As the curtain is lowered at 7pm on October 11, 2014 on Enter The Haggis, at the Wescott Theater, in Syracuse, NY, attendees commonly known as Haggis Heads, will close a chapter to a much-loved book, and open a new one. The title of the new book? Jubilee Riots. A name that invokes chaos, but in a fun exuberant manner. Fitting as these five musicians are known to take a crowd and incite utter chaos with their electric, eclectic, gripping sound.
Enter The Haggis
As we bid them farewell we also welcome a new sound, a new path, and a new opportunity to support our friends in their new adventure. Enter The Haggis aka Jubilee Riots has extended to NYS Music’s readers the opportunity to win (Post) one of three sets of two tickets to their final show on October 11, 2014. All you need to do is go to the link on the NYS Music’s Facebook page, and follow the directions to enter. It’s simple..you must first “Like” the NYS Music Facebook page…then go to the Jubilee Riots page and “Like” them, and then comment in the post as to who you will bring.
Enter The Haggis
Be a part of history, and a part of the future by showing your support of live music in Upstate New York and Enter The Haggis as they move ahead to new adventures. The chance to win ends Sunday, October 6, 2014, at midnight so don’t hesitate to win your chance to be part of history at the farewell show of the year. Winners will be announced the morning of October 7, 2014 on the NYS Music’s Facebook page. Good luck to all who enter and see you there at the show.
When faced with change, most individuals tend to shy away from it. Uncertainty of what will occur, especially when you are in a situation where you are comfortable and safe, tends to deter us from making that leap of faith. Today, those that follow Enter The Haggis learned that their beloved band is making a leap of faith into a new direction. Immediately following the announcement of the band’s name change and new direction those fans, aka Haggis Heads, began to react. Some with glee and support, some with sadness and fear that what they love will no more be, and some have yet to respond.
I cannot say I find this a surprise though as this band has been cutting edge and pushing the limits and evolving for several years now. This is a critical step for musicians to make, one that is considered risky at best to switch what appears to be genres, hoping that fans will follow. If you look at history of those bands with longevity, you will see evolution in their music and pushing the boundaries. Sometimes the risk pays off, especially when they have as much talent as these lads do. The band will still play all their fans favorites, they still will be the amazing guys they always have been, they just are growing, they are just becoming better. It’s commendable.
Jubilee Riots
This new direction, including their new name, now known as Jubilee Riots, allows this amazing band to continue to grow and bring their music to a wider base of fans worldwide. As they completed their latest album, The Penny Black Project, it’s apparent that they love their fans. In fact, the entire album is written by stories submitted to them of personal life stories from fans worldwide. Their highly anticipated album will soon be released and a local private listening party will occur Oct. 12 at the Saranac Brewery. Stay tuned as NYS Music brings you a preview of the album and highlights of the party.
The band will have one final show as Enter The Haggis at The Wescott in Syracuse on Oct. 11 and tickets will go fast, so please purchase yours now for their final celebration as Enter The Haggis and to show your support for their new adventure.
No matter what their name is, they love their fans, they love central New York, and they just plain ole’ rock. NYS Music wishes Enter The Haggis farewell and welcomes Jubilee Riots with open arms.
Enter the Haggis has become a well-loved tradition and crowd favorite at Saranac Thursdays lineup. The lads always draw a sell out crowd, and this year’s event continued the custom.
Enter The Haggis – Saranac Thursdays
These five musicians make up one of the most dedicated bands I’ve had the privilege to meet and work with over the last few years. They are always giving back to their fan base, lovingly referred to as Haggis Heads. One of the first bands I know to successfully take over their own management by using Kickstarter and Pledgemusic.com, they are now three albums into making music on their own terms, exploring new avenues and pushing their limits musically and creatively. This is what makes Enter The Haggis so amazing; They are never stagnant and always looking ahead to new creative ways to bring messages of love, life, and family to their listeners.
Enter The Haggis – Saranac Thursdays
Anxiously anticipating their upcoming release of their latest project, The Penny Black Project, this album is going to be solely for their fans, as the music has all been inspired by the stories submitted by Haggis Heads. This band continues to push their limits and stretching their capabilities to bring about the most diverse sounds. Not categorizing them into any one genre but giving them a unique mix of all their influences over the years. I think this is what is most appealing to me as a music lover. Their lyrics tell a story, the music accentuates their mediums, their sound is never the same – they evolve. Over the years this is what translates into musical longevity. Times change, current events change, technology changes, and music should follow and evolve in the same manner. Enter The Haggis identifies with change and embraces the opportunity to bring to their fans a piece of themselves.
