As the Durango Celtic Festival reaches its toddler years, it’s continuing to grow in numbers and talent.
Ticket sales continue to increase, and a buzz among the Celtic community continues to aid its lineup.
Now in its third year, the festival has locked in a major headliner along with a number of regional and local acts. Joining bands The Knockabouts, Kitchen Jam Band, Patrick’s Crossing, Truckely How, MacCluskey/Wolf Duo, Shotgun Sallies, Makhbeth, Big’Ns and the Westwind Pipes & Drums will be Celtic band Runa.
Runa is a feather in the cap for a relatively new festival; the East Coast-based quintet was recognized as top group and top traditional group at the 2013 Irish Music Awards.
They are Shannon Lambert-Ryan on vocals, bodhran and step-dancing, Fionán de Barra on guitar and vocals, Cheryl Prashker on percussion, Maggie Estes on fiddle and Dave Curley on mandolin, banjo, vocals and step dancing. Lambert-Ryan also was nominated for best female vocalist at the 2012 and 2013 Independent Music Awards.
The band formed in 2008 as a side project for Lambert-Ryan and de Barra. They existed as a duo, added Prashker on percussion and eventually grew into a quintet.
Along the way, they’ve played with traditional Celtic music, while exploring other genres that have influenced – and been influenced by – Celtic music.
“We like to describe the band as Celtic roots music, so that it’s really stemming off all thing Celtic, the heart of the music is both Irish and Scottish traditional music, but then it branches off in all directions,” Lambert-Ryan said in a recent phone interview. “The bluegrass and Americana side is our most recent exploration – we’ve been having a great time and a lot of fun playing around with it.”
There’s also historical exploration. The movement of Celtic music to America and beyond is a history as rich as the story of each Irish and Scottish immigrant who made their way to America centuries ago.
“It’s not just enough to play the songs, its something to know where the music comes from and where it’s going. You’re a constant student,” Lambert-Ryan said. “I don’t know how much the listener realizes how much research goes into choosing the songs we’re going to play. Not just the choices in songs and tunes to play, but how we play them.”
Liggett_b@fortlewis.edu. Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager.
Bryant’s best
Friday-Sunday: Durango Celtic Festival with Runa, The Knockabouts and more. $25 Friday only/$35 Saturday only, $45 weekend pass. Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave., 375-7160, durangocelticfestival@gmail.com
Saturday: Folk music with The Wailin’ Jenny’s, 7:30 p.m. $29/$34/$42. Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive, 247-7657.
