Newport Yachting Center Announces Gaelic Storm On The Horizon For This Summer's Newport Celtic Rock Fest

Ready to paint the town green?!  The Newport Yachting Center has ensured Emerald Isle transplants and the Irish-at-heart will feel right at home with the announcement that Gaelic Storm will headline the 3rd Annual Newport Celtic Rock Festival along with Eileen Ivers, Black 47, Tartan Terrors, Celtica-Pipes Rock! and the Fighting Jamesons on Saturday, August 23rd from noon to 10:00 p.m. (rain or shine).  The 10-hour toast to Celtic culture also includes plenty of Guinness with pointers on how to “Pour Your Own Pint”, spirited step dancers, thundering pipe & drum, plenty of good craic, hearty traditional Irish and festival fare including fish & chips and corned beef sandwiches, Irish artisan goods and a Celtic Rock KidSTOP for the wee ones.  General admission tickets to the Festival are available for a spring discounted price of $25 while tickets last by visiting www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.  Once the discounted tickets sell out, the advance ticket price is $30 through Friday, August 22nd and then the day-of the event price will be $45. The Festival is FREE for children under the age of 12 as long as they are accompanied by an adult.

In addition to the Festival’s general admission tickets, the more exclusive package called “The Snug” is back by popular demand for $75 in limited quantities.  The Snug is the ultimate Newport Celtic Rock Festival experience, and includes all-day admission, access to elevated Reserved Deck seating with cocktail service, two Guinness beer vouchers and a Celtic Rock swag bag featuring the official event t-shirt and other fun items.  For those interested in this package, children 2 years of age and older require a Snug ticket as well.

Headlining the Festival will be the popular Celtic band, Gaelic Storm, who was catapulted out of their formative pub haunts in 1997 by an appearance in the blockbuster film, Titanic.  Cast as the "Celtic party band" in the steerage scene, the band was met by huge crowds on their first tour following the release of the movie.  Blending Celtic tradition with indie-folk, world grooves and a rock sensibility into their sound, Gaelic Storm possesses rare crossover appeal.  In recent years the band has performed on the same bill with acts ranging from the Zac Brown Band and the Goo Goo Dolls to Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett at events as varied as the Telluride Blue-grass Festival and Milwaukee’s Summerfest.  Gaelic Storm’s 10th album entitled, The Boathouse, debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Album Chart which is their fourth consecutive album to earn this distinction.

The other 2014 Newport Celtic Rock Festival headliners are:

A nine-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, musical star of Riverdance and founding member of “Cherish the Ladies,” the Grammy award-winning Eileen Ivers has established herself as the preeminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today.  Called the “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin” by The New York Times, she is hailed as one of the great innovators and pioneers in the Celtic and World music genres.  Ivers’ recording credits include over 80 contemporary and traditional albums and numerous movie scores, including Gangs of New York.  Her soon to be released album, Beyond the Bog Road, celebrates the journey of the Irish immigrant’s impact on America and America’s impact on the Irish immigrant.

Black 47 often takes a political stand with its thoroughly Irish brand of rock ‘n’ roll, with songs covering topics from the Northern Ireland conflict to civil rights and urban unrest in contemporary New York.  The band earned their chops playing the pub scene in Manhattan and self-producing their first indie record, Black 47, before Ric Ocasek, formerly of the Cars, took notice and helped them gain mainstream attention with their second album, Fire of Freedom.  The band features drum, bass and electric guitar, as well as saxophone, trombone, pennywhistle Uilleann pipes, flute and bodhran. The band’s most recent release is entitled Last Call, which the Irish Voice describes as a “200 proof cocktail with a shot of funk and two fingers of Irish malarkey thrown in for good measure.”

North America’s premiere Celtic act, the Tartan Terrors, are best known for taking traditional Celtic music and dance, mixing it with rock ‘n’ roll and blending in their own unique Scottish comedy.  Bolstered by the blistering bagpiping, guitar and fiddle as well as driving tones of drums from around the globe, audiences understand why Celtic Beat magazine hails them as “the heir apparent to the [Celtic] mayhem”.  They have performed throughout the world for audiences that have included President Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II, as well as on the popular morning show, Good Morning America.

Celtica-Pipes Rock! features a unique sound of blazing bagpipes, drums and the power of a rock band.  The band’s set list includes a blend of Scottish jigs and reels, passionate ballads, rebellious drinking songs and ancient love songs, as well as rock classics such as “We Will Rock You”.  A favorite at the largest Celtic music festivals in the United States and around the world, Celtica-Pipes Rock’s latest album is Oceans of Fire.

The Fighting Jamesons deliver a traditional style of Celtic music with an aggressive and energetic modern approach.  Formed in 2009 in the tradition of legendary Celtic acts such as Flogging Molly and the Pogues, the Fighting Jamesons have quickly developed a strong national presence thanks to their updated versions of classic Irish and American folk songs, as well as a growing catalog of original tunes.

In addition to the Newport Celtic Rock Festival, the Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival is slated for Saturday, August 9th.  The Newport Concert Series at the Newport Yachting Center has also already announced the following eight shows to take place throughout the summer:  The Wailers & Rusted Root on Saturday, May 31st, Ziggy Marley – the Fly Rasta Tour on Friday, June 20th, An Evening with YES on Sunday, July 13th,Barenaked Ladies on Friday, July 18th, 3 Doors Down Acoustic – Songs From The Basement on Friday, August 1st,Gregg Allman with Special Guest Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band on Sunday, August 10th, Josh Turner’s Roughstock and Rambler Tour (presented by Ariat) on Thursday, August 14th,The Beach Boys on Saturday, August 16th and Chris Young on Saturday, September 20th.  More concerts will be announced on a weekly basis this spring with the goal of having a minimum of 16 concerts this season. Please visit www.newportwaterfrontevents.com for all the details.

The Newport Yachting Center is located on the waterfront in the heart of historic downtown Newport right on America's Cup Avenue.  The venue features a covered concert tent and ample open air space with stunning views of Newport Harbor.  Guests can enjoy “The Point”, a dockside lounge with expanded bars and good eats from Julian’s, during and after the festivals and concerts.

For more information on the Newport Celtic Rock Festival, please contact Mike Martin at (401) 846-1600 Ext. 210 mmartin@newportyachtingcenter.com.  To receive future Music Festival or Newport Concert Series headliner announcements, presale opportunities or exclusive packages, sign up at newportwaterfrontevents.com and become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/waterfrontevents.