Dec. 7 Tribute to the Chieftains sells out first show at Caz; second show added

By Robert J. McLennan

The Chieftains might be the most famous musical group to come out of Ireland, apologies to U2, the Pogues and several others.

The Chieftains have taken their music all around the world and they’ve collaborated with an astounding list of world-famous artists, from Sting to Willie Nelson to Alison Krauss to the Rolling Stones, to Luciano Pavarotti, Roseann Cash, Tom Jones, Van Morrison and many more. 

Echoes of the Chieftains will reverberate in Buffalo this month as their classic “The Bells of Dublin” is recast as “The Bells of Buffalo” at The Caz on Dec. 7, with the band Crikwater setting the stage. After the evening performance quickly sold out, a 3 p.m. matinee performance was added.

The Chieftains have honored and celebrated the majesty of traditional Irish music utilizing all the instruments you can imagine when you’re picturing traditional Irish music, including fiddles, harps, tin whistles, bodhrán, flutes, accordion and various bagpipes.

In 1991 they came out with their classic Christmas album, “The Bells of Dublin.”  It’s an incredibly beautiful album, with even more collaborations; this time the most well-known are Elvis Costello, Marianne Faithful, Jackson Browne and Rickie Lee Jones. 

It’s an album that sounds like you’re in a pub or someone’s home in a rural Irish village.  You may not know all the songs going in; this ain’t Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra doing American holiday standards, but you’ll grow to love them. This album got played so often over so many Christmases in my house that my children grew to love the album, even if they might not have been able to identify it.

That brings me to the remarkable musicians who call themselves Crikwater: Charlie Coughlin-fiddle, voice; Matt Sperber-guitar, mandolin, voice; Liam Caulfield-bodhran, bones, voice, percussion; and Peter Zalocha-banjo, mandolin.  

Last year they debuted a Christmas season performance of “The Bells of Buffalo” A Christmas Tribute to the Chieftains. Coughlin is the driving force behind the show.  He became acquainted with the album through his in-laws, who would play it throughout December every year.  He liked it so much that he thought about learning a few of the songs.  

Then, for Coughlin, being part of the cast of “The Last Waltz” at Babeville (produced by the Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation) played a role in his plans. That show reproduces The Band’s “Last Waltz” album/film in its entirety.   

“It was during the performance of the Last Waltz in 2022 that I thought we could put together a whole show around the ‘Bells of Dublin,’” he said. The rest of Crikwater quickly signed on to the project and then additional musicians, singers and dancers were brought into the production.

It was a performance of the entire Chieftains album and included Irish dancing from sisters Leah and Glenna Rankin, and all the instrumentation you would expect (including Leah Rankin on cello).  

Additional performers coming back this year are singer Elizabeth Burke and narrator Tom Caulfield.  New to the cast for year two are Jeff Dosch on uilleann pipes, Ben Hockenberry on accordion and tin whistle, Alex Fortier on keyboards and Owen Ó Súilleabháin on vocals.

The show last year at the 9th Ward at Babeville was an amazing performance all around; it was exhilarating, exciting and heartwarming.  The performances varied from full ensemble singing to individual lead singers, to dancing, and to full band jams performed seisiún style, as in an Irish pub.  In addition to the full Chieftains’ album, Charlie said, “We added to the second set to include additional instrumental tunes to expand the seisiún, to reflect the joy and spirit of a traditional community gathering.” 

It was a sellout at the beautiful 9^th Ward, but now having outgrown that space it will be performed at The Caz, the new music venue on Seneca Street in the heart of South Buffalo.  

We attended a show at The Caz last month, the Kody and Herren/Leroy Townes Band performance,  and the converted bank is a very impressive venue.  It’s a gorgeous building inside, the sound is fantastic and you can see the stage clearly from just about every seat in the house.  And by the way, Kody and Herren and Leroy Townes were both in peak form with top notch performances.

The Christmas season, whether you are particularly religious or not at all, seems to me to have a special vibe to it.  Any occasion that emphasizes peace and love, for whatever reason, is alright by me.  “The Bells of Buffalo” is inspiring and last year it gave us a certain warm feeling inside.  

I highly recommend that you get your tickets soon, as the evening show has already sold out and the newly added afternoon matinee may sell out as well, even in this larger venue.

The magic The Chieftains created in 1991 with “The Bells of Dublin” has continued to hold its place in the hearts of millions all these decades later.  Writing in the album’s liner notes, the great leader of The Chieftains, Paddy Maloney, said, “These recording sessions hold special memories for The Chieftains and myself, and bring together all the colours of this festive season.”

Full Disclosure: The Buffalo Music Coalition, of which the writer is a part, is a sponsor of “The Bells of Buffalo,” donating to help make the show possible.