John Whelan in concert
One performance only on Friday, February 17, 2004

On Friday, February 27, 2004, John Whelan will perform at the Irish Fest Center in Wauwatosa. The concert will start at 8:00 pm and doors will open at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10 and can be obtained at the Irish Fest Center at 1532 Wauwatosa Avenue or by calling 414-476-3378. This concert is being sponsored jointly by the Ward Irish Music Archives and the Milwaukee Irish Fest.

At the age of 14, John Whelan was already a seasoned winner of the all-Ireland championships on accordion. At that young age he recorded his first album, Pride of Wexford, which is still in print today. John was born in London and grew up in a large Irish community there. His father was from County Wexford, Ireland and the Whelan home was always filled with Irish music.

John's artistry blossomed in America. He moved to the United States in 1980 and soon was performing with Riverdance fiddler Eileen Ivers in one of the most celebrated Irish duos of the decade. In 1988, John met up with Pat Kilbride and they formed the Kips Bay Ceili Band. For many Irish festivals, Kips Bay became their main stage party band. John was one of the first performers to use wireless microphones and his antics while strolling through the crowds are quite memorable. By 1996, Kips Bay had run its course and John moved on.

John then signed with Narada, a Milwaukee label seeking inroads into the Celtic market. His first album, Celtic Reflections, was very successful and through the next few years he would play on and produce five more albums, working with such musicians as Kathy Matea, Connie Dover, Tim O'Brien and Bernadette Peters.

Through his long career and associations with everyone in Irish music, especially in America, John has earned the respect of all involved in the industry. He has played roles in films, such as Gods and Generals, and also composed for and performed in them. On television, he's performed on the Conan O'Brien Show and Sex in the City. He also performed in Riverdance while the show was on Broadway.

John has been a friend of Milwaukee Irish Fest for many years. He's performed at the festival with the Kips Bay Ceili Band and his own band - the John Whelan Band. Besides his festival appearances, he's also a favorite at the Milwaukee Irish Fest Summer School.

Joining John for this concert will be Asher Gray . Asher is recognized as one of Milwaukee's finest exponents of Irish traditional music. He is a founding member of the group Anam Ri and also has participated in music competitions in Ireland and the midwest. He plays the Irish wooden flute, tin whistle, bouzouki and bodhran.

This is one of many concerts sponsored by the Ward Irish Music Archives. To sign up for the archives mailing list, please send your name and address to staff@irishmusicarchive.com or to: Ward Irish Music Archives, Irish Fest Center, 1532 Wauwatosa Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53213.