues and the beery, good-time vibe of the Saw Doctors resides the Celtic-flavored pub rock of Kansas City’s Elders. The sextet’s self-issued CD, bristling with fiddles, mandolins and whistles and ringing with high, declarative lyrics, breaks no new sod, but makes for a fine St. Patrick’s Day appetizer all the same. Download: “Dear God.”
Kansas Celtic Rock from Elders;
Inviting Irish Americana Band
Darryl Morden, Buzzine Music Editor
Making Celtic roots-rock by way of Kansas City, The Elders have proven it's not just a musical entitlement for larger burgs like L.A., New York, Boston and so on. The band's been well-known in the midwest for nearly a decade, headed up by Irish County Wicklow native Ian Byrne as lead singer who bangs bohdran and battle drum, and also includes one-time Rainmaker Steve Phillips on guitars, Brent Hoad on fiddle, Norm Dahlor on bass, Tommy Sutherland on drums, and newest player Joe Miquelon on keyboards.
"Racing the Tide" is The Elders' fourth studio set filled with surging Celtic melodies and ample doses of some pub-rocking rousing rumble too. The disc opens with the invitation to sing along with the boys on "Send a Prayer", while the harmony-rich title track is another winner. Spinning supposedly true tales and fable embellishments as well, the band excels in musical storytelling on tracks like "Dear God, St Brendan Had a Boat", while the group cuts loose for "Gonna Take a Miracle" and the celebration of "Right with the World".
With reels and jigs embellished by those Irish drums and fine fiddlin', as well as touches of whistles, accordion and mandolin, all set against the rock guitar dynamic, the band falls somewhere been Pogues bluster and The Saw Doctors' Celtic Creedence spirit. But most of all, even when touching on the bittersweet, The Elders are fun--straight out of the rowdy pub and onto CD.
Cityview Magazine - Central Iowa
By Michael Swanger, michaelswanger@bpcdm.com
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Arse-kicking’ Celtic rock
Forget everything you think you know about Irish music. This isn’t your father’s version of “Danny Boy,” and you don’t have to dance a jig to keep time to every tune. This, as The Elders like to say, is “arse-kicking music from the heartland.”
“People have a hard time putting us in a category,” said Steve Phillips, guitarist for the Kansas City-based Irish-American rock band that makes its Des Moines debut Saturday at the Holy Trinity Parish Hall. “It’s got enough Irish to pass for Irish, but it’s definitely rock ‘n’ roll and folk, too.”
Since forming in 1999, The Elders have set the Celtic-rock world on its ear thanks to a deft mix of stories of Irish history augmented by traditional instrumentation and socio-political commentary fueled by pop and rock that falls somewhere between Van Morrison and U2. Phillips cites the diverse backgrounds of each of the band’s six members and four songwriters, veterans of popular international and national groups like Regent Street and the Rainmakers, for creating a melting pot of creativity.
“All of us had played everything from bluegrass and country to folk and rock,” Phillips said. “But Irish music gave us an avenue for something new, and that’s something you strive for as a songwriter.”
Phillips says the addition of lead singer Ian Byrne, a County Wicklow native who used to play drums for the popular Irish rock band Regent Street, helped solidify the band’s credibility with Celtic rock fans. Regent Street gained critical acclaim during the 1980s sharing stages with Simple Minds, the Boomtown Rats and U2, and even performed at the 1985 Live Aid concert in Dublin.
“Ian is the engine that drives the group,” he said. “He brings an enormous amount of energy to the show. He’s 45 years old, but he jumps around like a teenager.”
The band’s high-energy show has made them in demand at Celtic music festivals around the country and in Ireland, where they have twice toured and earned critical and popular acclaim. Phillips said The Elders and other Celtic rock bands cater to thousands of fans whose musical needs go largely ignored by mainstream radio programmers, conglomerate record stores and corporate music industry types.
“There’s a whole niche of fans who go out of their way to find this music and Irish festivals in every town,” Phillips said. “You can get gigs that pay well and sell tons of CDs that you wouldn’t be able to do in other genres. The fans are what keeps us going.”
Veterans of bands that were signed to major record labels, Phillips said the members of The Elders relish their independent status. But as the band’s popularity grows, he adds, the responsibilities of booking, promotions and creating new music becomes more daunting.
“We’re at the point where we need help,” Phillips said. “It’s nice to have total control, but you can’t keep it up alone.”
