NEON VALLEY BOYS – YES! The show is on!

YES THE SHOW WILL GO ON TONIGHT! We will end by 10:15 PM at the latest! Call in your reservations for our January 19 show with The Neon Valley Boys to 401-725-9272. ONLY 20 LEFT AS OF 3:15 P.M.

The Neon Valley Boys will reunite 40 years after making a huge splash on the New England Bluegrass scene in the '70s and '80s. Returning to the Blackstone River Theatre for the first time since 2004, they will revisit their bluegrass hits and unique brand of hilarity in an evening of incredible picking and grinning. Even after forty years, they are still speaking to each other and are as nimble as ever at presenting original and classic bluegrass favorites. It promises to be an evening of toe tapping, laughter, and memories as one of the area’s favorite bands. This progressive bluegrass band was formed in Providence in the late 1970s. The Neon Valley Boys is comprised of Mike Bresler (mandolin), Eddie Stern (banjo), Jeffrey Horton (bass), Karl Dennis (fiddle) and Paul Mellyn (guitar). Mike, Ed, Karl and Jeff were original members of the group when it was formed in the late 70’s. Paul later replaced Ray “Wyatt” Lema. The “Neons” played continuously until 1986, touring throughout New England and beyond. They were regulars at The Met Café, played the first seven years of the Cajun and Bluegrass Festival, and performed at many other local and regional venues. All have continued to be close friends and share a fan base which lasts even until today. Don't miss an incredible evening of music, laughs and memories!

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

KIM TRUSTY and KERRI POWERS

Call in your reservations for our January 26 show with Kim Trusty and Kerri Powers to 401-725-9272.

Kim Trusty hails from Media, Pennsylvania. Her foray into songwriting started at a young age and eventually brought her to New England to study songwriting at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., where she was referred to as “the girl with the golden voice.” She has spent the last three decades residing in Providence, refining her musical skills, crafting and branding her own style of Jazz, R&B, Blues and original music. She has performed as an actress playing the role of Rosue in When Mahalia Sings from 2010-2012. She is currently is working with a screenwriter to tell her amazing story as a black lesbian artist, educator, stroke and cancer survivor. Through it all, Kim has carried on, rising from each fall a little stronger to bring us music that inspires and heals.

Drenched in the emotions of blues, folk and country music, the extraordinary roots singer/songwriter Kerri Powers uses her dramatically dark and beautiful voice to mine the melancholy depths of romantic heartbreak and broken dreams in the edgy narratives of her songs. A native of rural Massachusetts, Powers sings the blues with such authentic, downhome grit that you might well think she's from Mississippi. Besides being a consummate chronicler of disappointment and despair, she can also morph into an impishly naughty rebel with a cause, a Mark Twain-like trickster whose wry words, dramatic sense of dynamics and phrasing can also celebrate joy and hope. Her new CD is called "Starseeds." Kerri will be joined by drummer Marco Giovino who is Robert Plant's drummer and Tom Jones' Music Director. Says John Apice, of No Depression, “I don’t know where this young lady came from but it’s got to be a secret place. This is not the kind of singing and performing that can be easily taught. It has to be in your spirit, in your blood and the fact that she is from the Northeast is going to confound the artists down South, in the Delta, in Memphis, Clarksdale, Austin, and Nashville.”

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

QUINN BACHAND'S BRISHEN

Call in your reservations for our February 2 show with Quinn Bachand's Brishen to 401-725-9272.

Brishen, Romany for ‘bringer of the storm,’ is what Quinn Bachand, one of Canada’s most outstanding young musicians, and his band serve up with their original western and euro-gypsy swing homage. With a tight grasp on the music that embraces the swing tradition, Quinn Bachand’s Brishen takes audiences on an inventive journey which, through its technical virtuosity, brings together a range of musical history to reinvent the categories of swing jazz, pop and country, celebrating the music of the ‘30s up to and including the ‘60s. Brishen creates a space where virtuosity meets vibe, leaving audiences with a sense of jubilant nostalgia as they give new life to the music of Bob Wills, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt and many more. Quinn Bachand, 23, who is a Berklee Presidential Scholar, is Winner 2018 Independent Music Awards (Jazz Song with Vocals), has been nominated for 5 Canadian Folk Music Awards and for 2 Western Canadian Music Awards (Jazz Artist of the Year) and is a Saga Djangofest Award Winner. Acclaimed American jazz and bluegrass violinist and roots music expert Matt Glaser says:  “Welcome to the visionary musical world of Quinn Bachand. I was flabbergasted when I put on this recording for the first time, and you will be too, as you take a journey into the wild imagination of Quinn ... sit back, enjoy and let this amazing music wash over you." 

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

L’Esperance Mandolin Ensemble - CD release

Call in your reservations for our February 24 show with L’Esperance Mandolin Ensemble to 401-725-9272.

