Kevin McKrell at The Eleven

Kevin McKrell

Somewhere tonight, across the country or across the sea, a singer, sitting on

a stool on a pub’s corner stage, is belting out a Kevin McKrell song, and the

crowd is singing along. McKrell pioneered Celtic music beginning in 1979

with Donnybrook Fair. The original trio’s 1982 album Tunnel Tigers

remains a landmark of the form, with its blend of Clancy Brothers swagger

and upstate NY attitude. McKrell honed his powerful performance style

further in the 80s with The Fabulous Newports, a rambunctious harmony

group known as much for its antics, cut-up comedy and long list of eventual

members as for its sweet singing.

In 1998, McKrell—who has three solo albums to his credit—formed a

powerhouse band under his own name, merging the Irish sensibility of

Donnybrook with a steely, world class bluegrass edge. The McKrells toured

harder than Donnybrook, bringing its music, with McKrell’s lusty vocals

supported by hot string band picking, to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and

festivals and concert venues around the country.

Offstage, McKrell, is a respected painter, with his work hanging in

many of the halls he’s haunted, here and in Ireland, Scotland and Italy.He

is best known, though, for his indelible songs—classics like “Home In

Donegal,” “I Miss the Rain” and the eternal “All of The Hard Days Are

Gone”—which, in addition to the raft of pub singers mentioned afore, have

been sung and recorded by artists like The Kingston Trio, Bob Shane, Hair

of the Dog, Wood’s Tea Company ,Get Up Jack, from Ireland The Furey

Brothers, Seamus Kennedy ,The Druids, The Dublin City Ramblers from

Scotland North Sea Gas, from Australia Pat McKernan.

‘McKrell is a masterful entertainer. He has played festival stages, clubs and

concert halls around the globe, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center,

Falconridge Folk Fest, The Milwaukee Irish Festival to name but a few. His

originals have become folk staples throughout the English speaking world,

and his wicked sense of humor is nearly as legendary as his songs.’

Caffe Lena

Kevin McKrell entertained in wry blarney, sang Ould Sod sentiment in

“Dublin Town” and “Home in Donegal” and, most impressively, crooned his

original songs of John Prine-like insight and effortless musicality.