PRAx & the Corvallis Folklore Society Present: Lúnasa

Lúnasa, Music at Oregon State University, and Corvallis Folklore Society

Wednesday, March 26, 2025 @ 7:00pm – 9:00pm (PDT)

Lynne Hallstrom Detrick Concert Hall at PRAx, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States

$30-$35 ($5 student)

Cillian Vallely, uilleann pipes & low whistle
Trevor Hutchinson, double bass
Kevin Crawford, flute
Ed Boyd, guitar
Seán Smyth, fiddle & whistles

Special opportunity! A new addition to the 24-25 season, Lúnasa is one of the most influential bands in the history of Irish traditional music and celebrates its twenty-seventh anniversary in 2024.

Named after an ancient Celtic harvest festival honoring the Irish god Lugh, the group that Folk Roots magazine once called an "Irish music dream team" was formed from members of some of Ireland's greatest bands. Lúnasa has sold over a million records, performed more than 2,000 shows across 36 countries, and collaborated with many notable artists outside the tradition. From the start, the band's complex arrangements and unique sound reshaped the boundaries of traditional music and energized audiences the world over. Twenty years on, the group continues to evolve, playing new music that is as state-of-the-art and aggressively infectious today as it was so long ago.

This concert is a benefit for the Corvallis Celtic Festival.

About Lúnasa

Formed in 1997, Lúnasa has long been one of contemporary Irish music's leading voices. Named after an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honour of the Irish god Lugh, the group that Folk Roots magazine once called an "Irish music dream team" was formed from members of some of Ireland’s greatest bands and over the years has proven its mettle time and again, having sold over a quarter of a million records, and collaborated with notable artists outside the tradition such as Natalie Merchant and Mary-Chapin Carpenter. They have performed more than 2,000 shows across 36 countries including high-profile concert venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, National Concert Hall (Dublin), and Paris Bercy, and many of the leading festivals such as Glastonbury, Womadelaide, and Edmonton.

From the start, the band's complex arrangements and unique sound reshaped the boundaries of traditional music and energized audiences the world over. Critical acclaim followed, The Irish Echo describing the band as the "the hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet;" MOJO magazine named the band "the new gods of Irish music,” adding that "nobody since the Bothies has wielded such a thrilling rhythmic underlay." Billboard raved that "anybody who listens can’t help but find them contagious."

Lunasa's current lineup includes Trevor Hutchinson, who achieved fame as the bassist with the The Waterboys; uilleann piper Cillian Vallely, who toured with Riverdance and recorded with Bruce Springsteen; Kevin Crawford, widely considered one of Ireland's greatest flute players; award-winning ﬁddler Colin Farrell, who has performed with Project West, Grada, and Michael McGoldrick; and guitarist Ed Boyd, known on the UK folk circuit for his work with bands such as Flook, Kate Rusby, and Cara Dillon.

https://www.lunasamusic.com/

About Seán Smyth, fiddle & whistles

Seán Smyth is an Irish musician from Strade, County Mayo, Ireland, where he is a national champion, having won senior titles on both Irish fiddle and tin whistle. He is perhaps best-known, however, for his years spent recording and performing with the band Lúnasa.