STEAM Irish Quartet to perform March 30 in Princeton

The Princeton Theater Group/Festival 56 will present the STEAM Irish Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 30, in a performance at the Grace Theater, 316 S. Main St.

Tickets are $25 and are available online at festival56.com, by contacting the box office at boxoffice@festival56.com or by leaving a message at 815-879-5656. They also will be available at the door.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The STEAM quartet takes its name and inspiration from Chicago native (by way of Doolin, County Clare, Ireland) John Williams’s 2001 groundbreaking album of the same name, a dynamic blend of traditional Irish and Celtic melodies with modern rhythmic ideas and chord structures.

STEAM carries this forward even further, exploring the themes passed down to John from a family deeply rooted in Irish traditional music and Irish dance by incorporating musicians with backgrounds in the classical and jazz genres.

STEAM is composed of John Williams (concertina, flute, button accordion), Katie Grennan (fiddle), Steve Morrow (bodhrán) and Jeff Lindblade (guitar, Uilleann pipes, Irish flute, tin whistle, vocals).

Williams is internationally regarded as one of the foremost players of Irish music. With five All-Ireland titles to his credit, Williams is the only American-born competitor to win first place in the Senior Concertina category. His additional talents on flute, button accordion, bodhran and piano distinguish him as a much-sought-after multi-instrumentalist in the acoustic scene around the world.

Grennan’s traditional fiddle-playing carries the articulation of a gifted classical musician tempered by the soul of a champion Irish dancer. Her wide-ranging experience as an international touring performer in both live stage productions and television have given her a unique platform as an ambassador for the music of her heart.

Morrow brings genre-bending, multi-instrumental experience to the bodhrán (Irish drum) as he blends modern and traditional rhythms into the heartbeat and backbone of his music. He has performed at national festivals and events with STEAM, BackWest and áthas, and is a regular in the rich Chicago Irish session scene.

Lindblade is a multi-instrumental performer (guitar, Uilleann pipes, Irish flute, tin whistle) and vocalist with a passion for traditional and contemporary Irish music. Based outside Chicago, he is known for his energetic live performances and his ability to blend traditional Irish melodies with modern influences.

Upcoming spring events for the Princeton Theater Group include two different shows by the Chicago vocal trio Girls Like Us on Thursday, April 11, and Friday, April 12, and return appearances by David Casas Magic on Saturday, April 27, and John “Elvis” Lyons and the Jailhouse Hound Dogs band Saturday, June 8.

Tickets and additional information are available at festival56.com.