The band is celebrating its 30th anniversary
Solas, the acclaimed Irish- American folk band, takes the stage at The Birchmere on April 6 as part of the band’s 30th Anniversary Tour.
The Birchmere concert is extra special as Solas hasn’t played together for eight years and only reunited recently to tour. Original members Seamus Egan (flute, tenor banjo, nylon guitar, whistles, mandolin), John Williams (button accordion, concertina), and Winifred Horan (fiddle) will be back, along with Nuala Kennedy (vocals, flute) and Alan Murray (guitar, bouzouki, vocals).
With a rich history spanning three decades, Solas has redefined traditional Irish music for a new generation, and this special concert promises to celebrate that incredible journey.
“We’re back together after a long hiatus, and it also happens to coincide with our 30th year as a band,” Egan said. “We just finished a five-week tour, and one of the things we thought it would be fun to do is go back to the beginning of the band in terms of material and looking at songs that we recorded on those first albums that we haven’t played in a really long time.”
Since forming in the mid-’90s, Solas has captivated audiences across the globe with its unique blend of traditional Irish melodies and contemporary influences. Known for lively performances and masterful musicianship, the band combines the talents of exceptional musicians, creating a sound that continues to evolve while honoring its roots.
At the show, fans can expect an electrifying setlist filled with beloved classics and fresh, original compositions that showcase the band’s versatility and passion for storytelling through music.
“It’s been great fun for us because when you’ve been this far down the road from material and come back to it, you do so as a very different person,” Egan said. “A lot of the stuff feels new, and we can bring our experience to it. The reaction from the audience has been really wonderful so far.”
It was back in 2017 when Solas decided to call it quits. The band had finished a tour for its 20th anniversary and had toured every year for nearly two decades.
“It felt like it was time to hit pause,” Egan said. “We didn’t commit to any plan. We never said it was final, and we left open the possibility that we would come back. We just needed to not be on the road for a while.”
The members of Solas went their separate ways, and their lives went in different directions, but Egan always felt like there would be something to trigger a reunion.
“Over the last year or so, I was questioning whether or not it was time to call around to everyone and see if they wanted to gather again,” he said. “Our first date back was in February, and we played all over through mid-March. Now, we’re on our second leg and are really looking forward to being back at the Birchmere.”
Solas released a new live album earlier this year, which contributed to the spark of the tour. It’s a compilation of past recordings that Solas had recorded and that Egan had stored on his hard drive.
“The performances had a great energy to them, and sometimes, it’s hard to get that same energy in the studio,” he said. “I took a bunch of these tracks, pulled from concerts over an 18-year-period, and created a live concert. It also includes a lot of people who at one point were in the band, so it’s a nice snapshot of the band’s history.”
Egan admits he missed performing live and wasn’t sure he would be back in front of people playing.
“We live in a very ephemeral world these days, and we didn’t know if there would be an appetite from our fans to come out and see us again,” he said. “But right from the get-go, there was a degree of enthusiasm that I don’t remember ever experiencing. That was very gratifying.”
The Birchmere show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35. For more information, visit birchmere.com.