Rhode Island’s L’Esperance Mandolin Ensemble is proud to announce the release of their new CD, Uisge Beatha – "Water of Life,” featuring tunes from Celtic and British folk traditions. For centuries composers have incorporated folk tunes into their own music. Byrd and Beethoven, Vivaldi and Dvorak, Grieg and Grainger, and contemporary composers like Steven Antonelli, Michael Mayerfeld Bell, and Jim Dalton, who appear on this CD, have all drawn from traditional melodies for inspiration for their music. With “Water of Life," L’Esperance Mandolin Ensemble celebrates that intersection between traditional and classical music. As lovers of both the energy and passion of traditional music and the rich harmonic and rhythmic potential of classical music, L’Esperance showcases music from folk revivals going back hundreds of years and into the present. L'Esperance features almost 30 musicians of different backgrounds and ages from the Cape Cod area, Rhode Island and Connecticut, who come together to enjoy the pleasure of making music with each other. Since 1994, L'Esperance has been sharing that joy with audiences around New England. Director of L'Esperance Mandolin Ensemble, Joshua Bell, was named the Concertmaster of the Providence Mandolin Orchestra in 1979. He has played with the North American Mandolin Ensemble, The American Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra, the Classical Mandolin Society of America.

IRISH MUSIC STORIES LIVE – Shannon Heaton with George Keith, Joey Abarta, and Matt Heaton - THE SHOW IS ON!

HERON VALLEY

Call in your reservations for our March 10 show with Heron Valley to 401-725-9272.

Heron Valley are an energetic, young traditional band from Scotland who have serious enthusiasm for the music they play. Their roots lie in Scottish and Irish traditional music, while taking influence from various Folk, Country and Bluegrass styles. The five-piece group features piper/whistle player Kyle Howie, banjo player/percussionist Nick Hamilton, pianist Keith Morrison, fiddler/vocalist Abigail Pryde and guitarist/ bassist Callum Cronin. Since their inception in 2014, Heron Valley have always ensured that they are conveying the highest amount of energy they have to every crowd they play to, ensuring that audiences who see them live have a fantastic experience. Heron Valley released their debut album, "Roam," in May, 2017.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

Le Vent du Nord

Call in your reservations for our March 16 show with Le Vent du Nord to 401-725-9272.

Seventeen years after its inception, the award-winning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord has increased in size from a quartet to a quintet! Fiddler André Brunet (Celtic Fiddle Festival, La Bottine Souriante) has joined this world renowned ensemble along with Simon Beaudry (vocals, bouzouki, guitar), Nicolas Boulerice (vocals, hurdy-gurdy, piano), Olivier Demers (fiddle, guitar, foot-tapping, mandolin), and Réjean Brunet (basses, accordion, jaw harp, vocals). Making their Blackstone River Theatre debut, Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Quebec’s progressive francophone folk movement and an iconic name in Quebec’s traditional music revival. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while enhancing it’s hard-driving soulful music with a broad range of global influences. Le Vent du Nord has performed well over 1,800 concerts over 5 continents and racked up several prestigious awards, including a Grand Prix du Disque Charles Cros, two Junos (Canada’s Grammys), and a CFMA & “Artist of the Year” at the North American Folk Alliance Annual Gala.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

LUNASA

Purchase tickets online or call in your reservations for our March 24, 4 PM show with Lunasa to 401-725-9272.

Named for a Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. For 20 years, its members have formed the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade. Bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key member of The Waterboys. Kevin Crawford, considered to be among the finest flutists in Ireland, played with Moving Cloud and piper Cillian Vallely comes from the same talented musical family as brother Niall, of Buille and the Karan Casey Band. Dynamic guitarist Ed Boyd is joined by fiddler Colin Farrell whose 2015 CD "Make A Note" was awarded Instrumental Album of the year by LiveIreland. Inspired by the legendary Irish group The Bothy Band, Lúnasa uses melodic interweaving of wind and string instruments pairing flutes, fiddle, whistle and pipes in breathtaking arrangements. They are universally acclaimed as one of the best Irish bands in the world.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

LUNASA

Purchase tickets online or call in your reservations for our March 24, 8 PM show with Lunasa to 401-725-9272.

Named for a Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. For 20 years, its members have formed the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade. Bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key member of The Waterboys. Kevin Crawford, considered to be among the finest flutists in Ireland, played with Moving Cloud and piper Cillian Vallely comes from the same talented musical family as brother Niall, of Buille and the Karan Casey Band. Dynamic guitarist Ed Boyd is joined by fiddler Colin Farrell whose 2015 CD "Make A Note" was awarded Instrumental Album of the year by LiveIreland. Inspired by the legendary Irish group The Bothy Band, Lúnasa uses melodic interweaving of wind and string instruments pairing flutes, fiddle, whistle and pipes in breathtaking arrangements. They are universally acclaimed as one of the best Irish bands in the world.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

JANE ROTHFIELD and ALLAN CARR / THE VOX HUNTERS

Call in your reservations for our March 30 show with Jane Rothfield and Allan Carr and The Vox Hunters to 401-725-9272.

Award-winning fiddler Jane Rothfield and husband Scottish singer and guitarist Allan Carr have been playing their unique blend of traditional and original Appalachian and Celtic music for over 30 years. Allan (from Aberdeen, Scotland) grew up surrounded by the rich traditional music of the Northeast of Scotland and is one of the finest singers from that tradition. His Celtic/old time guitar style perfectly complements his traditional songs and all styles of fiddle tunes. Jane is a fiddler, clawhammer banjo player and tune composer with deep roots in the fiddle traditions of New England, Scotland and the American South and has numerous recordings to her credit. In their 30+ years of making music together, Jane and Allan have performed throughout the British Isles and the U.S. They play roots music that is directly from the source while expanding on that tradition with newly composed songs and tunes. Great singing, hot instrumentals and with Allan’s humor, always a whole lot of fun! Visit www.janerothfield.com

3 RAVENS – Donna Hébert, Lui Collins, and Max Cohen

Call in your reservations for our April 6 show with 3 Ravens to 401-725-9272.