Since 2000, the group has released four albums and a DVD, including two CDs in 2004 - “American Wake” and “Live: The Best Crowd We Ever Had!” - on its own label, Pub Tone Records. On Friday, it will film a live concert in Kansas City for a public television station there.
Phillips said The Elders want to build their business one step at a time and not jeopardize the fragile balance they strike between spending time on the road and spending time with family.
“We all want to see the band get to the point where we can do it full time,” he said. “We would like to be able to put everyone on salary, but we also know that being on the road all of the time wears you down and being away from family causes heartache. We want to be able to do more, but still have normal family life.”
In the meantime, Phillips added, the band is content to build its grassroots following on a show-by-show basis.
“We rely on word of mouth to build our fan base,” Phillips said. “I know we’ll get there eventually now that we have our foot in the door.”
GAEL DAY – REVIEW
Mohawk Valley Irish Cultural Events Newsletter
By Mark Sisti
Gael Day gives us exactly what we’ve come to expect from The
Elders, and that’s a good thing. Those familiar with the band’s prior releases
know they’ll be greeted by infectious musical hooks that will lead into a rousing
or stirring vocal tune, so catchy you’ll swear you’ve grown up listening to it.
Kicking off with the impossibly irresistible “Better Days Ahead” and “Only
Good News,” it’s apparent that, more than anything else, The Elders want you to
feel good. Even the song sure to become the centerpiece of the CD, the goosebump
inducing “Luck of the Irish,” which questions the appropriateness of that
phrase in light of the history of Irish suffering, is anything but a downer.
Beginning with a Druid-like modal chant lamenting the problems faced by the
Irish throughout the centuries, it suddenly breaks into a lush, multi-layered choral cry, which seems at first to be a cry of anguish, but when repeated with an upturn at the end, is clearly a cry of triumph. At the end, what you take away is not the suffering, but the image of “an Irish smile.” Similarly, the inspiring “Decoration Day” deals with the troubles facing early immigrants, but it’s not a complaint, it’s a celebration, And, in a song that seems to have raised Warren Zevon from the dead, the victim of a doomed romance that leaves him in jail awaiting the gallows doesn’t bemoan his fate, but instead sings that it was good the be king for a while. But it would be a mistake to dismiss the Elders as simply a feel-good band. The beautiful “Between Far and Away,” the blistering “Ashes in a Jar,” the enchanting “Red-headed Man,” the bouncy “Raging Sea,” these all bear witness to the fact that The Elders are far from a one-trick pony. One might wonder why a band who can write such strong material would put a cover tune on their CD, but Steve Earle’s exuberant “Galway Girl” proves to be the perfect closer to a near-perfect record. Every song tells a story (and leadsinger Ian Byrne will insist that they’re all true!) and every story is filled with people you want to meet.
Philadelphia Irish Edition
The Elders – “Gael Day” (Independent)
By Jamie O'Brien
This band started off great and has only gotten better over the years. It wasn’t that
long ago, I enjoyed reviewing a video of their tour from Kansas to Ireland. Now I can
sit back and just enjoy the music on their latest offering. It’s so nice to hear an
Irish rock-type band actually develop its own sound rather than chase after somebody
else’s.
They pretty much have a standard lineup: guitars, bass, keyboards and drums, with a
bunch of traditional instruments (fiddle, banjo, whistle and so on) and along with
saxophone and keyboards. The result is a diverse, interesting sound that keeps your
attention. The rich arrangements create strong moods from anthem sounding songs to more
folky things. I am amazed that such a talented band with such an appealing sound is not
far more famous.
I love how they bring in elements of other genres and make them fit. Their timeless
sound deserves to be heard.
