Click on the links below (in red) for more info on the shows selling tickets now. I will post updates as more cities are added. I have only added links for cities that are actually selling tickets or will be this week. For those with pre-sale dates the pre-sale code is DUBLIN.

BTW if you are getting tickets to these shows from Ticketmaster we would really love you forever if you clicked through this page so Ticketmaster would kick back a wee part of the ticket price to Fanrealm. It won’t add anything to the cost of the ticket for you, they share a bit of their profit with affiliates who promote their ticket sales (like us)

8/8 I know it’s hard waiting for tickets to go on sale when you are looking forward to going to a show. I have just checked the cities not yet selling and found 2 that actually were and added them to the schedule below. I did want to warn you that it’s best not to rush to buy tickets from an exchange or reseller that claims to have tickets before official sites are selling. You really only want to work only with an official ticket outlet or the box office. There are ticket scams out there so you would be safer waiting for tickets at official sites. Don’t worry if your box office is not yet listing Celtic Thunder. Many will wait until PBS turns their unsold tickets back so they don’t have to deal with people buying tickets now and wanting to exchange them when better seats become available. Also, if your venue is a large one with both a theater and an arena don’t panic if another act is scheduled for that day and Celtic Thunder is not mentioned. The other act may be in the other part of the venue. Celtic Thunder shows are always better in a theater. Arenas are better for sporting events, ice shows etc but theaters are better for shows.

