Night Eagle Productions Presents at The Lansing Performing Arts Center
Like many of the early flag bearing Scottish folk bands, the Old Blind Dogs line up has faced inevitable changes over the years but the core values at the band's musical heart continue to beat strong. The current band line up has been settled for several years now and consists of four of Scotland's finest traditional musicians at the top of their game. Original member Jonny Hardie (fiddle/vocals) is joined by Aaron Jones (cittern/guitar/vocals), Ali Hutton (pipes/whistles) and Donald Hay (percussion/vocals) and collectively they comprise one of the hottest live tickets on the traditional Scottish music scene today.
Monday, January 19, 2026 7:30-10pm EST.
Matthews welcomes everyone wanting to combat racism and promote social justice no matter how late to the game they might be. "I'm glad people are finding their way to the table," she says. "We need more allies." Matthews's music helps to recruit those allies. Her songs encourage confrontation with tough issues. But her songs are also "drenched in hope", as she put it. In the great tradition of folk music, Matthews brings listeners in with sweet sounds that grab them by the heart, and just as they are cradled in her soulful voice and her deft handling of an acoustic guitar it's as if Matthews says, "Now that you're here, we've got some things to talk about.".. "Pride Source"
Friday, February 20, 2026 7 - 9:30pm EST.
An "Irish music dream team"
This event takes place at the Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca NY 14850
Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, Lunasa was formed in 1997 from members of some of the greatest Irish groups of the previous decade. A review from Folk Roots magazine describing the band as an "Irish music dream team." With over a quarter of a million records sold, and performances of over 2,500 shows across 36 countries, Lúnasa has won multiple awards and become one of the most influential bands in the history of traditional music.
Friday, February 27, 2026 8 - 10:30 pm EST.
Traditional Celtic music at its best, with fire-driven instrumentals and songs, haunting ballads and a good dose of humour, The Tannahill Weavers have transformed traditional material and brought it into the modern world, vitally alive and kicking.
Members of the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, The Tannahill Weavers have recently been joined by piper Iain MacGillivray, who has worked recently on such exciting productions as Outlander and Men in Kilts, and Alistair McCulloch, who teaches at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland when not on tour.
The Night Eagle welcomes The Tannahill Weavers to the First Unitarian Society, 306 North Aurora St, Ithaca, on Wednesday evening, March 11, 7:30 pm. Doors open 7:00 pm.
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 7:30 PM.
YAGODY- The Power of Women from the Ukraine! From traveling across Eastern Europe, YAGODY is influenced by a diverse world of melodies, rhythms, and themes. A YAGODY performance is ritualistic and self-described as a musical trance based on the pulse of humanity.
Saturday April 11th, 2026. The concert starts at 8:00 pm. Doors open 7:30 pm, and carpooling is always encouraged.
Since forming in 1988, Tempest has delivered a globally-renowned hybrid of high-energy Folk Rock, fusing Irish reels, Scottish ballads, Norwegian influences and other world music elements. The last 30-plus years have seen the San Francisco Bay Area-based act release eighteen critically acclaimed albums, and play more than 2,500 gigs.
The current line-up of the band features all the original members, performing a variety of selections from the band's extensive repertoire, sparking with vitality and energy. Tempest is regularly featured at prestigious festivals such as The Philadelphia Folk Festival, and has also appeared at Denmark's Skagen Festival, Britain's Cropredy Festival and The Winnipeg Folk Festival in Canada. The band is a mainstay at countless American Celtic festivals, as well.
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Irish singer-songwriter, Pat Byrne has come a long way since his first deal with Universal. In late 2017, Byrne began his migration to Austin, Texas. In 2019, Pat took the US by storm, with breakout performances at the 30A Festival, SXSW, Kerrville Folk Festival and the Americana Festival. Being immersed in the Texas music scene, Pat's sophomore US release, Into the Light, has an edgier feel underscoring both emotional depth and greater confidence, while blending new influences with his rich Irish heritage.
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Immerse yourself in the storytelling of Lucy Kaplansky this Friday evening at Night Eagle Cafe in Lansing, NY. as she performs songs from her latest album, "The Lucy Story." With the warm sounds of roots-based instruments like the acoustic guitar and mandolin, the Chicago native brings her life's journey to her music. A prolific folk artist for over two decades, Kaplansky has crafted nine other studio albums and numerous collaborations, earning her place as a master of lyrical, heartfelt songwriting. Lucy has performed at the Night Eagle Cafe several times over the years and we look forward to welcoming her to the "New" Night Eagle Cafe.
Friday, May 1, 2026 8-10:30pm EDT.
This event takes place at the Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca NY 14850
Eileen Ivers & The Brigideens is the fiery new acoustic powerhouse female band, formed and led by Grammy awarded, Emmy-nominated, 9-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, Eileen Ivers. The group features critically acclaimed musicians and vocalists from the Celtic and Americana traditions.
The band highlights the power and beauty of acoustic roots music.