CD Roundup
BIR Music
By Sean Smith
The Elders, “Gael Day”
With the arrival of June, many an Irish/Celtic rock music fan begins to think of days reveling in the warm sunshine at some outdoor concert or festival, the smell of sunblock mingling with the taste of a cold Harp or Guinness and the strains of a bass-and-drums-assisted tune set or uptempo rabble-rouser of a song. So it’s timely indeed that two bands considered among the best of the Celtic rock genre have recently released new CDs. From the proverbial American heartland of Kansas City, The Elders are more than a decade old; Toronto based Enter the Haggis is a little younger, having come together “in the early 2000s,” as they put it. There are some other significant differences. The Elders take more of a tried-and-true — maybe “traditional” is not an inappropriate word? — approach to their Irish/Celtic rock, putting banjo, mandolin, accordion, fiddle, flute, whistle, and bodhran right alongside the rock-styled electric guitar, bass and drums, plus keyboard, and interpolating excerpts of a jig, reel or march in breaks or fills between verses. The songs themselves, meanwhile – all written by the band with the exception of Steve Earle’s “Galway Girl” – are manifestly rooted in Irish history, geography, spirit, and mythology. Some are scruffy, scrappy tales of hopeful redemption (“Better Days Ahead,” “Lucky One Time,” “Only Good News”); others are respectful, anthemic tributes to Irish durability and experience (“LuckotheIrish” and “Decoration Day”). “Red-Headed Man” and “Ghost of Ontario” evoke the much-discussed love of a good yarn among the Irish, while “Raging Sea” is a brisk, devil-may-care, cradle-to-grave portrait of life in a fishing village. Although there is plenty of wry, dry, throwaway humor, the material here is presented with a certain palpable respect and restraint, rather than the fullbore (“bore” being the keyword) assault on senses and sensibility that all too often comes with rock-n-roll Irish. It helps in no small way that lead vocalist Ian Byrne, ably supported on backing vocals by Norm Dahlor, Brent Hoad, and Steve Phillips (the nonsinging members are Tommy Sutherland and Joe Miquelon), sounds as if he’s singing from the heart, rather than with a smirk.
CD Review / Gael Day by The Elders
April 22, 2009 by
Wendy Donahue, Cleveland Celtic Podcast
The Elders Live Up to Expectations with Gael Day
When it comes to top notch contemporary Irish American music, The Elders are the real deal. Six phenomenally talented musicians, these men are a songwriting and performance powerhouse that delivers onstage as well as in the studio. Their latest release, Gael Day, is a wonderful mixture of rock, folk music, and storytelling at it's finest.
The title is a bit of word play. Gael Day is an old Irish term referring to the day the rent is due. Paired with the cover art, a young musician appearing to plead his case to a wolf, there's an underlying message that The Elders understand what these tough economic times are about. But they aren't about to sit and moan about it. Instead, they're here to turn our minds away from our troubles.
There is a bit of Shanachie in the lads, to be sure. Each song tells a story, from the whimsical accounting of the life of Paddy and his boat in "Raging Sea" to the tale of the Immigrants in "Decoration Day." Ian Byrne sings to us the legend of the "Red Headed Man" in the fairy world and tells the story of Captain Cathcart in the "Ghost of Ontario." Their sound is modern, with elements of pop and rock deftly blended with Celtic influences. However the Elders have not strayed far from the traditional, maintaining an authentic Irish sound. Any step dancer worth their salt could kick up a jig or a reel to several of the tracks. The CD finishes with a wonderful cover of Steve Earle's "Galway Girl."
My personal favorite on the CD is "Luckothe Irish," a song that celebrates and respects the heritage that inspires The Elders music. Starting off slowly and building to an explosive crescendo, this song is destined to become requisite at all of the band's live performances.
Skillfully crafted at Big Time Production Studio and Rear Window Studio, the band recorded, mixed, and mastered the CD themselves, with spectacular results. The balance is perfect, and the band shines with lovely vocal harmonies and the sound of over a dozen instruments. Each band member is a talented musician in his own right, with Ian Byrne on bodhran, whistles and flutes, Norm Dahlor on bass and banjo, Brent Hoad on fiddle, mandolin, keyboards and accordion, Joe Miquelon on keyboards and sax, Steve Phillips on guitar and mandolin, and Tommy Sutherland on drums and percussion. Together, they have created something that is positively unique and special.
Be sure and visit The Elders web site to purchase music and find out when the band will be playing a venue near you.
Ray Sidman / GOLDMINE Magazine
The Elders
Racing The Tide
Pub Tone (51889)
Grade: B+
For those unfamiliar with The Elders, they’re a group of Kansas City-area musicians who have a talent for Celtic rock, ranging from more alternative to classic sound, and (excepting the occasional cover) completely original.
Racing the Tide is the group’s fourth studio album, and sixth album total. It follows two live albums, one of which was also produced as a concert DVD.
Overall, it’s a great effort, with several excellent songs and no stinkers.
The title track is the best, with “Bad Irish Boy,” “Dear God,” and “Five Long Years” other ones worth the “Repeat” button. The weakest song is the playful “Australia”‹ still a good tune, and it will appeal to some listeners, but not for those who prefer harder rocking and faster pace.
