JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, March 16, 2006 6:00 pm
The Boys of the Lough are in the midst of their 64th U.S. tour, but tonight’s concert at the Lied Center for Performing Arts will be their first in Nebraska. The Celtic ensemble couldn’t have picked a better time for it — on St. Patrick’s Day.
Band member Dave Richardson said the date was coincidental, but the appearance in Nebraska is not.
“It’s great to finally arrive,” the musician from Northumberland said in a phone interview from a tour stop in Madison, Wis.
The Lincoln audience should be in for a treat. The Boys have performed their version of high-energy, traditional Irish and Scottish music long before anybody even heard of Michael Flatley.
The group is nearly 40 years old and has toured the United States regularly since 1972. The New York Times called the quintet “one of the finest bands in traditional Celtic music.”
The Boys are made up of Richardson, Cathal McConnell (Northern Ireland), Brendan Begley (Ireland), Malcolm Stitt (Scottish Highlands) and Kevin Henderson (Shetland Islands).
Founding member McConnell is considered one of the best flute and whistleplayers in the Irish tradition, as well as a respected singer.
Other traditional instruments played include the concertina, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, cittern, pennywhistle and button accordions.
The Boys punctuate their performances with their lively wit and humor.
Richardson, for instance, was a hoot during his phone interview. He talked about his first U.S. tour with the band in 1973.
“I remember it very well,” he said. “We had a station wagon. We thought it was great. It was this great big American car.
“You have to remember we were working class back home in Europe and couldn’t afford anything like this,” he added. “This car had electrical windows, four speakers with the radio and a V8 engine. It was so exciting.”
Even 30-plus years later, Richardson gets excited about traversing the U.S. interstates and highways. He hopes to see the sandhill cranes as the band crosses Nebraska.
“That would be a thrill,” he said.
As for the Boys, Richardson said each musician grew up in a distinctly individual tradition, yet they all share a common vision — it’s all about the music.
“We’re not market-driven,” Richardson said. “We play for the love of music.”
Yes, he said, economics dictates some marketing. The group, after all, has nearly 20 CDs to its credit. But CD sales, concert dates, etc., allow them to stay true to their roots and keep playing the music they grew up playing in village halls and town pubs.
“We’ve never sat down and figured out a way to make loads and loads of money because we don’t want to lose touch with who we are or where we came from,” Richardson said.
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.