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Gaelic Storm, the award-winning Celtic band, will make a much awaited return appearance to the North Iowa Community Auditorium stage.  On Thursday, February 19, Gaelic Storm will take the North Iowa Community Auditorium stage at 7:30 p.m. as part of the 2008-2009 Performing Arts Series.  Tickets are on sale now and cost $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

It has now been more than a decade since Gaelic Storm catapulted into fame with their appearance as the steerage party band in the blockbuster film Titanic.  Since their big-screen debut, the bands’ fan base has multiplied with each new album, turning the one-time-pub-band into one of the premier touring acts in the Celtic music world.  Their compelling originals and fresh arrangements steeped in Celtic traditional melody are combined with a unique blend of world rhythms.

The band released their seventh album What’s the Rumpus in July 2008 with a stellar debut at #1 on the Billboard World Album Chart, #1 on the iTunes World Album Chart and #5 on the Billboard Internet Album Chart.  Inspired by their loyal fan base, What’s the Rumpus is a wild party of an album, full of colorful characters, outrageous stories, and of course, the signature acoustic sound of Gaelic Storm that gets you dancing and never lets you go.  The music captures the contagious energy of the band’s carefree attitude and infectious live performances.  With instruments ranging from African drums, Irish bagpipes and Celtic fiddle, to trombones and Cajun-style accordions, What the Rumpus is a three-ring circus of acrobatic songs, swirling tunes and galloping rhythms.

Gaelic Storm consistently tours over 125 dates per year, routinely breaks attendance records, and headlines the world’s largest Celtic festivals.  The band has headlined the world’s largest Irish Festival, Milwaukee Irish Fest, for six straight years, playing to crowds of 15,000 per performance. 

Gaelic Storm’s career includes a wide spectrum of musical highlights.  The band recorded a very special version of “Scalliwag”, an original song off their album Bring Yer Wellies, for two EA Games Sims video games.  All the words were translated into “Simlish” (the official language of the Sims video game world) and then re-sung in “Simlish” by the band.  The song appears in both “EA Sports – The Sims2 Castaway” and “EA Sports – The Sims2 Bon Voyage” video games.  Original music from Gaelic Storm’s repertoire has also been featured in “soundcard” greetings.  In 2008, Hallmark released a special greeting card for St. Patrick’s Day.  The card, that was released in both the United States and the UK, featured the master recording of Gaelic Storm’s original song “Kiss Me I’m Irish” from their album Bring Yer Wellies. 

For tickets to Gaelic Storm, call the NIACC Box Office at 1-888-466-4222, ext. 4188.  Tickets may also be purchased online at www.niacc.edu.  Platinum sponsors for the 2008-2009 series include NIACC; Mason City Clinic; Globe Gazette Elizabeth Muse Norris Charitable Fund; the Globe Gazette; Alliant Energy; Community National Bank; Henkel Construction; and Principal Financial Group.  Gold sponsors include Diamond Jo Casino; First Citizens National Bank; First State Bank of Belmond; Kraft; Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa; Martin, Cooney, MacNider & Cooney, Financial Consultants of Raymond James and Associates, Inc.; Dr. Gary W. Swenson and Dean A. Genth; and Sukup Manufacturing.  In kind sponsors include Country Inn and Suites; KIMT; and Pepsi.

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