Any Binghamton resident or student is used to the erratic weather: dark cloudy days, temperature fluctuations and snow in October are just the tip of the iceberg. But a new type of storm recently hit town in the form of five men, aged roughly between 16 and 40, known worldwide as Celtic Thunder.
The Irish singing sensation, comprised of Damian McGinty, Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly, Paul Byrom and George Donaldson, started its 50-city U.S. tour on Friday, Oct. 3, at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in front of a packed audience.
Formed by producer Sharon Browne and songwriter/composer Phil Coulter, Celtic Thunder began their U.S. invasion after appearing on PBS during two pledge drive periods. Their special was viewed by over 5 million people and aired over 1,200 times during March and June. This past September, Celtic Thunder released “Celtic Thunder: Act Two,” the follow-up to their first CD, “Celtic Thunder.” The first album reached No. 1 on the Billboard World Music chart.
Moody sets complete with rocks, boats and smoke machines set the stage for a truly entertaining night of music. The guys of Celtic Thunder wowed the Binghamton audience with a mix of original songs like “Lauren and I,” sung by Harkin, as well as several cover songs including “Puppy Love,” sung by McGinty, and group performances of classics like “Caledonia” and “Danny Boy.”
Celtic Thunder will be performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Oct. 7 and 8, and will also be hitting two more New York locations. For more information, visit www.celticthunder.ie.