The Elders
Encyclopedia
The Elders are a six-piece Irish American
folk rock
band, that formed in Kansas City, Missouri
.
The band has released six studio albums, The Elders
, Pass It on Down
, American Wake
, Racing the Tide
, Gael Day and Wanderin' Life & Times, as well as three live albums "The Best Crowd We Ever Had
", "Live at the Gem
" and "Alive and Live in Ireland" and one compilation album, "The Best of The Elders Volume 1" which includes some live tracks. They have toured in the United States
, Ireland
, and Europe
, drawing faithful crowds and earning new fans wherever they go.
's County Wicklow
, the band also consists of guitarist Steve Phillips (formerly of The Rainmakers), bassist Norm Dahlor (formerly of Tommy Shaw Band), violinist Brent Hoad, drummer Tommy Sutherland, and keyboardist Joe Miquelon (formerly of Asleep at the Wheel). All are veteran musicians who have played in numerous recording and touring bands before forming The Elders.
They have played festivals, pubs and theaters across the United States, Ireland and other parts of Europe. The band has been a headline performer at festivals in Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Denver and Dublin (OH) and in secondary markets in the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest.
The Elders' songs have been played on more than 120 U.S. radio stations and have been featured live on Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour. Their "Live at the Gem" concert show was broadcast on more than 100 PBS stations.
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band, that formed in Kansas City, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
The band has released six studio albums, The Elders
The Elders (album)
The Elders is the self-titled first album of the Celtic rock band from Kansas City, Missouri.- Track listing :# "1849" - 4:09# "It'll Be All Right" - 3:31# "Turning Point" - 3:13# "Jailhouse County Fife" - 3:57# "Molly McGuire" - 3:32...
, Pass It on Down
Pass It on Down (The Elders album)
Pass It on Down is second studio album by The Elders, a Celtic rock band from Kansas City, Missouri.- Track listing :# "Packy Go Home" - 5:59# "Fire in the Hole" - 4:01# "Green and Gold" - 3:11# "Love of the Century" - 5:07# "Buzzz's Jig" - 3:49...
, American Wake
American Wake
American Wake is the third album by Kansas City Celtic rock band The Elders.- Track listing :# "Moore St. Girls"# "Hardline"# "American Wake"# "St. Kevin"# "Men of Erin"# "Big Box Dinny"# "Nation of Love"# "Turnpike"# "Ballymun Road"...
, Racing the Tide
Racing the Tide
Racing the Tide is the fourth studio album by The Elders, released in 2006.- Track listing :# "Send a Prayer" – 4:55# "Bad Irish Boy – 3:47# "Dear God" – 3:41# "Cousin Charlie" – 3:29# "Right with the World" – 3:26# "Racing the Tide" – 4:00...
, Gael Day and Wanderin' Life & Times, as well as three live albums "The Best Crowd We Ever Had
The Best Crowd We Ever Had
- Track listing :# "The Best Crowd We Ever Had" - 0:33# "1849" - 4:44# "Packy Go Home" - 5:31# "Fire in the Hole" - 4:34# "Moore Street Girls" - 3:51# "Message from the Battle Zone" - 4:23# "Saint Kevin" - 4:27# "True Believer" - 4:08# "Men of Erin" - 3:26...
", "Live at the Gem
Live at the Gem
Live at the Gem is The Elders' second live album recorded at a 2005 concert at The Gem Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. The concert was filmed and released on DVD and is occasionally broadcast on PBS affiliates.- Track listing :# "Michael's Ride" - 3:00...
" and "Alive and Live in Ireland" and one compilation album, "The Best of The Elders Volume 1" which includes some live tracks. They have toured in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, drawing faithful crowds and earning new fans wherever they go.
Current members
- Ian Byrne – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, bodhránBodhránThe bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Norm Dahlor – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Brent Hoad – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Joe Miquelon – keyboards
- Steve Phillips – guitar, mandolin, vocals
- Tommy Sutherland – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion
Former members
- Michael Bliss – vocals, bass
- Tommy DwyerTommy DwyerTommy Dwyer is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Ferns St.Aidan's and has been a member of the Wexford senior hurling team since 2008.-References:...
