A multi-national, Celtic juggernaut that grows stronger with each live performance, Gaelic Storm has been touring for 20 years and thousands of shows, and they are a true force to be reckoned with. On Friday, June 14, the band rolls into Midcoast Maine to perform at the historic Boothbay Harbor Opera House.

The band attributes their continued success to their “fanatic audience. The country-music folks adore the storytelling, the bluegrass-heads love the instrumentals, Celtic fans love our devotion to tradition, and the rockers simply relish the passion we play with.” Each band member, in their own way, expresses a deep gratitude for their fans, but it’s best summed up in the words of Patrick Murphy: “The fans are the ones that have given us this life. We’re here for them.”

Since Gaelic Storm’s first appearance at the Opera House in 2007, founding member Steve Twigger has been on stage, but due to a health issue the uber-talented Parker Hastings will be sitting in for Twigger on this tour.

Gaelic Storm takes a true blue-collar, hard-nose approach to touring, consistently traveling the US and internationally over 200 days a year, forging a unique path in the Celtic music world. “You have to see us live. We are the true working-mans’ band,” says Ryan Lacey, who joined the lineup in 2003. “We still, and most likely always will, tour most of the year, and that’s how we constantly hone our craft.”

The dedication to live shows date all the way back to the mid-1990s, when Gaelic Storm kicked off its career as a pub band in Santa Monica, California. Due to their discovery at the pub, by the end of the decade, the musicians had appeared in the blockbuster film Titanic (where they performed “Irish Party in Third Class”). This laid the groundwork for a career that would eventually find them topping the Billboard World Chart six times, making appearances at mainstream music festivals, and regularly headlining the largest Irish Festivals across the country, all the while gaining a reputation as a genre-bending Irish rock band, whose songs mix Celtic traditions with something uniquely creative.

Advance discounted tickets are $35 and on sale directly through the box office at 86 Townsend Avenue, or by calling 207-633-5159. The box office is open 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wednesday-Friday. Tickets are also available online at boothbayoperahouse.com. Regular tickets are $40. Doors for seating open at 7 p.m. and the storm starts to rumble at 7:30. The upstairs bar will open at 6:30 p.m. for ticket holders.