This new trio crafts an evening out of originals, instrumentals and traditional songs. Harmonies blend three strong voices, paring down to just one when the story shifts shape. Donna’s fiddling morphs from light to dark, while Lui’s piano, banjo and ukulele converse fluently with Max’s guitar. Donna Hébert is a cultural treasure, a Franco-American fiddler and composer three-times documented in Smithsonian collections. Recognized in 2009 for “outstanding artistic achievement” by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Donna founded and directs yearly participatory children’s performances at Old Songs and Philadelphia Folk Festivals and has appeared at Blackstone River Theatre with Chanterelle, the Panache Quartet, and Mist Covered Mountains. Donna has earned eight appointments as a master fiddler in the National Endowment’s Master-Apprenticeship program. Folk singer / songwriter Lui Collins has been on the scene for over 40 years, earning international acclaim for her music. The Boston Herald called Collins “a folksinger for our times” and the Boston Globe adds “one of New England’s first and brightest stars.” An accomplished guitarist, Max Cohen balances tremendous sensitivity with driving rhythmic power. Known for his work with Priscilla Herdman, Max is one of those rare guitarists able to create an atmosphere that supports and cradles vocals with both tenderness and strength.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

DOUGIE MacLEAN – SOLD OUT!

Our April 8, 2019 show with Dougie MacLean is SOLD OUT! Thank you!

Dougie MacLean is considered by many to be Scotland's pre-eminent singer-songwriter and is certainly one of the country's greatest musical treasures. Dougie received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at the BBC 2 Folk Awards in 2013. From his home base in Butterstone near Dunkeld, Scotland, MacLean tours the world with his unique blend of lyrical, 'roots based' songwriting and instrumental composition. He has built an international reputation as songwriter, composer and extraordinary performer which has led to concerts and festivals worldwide including New York's Carnegie Hall. Dougie's songs have been covered by hosts of artists and his "Caledonia" has become one of Scotland's most popular contemporary songs. His music has been used in Hollywood films ("Last of the Mohicans") and he has been the subject of three BBC TV music-documentaries. Described as " ...a musical hero" (Wall Street Journal) MacLean is renowned for his meaningful, haunting and emotion-filled music. His innovative work has created a modern interpretation of this music but its fundamental values remain rooted in the ancient Scots culture. We are thrilled to welcome Dougie back ... this show WILL sell out so reserve your tickets early!

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

ATWATER~DONNELLY TRIO

Call in your reservations for our April 13 show with The Atwater~Donnelly Trio to 401-725-9272.

BRT favorites Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly return with Cathy Clasper-Torch on fiddle, cello and vocals to present an engaging concert of traditional American and Celtic American folk songs, a cappella pieces, hymns, poetry, dance tunes, and original works. Elwood and Aubrey blend unusual harmonies and play guitar, Appalachian mountain dulcimer, Irish tin whistle, harmonica, old-time banjo, bones, limberjacks and other musical surprises. Their performance is appealing to all ages, and with humor, audience participation and a highly-relaxed stage presence, Aubrey and Elwood also explain song origins to give more relevance to the material. Atwater-Donnelly performs widely in the Northeast and other parts of the United States and Great Britain and their recordings receive international airplay. They have performed and researched folk music extensively in New England, Ireland, England, Prince Edward Island, the Ozarks, and Appalachia. Clasper-Torch performs with The Gnomes and is also the fiddle instructor at Blackstone River Theatre.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

KEVIN BURKE

Call in your reservations for our April 27 show with Kevin Burke to 401-725-9272.

Kevin Burke’s fiddle playing has been at the forefront of traditional music since the 1970s. Kevin has earned international acclaim in both Europe and America as a solo performer, a teacher, and as a member of some of folk music’s foremost groups. In the mid-80s Kevin was a founding member of two influential groups – Open House and Patrick Street, whose recordings and performances were greeted with great acclaim both in Europe and US. In the mid-90s Kevin was a founding member of yet another enduring traditional group – The Celtic Fiddle Festival, this time with Johnny Cunningham from Scotland and Christian Lemaitre from Brittany. Although Kevin has spent much of his life playing in a group context, he has never lost his love for solo fiddle music – the “naked fiddle” as he himself sometimes puts it. This is very evident in his new live solo release, “An Evening with Kevin Burke.” His contribution to music has received formal acknowledgement on both sides of the Atlantic where he has been the recipient of several awards including Ireland’s Traditional Musician of the Year, 2016, and a National Heritage Fellowship, the USA's highest honor for excellence in the folk and traditional arts. 

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

JOYCE KATZBERG – Celebrating the centennial anniversary of Pete Seeger's birth

Call in your reservations for our May 4 show with Joyce Katzberg to 401-725-9272.

