BETHLEHEM, Pa. — One of the founders of a Canadian folk-rock Irish/Scottish band that from 1995-2012 had 11 gold or platinum albums in that country will play Musikfest Cafe at SteelStacks, it was announced.
Alan Doyle, a singer-guitarist for Great Big Sea, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 6 — a week before St. Patrick's Day.
Tickets, at $35 and $45, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, September 27 at the SteelStacks website or at the box office at 101 Founders Way.SteelStacks website
Opening the show will be Canadian indie folk duo Fortunate Ones.
Tickets, at $35 and $45, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at the SteelStacks website or at the box office at 101 Founders Way.
Doyle has released four solo albums since Great Big Sea released its last album of new material in 2010.
His solo debut disc, "Boy on Bridge," peaked at No. 11 on the Canadian albums chart, and crossed over to No. 20 on the U.S. Folk chart.
His 2015 album "So Let's Go" and 2017's "A Week at the Warehouse" both charted in the Canadian Top 30. His most recent disc, "Welcome Home," was released in February.
Canadian chart success
Great Big Sea has had eight albums hit the Top 10 on the Canadian charts. Its 1993 self-titled debut sold gold.
But the group had its biggest success with 1995's "Up," which sold four times platinum in Canada, and 1997's "Play," which sold three times platinum.
"Play" gave the group its highest-charting single, "Ordinary Day," which peaked at No. 3, and another Top 10 hit, "End of the World."
Great Big Sea's last Top 10 song was 1999's "Consequence Free," but its 2002 album "Sea of No Cares" topped the Canadian albums chart.
The group's last album, 2010's "Safe Upon the Shore," peaked at No. 2 and sold gold in Canada and crossed over to No. 4 on the U.S. Heatseekers chart. It released a compilation disc, "XX," in 2012.
The group did a 20th anniversary tour in 2013, and Doyle said in a 2015 interview the band was "happily retired."
Fortunate Ones released its debut album, "The Bliss," in 2015. The duo’s most recent album, "That Was You and Me," was nominated for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the 2023 Canadian Juno Awards.