UPDATE 6/29 added link for several shows that are now selling tickets or will be soon.
UPDATE 7/1 updated this list to match the one at the Celtic Thunder Website
UPDATE 7/5 Added direct link to Baltimore ticket sales
UPDATE 7/9 added link to Melbourne FL ticket sales
UPDATE 7/13 Pre-sale date added for Manchester show. On sale now in Thousand Oaks
UPDATE 7/16 Sales dates added for Charleston SC and Detroit
UPDATE 7/21 Tickets now selling for St Louis and Durham. Pre-sale for Eugene 7/22
UPDATE 7/23 Tickets now on sale for Everett. I added the link but you may have to enter Oct 30 in the date search box if this event doesn’t come up
UPDATE 7/24 Chicago pre-sale set for 7/26 10 AM
UPDATE 7/29 Norfolk now selling pre-sale tickets St Louis pre-sale is 7/30
UPDATE 7/30 Erie PA and Charlotte NC added to tour list Pensacola Pre-sale set for August 5
UPDATE 8/3 Pre-sale for Columbus set for 08/04/10 09:00 AM
UPDATE 8/4 Just wanted to let you know that even though the first page you get to when you click the link for the Wilkes-Barre show says they aren’t selling they really are. Just click on more info I was just able to get orchestra seat tickets to come up although they were in the back.
UPDATE 8/8 Jacksonville & Sacramento selling now
UPDATE 8/11 It has come to my attention that the ticket give away promo that Celtic Thunder is doing lists Ft Wayne IN as the Dec 1st show and our list and the one at the Celtic Thunder website has Grand Rapids MI on that date. There is no mention of Celtic Thunder at either of the venue sites. It may be too early to list a December show. I have no info on that and can only suggest you email info@celticthunder.ie for the correct info. There has been some progress here Dec 1 is now removed from the tour schedule on the CT site. I am assuming the correct info will be posted as soon as they have it.
UPDATE 8/12 Tickets for Charlotte will go on sale 8/27 See link below. Added Uniondale and Waukeegan shows to list
UPDATE 8/16 Tickets for Roanoke on sale now
UPDATE 8/18 According to the Celtic Thunder Website Pre-Sale for Atlanta is Aug 24 and the pre-sale code for Fox Theater sales only is Ireland you can use DUBLIN at Ticketmaster. They are not yet listed at Ticketmaster but they are on the calendar at the the theater which is giving 8/27 as a general sales date. I will add the Ticketmaster link but they are not yet on the Ticketmaster schedule at this time. They should be added soon.
UPDATE 8/19 Tickets for taping of Christmas Show on sale tomorrow – see link below. Detroit and Spokane now selling! I updated this list to match tour page at the CT website
UPDATE 8/20 Yesterday Morning Ticketmaster said the tickets for the Christmas Taping would be on sale this morning at 10 AM Now it says currently not on sale. I would advise you keep clicking the more info link anyway as they have been known to say they were not currently selling when in fact you could order tickets. I expect they will be selling very soon. Password for this one is christmas Tickets on sale 8/20 4 PM EDT
UPDATE 8/25 Pre-sale for Connecticut show happening now. Codeword DUBLIN see link below
UPDATE 8/27 Erie now on sale
UPDATE 8/28 Ticket sales for the 11/22 Show in Clearwater on sale to the public today
UPDATE 8/29 Added link for West Point show but they are currently only selling season tickets. Individual show tickets on sale Sept 20. You can sign up at the link for their mailing list to get the best info
UPDATE 8/31 Anaheim pre-sale today 10AM local time See links below. There are 3 shows here be sure and order tickets for the show you want to attend
UPDATE 9/1 Rochester show says it’s not selling yet on the Ticketmaster site but try using the interactive map. I was able to get as far as billing on a 2nd row seat. I didn’t continue but I think I probably could have. If this is your city give it a try. Let me know if it works and we can tell other fans. Melbourne no longer selling online through ticket outlet PBS still selling here Also removed canceled shows from the list to avoid confusion
UPDATE 9/2 Added the link to order the Christmas cd at the very end of the post. Just scroll down and click. It will be released on 10/12 so put your order in
UPDATE 9/3 Ft Wayne IN set for pre-sale 9/16. Updated most of the Ticketmaster links and they now lead directly to the actual event page. That was a lot of links so please let me know if you find a problem with one. All cities are now selling or set to sell except Ft Smith Arkansas, Providence RI and Binghampton NY The latter two are supposed to sell through Ticketmaster but do not yet appear on their schedule. I will keep checking and update asap
UPDATE 9/8 The Binghamton show has just been added to Ticketmaster. The Tickets go on sale to the General public Friday Sept 10 No word on the Celtic Thunder site on if there is a pre-sale. They are generally the day before they go on sale to the public with the code DUBLIN. Also for those on the fence about attending the taping of the Christmas show Sept 17 a new incentive has been added – they will also be taping for Heritage, their Irish show, during the same session so it’s two for the price of one – how can you go wrong? There were still good seats available when I last checked a few days ago so just click the link below to get yours. You know you want to go.

