Fanrealm.com

Written by Stacey Parker

Celtic Thunder rolled its way into Portland, and the Theater of the Clouds, and so did I. My friends and I went to the show, knowing what to expect, but we were looking for the unexpected too.

The weather forecast given at the beginning of the show always makes me laugh. I have seen Celtic Thunder 3 times now, and each time there is rain, snow, or freezing weather. But this is Portland. If it isn’t raining or misting, then you aren’t really there.

Heartland starts off the show, and I know that I am going to be hooting and hollering with my friends, just enjoying the experience.

After the first song, Keith Harkin missed handing his duster off to George, but he hands it to a prop guy, and grabs his guitar to start the next song, Castles In The Air. Not one of my favorites, but he improves on it over the original artist, Don MacLean.

Harkin performs another cover, Homes Of Donegal, by Paul Brady. If Harkin has to do covers, Mr. Brady’s songs seem to fit him to a tee.

Mr. Harkin is in his element when he is singing along with playing his guitar. He also has one of his own compositions in this show. Lauren &I. The only way this song could be better, is if he were playing his guitar with it. This artist really needs to do more of his own songs, instead of a bunch of cover songs. He is good enough. It is time to let him soar.

George Donaldson has several serious ballads, and while I like them, especially Working Man, I really prefer the fun of his performance in 500 Miles. The audience participates with Mr. Donaldson, and I can’t help but love it.

Ryan Kelly sings Ride On, a Christy Moore song. He has made this song very memorable for me. You see, I saw him performing this song 2 weeks previously. I had seats near the front, and there was a little girl there that made a poster for him. She was worried he wouldn’t see it, so somebody gave her a glow stick to light it up. Ryan saw the poster and acknowledged the little girl with a grin, and a bit of a wave. This little girl could have gone to Miley Cyrus, on a trip to Disney, or see Celtic Thunder. After the show, she told us it was the best show ever. It is this memory that comes to mind every time I hear this song, and see Ryan perform it. From the bottom of my heart, Mr. Kelly, THANK YOU for treating your fans so well.

The other songs in Mr. Kelly’s repertoire are also tops in my book. Desperado, Heartbreaker, and Every Breath you take, to name some.

Damian McGinty’s serious songs are my favorites of his. Come By the Hills, and Bird Without Wings have always moved me, but now that his voice has deepened, they are even better. His cute songs are great because of his clowning with the band.

Paul Byrom, the classically trained tenor sings heartfelt love songs, and shakes the house with his strong voice. Because We Believe, by Andrea Bocelli, is my newest favorite of his offerings in Celtic Thunder.

That’s a Woman, Mr. Byrom’s duet with Mr. Kelly is also a highlight for me. The dueling pair both describe what a woman is, and Zara Curtis, dancer, is great with the both of them.

The group songs are all my favorites. I can’t pick just one, whether it is Danny Boy, Ireland’s Call, Raggle Taggle Gypsy, or one of the others. Most are wonderful. Take Me Home is a bit too reflective for the age of the group. They are way too young for this song. Give them 20 years or so before they sing this.

I absolutely can not forget about the band members. Musical Director/pianist, Dave Cooke, Ruth O’Leary and Joyce O’Leary, on violins and Nicole Hudson on the viola. Cellist, Megan Sherwood, Neil Byrne on guitar, and backing vocals, (a bit of drum playing as well) Connor McCreanor on bass and backing vocals and Declan O’Donoghue, percussionist. On whistle, pipes, guitar and bodhran, Mr. Brendan Monahan. They have interplay on stage with each other and the main attractions, not to mention communicating with the audience. I have become a fan of all of them.

The only real drawbacks to this show were the sound not being quite right, and glitches with the visual screen behind the band. None of this was the fault of the people on stage. They had a way of making you forget there was something that was supposed to be on the screen, and they kept going no matter what the sound system did.

After the show, my friends and I decided to go to the stage door to see what we could see. We did see the buses, all five of the main performers and some of the band members. We weren’t allowed to see them up close, which is somewhat understandable. But they weren’t allowed to do any real kind of communication with us. This was the policy of the venue, Theater of the Clouds.

The recap? Performers were tops. Sound system needed some work, and stage doors sucked. But for me, the Portland Experience was the tops because of my friends.

By saybook

I had been trying to get to a Gaelic Storm show for months but every time they came to my area some sort of conflict arose. Luckily for me this band tours a lot. The next time they came close happened to coincide with the weekend of my 25th wedding anniversary so I insisted we go this time. My wonderful daughter got us tickets to the show in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on October 9 as a gift. They played the Stevens Center which is a lovely theater decorated with a lot of gilding and art deco flourishes. It looked very formal like we should be there for an opera or symphony. A few people in the crowd were dressed up but mostly it was casual.