On the occasion of the centennial anniversary of Pete Seeger's birth, BRT presents Rhode Island's own topical songstress and cultural organizer, Joyce Katzberg in a celebration of the songs and social activism that made Seeger a permanent fixture in the history of folk music. As might be expected, there will be plenty of opportunity for audience participation. In the first set, performing 3 songs each, will be Partington & Sweeney, Jimmy Warren, and Bob Drouin. Joyce will then do a solo second set. Seeger and Katzberg first met in person in 1989 and went on to perform together several times in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New York. Katzberg is a co-founder of the former R.I. Labor and Ethnic Heritage Festival and Stone Soup Coffeehouse and credits Seeger as being the inspiration behind both. Mary Lee Partington has praised Joyce as "the First Lady of Rhode Island Folk" and goes on to describe her as having "a voice filled with her passion for social justice and her passion for life. With a vocal range as wide as it is deep, her singing style has a sultry substance – at times silky, at times smoky, always strong and vibrant. In a well-traveled career, she has sung beside Pete Seeger and an American grand choir of leading artists who have devoted their work to the cause of social justice, human rights, and our responsibility to care for one and all. If her voice has heart, it is because she has been at the heart of folk music in America while placing the truths she holds dear, in the spotlight." After more than a half a century on the professional stage, Katzberg plans to retire from performing in November, 2019. Partial concert proceeds will benefit Seeger's environmental organization, The Clearwater Fund. Please Note: Audience members are requested to be as fragrance-free as possible. 

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

HALEY RICHARDSON and QUINN BACHAND

Call in your reservations for our May 11 show with Haley Richardson and Quinn Bachand to 401-725-9272.

Haley Richardson is a traditional Irish fiddler. Over the past ten years, she has amassed a long list of accomplishments and performed at venues all over the U.S, Ireland, Scotland, England, Canada, and Thailand. Haley, with her highly ornamented Sligo style perfected under the tutelage of fiddler Brian Conway, is the 2017 All Ireland U15 slow air champion, 2015 Junior Fiddler of Dooney, and in 2013 won All Ireland Championships in both fiddle and fiddle slow airs. In addition to multiple All Ireland medals, she is a 9-time MidAtlantic Fleadh Champion, winning her first championship in the under-12 age category at only six years old.

With diverse musical talents and a bottomless pool of creativity, Quinn Bachand is recognized as the "Young Lion of the Celtic guitar" (Daniel Lapp). Although Quinn plays a range of styles that include jazz and bluegrass, it is his talents in the world of Celtic music that have drawn much attention. A gifted and creative guitar player, Quinn adds a contemporary edge to traditional Celtic music. His unique harmonies, hard-driving strumming, inventive chord voicing and powerful rhythmic effects make even the most well-worn tunes seem new and exciting. An in-demand sideman, Quinn has also toured internationally with well-known musicians including Canadian fiddling icons Ashley MacIsaac and Natalie MacMaster. Quinn is also a member of the Jeremy Kittel Band.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

THE KARAN CASEY BAND

Karan Casey has long been one of the most innovative, provocative and imitated voices in Irish traditional and folk music. Her career has spanned 25 years from the early days as a jazz performer in Dublin to her heady days in New York with the band Solas to her now established solo career and she has sold over half a million albums. Since Solas, Casey has carved out a unique place in contemporary Irish and folk music. She has recorded seven solo albums, has won Best Irish Female Vocalist twice, Best Irish Folk album and a Grammy for her collaboration with Paul Winter. Casey has also been nominated for the BBC Folk Awards and has performed with Peggy Seeger, Liam Clancy, James Taylor, and Tim O'Brien. The Boston Globe says, "Casey's voice is among the loveliest in folk music and she's a wonderful interpreter of both contemporary and traditional material.” "Hieroglyphs That Tell the Tale" is the evocative title of the new album from Karan Casey, which sees her return to a mix of traditional and folk song imbued with a modern twist, sitting alongside some new self-penned songs. Casey has also recently spearheaded a campaign – #FairPlé (“Fair Play”) – to promote gender balance in the production, performance, promotion, and development of Irish traditional and folk music. Many performers – male as well as female, in Ireland and elsewhere, have strongly voiced their support for her endeavor to bring this important issue to the forefront. As for performing, for Karan, the criteria has always been, "Is it a good song? I'm always looking for stories that are sung well and delivered with meaning, and that’s what’s most important." Karan will be joined by Matt Heaton and Sheila Falls Keohane for tonight's concert.

DARLINGSIDE

Purchase tickets online or call in your reservations for our May 19 show with Darlingside to 401-725-9272.

Darlingside delivers a truly moving blend of subtlety, power, outstanding vocal quality and contemporary songwriting. The Boston-based quartet features four distinct voices clustered around a single microphone; their tightly-arranged tunes drawing from the unexpected, including strains of bluegrass, classical, and even barbershop. Accompanied by an arsenal of classical strings, guitars, mandolin, and percussion, these four close friends swap instruments from song to song and offer a sound that defies standard genre classifications. While the band's critically acclaimed 2015 release "Birds Say" was steeped in nostalgia and the conviction of youth, their new album “Extralife" grapples with dystopian realities and uncertain futures. Whether ambling down a sidewalk during the apocalypse or getting stuck in a video game for eternity, the band asks, sometimes cynically, sometimes playfully: what comes next? Hope arrives in the form of Darlingside's signature superpower harmonies, drawing frequent comparisons to late-60s era groups like Crosby, Stills & Nash, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Byrds. And yet, their penchant for science fiction and speculative futurism counteracts any urge to pigeonhole their aesthetic as “retro.” The four close friends construct every piece of their music collaboratively, pooling musical and lyrical ideas so that each song bears the imprint of four different writing voices. NPR Music dubs the result "exquisitely-arranged, literary-minded, baroque folk-pop" and calls Extralife "perfectly crafted.” With a sound nodding to the music of their parents’ generation, Darlingside has established a sound that is all their own.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

BLACKSTONE RIVER THEATRE SUMMER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL

You can purchase advance tickets at Blackstone River Theatre OR online! 

