Switchback, a
Chicago-based band featuring Celtic and Americana music, will perform at 7:30
PM April 25th in the Besse Theatre at Bay College in Escanaba. Bay College is
pleased to present the return of Switchback to the community after playing
previously to sold-out crowds. It is therefore recommended to purchase tickets
in advance if possible.
The duo of McCormack
and guitarist/mandolin player Brian FitzGerald have been playing together for
more than 20 years. Switchback draws from a catalog of more than 300 original
tunes plus traditional Irish music and some humor.
Switchback plays a mix
of mandolin, guitar and bass and their harmonies have won them comparisons to
famous duos, such as the Louvin Brothers, the Everly Brothers and Simon and
Garfunkel. Their Celtic music is authentically Irish, drawing praise from such
traditional players as Matt Molloy of the group the Chieftains. Ireland has
taken Switchback to her heart, with performances at art centers throughout the
country and appearances on Raidió Teilifís Éireann. At the same time, their
music is modern Celtic, with songs capturing the Irish of today as accurately
as the Pogues and singer-songwriters like Christy Moore.
Switchback tours
throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Italy,
Sweden and The Netherlands playing more than 200 engagements a year. Their
television specials "The Americana Sessions," "The Celtic
Sessions" and "Music on the Mayne Stage" have aired on PBS
stations throughout the U.S. The band has also been working with Paul Von
Mertens, who arranged the music for "Brian Wilson Reimagines
Gershwin" on orchestral scores for some of their original music.