The themes on this record have drifted slightly from earlier efforts. Though not gone completely, the romantic songs and odes to women are noticeably not near the quantity from earlier albums. This isn’t a bad thing, it simply is.
The lyrics contain plenty of philosophical explorations and contemplations on the past (and the lessons therein) ‹ common to Celtic music, though The Elders music is far from common.
Lead singer Ian Byrne’s voice is a beauty, and the passion shows clearly throughout the album, assisted by fellow vocalists Brent Hoad, Norm Dahlor, and Steve Phillips. The lyrical and musical excellence of these songs will stick in your mind long after the final track has played.
Bob Karlovits
The Tribune Review, Greensburg, PA
'Racing the Tide'
The Elders (PubTone)
The sextet known as the Elders does a good job creating a traditionally oriented form of Celtic rock on "Racing the Tide." On "Dear God," for instance, electric guitar and a pounding rhythm from drummer Tom Sutherland blend with fiddle, accordion and flute the create a sound that is living in the 21st century but has its roots in the 19th. Amid that instrumental blend comes a set of lyrics that deals with classic Irish issues: sadness at the direction of life on the island, a hopeful willingness to emigrate and pride in the land's history. "Cousin Charlie" is a plea for pride-raising stories. "Five Long Years" talks of not bending "a knee to a red-coat Englishman." The blended style of the music and the familiar political thought show Irish issues are as consistent as the ebb and flow of the tidal River Corrib in Galway.
THE ELDERS - 2007
March 17 at the Uptown Theater
The Plaza lighting ceremony on Thanksgiving. The Royals on opening day. Add the Elders on St. Patrick’s Day to the short list of Kansas City’s most beloved seasonal traditions.
The Celtic rock band’s fifth consecutive St. Patrick’s Day Hoolie packed the Uptown Theater. For many of the 1,700 in attendance, the event is less a concert than a ritualistic celebration. The Elders’ most devout adherents count on the Kansas City band to throw a life-affirming party. They didn’t disappoint.
“We’re half-dead, but this is the best night we’ll have in our lives,” vocalist Ian Byrne pledged as the band launched into the rousing “Packy Go Home.”
The six men in the Elders had good reason to be exhausted. They’d toured Ireland earlier in March and had just returned from a performance in Colorado.
Yet they’re named the Elders for good reason. Decades of combined experience have taught the band smart stagecraft, superb showmanship and taut professionalism. Their one hour and 50-minute show was well-paced and consistently entertaining.
Many superstar acts would envy the level of audience participation the Elders achieve on favorites like “Moore Street Girls.” Melodic anthems including “Gonna Take a Miracle” and “1849” also roused the audience. Four bagpipers joined the band on a moving rendition of “Men of Erin.” That nice touch provided the evening’s emotional anchor.
Since they’re far from a traditional Irish act, the Elders are at liberty to pick and choose from among the catchiest bits and pieces from both Irish and popular music. The result is a marriage of the heartland rock of John Mellencamp to the most engaging bits of the Chieftains and the Clancy Brothers.
This mongrelized approach may not fly with purists, but it thrilled their rabid fans in the Uptown. In fact, the Elders are the only active band based in Kansas City capable of filling the large venue.
All six Elders are gifted craftsmen. Brent Hoad’s fiddle work is particularly valuable. His staged duel with Steve Phillips’ versatile guitar on “Green and Gold” was remarkable. The enormous arena rock drumming of Tommy Sutherland also plays a key role in the Elders’ vitality.
The encore, a loose take on the Police’s “Message in a Bottle,” was a well-deserved victory lap.
The Elders asked two sets of friends to open the show. The familiar O’Riarda Academy of Irish Dance provided a well-received demonstration. They were followed by New Orleans resident Beth Patterson. With her long blond hair, bare shoulders and affected accents, Patterson came across as a likely celebrity on the Renaissance festival circuit. Her pleasing voice and fine playing on the bouzouki received polite applause from the cheerful audience.
Steve Paul, Timothy Finn, The Star, Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
The Elders at the Kansas City Irish Fest
Sept. 4 at Crown Center
By Tim Finn
Seating for the Elders’ show in the Crown Center pavilion began immediately after Cherish the Ladies finished their set, but anyone trolling for seats by then might as well have been looking for cheap real estate in Northern California.
The Elders weren’t the official headliner this evening, but they became the main event, drawing a crowd of 6,000 or so that spilled out of the pavilion and packed itself up to the northern edge of its adjoining lawn, which prompts an almost-absurd question: When is the last time a local Celtic/roots-rock band could say they outdrew the Backstreet Boys?