June 21, 2010 Thunder Bay, ON (Canada) Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Get Info here
Sep 17, 2010 Poughkeepsie, NY Mid Hudson Civic Center Get Tickets Here – Tickets on sale NOW
Sep 21, 2010 Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) Halifax Metro Centre Get Tickets Here
Sep 23, 2010 Hamilton, ON Hamilton Place Theatre Get Tickets here
Sep 24, 2010 Orillia, ON Casino Rama Get Tickets here
Sep 25, 2010 Buffalo, NY Shea’s Get Tickets here
Sep 26, 2010 Columbus OH Palace TheaterGet Tickets here
Sep 28, 2010 Baltimore, MD Hippodrome France-Merrick Performing Arts Center Get Tickets Here
Sep 29, 2010 Pittsburgh, PA Benedum Center Get Tickets Here
Oct 1, 2010 New York City Radio City Music Hall Get Tickets here
Oct 2, 2010 Philadelphia, (Upper Darby) PA Tower Theatre Get Tickets here / VIP tickets now on sale – not that much more money but great seats and lots of perks
Oct 3, 2010 Hartford, CT Mortensen Center — Matinee Get Tickets Here – Pre-sale going on now
Oct 3, 2010 Hartford, CT Mortensen Center Get Tickets Here – Pre-sale going on now
Oct 4, 2010 Manchester, NH Verizon Arena Get Tickets here
Oct 6, 2010 Springfield, MA Symphony Hall Get Tickets here
Oct 8, 2010 West Point, NY Eisenhower Hall Theater Individual Tickets go on sale Sept 20 Get Tickets here
Oct 9, 2010 Boston, MA Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theater Get Tickets Here
Oct 9, 2010 Boston, MA Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theater — Matinee Get Tickets Here
Oct 10, 2010 Reading, PA Sovereign Center — Matinee Get Tickets here
Oct 10, 2010 Reading, PA Sovereign Center Get Tickets here
Oct 13, 2010 Hershey, PA Hershey Theater Get Tickets here
Oct 14, 2010 Wilkes-Barre, PA Kirby Theater Get Tickets here
Oct 15, 2010 Erie, PA Warner Theatre Get Tickets here
Oct 16, 2010 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall Get Tickets here
Oct 17, 2010 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Civic Center — Matinee Get Tickets Here
Oct 17, 2010 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Civic Center Get Tickets Here
Oct 19, 2010 Indianapolis, IN Murat Theater Get Tickets here
Oct 21, 2010 Kansas City, MO Independence Events Center Get Tickets Here
Oct 22, 2010 St. Louis, MO Fox Theater Get Tickets here
Oct 23, 2010 Chicago, IL Chicago Theater Get Tickets here
Oct 23, 2010 Chicago, IL Chicago Theater — Matinee Get Tickets here
Oct 24, 2010 Minneapolis, MN State Theater — Matinee Get Tickets here
Oct 24, 2010 Minneapolis, MN State Theater Get Tickets here
Oct 26, 2010 Denver, CO First Bank Center Get Tickets here
Oct 28, 2010 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theater Get Tickets here
Oct 29, 2010 Eugene, OR Hult Center Get Tickets Here
Oct 30, 2010 Everett, WA (Seattle) Comcast Arena Get Tickets Here
Nov 1, 2010 Portland, OR Theater Of The Clouds Get Tickets here
Nov 2, 2010 Spokane, WA INB Theater Get Tickets Here
Nov 4, 2010 Sacramento, CA Memorial Auditorium Get Tickets Here
Nov 5, 2010 San Diego, CA San Diego Civic Center Get Tickets here
Nov 6, 2010 Anaheim, CA The Grove Get Tickets here
Nov 7, 2010 Anaheim, CA The Grove Get Tickets here
Nov 7, 2010 Anaheim, CA The Grove — Matinee Get Tickets here
Nov 8, 2010 Thousand Oaks, CA Fred Cavali Theater Get Tickets here
Nov 10, 2010 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theater Get Tickets here
Nov 12, 2010 Grand Prairie, TX Nokia Theater Get Tickets here
Nov 13, 2010 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater Get Tickets here
Nov 14, 2010 Fort Smith, AR Arkansas Best PAC
Nov 16, 2010 Charleston, SC North Charleston PAC Get Tickets here
Nov 17, 2010 Durham, NC Durham PAC Get Tickets Here
Nov 19, 2010 Pensacola, FL Saenger Theater Get Tickets Here
Nov 20, 2010 Atlanta, GA Fox Theater Get Tickets Here Pre Sale 8/24
Nov 20, 2010 Atlanta, GA Fox Theater — Matinee Get Tickets Here Pre Sale 8/24
Nov 21, 2010 Jacksonville, FL Time Union Center Get Tickets Here
Nov 22, 2010 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckhard Hall Get Tickets Here
Nov 23, 2010 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckard Hall Get Tickets here
Nov 26, 2010 Melbourne, FL King Center Get Tickets here
Nov 28, 2010 Charlotte, NC Blumenthal PAC Get Tickets here on 8/27
Dec 1, 2010 Fort Wayne, IN Embassy Theatre Get Tickets HerePre-sale 9/16 10 AM -10 PM Eastern Time. Gen sales 9/17 10AM
Dec 2, 2010 Detriot, MI Fox Theater Get Tickets here on sale now
Dec 4, 2010 Atlantic City, NJ Taj Mahal Get Tickets here
Dec 5, 2010 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre Get Matinee Tickets Here / Get Evening Show Tickets here
Dec 7, 2010 Providence, RI VETS Memorial Auditorium
Dec 8, 2010 Rochester, NY Broadway Auditorium Theater Get Tickets Here
Dec 9, 2010 Binghamton, NY Broome County Arena Get Tickets Here 9/10