Blackstone River Theatre moves our Celtic and world music programming outside on June 15 as we present the 9th annual Blackstone River Theatre Summer Solstice Festival to be held at Diamond Hill Park, Route 114, Cumberland. The family-friendly festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (rain date is June 16) and features three music stages, a dance stage, a session tent, and a children's activity area, all running continuously, as well as 40 food and craft vendors. Performing will be the Atwater-Donnelly Trio, The Hanneke Cassel Band, Kevin Crawford, Cillian Vallely & Patrick Doocey (from the group Lunasa), the Eastern Medicine Singers, The Gnomes, HighTime (from Ireland), La Croisée D’Antan (from Quebec), Bonnie Milner, Dan Milner, Partington & Sweeney, Roscommon Soles featuring Kevin Doyle with Sheila Falls, Josh Kane, Owen Marshall, Torrin Ryan, and The Vox Hunters. There will also be a session tent run by Bob Drouin and a dedicated stage for Irish step dance featuring Tir Na Nog Irish Dance.

CORY PESATURO & JONATHAN CANNON

Call in your reservations for our September 21 show with Cory Pesaturo & Jonathan Cannon to 401-725-9272.

Three-time world accordion champion and Cumberland, R.I. native Cory Pesaturo is at the forefront of the accordion world, pushing the boundaries of what is possible on the accordion. Pesaturo is the only person to ever win a World Championship on Acoustic, Digital and Jazz Accordion, and the only accordion graduate of the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Mass. In 2017, Cory became a Guinness World Record Holder, as RedBull® flew him to Austria to break the Marathon Accordion Record, in which he played for over 32 hours. Cory’s main contribution is his visionary thinking of how the accordion should be used, played, taught, and presented in modern music. This vision led him to give two TED talks, develop his own electric accordion, and make the first ever skinned accordion which includes a symmetric lighting system attached to the keys. Cory returns with Jonathan Cannon who performs regularly on violin, sometimes as a member of award-winning Boston klezmer band Ezekiel’s Wheels. He also serves as program chair of the New England Folk Festival (NEFFA). Cory will also feature special guests Giulia Haible and Caroline Dressler on cello and fiddle!

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

Väsen – 30th anniversary!

Call in your reservations for our September 22 show with Väsen to 401-725-9272.

The musicians of Väsen take the traditional music of their native Sweden and blend it into a mixture of distinctive rhythms, gorgeous melodies, and unstoppable grooves. Mikail Marin plays viola, Roger Tallroth plays 12-string guitar, and Olov Johansson plays nykelharpa – a bowed, 16-string instrument related to both the hurdy-gurdy and the fiddle and unique to Sweden. In 1990, Olov became world champion of both the modern chromatic and older historical nyckelharpas at the first-ever Nyckelharpa World Championships at Österbybruk, Sweden. The trio has been performing and recording together ever since. On their return to Blackstone River Theatre they will be celebrating their 30th anniversary! 

Väsen is a band people both critics and audiences rave about – mere praise doesn't seem to be enough. According to the Utne Reader, the band "treads an enchanted territory between classical, folk, and pop." National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" put it this way: "The absurdly broad term world music is rendered useless in the face of these musicians who play with such genuine passion and glee that everything on the globe seems to disappear except their hometown fires. This is local music in the best sense of the term – believable, human-scaled, and fluent in the international language of musical interplay." The word väsen has several meanings – spirit, essence, noise. This talented Swedish trio conveys the essence of Swedish traditional music with a joyful noise that is very likely to raise your spirits!

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

PETER JANSON and HIROYA TSUKAMOTO

Call in your reservations for our September 28 show with Peter Janson and Hiroya Tsukamoto to 401-725-9272. And don't miss their guitar workshop from 4-6 p.m. Details below!

Peter Janson is an acclaimed award-winning contemporary solo guitarist, touring and recording artist with performances at Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Healdsburg Guitar Festival, the WUMB Music Festival in Boston, and many other festivals and venues throughout North America. He has had three solo albums in the Top Five of the NAR radio charts and his recordings have over 1.3-million BMI verified broadcasts across all media. In performance, Peter prefers a repertoire that offers variety rather than concentrating on one specific style, and he presents contemporary solo guitar music that reveals his interest in weaving common elements of Jazz, Folk/Traditional, Celtic, European, and improvisational music.

Hiroya Tsukamoto is a one-of-a-kind composer, guitarist and singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan. In 2000, Hiroya received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music and came to the United States. He formed his own group in Boston, "INTEROCEANICO" which consists of unique musicians from different continents including Latin Grammy Colombian singer Marta Gomez. Hiroya has also released two solo albums, "Heartland" and "Places." Hiroya has been leading concerts internationally including several appearances at Blue Note in New York City with his group. Hiroya has performed, recorded and shared the stage with Esperanza Spalding, The Kennedys, Brooks Williams and Jim Kweskin.

