1. Makem& Spain Brothers
Mark your calendars for Friday, August 23rd at 8:00pm when the ICC welcomes Makem & Spain
Brothers to play some live Irish folk music. A powerful force in folk music today, the band
utilizes signature vocals along with various instrumentals to create a precise set of three-part
harmonies, which makes them stand out in folk music with their own unique style. Being
international stars, Makem & Spain Brothers has played all over the world from Canada to
Texas, California to the Caribbean and their native country of Ireland. The band has released
four CD’s to date: Up the Stairs, Home Away from Home, Live, and Like Others Did Before Us.
Before partnering up with the Spain Brothers, the Makem Brothers released two albums on their
own: Stand Together and Who Fears to Speak. The Spain brothers have one album exclusive to
them: Fields to the Stones. Home Away from Home can be found on DVD, as well as the
Makem Brothers- Live in Concert. Once referred to as the new kids on the block, Brothers have
been honing their craft for almost two decades now doing international performances and can
now call themselves one of the most substantial and road-tested Irish vocal groups of all.
Conor and Rory, the Makem Brothers, were born in Drogheda, County Louth, which is about an
hour north of Dublin. Their grandmother, Sarah, and father, Tommy, were instrumental in the
dynasty of Irish music and are largely responsible for its international success. Sarah, because of
her store of traditional Irish songs, was often sought after by song collectors. Tommy, now
considered an icon as he modern day Bard of Armagh (a title in which there is a famous ballad
dedicated to), was instrumental in bringing Irish music into the international spotlight, where it
has achieved much success to this point in time. Also susceptible to Irish music through their
father at an early age, the Spain brothers, Mickey and Liam, were a perfect match for the Makem
brothers due to their backgrounds along with the combination of baritone vocals and mastery of
stringed instruments; the four instantly knew there was undeniable chemistry here and wasted
little time in combining their talents. Together, the two sets of brothers tell the heartfelt tale of
past Irish struggles, which have been extremely harsh but not enough to break the culture.
Makem & Spain Brothers will continue to make certain that Irish folk remains significant in the
21st century. They are not only essential to Irish folk music, but Irish culture as a whole. They
promote the story of Ireland and its people along with the culture itself, moving it forward and
keeping it living; this is precisely what Irish culture thrives off of in order to carry on tradition.
Stop by to hear an exclusive show unlike any other Irish folk music you will hear and support the
heritage!