Celtic Thunder Christmas CD comes out October 12th. Pre-order yours now!

Song List

1. Winter Wonderland
2. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day
3. Let It Snow
4. All I want For Christmas Is You
5. Silent Night
6. Our First Christmas Together
7. It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
8. Going Home For Christmas
9. Baby It’s Cold Outside
10. Last Christmas
11. Ave Maria
12. The Most Wonderful Time of The Year/We Wish You a Merry Christmas

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There is something in the air or water in Ireland. The music scene in Ireland and Northern Ireland is really hot and producing some major talent. I am hoping that The Script can do for Irish/Celtic bands and entertainers what the Beatles did for British bands and entertainers in the 60s. The Beatles launched the British Invasion. I have felt that we are due for a Celtic Invasion for some time now. Since I do remember the British Invasion I can tell you they dynamics are about the same. In the 50s the recording stars were groomed and manufactured by the record companies who had cozy deals with the radio stations and it was they who decided who got air play and thus which recording artists made it. There was a uniform and manufactured air about all the acts most of the acts ended up looking and sounding alike. I see this same situation today and just as the four scruffy lads from Liverpool kicked that image to the curb I think that the truly talented, mostly indie singers and bands that are hitting the scene there can do the same thing today. All they need is a foot in the door. To that end we have featured many Irish artists at Fanrealm and will continue to do so. We also think the Celt rock bands from this side of the pond are great and are producing great music that is not in the mold laid down by the people running the music industry today. They and the Irish and other Celtic bands from the other side of the pond will make up the coming Celtic Invasion. Remember, you read it here first

There are many other hot young Irish singers and bands you may not have heard of yet, or haven’t thought of in this light so we will feature some here for you to check out.

Oracle
I have been a fan of this band for quite a while. They have a distinctive style and are producing some great songs. They were featured at this years Guinness Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival and are building up a following in Northern Ireland having gotten air play on the popular radio station Cool FM.

They are working on an EP. You can hear them at their myspace page http://www.myspace.com/davidmcclean

Ben Glover

Ben Glover is an award winning singer songwriter from County Antrim in Northern Ireland. He released his first album in 2008. He has spent much of 2009 in Nashville where he recorded his second album Through the Noise, Through The Night

We will be reviewing this album in the near future. Ben has a page at ReverbNation so we can share a sample of his work with you by adding his widget to this post. You can read more about Ben at his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/benglovermusic

UPDATE: For some reason the tune widget isn’t working. I have never had that happen before so I didn’t test it. But the video one seems to work so I am replacing the tune one with the video widget

Keith Harkin

Keith Harkin is a young singer/song writer from County Donegal near Derry in Northern Ireland. Derry is also a hot spot for great musical talent. Keith is currently a castmember of the show Celtic Thunder however it is his solo work that interests me. He is a great songwriter and I would love to see him singing his own songs. One of his compositions, Lauren and I, was included in the original Celtic Thunder offering called The Show. There have long been rumors of his own album. Hopefully he will be able to work on that soon. He is also a talented producer and has produced several songs recorded by his sister Rebecca, who is also a gifted singer/songwriter. I have pasted Keith’s ReverbNation widget below. The first 7 songs were done with Celtic Thunder. The last three are his own songs. Sadly, he did not include Chasing Dreams which is my favorite.