Peter and Hiroya will also offer an acoustic guitar workshop for advanced beginner and intermediate guitarists from 4-6:00 p.m. Enjoy a relaxed learning experience as two of the nation’s best acoustic guitarists share their vast knowledge of topics and techniques for steel-string guitar in a two-hour workshop. Cost is $30 … or $40 for both the workshop and evening concert. Maximum 12 students. Finger style and flat-­pickers are welcome. Tab reading or standard notation reading is helpful but not necessary. Register by emailing russell@riverfolk.org

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

JENNA MOYNIHAN & MAIRI CHAIMBEUL / TORRIN RYAN

Call in your reservations for our October 5 show with Jenna Moynihan & Màiri Chaimbeul and Torrin Ryan to 401-725-9272.

Blazing a freshly virtuosic trail along Celtic music’s historical transatlantic pathways, U.S. fiddler Jenna Moynihan and Skye harpist Màiri Chaimbeul, both Berklee College graduates and accomplished composers, combine their passion for Scottish and Gaelic tradition with U.S., Irish, Breton and Swedish influences. At once raw and refined, deeply rooted and sparklingly new, their interplay teems with ideas, excitement and creative chemistry. They have performed at Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Scots Fiddle Fest in Edinburgh, Brian O'Donovan's St. Patrick's Day Celtic Sojourn, and in France. Their debut album, One Two was released in 2017.

Torrin Ryan is from Attleboro, Mass., where he began playing music at a young age and discovered traditional Irish music on the tin whistle at age 9. After hearing the uilleann pipes for the first time, he decided to learn how to play them himself. Since then, Torrin has competed in several Mid-Atlantic Fleadhs where he's won first place on both whistle and pipes. In Ireland, he has won five All-Ireland medals across Tullamore, Derry, and Ennis, and is the 2013 All-Ireland Uilleann Pipes Slow Airs champion. He performs at many sessions in New England, has frequently performed with Pendragon, and in 2018, Torrin was the recipient of a grant from the Southern New England Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program in order for him to teach Irish music and history to several apprentices and further the art of the session in New England. 

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

NORTH SEA GAS

Call in your reservations for our October 12 show with North Sea Gas to 401-725-9272.

North Sea Gas is a folk band from Scotland who have been performing their blend of poignant and rousing songs and high-energy instrumentals for 39 years. With a combination of fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bodhran and bouzouki, complementing strong three-part vocal harmonies and a keen sense of humor, an entertaining evening is always guaranteed. This will be the last North Sea Gas concert at Blackstone River Theatre with no tours scheduled beyond June, 2020. – don't miss it! Touring behind their newest CD, “Hearth and Homeland," North Sea Gas has now recorded 21 albums and played to audiences all over Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, the U.S. and Canada. A previous project, "The Fire And The Passion Of Scotland" won the 2013 Album of the Year award from Celtic Radio in the U.S. as well as first place in the "Jigs and Reels" category for a set of tunes on the album. The band is led by founder Dave Gilfillan on lead vocals, guitar and banjo, well-known for his tongue-in-cheek humor. Ronnie MacDonald on lead and harmony vocals, guitar and bouzouki is joined by Grant Simpson on high-energy fiddle and vocals. 

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

THE WINIFRED HORAN TRIO

Call in your reservations for our October 19 show with The Winifred Horan Trio to 401-725-9272.

The extraordinary Irish fiddler Winifred Horan brings her new trio to Blackstone River Theatre for a lively evening of Celtic music with Dan Faiella on guitar and Utsav Lal on piano. Horan was born in New York City to Irish parents and studied piano and Irish fiddle playing at a young age. She attended the New England Conservatory in Boston, where she studied classical violin. She has played with multiple orchestras, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, before joining the all-female Celtic music ensemble Cherish the Ladies in 1990. Winifred is best known as co-founder of the Irish super group Solas. Outside of her work with Solas, she is a nine-time champion Irish stepdancer and an All-Ireland fiddle champion, having won an All-Ireland Junior Fiddle Championship at age eleven.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

GENTICORUM

Call in your reservations for our October 26 show with Genticorum to 401-725-9272.

Over the past 19 years the traditional Quebec group Genticorum has become a fixture on the international world, folk and Celtic music circuit. The band’s six albums met with critical acclaim in Canada, the U.S, and Europe and their newest album was just nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards for "Best Ensemble" and “Best Traditional Record.” Firmly rooted in the soil of their native land, the energetic and original traditional ‘power trio’ weaves precise and intricate fiddle, flute, and accordion work along with gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion, and guitar accompaniment into a big and jubilant musical feast. Their distinctive sound, sense of humor, and stage presence always makes for an amazing show. Pascal Gemme (fiddle, feet, voice) is widely recognized as a cultural ambassador for Québécois music. Yann Falquet is one of the most active and creative acoustic guitar players in the Québécois and New England music scenes. Since completing a bachelor's degree in jazz, he has developed his own personal guitar style for Québec folk music. Nicholas Williams has developed a reputation as a versatile and sought-after musician in the traditional music scenes of Québec and New England. His rhythmic yet nuanced style of flute playing draws from Irish and Scottish traditions, as well as from his studies of classical North Indian music. 

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

MILE TWELVE

Call in your reservations for our November 2 show with Mile Twelve to 401-725-9272.

