The Tannahill Weavers first came together in 1968 in Paisley, Scotland. Current member, Roy Gullane, came into the group in 1970 and Phil Smillie, also a current member, joined at age 16 a short time after that. They didn’t release their first record until 1976, but by that time, they had established the idea that a Highland bagpiper does belong in a Scottish band (they were one of the first to do this), and they went on to gain fame, not only in the British Isles, but also in Europe and here in North America. John Martin, the band’s current fiddler, joined in 1990, following stints with Ossian and Easy Club. The new guy, added since their last performance at Caltech in 2014 is Lorne MacDougall, who was a nominee for Instrumentalist of the Year in the 2012 Scots Trad Music Awards, on bagpipes. They have produced 17 recordings and in 2011 the band was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. From reflective ballads to footstomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits. The Boston Globe wrote, “Scotland’s Tannahill Weavers play acoustic instruments, but the atmosphere at their shows is electric. The quartet is as tight and as versatile as any band in the Celtic music revival. They can summon rock ‘n’ roll intensity or haunting introspection.” It seems to work out that we’ve been able to get them at Caltech every 4 years, so don’t miss this chance! Their web site is Tannahillweavers.com

Tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for Caltech students and children. They can be purchased on the phone (626-395-4652) with a credit card (a service charge will be added per order), purchased at the Caltech Public Events Ticket Office in the Spalding Building (California Blvd. and Wilson Avenue) for face value (open Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 pm.), or purchased at the door for cash or check (no credit cards.) Online ticket sales will be available soon. Occasionally, a show will be sold out before the day of the show, so call the Ticket Office, if you are planning to buy tickets at the door. Better yet, join our mailing list and you’ll be informed about such situations ahead of time.