Saturday April 25 at 7pm
From dance floors to concert halls, the Syncopaths bring a fresh, contemporary spin to tunes and songs rooted in the Scottish, Irish, and American folk traditions. Evolving through their contradance origins, they are creating a “chamber folk” sound, characterized by the compelling rhythmic interplay of fiddle and mandolin, rich vocals, and unexpected colors and rhythms of the piano and bodhrån. The exuberant joy they derive from the music and each other is palpable and contagious.
Founded in 2002 as a backup band for bluegrass fiddler Richard Greene, the Syncopaths stepped out on their own shortly thereafter to rave reviews from audiences who delighted in the band’s improvisational and playful style. At the heart of the band’s sound are the twin engines of Ryan McKasson’s dynamic Scottish-based fiddling, and the understated-but-monster picking of mandolinist Ashley Hoyer. Jeffrey Spero provides wonderfully inventive and surprising piano accompaniment, anchored by the driving power of Christa Burch’s inventive bodhrán. Christa also lends her singular voice as lead singer – warm, supple, expressive, and intimate – to the band’s songs. Each member of the band is also an accomplished tunesmith, with recordings of original compositions on each of the band’s CDs. The Syncopaths are equally at home with pulsing, high-energy dance tunes and beautiful, contemplative songs. “Make no mistake, the Syncopaths are nothing short of a Celtic supergroup.” – Irish Herald
Their newest album, Be Like the Sea, is their third CD. The band has collected and compiled only those musical jewels that stood out over the course of the last decade. The concert in Ventura will feature selections from the new CD as well as old favorites from previous albums.