Although their sound is rooted in traditional bluegrass, Mile Twelve surveys a broader landscape on their newest album, City on a Hill. All five band members bring their own influences and observations into the music, resulting in a project that feels contemporary, thoughtfully crafted, and relevant. The album title alludes to the idealized imagery of a shining city on a hill – a historical phrase that has often been applied to Boston, where the band got its start. The Mile Twelve lineup offers five of the most promising young musicians in bluegrass: David Benedict (mandolin), Catherine “BB” Bowness (banjo), Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (fiddle), Evan Murphy (guitar, lead vocals), and Nate Sabat (bass, lead vocals). All are credited as songwriters because everyone in the band helped shape the material throughout the writing and arranging process.  City on a Hill follows multiple IBMA Momentum Awards, presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association to emerging bluegrass artists. Mile Twelve won the band category in 2017. The following year, Keith-Hynes and Benedict secured IBMA Momentum Awards in instrumental categories, while the band earned two major IBMA Award nominations for Emerging Artist and Instrumental Performance of the Year in 2018.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

Young Rust: The Ultimate Neil Young Experience

Call in your reservations for the November 8 show with Young Rust to 401-725-9272.

Young Rust will celebrate the music of one of the most iconic songwriters of our lifetime – Neil Young. "Through the Years ... a Retrospective" will take listeners back to the early years of Buffalo Springfield through all the twists and turns of Neil's amazing career as we focus on his acoustic music at Blackstone River Theatre. Young Rust was formed in 2004 by longtime local original musicians Mike Gendron, Ryan Meehan, and Kevin Ferschke. Shortly thereafter, the band was joined by multi-instrumentalist John Winters on rhythm guitar and pedal steel. Known for their ability to replicate the raw emotion and musical chops of Neil Young in all his incarnations, the band currently knows and can perform 60+ Neil Young songs, spanning his musical career. Join Young Rust, close your eyes, and feel like you've been transported straight to a live Neil Young performance...

ROBIN BULLOCK

Call in your reservations for our November 9 show with Robin Bullock to 401-725-9272.

Hailed as a “Celtic guitar god” by Baltimore City Paper and “one of the best folk instrumentalists in the business” by Sing Out! Magazine, Robin Bullock is one of the preeminent acoustic music masters of our time. His virtuosity on guitar, cittern and mandolin blends the ancient melodies of the Celtic lands, their American descendants, and the masterworks of the Baroque and Renaissance eras into one powerful musical vision. The 17th-century harp tunes of legendary Irish bard Turlough O’Carolan, the spirited jigs and reels of rural Ireland, the haunting ballads of the southern Appalachians and the timeless compositions of Bach, Dowland and Francesco da Milano all find a musical common ground in Robin’s music, where lightning-fast fingerwork one moment is perfectly balanced with tender, quiet intimacy the next. A warm, friendly presence onstage, Robin effortlessly creates a magical world for the audience with his multi-instrumental wizardry, taking them on an unforgettable journey into the deep heart’s core and through the music of the spheres. His 15 solo and collaborative recordings range from loving yet innovative interpretations of Celtic tradition, to the beloved carols and hymns of the Christmas season, to deep explorations of J.S. Bach’s incomparable masterpieces, he has taught 22 consecutive years at the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina, where he was honored in 2016 with a Master Music Maker Award for lifetime achievement in musicianship and teaching. (Of the thousand-plus faculty members in the Gathering’s 27-year history, only 23 have received this award to date.)

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

FUZEK-ROSSONI – 30th anniversary

Call in your reservations for our November 16 show with Fuzek-Rossoni to 401-725-9272.

John Fuzek and Mary Ann Rossoni will reunite this evening for a special 30th Anniversary Concert. The duo has not formally performed on stage together since a Stone Soup fundraiser brought them together for a brief set in 2012. Joining Fuzek-Rossoni during their set will be Ed McGuirl on guitar, mandolin, bass and percussion and Amy Bedard on backing vocals and violin. Opening the show will be Dan Lilley (guitar, vocals, harmonica) accompanied by Amy Bedard on vocals and violin. From 6 to 7 p.m. there will be an opening reception for the artwork of Mary Ann Rossoni which will be on display at Blackstone River Theatre through mid-December. A very popular duo in their day, Fuzek•Rossoni was formed 30 years ago when John Fuzek and Mary Ann Rossoni were simultaneously running ads in the “musicians wanted” classifieds of a local paper, looking for musical partners to perform with. The musical chemistry was immediate and they began writing songs. In a few months they released their first recording, “Living with the Fury and the Fire.” Together they created songs that dealt with such issues as relationships, politics and the environment. Tight harmonies and nice blends of both rhythm, lead and fingerstyle acoustic guitar were their trademark. They released a second recording, “Waking Up from the American Dream” and also contributed to many compilations, touring extensively around the Northeast. Fuzek•Rossoni were the driving force behind the beginnings of the Rhode Island Songwriters Association and Hear In Rhode Island. After 7 years together they decided to take a break. They remained great friends but musically began to move in different directions. After years of not performing publicly, they are back for this special anniversary reunion. 

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

ARCHIE FISHER

Call in your reservations for our November 17 show with Archie Fisher to 401-725-9272.

