John Byrne Band to perform Celtic music at Sparta Summer Concert Series

Celtic music returns to the Sparta Summer Concert Series on Friday, Aug. 13, with a performance by The John Byrne Band.

The band is led by Dublin native John Byrne. Their debut album, After the Wake, was released to critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic in 2011. With influences ranging from Tom Waits to Planxty, Byrne’s songwriting expands upon the musical and lyrical traditions of his native and adopted homes.

Byrne and the band followed up with Celtic/Folk, an album of Celtic and American traditional tunes that pushed the band on to the FolkDJ charts in 2015. A third collection of John Byrne originals, The Immigrant and the Orphan, draws heavily on Byrne’s love of Americana and Celtic folk music. Critics have called it “a powerful, deeply moving work that will stay with you long after you have heard it.”

Byrne has toured with or opened up for acts as diverse as The Hothouse Flowers, Ian Gillan (of Deep Purple), Gaelic Storm, Murder by Death, Finbar Furey, Luka Bloom, The Saw Doctors, The Solas, Sharon Shannon, The Young Dubliners and The Greencards.

Opening the evening are Adam & Howard, a duo that covers folk, rock, and blues tunes from the 1960s onwards. Adam Meyers has been playing guitar for nearly 50 years and is an accomplished blues and rock guitarist. Howard Burg is a harmonica player, combining a mainstream rock musical style with blue grass beats that he has honed over his long musical career. They harmonize to capture the power and beauty of the classic tunes they cover.

The concert is a rain-or-shine event, family-friendly, free performance. It begins at 7 p.m. at The Nicholson Pavilion in Dykstra Park, 22 Woodport Road, Sparta. Bring lawn chairs.

For more information visit spartaarts.org.