Friday, May 22, 2026 8-10:30pm EDT.
Arise & Go is an exciting Celtic trio that finds its roots in the dance music of Ireland, Scotland and Atlantic Canada. Blending pipes, whistles, fiddle, and guitar, the group's varied musical backgrounds combine to produce a sound which is both grounded in tradition and uniquely fresh and driving. From intimate house concerts to festival stages, Arise & Go has been hailed for their "precision and energy".
Thursday July 9th, 2026. (Lansing Area Performance Hall)
Their music blends elements of folk, country, bluegrass, and gospel into a sound that feels both timeless and deeply personal.
For more than five decades, Robin and Linda Williams have been among the most enduring and quietly influential voices in American folk and roots music. Emerging in the early 1970s, they built a career grounded in traditional Appalachian and Southern musical forms while developing a distinctive songwriting voice that has helped define what is now known as Americana.
The concert starts at 8 pm. Doors open at 7:30 pm, and carpooling is always encouraged. Get your tickets now. Tickets in advance are $25. Tickets at the door $30, day of the show.
Friday, August 7 - 8 PM - 10:30 PM. (Lansing Area Performance Hall)
John Gorka is perhaps the quintessential iconic singer-songwriter of the 80s folk scene. Hailing from New Jersey, but forged in the Greenwich Village Fast Folk scene, he honed his craft and persona into an unmistakable image. The shy, wry, insightful, and yes, sensitive singer-songwriter has been copied and parodied. But the old coat he wove still fits, and still suits him well. The old songs ring as true as they ever did, and the new ones are just as good.
Many well known artists have recorded and/or performed John Gorka songs, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Mary Black and Maura O'Connell. John has graced the stage of Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage, etown and has appeared on CNN. His new song "Where No Monuments Stand" is featured in the upcoming documentary Every War Has Two Losers, about activist and Oregon Poet Laureate William Stafford (1914-1993).
Friday, September 11, 2026 (Lansing Area Performance Hall)
Mesmerizing folk duo, Ordinary Elephant, has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that's earned married couple Crystal and Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim and made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier.
In 2017, the pair took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album, "Before I Go", and two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded "Honest", which the Associated Press hailed as "one of the best Americana albums of the year."
September 18, 2026 (Lansing Area Performance Hall)
CD RELEASE TOUR-"SMOKETREE" - As a duo going strong for more than 30 years, The Kennedys have recorded two dozen collections of mostly original songs. The duo's early albums, beginning in 1995, established them as core artists on the AAA and Americana charts. Despite touring at a rate of 50,000 miles, they found time for a four-year stint as folk deejays, hosting "The Dharma Café" on Sirius/XM radio. Pete and Maura are back "home on the road" with the CD release tour.
Their 2026 release, Smoketree, is the follow-up to the duo's 2023 release, Headwinds, which spent a month at #1 on the national Folk DJ chart. Smoketree consists of all original, newly written songs that reflect their feelings on things both timely and timeless: environmental concerns, social upheaval as families and entire populations flee violence, the search for peace in the world and peace in one's heart. All of these are touched upon with their trademark upbeat tone of uplift and encouragement.
This perfomance has been cancelled.
Reverie Road is a genre-defying Celtic powerhouse ensemble, uniting founding Solas members Winifred Horan (fiddle) and John Williams (accordion) with former Gaelic Storm fiddler Katie Grennan and Steinway Artist Jazz and Raga pianist Utsav Lal. Together, these four exceptional musicians are celebrated as some of today's most accomplished traditional and virtuosic folk artists, captivating audiences worldwide from stages to studios for over three decades.
Monday, October 5 - 7:30 PM - 10 PM (Lansing Area Performance Hall)
Swirling border pipes, raging fiddle, thunderous guitar and three rich voices.
The name Cantrip is an Old Scots word meaning a charm, magic spell or piece of mischief and it aptly describes the unexpected twists and turns in their musical arrangements, likewise the compelling potency of their musicianship. Swirling border pipes, raging fiddle, thunderous guitar and three rich voices blend to create a sound energetic enough to tear the roof off. Echoes can be heard of trad music from the 1960s and 70s, but the years have slowly infested their music with the sounds of funk, metal, bluegrass, swing, and even klezmer. Cantrip sprung from a local session in Edinburgh nearly twenty years ago. Their driving music immediately caught the attention of the masses.
October 11, 2026 (Lansing Area Performance Hall)
Be it his musicality, his incredible vocals, his poignant songs or his fiery wit, Vance Gilbert will blow your mind!
"If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might be something close to the great Vance Gilbert", says Richmond Magazine.
Considered by many to be an integral part of the national folk scene - and one of the originators of the finally recognized R&B/Folk/Jazz crossover-sub-genre - this Boston-based stalwart was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. In 1992, Shawn Colvin invited him to be special guest on her Fat City tour. "With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god...", swooned The Fort Worth StarTelegram about one of those shows.
Friday, October 23 - 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM (Lansing Area Performance Hall)
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