The Elders

"these guys really do play a style of music fused in a fashion no others have captured quite so well. The Elders are marrow deep in their unique art, and it's not only pleasing as hell, but infectious."
~Mark Tucker / Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange Jan 2007
- Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange

"Racing the Tide is a thrilling, pulsing, propulsive title tune to a fantastic Celtic-pop collection. These six Kansas City guys are a real find ... a band to shout from the rooftops about."

~Robert Oermann / MUSIC ROW Magazine Dec, 2006
- MUSIC ROW Magazine

"As local emperors of Celtic roots-rock, The Elders have developed a reputation for bristling live shows and, even better, for exceeding their lofty reputation.
"The Elders' Racing the Tide gets as close as possible to the atmosphere of their blissful live shows and the songwriting is better than ever." ~Tim Finn / KANSAS CITY STAR July, 2006
- Tim Finn

"The Elders romp and storm through their third album, American Wake. The raucous "Big Box Dinny" and jaunty "Moore St. Girls" offer familiar tales of modern Irish life, while "Hard Line" and the title track show that The Elders understand the social and political underpinnings of their Irish music heritage. The key to the band's success is in its flawless blending of the Celtic storytelling tradition with contemporary instrumentation and, perhaps more importantly, their ability to write original songs that sound as timeless and authentic as the ancient jigs and reels that have inspired them."
~Brian Baker / PASTE Magazine
- Brian Baker

"Upon my initial listen of 'Live at the Gem,' I decided to sit down with my music collection and consider when I last acquired an album that struck me so strongly. I spun the CD a second and third time, each time coming to the same conclusion as on the first listen. Next day, I hopped online and placed an order for all the band's CDs. The Elders possess a wondrous and authentic Irish sound and they did it right on this live effort."
~Ray Sidman / DISCOVERIES/ Krause Publications - Iola, Wisconsin
- DISCOVERIES

"The Elders' 'Best Crowd We Ever Had' is an up tempo, high-energy presentation. The songs are heavy on the time-honored themes of drinking, mining, getting lucky with the lasses, but they are clever and delivered with passion and fire, a solid 11.5 on the 'rollicking' end of a scale from 1 to 10."
~ Bill Cameron / The Humm / Almonte, ONTARIO

- Bill Cameron

THE ELDERS

The Plaza lighting ceremony on Thanksgiving. The Royals on opening day. Add the Elders on St. Patrick’s Day to the short list of Kansas City’s most beloved seasonal traditions.
The Celtic rock band’s fifth consecutive St. Patrick’s Day Hoolie packed the Uptown Theater. For many of the 1,700 in attendance, the event is less a concert than a ritualistic celebration. The Elders’ most devout adherents count on the Kansas City band to throw a life-affirming party. They didn’t disappoint.
“We’re half-dead, but this is the best night we’ll have in our lives,” vocalist Ian Byrne pledged as the band launched into the rousing “Packy Go Home.”
The six men in the Elders had good reason to be exhausted. They’d toured Ireland earlier in March and had just returned from a performance in Colorado.
Yet they’re named the Elders for good reason. Decades of combined experience have taught the band smart stagecraft, superb showmanship and taut professionalism. Their one hour and 50-minute show was well-paced and consistently entertaining.
Many superstar acts would envy the level of audience participation the Elders achieve on favorites like “Moore Street Girls.” Melodic anthems including “Gonna Take a Miracle” and “1849” also roused the audience. Four bagpipers joined the band on a moving rendition of “Men of Erin.” That nice touch provided the evening’s emotional anchor.
Since they’re far from a traditional Irish act, the Elders are at liberty to pick and choose from among the catchiest bits and pieces from both Irish and popular music. The result is a marriage of the heartland rock of John Mellencamp to the most engaging bits of the Chieftains and the Clancy Brothers.
This mongrelized approach may not fly with purists, but it thrilled their rabid fans in the Uptown. In fact, the Elders are the only active band based in Kansas City capable of filling the large venue.
All six Elders are gifted craftsmen. Brent Hoad’s fiddle work is particularly valuable. His staged duel with Steve Phillips’ versatile guitar on “Green and Gold” was remarkable. The enormous arena rock drumming of Tommy Sutherland also plays a key role in the Elders’ vitality.
The encore, a loose take on the Police’s “Message in a Bottle,” was a well-deserved victory lap.

Steve Paul, paul@kcstar.com | Timothy Finn, The Star | Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star

- Kansas City Star

“The Elders are simply the best contemporary Irish band in America! Beyond that, they are simply just a GREAT band!! See them live and you’ll understand why they have such a following everywhere they’ve played.”

~DOUG CLIFTON program director /KCUV radio Denver
- KCUV radio Denver

PADDY ROCK RADIO Review of RACING THE TIDE

The Elders
"Racing The Tide"
PubTone

"Racing The Tide" proves to me that The Elders have yet to produce a CD that has not been anything but excellent.
Great melodies, harmonies, musicianship, and song writing.... these are songs to dance to, drink to, sing along with, and remember for years to come. The Elders are on a short list of great Celtic-Rock acts from around the world that I would speak proudly of.
- PADDY ROCK RADIO

"The Elders music is far from common ... the lyrical and musical excellence of these songs will stick in your mind long after the final track has played."
~Ray Sidman / GOLDMINE Magazine Jan 2007
- Goldmine