Celtic Thunder returns to Capitol Center
By Michael Witthaus
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At an upcoming show in downtown Concord, Celtic Thunder will feature several selections from Odyssey, an album they released last year along with a PBS special. The group’s lead singer, tenor Emmet Cahill, called the record a return to their roots in a recent phone interview.
“We have those traditional, very patriotic songs that tell the story of the foundation of the Irish state back in the early 1900s,” he said. “People are very passionate about that historical side to Ireland … it’s given us so much of our identity. We pay homage to the people who sacrificed everything for Irish independence, freedom and liberty.”
There are always fun moments, Cahill continued. One of his favorites on the new album is “The Wellerman,” a lively sea shanty that’s gone viral. “It’s about 30 million views now,” he said. “That song’s brought in a whole new audience for us, people who maybe wouldn’t have known about Celtic Thunder before and absolutely love that. It’s a bit of a hook; once it gets into your head, it’s there.”
One of the hallmarks of a Celtic Thunder concert is staying upbeat even if songs sometimes touch on somber topics; for example, “City of Chicago” is about the potato famine.
“There are serious moments, but it’s a fun experience,” he said. “There’s people singing along, and we’re keeping our old classics like ‘Caledonia,’ ‘Ireland’s Call’ and ‘Heartland.’ All the ones that fans from the very start will always expect to hear.”
The onstage banter between Cahill, Neil Byrne, Damian McGinty and Ronan Scolard is another perennial highlight.
“The nice thing about being in Celtic Thunder is that we go out and we’re just ourselves,” Cahill said. “We’re guys who grew up in Ireland telling these stories and we’re having fun doing it. I think that’s what people like, the realness of the show.”
Cahill spoke from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where the group had just performed. They’d also sung the national anthem at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Monday Night Football game. After shows in New Jersey and New York, the group would be heading to New England, and he was looking forward to it.
“New Hampshire, Massachusetts, the big Boston Irish communities, even when we go out to places like Maine, I think Irish people feel very at home there,” he said. “I always find in the Northeast that the humor is very similar to the Irish, dark and funny. I also like their straight talk … people just tell you what they’re thinking, or what they think of you.”
Celtic Thunder has performed multiple times at Concord’s Capitol Center, most recently in 2021. A Nov. 10 show there will be their last in the U.S., with five shows in Canada following to close out a tour that commenced in early September. Cahill won’t be slowing down, however. Two weeks later he’ll hit the road for Florida, Texas and California.
He’s made a couple of Christmas albums, and the season is always busy.
“I’ve carved a little bit of a niche out for myself in the faith communities in America, which has been great because it’s kind of where I came from,” he said. “My dad was a music minister in our church, and I was always singing that type of music as well as the Irish folk songs. They were the two genres that were ever present in our house in Ireland.”
With a majority of their shows happening stateside, Cahill recognizes the close Irish/American connection but believes there’s more to explain why fans regularly flock to see them.
“I think we’re pretty fun people to hang out with, we’re pretty lighthearted, we’re welcoming and embrace other cultures,” he said. “People want to be in on the act, which is what we get at our shows. It’s not predominantly Irish Americans who come … I think it’s the general American public who say, ‘Oh, this is just a really enjoyable night out.’”
Celtic Thunder Odyssey
When: Sunday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m.
Where: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord
Tickets: $60.75 and up at ccanh.com
Featured photo: Celtic Thunder. Courtesy photo.