Building Pictures

Building Pictures is the professional name of singer songwriter John Gribbin from Derry, Northern Ireland. He is also an award winner. He has spent time gigging in the US and recorded 2 EPs. He is offering a free download from his second EP, Joey and the Moon at his bandcamp page http://buildingpictures.bandcamp.com/track/take-my-advice Check it out. It’s a great song and a free gift to you from a up and coming songwriter.

John supported The Script and James Morrison on their Irish tours, and more recently Paolo Nutini. Summer dates included Oxegen Festival.

You can hear more samples at his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/buildingpictures

Joe Echo

Joe Echo is the stage name of Ciaran Gribbin, John’s older brother. Joe Echo is also extremely talented. He has penned most of the soundtrack for the upcoming film Killing Bono, staring Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) and Robert Sheehan. He has helped co-write the Madonna hit Celebration.

Joe has been the opening act for The Script, James Morrison, Snow Patrol, Paolo Nutini and Franz Ferdinand. He will also be appearing at Oxegen 2010. You can hear samples at his myspace page http://www.myspace.com/joeecho

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to talented performers who hale from Ireland and surrounding countries. We have featured several on Fanrealm already. If you click the BIOGRAPHY at the top of the page you will find even more. I will be doing another post very soon featuring more acts that are just waiting to take the world by storm.

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First off, I will start with the upcoming tour. As of this morning no further info is on their site but I will keep checking. Like most bands they do have a pre-sale date that supposedly offers good seats to fans. This is sometimes the case but not always. Most of the time the very best seats are blocked out and are only available by making a pledge to the PBS station in the city in which the show will be performed. I have been to four Celtic Thunder shows so I will share a few things I have learned. Their show is much better in a theater than an arena. There are a lot of really bad seats in an arena where you will need binoculars to actually see and you miss a lot watching this way. Arenas are fine for sporting events where the action moves but not that great for this kind of show. The acoustics are better in a theater also. I will tell you that no matter how far away you are sitting you will always hear every note that Paul Bryom sings. That man has a set of pipes that you can only really appreciate in a live show. He sounds great on a recording but he will knock your socks off live.

You can make a pledge to the PBS station via the station’s website at any time. You don’t have to wait until the show is aired and call in your pledge. Just put the city + PBS station into Google to find their website. The downside of this is that you won’t know what seat you actually got until they mail the tickets out a few weeks before the showdate. If you go through ticketmaster or another ticket outlet you will know which seat you are buying. Always check with the seating charts first so you are familiar with the layout of the venue. I have only gotten one really good seat during the pre-sale day. It is sometimes better to wait until it’s closer to the show and the pbs station releases their unsold tickets to the ticket agent at which time the floor or orchestra seats will go up for sale to the general public. The closer you are the better with this act. If you can swing it, PBS is the way to get the best seats.

This upcoming tour is the closest they have ever come to my location. There are a lot of cities on this tour list that they have never been to before. Many are not major market cities and I think they should do well in most of them. Unfortunately this particular show is a bit less geared to fans of Irish and Celtic Music than their original outing or the show that they toured last year. But they are adding a whole first act of Irish music that will, hopefully satisfy our expectation that a show with the word Celtic in it would actually include Celtic or Irish music.

The main singers in Celtic Thunder are: Paul Byrom, George Donaldson, Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly and Damian McGinty. This year the main line up has been extended to include Neil Byrne. Neil has been with them from the beginning as part of the band but is being brought forward now as a soloist. Neil has long been a fan favorite and has actually clocked more time on stage during the show than any of the others.

Now on to other questions in no particular order:

When was Keith Harkin born? June 10, 1986 (I only remember the year for him because my daughter was born the same year). Damian will be 18 next Sept. George’s birthday is in Feb, Ryan’s is in November and Paul’s is in April and Neil’s is also in Sept.