Apparently word of their shows has spread beyond the local Irish community and into other scenes — places where bands like the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly entertain teenage and 20-something punks. Whatever the reason, the Elders have developed a reputation for bristling live shows and, even better, for exceeding their lofty reputation.
Sunday night they started their 100-minute set at warp speed and slowed down only once or twice for a teary love ballad or a paean to family. Ian Byrne, a native of County Wicklow, Ireland, is the band’s ringmaster — a singing dervish with a washboard to scrape and several drums to bang. “We’re Irish,” he said, “and we sing about drinking, fighting and dying.”
And so they did, like it was their last day on earth. They sang several from their latest album, “American Wake,” including the title track, “Haverty Boys” and the raucous and irresistible “Moore St. Girls.” They also detonated a few instrumentals, including the infernal “Buzz’s Jig,”
But the songs that nearly raised the roof off the skating rink were favorites from the “Pass It on Down” album, some of them tales of tragedy and woe: “Fire in the Hole” and “Packy Go Home,” which prompted the loudest sing-along all night. When it all ended, the lights went up and the PA system played canned music, even as the crowd sustained a heavy chant of “one more song.” But it was not to be: The headliner was due on stage in 15 minutes. The good news: There were seats to be had.
Brian Baker / PASTE MAGAZINE
The Elders
American Wake
PubTone
3.5 stars
The Elders may sport a Kansas City address but they’ve fashioned a sound as Irish as a Dublin bar fight. The sextet’s authenticity comes courtesy of Irish transplant Ian Byrne, whose vocals lend more than a hint of the Emerald Isle to The Elders’ amped-up, Celtic roots rock. With an energetic soundtrack reminiscent of the Americanized, Celtic pop rock of Black 47, The Elders romp and storm through their third album, American Wake. The raucous “Big Box Dinny” and jaunty “Moore St. Girls” offer familiar tales of modern Irish life, while “Hard Line” and the title track show that The Elders understand the social and political underpinnings of their Irish music heritage. The key to the band’s success is in its flawless blending of the Celtic storytelling tradition with contemporary instrumentation and, perhaps more importantly, their ability to write original songs that sound as timeless and authentic as the ancient jigs and reels that have inspired them.
Celt In A Twist interview transcript with Ian Byrne from The Elders
Cal Koat,
Executive Producer
world.beats, channel m
Celt In A Twist, AM 1470, CJVB
Celt In A Twist: One of our favorite local Celts recently made the observation that Celtic music is something you can comfortably mature with. Contemporary Celts have instinctively one foot in the past and one in the future. Though formed only at the turn of the 21st century, The Elders from Kansas City are helping to move Celtic music forward with grace, integrity and more than a little adolescent aggression. Front man, Ian Byrne joins us by phone to tell us more about heir new release, Racing The Tide. Good day Ian, how you doing?
Ian Byrne: I'm doing great, Cal. Gosh, I love that introduction!
CIAT: An Irishman is never at a loss for tales, Ian and I suspect the road from county Wicklow to Kansas City is a whopper. How did that journey play out for you?
Ian: It is indeed! I came over in 1987. Things weren't too good in Ireland, about 26 percent unemployment, and my wife is from Kansas City. People are always saying, "What the heck are you doing in Kansas City?", and I say, "Well, my darling wife lassoed me on the east coast of Ireland and we move over here in 1987. I’m from a small village in County Wicklow called Evoke (people will recognize it as Ballykissangel, a BBC series that has run in Britain and Canada). I came over in 1987 and got into the wood working business, leaving the music business for a few years. Five years ago I met up with these Elders lads. I saw them in concert in Kansas City and they were great. I thought they must be from New York or Boston or somewhere. I was amazed to find out they were local lads. One thing led to another and next thing you know I'm back out on the road again.
CIAT: Ian, thumbing through your press release, your guitar player caught my eye, Steve Philips who played in one of my favorite '80's bands, The Rainmakers. You guys don't cover 'Big Fat Blondes' by chance do you?
Ian: No we don't. We're afraid to! We're not that brave. Steve's a great guy. He’s a fantastic musician, mandolin player, vocalist and writer. He's great to work with and he's become a very close friend of mine.
CIAT: What does the title track Racing the Tide mean to the band?
