Avourneen performs Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks

Members of one of Colorado’s most popular Celtic folk acts will perform one of Bob Dylan’s most enduring albums at one of Denver’s most storied venues. The Irish folk act Avourneen will perform a track-by-track recreation of “Blood on the Tracks,” a record that marked a creative pinnacle in Bob Dylan’s long and storied musical career, at Swallow Hill on November 3rd. The 1975 album features Dylan classics like “Tangled Up in Blue '' and “Shelter from the Storm,” and Avourneen’s live interpretation will mirror the sound and sonicstructure of the album.

This isn’t the first time that the band has tackled Dylan’s masterpiece; indeed, it’s become a tradition for the band since frontman Adam Goldstein began covering the album in coffee shops in 2013. In 2018, Goldstein joined a full band and played a sold-out performance at Denver’s historic Swallow Hill venue. The upcoming performance will feature the same expanded approach to the musical tribute, featuring Avourneen band members CL Morden on violin and keyboards and bassist Alice Alister, as well as guest musicians Christopher Rose on drums and Katie Burns on cello.

Since forming in 2014, Avourneen has rapidly gained a reputation as one of Colorado’s most active and accomplished Celtic acts. They’ve been a regular feature of high-profile events like the Colorado Irish Festival and the Cheyenne Celtic Festival, and they’ve played venues across the West. According to Goldstein, there’s a strong link between the traditional music of Ireland and the more modern stylings of Dylan, a Nobel Prize winner and one of America’s best-known folk masters.

“Irish balladry is all about good storytelling, and that’s one of Dylan’s greatest strengths,” Goldstein said. “The intricate, involved tales on ‘Blood on the Tracks’ echo the narrative folk tradition of Ireland, and his instrumentation on that record is right up Avourneen’s alley.”

Host or Publisher Swallow Hill Music