Local Sports Calendar

They've been called the hottest Irish acoustic group on the planet and they are kicking off their U. S. tour at Eastern Illinois University's Doudna Fine Arts Center on Friday, February 19. Lunasa with special guest Tim O'Brien will perform at 7:30 p. m. in the Dvorak Concert Hall. Limited tickets are available now.

Lunasa is internationally acknowledged as being the finest traditional Irish instrumental outfit of recent times. They are renowned for their stunning shows and the superb musicianship of the members. The group has sold more than quarter of a million albums in the course of the band's career and boast an impressive catalouge of seven highly acclaimed and award-winning studio albums. Joining Lunasa during their North American tour will be West Virginia native and multi-instrumentalist Tim O'Brien.

Tim O'Brien has been a bandleader, songwriter, mentor, instrumentalist and vocalist, whose talents have impacted the careers of the Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks, Dierks Bentley, Kathy Mattea, among others. He has recorded with Steve Martin, the Chieftains and innumerable others. Most recently O'Brien has been performing before capacity crowds in the band of Mark Knopfler, who described O'Brien as "a master of American folk music, Irish music, Scottish music - it doesn't mater: a fine songwriter and one of the my favorite singers." Lunasa's inventive arrangements and bass driven grooves have steered Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory. Their recordings have been hailed as some of the best and most important world music albums anywhere, and their passion has brought them to the forefront of Celtic music. They have performed over 1,500 shows across 36 countries since the band formed in 1997. The band has appeared at internationally renowned venues such as The Hollywood Bowl, National Concert Hall (Dublin), Sydney Opera House and Moscow International House of Music. They have been invited to appear at the White House. Lunasa is composed of Kevin Crawford (flutes, low whistles and tin whistles), Trevor Hutchinson (double bass), Ed Boyd (guitar), Sean Smyth (fiddle and low whistle) and Cillian Vallely (uilleann pipes and low whistles).

The name of the group, Lunasa, is named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts. Folk Roots magazine refers to them as an "Irish music dream team." Tickets for the Lunasa and Tim O'Brien performance $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors (62+), $7 for students and can be purchased online at www.eiu.edu/doudna or at the Doudna Fine Arts Center Box Office. Box Office hours are Tuesday through Thursday 11:30 a. m. to 5:30 p. m., Friday 11:30 a. m. to 2:30 p. m., and one hour prior to the scheduled performance.The Doudna Fine Arts Center is located at 1860 South 7th Street in Charleston on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. Convenient free parking is located near the fine arts center. To arrange accommodations for those needing special assistance, contact Doudna Fine Arts Patron Services at 217-581-3110 or doudnatix@eiu.edu.