MAKEM & SPAIN / CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
Every generation has a few acts that define where a musical genre is going; performers so confident in their chosen field that they are able to completely embrace the genre and yet introduce something new to it. In Irish folk music today, that act is Makem and Spain. On Thursday, July 30, the band comes to Boothbay Harbor to perform at the Opera House.
Not in the past 30 years has a group taken the international stage with such vocal power and stage presence, capturing the essence of their genre, while standing out as something truly unique. A host of various instruments and three male vocals, using precise three-part harmonies blend perfectly for what many have described as a wall of sound. Makem and Spain are at their best, live, onstage where their talent and enthusiasm draw in fans.
They were once considered the new kids on the block, but have honed their craft over nearly two decades of international performances and are now one of the truly stalwart, road-tested Irish vocal groups touring the U.S. They have played before millions of people from Canada to Texas, from California to the Caribbean and in Ireland, highlighting national PBS specials and popular Irish talk shows along the way.
Rory Makem was born in Drogheda, County Louth, about an hour north of Dublin. He continues the lineage of one of Irish music’s dynasties, begun by his grandmother Sarah Makem, who was sought after by song collectors for her store of traditional
Irish songs. His father, Tommy Makem, was the modern day Bard of Armagh. Now considered an icon, he helped to bring Irish music out of the corner and into the international spotlight, where it has remained ever since.
Mickey and Liam Spain learned Irish songs at their father’s knee. Mickey’s rich, baritone voice and Liam’s mastery of stringed instruments quickly found a home when Rory met the Spains and they realized the power of their combined talents.
Folk songs are engrained in both families and their songwriting contains the timeless qualities of folk classics, songs of the worker, songs of the sea and Irish culture. They tell the tale of Ireland and its people.
Tickets are available through the Opera House box office at 86 Townsend Avenue, or by calling 633-5159. Advance purchase tickets are $20. On the day of the show tickets are $25. Doors for seating open at 7 p.m. and Makem & Spain go onstage at 7:30 p.m.
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