Altan Tickets

Altan are hard to beat for musicianship, and they were at the top of their game last Friday (10/21/22) at the Somerville Theater. The only drawback was the poor operation of the sound system. Vocal mics were uneven. Although Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh's vocals were adequate, Martin Tourish's voice mic was muddy, making his comments hard to understand. Ditto the vocal mic for guest performer Clare Friel. And Ciaran Curran's bouzouki was nearly inaudible for most of the concert.

Altan was magical and inspiring. The music was lovely, uplifting and varied; the musicians are literally world-class; the atmosphere was fun and even at times whimsical; and Mairead's voice is so strong and pure that it reminds us of why we need to preserve the world's music and culture and inspires us to do so.

For about 30 years Altan has delivered consistent quality in person - we've seen them at least five times over the years and they never fail to impress. This night was no exception. One secret is personnel consistency - four of their five touring members have been together pretty much the entire time. The fifth, the young accordion player, is a dynamite player and tune composer. We try to catch them whenever we can, and if you like music in the traditional Irish vein (including some ventures beyond the traditional), you'll be pleased with them.

Altan was spectacular, as always. Great songs, powerful tunes, witty reparte. Everything you could want in a show.

We'd not heard of this group until a few weeks before the concert and weren't sure what to expect. However, they were all excellent musicians and the music was great. Will go see them again if they come to this area.

Have been a long time Altan fan. My wife and I flew up to Columbus Oh from Atlanta for the concert. Airline tickets, taxi's, hotel, meals, you get the picture. Altan played two, 45 minute sets? They seemed perturbed the audience was not more enthusiastic, they actually mentioned the fact that there was no one dancing. People here came to listen! I'm 52 and was among the youngest at the show, what did they expect? They played a good many jigs, which were great, but were a little shy on the great ballads that I love and I think would have gone over well with this crowd. All said I was disappointed, not a good show.

My husband has followed Altan from the start. We love them. Just a great group of musicians. Both of us are direct Ireland descendants. Their humor is a bit dry at times but very humorous.

I've listened to Altan and have anticipated attending a live concert for years; they certainly did not disappoint. They took me from wistful to rousing-the-dead-dancing-in-my-head joyful. They left me selfishly wanting so much more than their energy had to give. A generous and amazingly talented group.

We have been fans of Altan for years and just saw them live for the first time. They are every bit as good live as they are on their recordings. Will definitely be seeing them next time they are in town (or close to it!)

This was a very unforgettable experience for me, I would recommend this show to anybody that likes good music.