Cowboy Celtic
“We don’t play traditional Celtic music and we don’t play traditional cowboy music. We play the kind of music that you’d have heard if you pushed back the swingin’ doors at an Irish pub in Tombstone or Dodge City.”
David Wilkie, Cowboy Celtic
Cowboy Celtic explores the Celtic roots of cowboy music. Beautiful three-part vocal harmonies and incredible musicianship on mandolin, Celtic harp, fiddle and guitar – both wildly rambunctious and hauntingly beautiful. Their show is more than music. It’s theatre and imagery and history and storytelling and more, all wrapped up in sagebrush and tartan.
David Wilkie
A longtime veteran of the North American music scene, David Wilkie is the founder of Cowboy Celtic. He has been called an elder statesman of Alberta music, and has compiled an impressive list of noteworthy artistic achievements while building his varied career as musician and band leader, songwriter, record producer and broadcaster.
Denise Withnell
Denise Withnell started playing guitar and singing with Cowboy Celtic in January 1996.
Denise was raised on the Alberta prairie in cattle ranching, farming and rodeo country. Her mother raised chickens and sold eggs to make the extra money that put all six of her children through years of classical piano lessons.
Keri Lynn Zwicker
Keri Lynn Zwicker is Cowboy Celtic’s singing harpist and is from Edmonton, Alberta. She joined Cowboy Celtic in October 1998, and has travelled with the group to festivals and concert halls all across the western United States, and to Scotland, Ecuador and Peru. A consummate professional, she is a favourite feature at Cowboy Celtic performances.
Joe Hertz
Joe Hertz lives in Calgary, Alberta, and is the newest member of Cowboy Celtic. He has been playing fiddle with the group for about 16 years, and is also a closet (and word has it, accomplished) mandolin player.
Nathan McCavana
After 14 years as a competitive Irish dancer, Nathan McCavana let his hands do the talking and taught himself the bodhran, Ireland’s goatiest instrument. He has performed with members of such groups as Barrage, Fair Haven, The Bucaneers and Pear. Nathan helped found the bands The Floating Widgets and Stephen’s Green (who went on to perform at the Calgary Folkfest) He was also a founder of Staggered Pints, who continue to run a popular session in Calgary. His musical highlights include performances with Ron Kavana (Calgary & Edmonton Folkfests,) The Chieftans (encore) full length shows with Maria Dunn, Lizzy Hoyt, Cowboy Celtic and mostly with that sweet, crazy harpy, Keri Lynn Zwicker. Remarkably Nathan only recently started singing but has been wowing audiences with his velvety Irish baritone.