Bio on Neil Byrne. There is a short one at the Celtic Thunder website. I can add that he used to be with a band called Hipple Street which is now defunct but you can still buy their EP at cdbaby and they still have a myspace page so you can hear samples there.

Celtic Thunder Sheet music — They do have a songbook which includes sheet music many of their songs. It is available through their shop and I have also seen it on the merchandise table at their shows. Speaking of buying merchandise at shows, it is always wise to bring cash to anyone’s show. Those credit card swiping machines are very temperamental and you don’t want to be caught short if the show you go to is the one it decides to not work for.

What are the names of the back up musicians? They are, as a group, called the Celtic Thunder Players or All Stars. They sometimes change from one tour to the next. The ladies in the string section are Ruth and Joyce O’Leary (who are sisters who also perform as Sephira), Nicole Hudson and on the cello, Megan Sherwood. The drummer is Declan O’Donoghue The bass player is Conor McCreanor. Pipes and other Celtic instruments have been played by Barry Kerr and Brendan Monaghan on different tours and dvds. The piano player/musical director (who is the only one who is introduced to the audience during the show) is either Phil Coulter, who is the musical director for the entire production, or Dave Cook. Neil Byrne has always been the guitar player for Celtic Thunder since the original show. He has also done percussion and anything else Phil has thrown his way. Not sure how his status will change now that he has been brought forward into the main line up.

Have Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder performed together? No they haven’t. The producer of Celtic Thunder was also the original producer of Celtic Woman but they have always been two separate shows and entities. It is not likely they will ever perform together but nothing is impossible.

Do any of the members of Celtic Thunder have websites? Yes. Paul Byrom and Keith Harkin have their own websites http://paulbyrom.ie/home.php and http://www.keithharkin.com/

Do any of the members of Celtic Thunder have solo cds? Yes Paul Byrom has two cds and a single out. All are available through cdbaby. He is working on a third which is not yet out. Paul had the highest profile professional life before Celtic Thunder and has maintained it along with appearing in Celtic Thunder. I have heard rumors that all the other members will be releasing cds during this year and I hope that is the case. Keith Harkin is a songwriter and musician as well as a singer and fans have been waiting several years for his cd.

This is one that comes up a lot which is the only reason I am mentioning it. “Are Keith Harkin and Ruth O’Leary dating?”. This is clearly in the private life not professional life category and is not something we will address here. Frankly, we don’t care. It is all about the music for us and both of them do a great job in the Celtic Thunder show. That is all that matters to music fans.

If you have a question not answered here feel free to contact us through the CONTACT US link in the upper right hand corner of the page and we will try to answer them for you.

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It should be noted that this is not a concert and Celtic Thunder is not a group. It is a show more akin to Riverdance than a concert performed by singing groups you may be more used to. You can catch bits of the show they will be touring on PBS this month. They will also be adding Irish songs to the first act which, I have to admit, appeals to me much more than their tribute to music throughout the 20th century that is apparently the idea behind It’s Entertainment According to the cast members who were doing promos at my PBS station last week, the Irish songs they will be doing will be released on cd before the tour.

Celtic Thunder will appear on QVC’s St Patrick’s Day special which begins just after midnight March 16 and runs till midnight March 17 so you can catch them several times throughout the day there. They will be providing a musical interlude between all the merino sweaters and Connemara Marble. Their cds and dvds will most likely be for sale also.