The show was scheduled to start at 7:30 but they were still seating people so it started a little late. When the band stepped onto the stage the excitement began. Patrick Murphy, originally from the Dublin area, did most of the talking. He and Steve Twigger, originally from England are the founding members and they told tales of their adventures and misadventures on the current tour and stories of how each of the songs came to be written giving even more context to our favorite songs. The rest of the band is made up of Ryan Lacey on drums, Jessie Burns on Fiddle and Pete Purvis on pipes of every description and a few that defy description all together.

Gaelic Storm did allow photographs to be taken as long as flash wasn’t used. Flash is pretty useless at that distance and can make it very difficult to see on stage with blinding flashes going off so turn off your flash when trying to get show pictures. We were in the front row balcony so my husband was able to get some pretty good photos. I took some too but mine were not so good, as usual.

The show itself is great. There is lots of audience participation which just makes it much more fun. Even more reserved members of the group loosened up toward the end and if the show had lasted one more hour I think even my stick in the mud hubby and daughter would have become Irish. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and even my more reserved family wants to see them again. I highly recommend this band. An evening with them will make you forget your troubles and remember what it is to just have fun. Ticket prices are a lot lower than other bands and shows I have attended recently so just about everyone can afford to see them. If you are not familiar with them check out their music on youtube or at their my space page www.myspace.com/gaelicstorm

Gaelic Storm is very fan friendly and planned to be available at the merchandise table after the show but we had an 84 mile drive home and the rest of the family wanted to get some great frozen custard at Wolfies across the street so we didn’t wait.

By CelticFawn

You could feel the excitement mounting in the theater as we all heard the weather report… Celtic Thunder was on its way! The lovely Palace Theater, complete with ornate trim and a cozy balcony area, was the perfect place to enjoy the show. As you walked in and espied the shipwreck and rocks on the stage, you knew you were in for a treat. When the lights dimmed and the thunder started to roll, it was proof you were right all along! After the monks chant their way across the stage, and you take in the haunting voice of Ryan Kelly singing the opening of the song, you see the wonder of all of Celtic Thunder on the stage. Ryan Kelly, Keith Harkin, Paul Byrom, Damian McGinty, and George Donaldson.

Celtic Thunder is 5 male solo artists, each with a different style and personality, who prove that when you put your differences aside, beautiful music can be made. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the show in Albany. The above picture was taken from my seat, 5th row floor and found I didn’t miss anything from where I was sitting. There was enough of an incline that the person in front of me didn’t block my view. The seats were set more in a semi circle, so even being on the side of the theater didn’t keep me from being able to enjoy the show.

The men of Celtic Thunder were a wonder to behold. Ryan, the bad boy “Dark Destroyer” captures your heart and breaks it all in one evening. Keith, the blonde surfer, dazzles you with his skillful guitar playing and songwriting skills, as well as his playful nature. Paul, the romantic Tenor, sweeps you off your feet and takes your breathe away with his powerful voice. Damian, the boy wonder, the youngest of the group, takes you back to a time of innocence and reminds you of what it was like to be a teen. And last, but surely not least, is George, the stable, settled one, reminds you how important it is to have family, love and security in your life.

This entire journey takes place through the gift of music, ranging from pop classics such as Happy Birthday Sweet 16 and Desperado, traditional Irish songs, including Danny Boy, and original music written by legendary Phil Coulter.

My personal journey was a wonderful one. The guys like to reach out to the audience and interact in small ways, or just have fun with each other on stage. Good examples are best seen during Caledonia where Damian has to hold his kilt down to protect it from the rest of the guys, Paul lifting his to show the women his leg (be prepared to hear screams), Keith bending over to pull up his falling socks, or Ryan waving to various people in the audience. Caledonia is not the only place this type of thing happens, so watch carefully, you never know what you are going to see. After the show, I went out back to the stage door and waited with a good number of people in hopes of seeing the guys. I did get to see them all, but not all of them were able to stop and visit. It is understandable, since they did have either family there, or fighting off a cold. Ryan always seems to find the time to stop and say hello, and treat the fans to his special attention. I must say here that I am a Ryan fan and was thrilled when he stopped to sign for me. (unfortunately, I have no picture of us in Albany, but I do have one from Portland, Oregon when they were there last year). All in all, I would recommend seeing them for a wonderful experience! I will go back again.

Ryan and I in Portland, Oregon December 6, 2008

This is one of him signing autographs at the stage door in Albany.