Ireland’s The High Kings returns to the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12 as part of their “Home from Home” tour. The High Kings have earned a reputation as a phenomenal live band, serving up laughter, good times and sing-alongs. This concert will feature tunes from their most recent album, “Home from Home” (2021), plus fan favorites. Tickets are on sale now at www.AtTheMAC.org or by calling 630.942.4000.
Members of The High Kings all grew up in households steeped in the Irish musical tradition. They are as follows:
* Finbarr Clancy. Clancy toured the United States and Ireland in the 1990s with the Clancy Brothers, one of the most successful folk groups in Irish traditional music. He plays the guitar and sometimes the banjo.
* Brian Dunphy. After two years as part of “Riverdance,” Dunphy became a member of The Three Irish Tenors. He had also been a member of the band Druid and typically plays the bodhrán and guitar with the group.
* Darren Holden. Perhaps the most well-known member of the group, Holden plays the accordion, mandolin, guitar and keyboard. He starred in “Riverdance: The Show” on Broadway for 18 months and went on to appear in the musical “Movin' Out,” playing the role of Billy Joel on Broadway and on national tours of the U.S, Canada and Japan.
* Paul O’Brien. A self-taught musician, O’Brien plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, whistles, harmonica and bodhrán. He has performed in many pubs and local venues in Ireland and also spent two years living and gigging in Puerto Rico in Gran Canaria as a one-man band. O’Brien joined The High Kings in 2019.
The High Kings group initially formed in June 2007. Throughout their history, they have toured the United States, Ireland and Europe almost annually. Career highlights include performing for President Obama during his visit to Ireland (2012) and later that same year performing at the White House St. Patrick’s Day celebration. In 2015 they performed at the Pentagon as guests of General Martin Dempsey, then Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, alongside the US Marine Corps band. Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the band to pause their usually hectic touring schedule but they are now happily back on the road.
The High Kings released their self-titled debut album in 2008. That album reached No. 2 on the Billboard World Music chart, setting the stage for the success they have enjoyed ever since. To date the group has released four studio albums: two live albums, two live DVDs and a greatest hits collection, “Decade” (2017) which also included some brand-new recordings. Earlier this year, The High Kings released “Home from Home,” their brand-new 11 track album. Recorded live at Concert Deck in Dublin, “Home from Home” is a journey through classic folk songs, old and new. “The idea behind this album was to bring our fans on a journey across the world, to some of the places we call home when we tour, via some of the classic folk songs that have inspired us along the way,” says The High Kings’ Darren Holden.
Tickets
The High Kings – “Home from Home” Tour comes to the MAC located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12. Tickets are $49-$69. For tickets or more information, visit www.AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000.
MAC COVID-19 Protocols
Following the CDC, state and local health department guidelines, the MAC has adopted the following policies
* Masks that cover both the nose and mouth are required for everyone over the age of 2.
* If a patron is not feeling well, has a fever, has been exposed to anyone symptomatic for COVID-19, or has recently been tested and waiting results, they are requested to postpone their visit for another day and contact the Box Office to reschedule or request a refund.
For additional information and protocol updates visit www.AtTheMAC.org.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located at 425 Fawell Blvd., 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 236-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; versatile black box Studio Theatre), and outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programs. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. Visit www.AtTheMAC.org or www.facebook.com/AtTheMAC for more information.
WDCB 90.9FM is Media Sponsor for The High Kings – “Home From Home” Tour MAC engagement.
The MAC’s 2021-2022 Season is made possible in part with support by DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville, WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.
Programs at the MAC are partially supported through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.