Lazar Bear and The Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce are proud to present Grammy Award winning Irish Singer Song Writer and Dublin Native, Susan McKeown with her band SATURDAY, March 15 at The Harrietstown Town Hall in Saranac Lake, NY. ( Children 12 and under FREE )

Special Guests Inisheer will open the show. Refreshments will be available for purchase

Concert Information Hot Line 518-637-4989

Doors: 7:00 pm. Show: 7:30 pm. Tickets $20. Adv. $25. At door.

"One of the strongest, most expressive voices in Celtic music belongs to Dublin native Susan McKeown."

Susan McKeown has one of the finest voices in contemporary Irish music and she has wedded a profound understanding of the traditional songs of Ireland with an adventurous musical spirit. McKeown relocated from her native Dublin, Ireland to New York in 1990.

Editorial Reviews
Susan McKeown not only has one of the finest voices in contemporary Irish music, she has wedded a profound understanding of the traditional songs of Ireland with an adventurous musical spirit. On Lowlands, her second collection of traditional songs, her connection with the roots of Celtic music is so deep that when she mixes instruments like the kora (African harp), erhu (Chinese fiddle), and tabla (Indian drum) with the less exotic violin, guitar, and tin whistle the results sound absolutely right. McKeown moved from her native Dublin to New York in 1990, an event that she says paradoxically made her feel more Irish. Songs like "The Snows They Melt the Soonest," which features the fiddling of Johnny Cunningham, and "The Lowlands of Holland," a lament about a lover’s death at sea, are infused with the sense of loss and longing that haunt the emigrant in a new land. On Lowlands Susan McKeown performs a rare feat of artistic alchemy by transforming sorrow into beauty. –Michael Simmons

From Rhythm Magazine
One of the strongest, most expressive voices in Celtic music belongs to Dublin native Susan McKeown. Her powerful pipes mix equal parts Sandy Denny and Siniad O’Connor, creating a primal sound that would guarantee stardom if she sang pop or rock. That inevitable climb may take just a little longer since Ms. McKeown is not content to sing obvious songs in a typical way. She looks for buried traditional treasures and then adds interesting instrumentation to massage her supple tones. Johnny Cunningham, Joanie Madden, Glen Moore, Jamshied Sharifi and other special guests are outstanding, but it is McKeown’s voice that demands attention. Lowlands is this artist’s fifth release but her first for Green Linnet. Poised to win a larger audience, Susan McKeown is ready for the spotlight she so definitely deserves, and will undoubtedly get. -James Rodgers

LOWLANDS
If you’ve yet to hear Susan McKeown sing, you don’t know what you’re missing out on. Likely one of the most stunningly original and artistic Celtic singers in recent history, Ms. McKeown’s sixth album, Lowlands, has fast become one of my favorites. Powerful, ethereal and yet earthy and raw, her voice is the signature element of this CD; with the remarkable range of accompanying artists building the landscape that houses it.

Lowlands is a collection of mostly traditional Celtic songs, performed with a markedly non-traditional flair. Bodhrans, banjos, the kora and the bouzouki . . . the instrument selection is varied and fascinating. Susan performs them all with passion and lovely evocative technique.

For a bouncy, light selection in Gaelic "An Nighean Dubh" is an excellent opening track, with Susan’s voice dancing through the song effortlessly, buoyed up by a mix of instruments that embellish and provide tempo, but never overtake her voice as the star attraction. "The Snows They Melt the Soonest" is a sweet track with sparse accompaniment–soft guitar and violin– to accompany this bittersweet love song. "Bonny Greenwoodside" is a traditional Scottish murder ballad, performed with simple chant and percussion style. Stripped to the bones it is starkly effective and powerfully haunting. The only non-traditional number on here is perhaps my favorite of them all. "Dark Horse of Ireland" written by Liam Weldon. This dark commentary on the bitterness and pain of war and rebellion is a perfect match for McKeown’s voice. This selection, devoid of all instrumentals and with only the sound of wind at the introduction, impresses on the listener McKeown’s vocal power.

I could probably go on at length about each and every number on this CD, but I will leave that to the listener to discover. If your looking for comfortable background music, this is probably not your best choice–McKeown’s style is meant to pull the listener in and inspire emotion. This is the kind of CD to savor when you have time to relax and listen, I tend to use it in between writing as inspiration. While not for everyone, Susan McKeown was an unexpected delight to this listener, and I look forward to discovering more of her work.

LOWLANDS is a Wonderful Folk Album, March 17, 2001
By Kenneth M. Gelwasser (Hollywood, Fl USA)
I first heard the voice of Susan Mckeown on Public Radio’s Prairie Home Companion. When her Irish accented voice, boomed from my car’s radio, it immediately grabbed my attention.It was at that point, I was determined to find and buy her music. My first choice was the CD, Lowlands, and what a great choice it was.This is simply a wondeful Irish folk album,that features Susan McKeown’s strong beautiful voice along with a vast array of musical instruments from around the world. I have no ideal of the backround of the songs, but they give one the feeling of being transported back into old Ireland’s mystical past.There are songs about romantic lovers,long voyages and distant countries.My favorite song of the CD is titled,"The Hare’s Lament", which tells the story of the hunt from the rabbit’s perspective.Truely,a moving song. I know that most performers hate being compared to other performers, but I just can’t help myself.If you a fan who likes popular Celtic singer, Loreena McKennitt, then you will love Susan McKeown.I find that both have a very similar singing style, with a use of unusual instruments from around the world, to tell tales of ancient lands and love.This is really a wonderful CD which I heartily recommend!