Master guitarist, singer and songwriter Archie Fisher is Scotland's foremost troubadour and is known throughout the country as the host of BBC Radio Scotland's award-winning "Travelling Folk" show, which he has presented for more than 30 years. Recognized for his contributions to Scottish folk music, he was inducted into the Scots Traditional Music Hall of Fame and in 2006 was awarded an MBE, (Distinguished Member of the British Empire), a prestigious honor nominated by his peers and bestowed by Queen Elizabeth for services to traditional music in 2007. Fisher was born in Glasgow into a large singing family, which yielded three professional singers – Archie and his sisters Ray and Cilla Fisher. Fisher's first self-titled album was recorded in 1968. During the mid-1970s he joined the revived pairing of Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy. As well as performing as a backing musician and arranger for Makem & Clancy, he also produced a series of albums with them and got involved in record production with the dynamic Scottish band Silly Wizard. His  "Windward Away" release on Red House, a collection of introspective ballads that evoke the wild and rough beauty of the Scottish Border country, achieved widespread acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2015, seven years in the making, "A Silent Song" finds Archie combining original compositions with his interpretations of classic songs for a wonderful addition to his distinguished catalog.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

EILEEN IVERS and UNIVERSAL ROOTS - SOLD OUT!

Our November 23 show with the Eileen Ivers Band is SOLD OUT! Thank you!

Grammy®-Awarded and Emmy-nominated, Eileen Ivers continues to push the fiddling tradition boundaries from a folk music staple to a powerfully beautiful and intensely driving world stage experience. Eileen was the groundbreaking musical star of Riverdance, a founding member of Cherish the Ladies, and she is one of the most awarded All-Ireland Fiddle and Banjo champions ever. Eileen’s most recent CD, “Beyond the Bog Road,” focuses on the influences of the Celtic tradition on Roots music (bluegrass, French-Canadian, Cajun, Appalachian, Americana) and how the music journeyed on to become a fundamental ingredient of the American Country music tradition. Irish Music Magazine called it “a triumph … a musical Magnus-Opus” and the album reached number one on the Alt-Country Roots Music Chart. Eileen’s new joyous and passionate band, Universal Roots, connects music, cultures, stories and emotions that tie us together …celebrating the fact that we are more alike than dissimilar. The ensemble features Matt Mancuso (lead vocals, guitar, trumpet, fiddle), Buddy Connolly (button accordion, whistles, piano, vocals), Lindsey Horner (upright and electric bass, baritone sax, vocals), Dave Barckow (lead vocals, percussion, guitar), joining together with Eileen on fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bodhran, and live looping. Not to be missed!

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

12th annual Holiday Craft Fair and Festival

You are invited to Blackstone River Theatre's 12th annual Holiday Craft Fair and Festival fundraiser! 

Please come out and support BRT programming as well as area craft vendors and home-based businesses while you do your holiday shopping locally! We will have 26 vendors on site between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and the event will also feature continuous live music with Bob Drouin, Russell Gusetti, Ed Sweeney, Cathy Clasper-Torch, Ryefield Cove, Atwater~Donnelly, The Broad Street Fiddlers and more, plus raffle prizes, a bake sale table, and refreshments. Door prizes will be raffled off from each vendor with the raffle proceeds to benefit BRT's programming. Think out of the box (store!) 

Featured vendors include: LnKDesigns • Scentsy Wickless Candles • Ann Lilley Designs • Thao Thao Studio • Ducharme Creations in Wood • Tree’s Creations • Jane’s Place Crafts • Designs by Diana • The Pampered Chef • Legging Crazy • Judi Goudreau Studio • Timeless Treasures • Party Time Mixes • Honeybee Haven • Jeannette Winters • Turbocatbeads • BeachArt • Pocasset Wampanoag Creations • Celtic Mor • Jessie G Art and Chris Giroux Photography

IRISH CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA - SOLD OUT!

Our December 7 show of Irish Christmas in America is SOLD OUT! Thank you.

The hugely popular Irish Christmas in America show features top Irish musicians, singers and dancers in an engaging performance rich in history, humor and boundless energy. Produced by fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada of award-winning lrish group Téada, the 2019 tour brings back the amazing Séamus Begley (TG4 Traditional Singer of the Year) along with the vocal talents of Sligo's Niamh Farrell. Also performing will be Grainne Hambly on harp and concertina and Sean Gavin on flute and uilleann pipes, plus step dancer Samantha Harvey! Mac Diarmada enthuses about the program as a way to bring traditional and often unknown Irish customs to the States. “One of the most heartfelt themes of Irish Christmas is emigration,” says Mac Diarmada. “Music was a way that people stayed close to home.” A sparkling tradition among holiday events, Irish Christmas in America is a special show to see this season – Blackstone River Theatre is proud to bring it to you!

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge

Town Hall Meeting to Prevent Underage Drinking

Blackstone River Theatre is proud to be hosting a Town Hall Meeting to Prevent Underage Drinking on Dec. 10, 6 P.M. presented by the Blackstone Valley Prevention Coalition. This important and free event features a guest speaker, "Dirt: A One-man show" by John Morello, a panel discussion with local youth about underage drinking and a Q&A session. For more info call 401-301-2894

ÁINE MINOGUE – To Warm a Winter’s Night

Call in your reservations for our December 14 Celtic Christmas CD release show with Áine Minogue to 401-725-9272.

*All ticket prices include a $1.00 per ticket restoration charge