– drums - Randy Riga – accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
- Brett Gibson – accordion
Biography
Since forming in 1998, The Elders have released five studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album and a DVD. The Elders are fronted by Ian Byrne, a native of IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
's County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the band also consists of guitarist Steve Phillips (formerly of The Rainmakers), bassist Norm Dahlor (formerly of Tommy Shaw Band), violinist Brent Hoad, drummer Tommy Sutherland, and keyboardist Joe Miquelon (formerly of Asleep at the Wheel). All are veteran musicians who have played in numerous recording and touring bands before forming The Elders.
They have played festivals, pubs and theaters across the United States, Ireland and other parts of Europe. The band has been a headline performer at festivals in Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Denver and Dublin (OH) and in secondary markets in the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest.
The Elders' songs have been played on more than 120 U.S. radio stations and have been featured live on Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour. Their "Live at the Gem" concert show was broadcast on more than 100 PBS stations.
Discography
- The EldersThe Elders (album)The Elders is the self-titled first album of the Celtic rock band from Kansas City, Missouri.- Track listing :# "1849" - 4:09# "It'll Be All Right" - 3:31# "Turning Point" - 3:13# "Jailhouse County Fife" - 3:57# "Molly McGuire" - 3:32...
(2000) - Pass It on DownPass It on Down (The Elders album)Pass It on Down is second studio album by The Elders, a Celtic rock band from Kansas City, Missouri.- Track listing :# "Packy Go Home" - 5:59# "Fire in the Hole" - 4:01# "Green and Gold" - 3:11# "Love of the Century" - 5:07# "Buzzz's Jig" - 3:49...
(2002) - American WakeAmerican WakeAmerican Wake is the third album by Kansas City Celtic rock band The Elders.- Track listing :# "Moore St. Girls"# "Hardline"# "American Wake"# "St. Kevin"# "Men of Erin"# "Big Box Dinny"# "Nation of Love"# "Turnpike"# "Ballymun Road"...
(2004) - The Best Crowd We Ever HadThe Best Crowd We Ever Had- Track listing :# "The Best Crowd We Ever Had" - 0:33# "1849" - 4:44# "Packy Go Home" - 5:31# "Fire in the Hole" - 4:34# "Moore Street Girls" - 3:51# "Message from the Battle Zone" - 4:23# "Saint Kevin" - 4:27# "True Believer" - 4:08# "Men of Erin" - 3:26...
(2004) - Live at the GemLive at the GemLive at the Gem is The Elders' second live album recorded at a 2005 concert at The Gem Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. The concert was filmed and released on DVD and is occasionally broadcast on PBS affiliates.- Track listing :# "Michael's Ride" - 3:00...
(2005) - Racing the TideRacing the TideRacing the Tide is the fourth studio album by The Elders, released in 2006.- Track listing :# "Send a Prayer" – 4:55# "Bad Irish Boy – 3:47# "Dear God" – 3:41# "Cousin Charlie" – 3:29# "Right with the World" – 3:26# "Racing the Tide" – 4:00...
(2006) - Alive and Live in Ireland (2007)
- Gael Day (2009)
- The Best of The Elders Volume 1 (2010)
- Wanderin' Life & Times (2011)
External links
- The Elders official website
- The Elders on Facebook.com
- The Elders on MySpace.com
- Read Reviews for the album Gael Day
- Celt In A Twist podcast that often features The Elders
- PaddyRock voted Racing the TideRacing the TideRacing the Tide is the fourth studio album by The Elders, released in 2006.- Track listing :# "Send a Prayer" – 4:55# "Bad Irish Boy – 3:47# "Dear God" – 3:41# "Cousin Charlie" – 3:29# "Right with the World" – 3:26# "Racing the Tide" – 4:00...
their top album of 2006 - Review by the Kansas City Star