Solas

No strangers to the Cedar stage, the brilliant musicians of Irish-American band Solas return! The group has brought their Shamrock City project to a successful conclusion, with a new album to be released Feb 5, 2013.

Shamrock City tells the story of Butte, MT, a mining town at the turn of the 20th century, as seen through the eyes of an Irish immigrant and Seamus' great-great uncle, Michael Conway. In 1910 he sailed from Cobh, Co. Cork in Ireland to Philadelphia and then made his way to Butte to work in the copper mines. Six years later, at the young age of 25, he was dead from a blow to the head. With audio recorded in Philadelphia and film footage in Butte, Shamrock City seeks to not only uncover the life and young death of Conway, but to also illuminate life as an immigrant during the Industrial Revolution.

Founders Seamus Egan (flute, tenor banjo, mandolin, whistle, guitar and bodhran), and Winifred Horan (fiddle) will be joined by Mick McAuley from Kilkenny (accordion and concertina), Eamon McElholm from Tyrone (guitar and keyboards), and the group's newest member, vocalist Niamh Varian-Barry.