See updated schedule here

Sep 24, 2010 — (City not listed on their website) Casino Rama
Sep 25, 2010 — Buffalo, NY Shea’s
Sep 28, 2010 — Baltimore, MD Hippodrome
Sep 29, 2010 — Pittsburgh, PA Benedum Center
Oct 1, 2010 — New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall
Oct 2, 2010 — Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre
Oct 3, 2010 — Hartford, CT Mortensen Center
Oct 4, 2010 — Manchester, NH Verizon Arena
Oct 6, 2010 — Springfield, MA Symphony Hall
Oct 8, 2010 — West Point, NY West Point Academy
Oct 9, 2010 — Boston, MA Citi PerformingArts Center
Oct 10, 2010 — Reading, PA Sovereign Center
Oct 13, 2010 — Hershey, PA Hershey Theater
Oct 14, 2010 — Wilkes-Barre, PA Kirby Theater
Oct 16, 2010 — Norfolk, VA Chrysler Theater
Oct 17, 2010 — Roanoke, VA Roanoke Civic Center
Oct 19, 2010 — Indianapolis, IN Murat Theater
Oct 21, 2010 — Kansas City, MO Independence Events Center
Oct 22, 2010 — St. Louis, MO Fox Theater
Oct 23, 2010 — Chicago, IL Chicago Theater
Oct 24, 2010 — Minneapolis, MN State Theater
Oct 26, 2010 — Denver, CO First Bank Center
Oct 28, 2010 — San Francisco, CA Warfield Theater
Oct 29, 2010 — Eugene, OR Hult Center
Oct 30, 2010 — Everett, WA (Seattle) Comcast Arena
Nov 1, 2010 — Portland, OR Theater Of The Clouds
Nov 2, 2010 — Spokane, WA INB Theater
Nov 4, 2010 — Sacramento, CA Memorial Auditorium
Nov 5, 2010 — San Diego, CA San Diego Civic Center
Nov 6, 2010 — Anaheim, CA The Grove
Nov 7, 2010 — Anaheim, CA The Grove
Nov 7, 2010 — Anaheim, CA The Grove (Matinee)
Nov 8, 2010 — Thousand Oaks, CA Fred Cavali Theater
Nov 10, 2010 — Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theater
Nov 12, 2010 — Dallas, TX Nokia Theater
Nov 13, 2010 — Houston, TX Verizon
Nov 14, 2010 — Fort Smith, AK Arkansas Best PAC
Nov 17, 2010 — Durham, NC Durham PAC
Nov 20, 2010 — Atlanta GA Fox Theater
Nov 21, 2010 — Jacksonville, FL Fox Theater
Nov 23, 2010 — Clearwater FL Ruth Eckard Hall

The above dates are the ones on their official website which is not always completely up to date. I have seen other cities on other lists and at PBS station websites so they may be added to this schedule in the future. I will update as needed.

Celtic Thunder Website Tour Page

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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.

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This is their third North American tour. The second time touring Take Me Home, which is their 3rd cd. They have made a few national appearances like the the Today Show and the NYC St Patrick’s Day parade but have been shown mostly on PBS. I keep hoping they will do more national tv so the rest of America can discover them. The show is actually a good time and not as formal as you might expect because of their association with PBS. The word Celtic in the show title refers to their countries of origin. It does not mean it is all classic Celtic music. They have a variety of songs in the show including an original number written by one of the members, Keith Harkin. There are also covers of more familiar tunes that we all know and love.

They are in Minneapolis tonight and Chicago tomorrow night. The tour continues into November as follows:

11/1/09 – Detriot, MI
11/2/09 – South Bend, IN
11/3/09 – St. Lousi, MO
11/5/09 – Denver, CO
11/7/09 – Sand Diego, CA
11/8/09 – Los Angeles, CA
11/10/09 – Seattle, WA
11/11/09 – Seattle, WA
11/12/09 – Portland, OR
11/16/09 – Grand Prairie, TX
11/17/09 – Houston, TX
11/18/09 – Little Rock, AR
11/19/09 – Nashville, TN
11/21/09 – Orlando, FL

Tickets for most shows can be purchased through ticketmaster but you can check here for more details.

You can see a sample of the show here

MP3 downloads also available at Amazon and ITunes.

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Keith is currently touring the US with the show Celtic Thunder. He is most definitely a talent to watch.  He also has a website keithharkin.com where you can learn more about him.

Congratulations Keith! They say the first million is the hardest

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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.

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