Orono, ME

Piscataquis Observer

Ivers gives superb performance at Maine Center for the Arts

ORONO - Hardly anyone sat still as Eileen Ivers and her band brought the sounds of Ireland and other far away places to the Maine Center for the Arts on Jan. 27.

Thoughout the evening the audience encouraged the band on as they joined in clapping and singing. Ivers and her band received three standing ovations.

Despite technical difficulties that even forced Ivers to return her signature blue fiddle to its stand, the band played on and proved to the audience that they could still pull off a fabulous evening.

With the help of guitarist James Reilly, Bakithi Kumalo on the bass, vocalist Tommy McDonnell, Jerry O'Sullivan on the uilleann pipes and flute, percussionist Emedin Rivera and dancer Tarik Winston, the band kept the evening alive and exciting with their variations of Irish, South African and Latin style music.

With a resume that includes working with Riverdance, four solo compact discs that include "Back to Titanic" with the London Symphony Orchestra and working with people like Paula Kole and Hall and Oates, Ivers brought her style along with her incredible talent to Maine for the first time.

So far, her career in music has spanned the last 30 years.

The very young to the very old filled the seats at MCA for her performance and all were awed by the performance.

Ivers and her band started the evening off with "Flowing Tide" which set the tone for the rest of the evening.

"Islanders," her fourth song in the set was about the Island of Montserat in Caribbean where there were remnants of Irish culture.

"It is a real paradise," Ivers told the crowd.  "An Ireland with great weather. There are great memories with the visit."

Ivers described the song as an Irish Caribbean vibe.

The next piece, "Black is the Color." had a rather desert flair to it, including animal sounds and sounds of the Indian chants. It made one feel as though they were high in the hills or deep in the desert plain.

When the technical difficulties began to show Ivers picked up her other fiddle and jumped back into the song, continuing just as smoothly as if the entire thing had been planned.

The song "Bygone Days" was about memories. Ivers explained to the audience that she and her older sister, Maureen, would travel to Ireland every summer for vacation where they had the opportunity to get to know their relative. Recently,  she has built a home on her father's land.

"This a tune for those memories," she said. The sweet, beautiful sounds were dedicated to her parents.

An African/Irish jig they later played was dedicated to peace.

"Gentle Breeze," was in the memory of Frankie Kennedy, a friend of Ivers who lived a tragically short life, she said. The song was a traditional tune which she fell in love with after hearing it played on the flute.

"It is more personal than dance - it is so innovative," she said after the concert.

During the final song in the performance, "Will the Circle be Unbroken," the audience was not only moving, but they were singing along, whether or not they knew the words.

Ivers was as warm off the stage as she was on. During the performance,  she was giving as she openly shared the cheers from the audience with her band. After the performance, she took time to sign autographs for fans and remained for the very last one.

The performance included songs from her latest CD on the Sony label, "Crossing the Bridge," which sold out during the intermission. The band is currently working on their next album.

During the evening many thoughts went through her mind.

"After the first set, the audience was warm and responsive," she said. Despite the distractions with the technical problems, Ivers remained connected with the crowd. While the audience might have felt the frustration, she said at the end of the evening she received the "warmest standing - it was the coolest thing. The is the best job."

Ivers enjoys meeting people after her concerts and hearing how they were moved by her performance. "I can't wait to come back."

Winston was incredible as he came out to the floor a few times during the evening to dance to some of the songs in the set. The audience was delighted when he performed some steps from his days with "Riverdance."

All the band members did well and came together during thhe rockier times of the evening. The audience either did not notice or did not care, because the evening was still fascinating and the audience was hopping.

Ivers' fans eagerly await for her return.