We Banjo 3, The Egg
So, for all the detail-obsessives out there, yes, We Banjo 3 has four members (two sets of brothers, Enda and Fergal Scahill and Martin and David Howley) and only two of them play banjos, according to the Irish band’s website. Perhaps they’re just looking to keep everyone on their toes. (The website mentions that, early on, they used a three-banjo attack— the mind reels at the thought of that many notes flying around—but opted to swap in other stringed instruments, looking to diversify their sonic possibilities.) The band formed in Galway and released their debut album, “Roots of the Banjo Tree,” in 2012. It was named traditional music album of the year by the Irish Times, and the band has been garnering plaudits and placing albums on Billboard’s bluegrass and world music charts ever since. Their most-recent release, last year’s “Haven,” climbed over albums from such well-known acoustic music acts as Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers, the Punch Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show to reach the top spot on the bluegrass sales chart. Part of their appeal is no doubt due to their deft blending of bits of the Irish and American musical traditions, something they have dubbed “Celtgrass.” Their website is featuring the video for “Light In The Sky,” a single from “Haven,” which offers newcomers a taste of the band’s sound. In its review of the album, the Irish Times said the band’s blended sound “seems ever more geared to American ears,” (Which makes sense given that it is their first album recorded in the U.S. with an American producer; prior albums were self-produced in Ireland.), adding “I’m not sure everyone stateside will warm to their message of tolerance and support for immigrants, which makes their stance all the more admirable. It helps that the songs, particularly the powerful “Light in the Sky,” avoid sloganeering, preferring the human touch captured in Martin Howley’s voice.”
■ 8 p.m. Friday. $34. The Egg, Empire State Plaza, Albany. 473-1845. theegg.org.