Ian: Cal, we were actually in Ireland doing a short tour and there's a little area off the south side of Dublin called Sandy Mound? The tide is really flat there and when the tide is out, it goes out for miles. You can go out there and, it's a good place to dig for rag worms which are great for fishing. So you have all those people out there. But, when the tide comes in you have to run like the Dickens or else it will engulf you. Many people have drowned out there because of the mud and that. The tide comes in so fast because it's so level. You literally have to sprint to the shore. I remember telling the lads that story and Brent, who writes a lot of the lyrics in the band, commented that, "I think everyone of us is racing the tide in one way or another." So, that's what that song is all about.
CIAT: What an apt metaphor. Ian. Australia is a tune on the disc with a bit of twist. How was that produced in the studio? Did you go out and find some old Tin Pan Alley players to help out?
Ian: Brent actually played most of the instrumentation on that one including the trumpet. As you've heard in our music there are so many different influences in our background, from rock to bluegrass. Brent (Hoad) is a classically-trained violinist and that song just kind of evolved. He played it to us in demo form one day and we said, “Hey, It sounds great. Have a go for it". Just like the whole Celtic music movement in of itself as you're educating us all and all the listeners, it's very eclectic and it has traveled all around the world. It has all kinds of influences from African to Middle Eastern to everything in there, so Australia is our kind of presentation of eclecticism in Celtic music.
CIAT: You’ve got your Celt In A Twist and we have Ian Byrne from the Celtic rock band, The Elders on the line to tell us about their latest release, Racing The Tide. Pay respect to your Elders and discover some righteous Celtic music at www.eldersmusic.com. Ian, tell us about the documentary you’ve been included in, American Music: Off the Record and the Demise of the privately owned Record Store. How close is that to your heart?
Ian: Very close to my heart, It's a shame that with all the work that musician do, the sacrifices we all make. And, it's marvelous that there are bands out there that actually do make it, economically so that they can make a living. I guarantee you that every musician out there that is actually making a living in music deserve every penny of it. It's a hard life and thank goodness for radio stations like yours that keep us going because the big corporate stations aren't interested in what we have to offer. And, you know, we don't want to be swallowed up by the corporate world either. You’re our record company, you're our production company, you're our everything. Its guys like you and Patricia Fraser, and everybody who presents us. We have a great merchandising arm, we take orders from around the world and that's the way I want to keep it going. I don't want to get swallowed up in the business end of things. We're our own publishing company, we're our own band. We've set up the whole business as a corporation. We pay ourselves a wage and we run it like a business and that's he way you have to do it if you want to remain independent.
CIAT: There's something to be said for the DIY approach to music. And what about Live At The Gem, the new DVD?
Ian: Good friends of our from the local PBS station here in Kansas City, and my wife, who is actually a presenter here on PBS. She was doing a lot of volunteer work also for PBS and they loved us. So, they approached us abut doing their pledge drive which they do every year which they were going to do around St. Patrick's Day and we said we would absolutely love to do it.. The Gem Theatre is in the old jazz district of Kansas City. It's a cool little theatre that holds about 6 or 7 hundred people and they renovated it, put in all new acoustics, lights and PA and they're doing great concerts there now. So, as part of the reopening of that theatre, they had our concept and PBS filmed it and it was a great success. They presented it to PBS America and over 100 stations around the country took Live At The Gem so that just gave us notoriety around the country and expanded our awareness all around the country from people who are getting to know The Elders.
CIAT: And what about the trip to Ireland? How does that play into this?
Ian: Oh, that. We went there last year and we were 150 people with us and a whole film crew and they filmed and documented the whole deal. S, that's going to be a new release ion September of this year.
CIAT: So you brought 150 with you. How many did you bring back?
Ian: We brought about 160 back I think! We’re going again this year with some great Canadian musicians and great friends of ours, a band called Enter The Haggis.
CIAT: Oh, we love 'em! They're one of our favorites!
Ian: Both Enter The Haggis and The Elders are going to Ireland in March of 2008. So, we're joining forces and bringing 2 or 3 hundred people with us and we're going to take Ireland by storm.
CIAT: Ian, we’re going out on one of my favorite tracks, a plea to the big guy called Dear God. Can you set this up for us?
Ian: Dear God is a fantastic song written by Brent and ... every one of us has a song that has inspired us or means a lot to us. And, this song is just about a song. "Dear God, listen to these 3 minutes and let it take you where it takes you. It’s just a song about a song.
Ian Byrne was interviewed by Cal Koat on July 10th/07 for broadcast on Celt In A Twist, AM 1470, CJVB