Enter The Haggis – Saranac Thursdays
As they took the stage at Saranac, the audience was ready to party along with the band as they played some of their best-loved songs. It never ceases to amaze me how this band can pump up an audience to the point of frenzy with “Lannigan’s Ball” and “Gasoline”. Those numbers incite an almost riot and singing and dancing each and every time they play them. However it was their encore number, “Long Way Home”, that left me speechless this time as it’s flavor was a mixture of sounds of celtic, bluegrass, and folk instrumentally and lyrically. Not sure as I’ve ever heard them play that one before and I must add, “Wow!” Hoping this is part of the new sound they are turning towards in the impending album, because it’s uniquely distinctive and appealing.
Enter The Haggis – Saranac Thursdays
As always, Enter The Haggis’s performance at Saranac was amazing to say the least, and the CNY fan base just absolutely loves them. Stay tuned to NYS Music in the near future for a preview and interview with the band about their new project and what fans reactions are. If interested in supporting the project please visit their site for more information on their new album and upcoming shows.
Enter The Haggis – Saranac ThursdaysEnter The Haggis – Saranac Thursdays
One of the most anticipated shows of the Saranac Thursday line up in Utica, NY is definitely the crowd favorites from Toronto, Canada – Enter The Haggis. This indie, roots rock, folk, celtic group blazes new trails for themselves each time they set out to create their music. This Thursday, July 17 at the Saranac Brewery in Utica, fans are hoping they may share a taste of what is to be material from the new album. Join us at 6pm, whether they share or not, their catalog of music is riveting enough and you definitely won’t be sorry you came.
With Brian Buchanan (vocals, fiddle, keyboards, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar), Craig Downie (vocals, highland bagpipes, trumpet, harmonica, whistle, acoustic guitar, and bells), Trevor Lewington (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, octave mandolin, and keyboards), Mark Abraham (bass guitar and vocals) and Bruce McCarthy (drums and percussion ) – you know the music will be top notch. How could it not? with the most impressive collection of talent on stage. Although their rousing sound never fails to get the toes tapping, the hands clapping, and the crowd screaming, it’s their songwriting that takes them over the top and sets them apart from all the others.
Enter The Haggis
It’s a gift, their creativity. Each album forges new trails for them and their audience, adoringly referred to as Haggis Heads. The last album, The Modest Revolution came about based on one day’s news publication. As they read through this news periodical, they found all the inspiration necessary to come up with a full album of music addressing topics from that day’s current events.
Enter The Haggis
As creative as that was, their new project, The Penny Black Project, is even more so. Over the years touring, they have heard some of the most interesting stories and tales from Haggis Heads all over the world. Putting out a request to all their fans to share their unique stories, there was only one catch. It had to be submitted the old fashioned way, with pen and paper and sent via the postal service. The anticipation to hear these stories and their interpretation of them is keeping their fans on the edge of their seats. As mixing has commenced, it’s only a matter of time for the final release date to be announced.
Central New York loves their Celtic music, whether it’s traditional or contemporary fans flock from all over the area to raise a pint and sing along. One of their favorite bands includes Toronto based Enter The Haggis who recently made a pit stop at Syracuse’s Wescott Theater December 28th to close out the year.
Enter The Haggis – Brian Buchanan & Trevor Lewington
Comprised of five of the best musicians in the business, between them playing more than 15 instruments, they never cease to amaze me with their creativity and forward thinking. After releasing many albums under a record label they bravely set out on their own to try new methods of funding by utilizing Kickstarter to fund their next project. With a goal of $20,000 set, they never imagined they would reach it in a record breaking time of 12 hours. By the end of the campaign they were able to raise more than $66,000 to fund their next album. The next album, The Modest Revolution, was an amazing compilation of music made their way for their fans who would be happily surprised at the sounds and the stories of how each song was inspired.
Enter The Haggis – Brian Buchanan
The Modest Revolution was a compilation of music and songs written solely through the muse of the Toronto’s, Globe and Mail, the local newspaper. After bravely pre-ordering 1,500 copies of the March 30, 2012 edition, ETH was determined to read the news that day and write their entire next album based on the stories that inspired them from that periodical. As one of the gutsiest and most creative muses I’ve ever seen, some of my favorite music evolved. As a thank to you supporters through the campaign the band toured a few cities to hold listening parties once the album was released. In March of 2013, ETH held one of the listening parties at the local Saranac Brewery in Utica. The band first narrated the songs to the group with funny accolades of how each tune came to be. They played unedited and final edits for the group and added personal stories that gave the group a sense of intimacy normally not achieved. Funny stories, accounting of how each member added their own personal touch to the sound, and explanations of how an album is recorded were shared with the group to give them an understanding of what it takes to create an album. As the group listened, a feeling of ownership as part of a team was apparent to those in attendance.
2013 was the year to tour and promote this creation. Opening this evening with Syracuse’s own Scottish Pipe Band definitely warmed up the crowd for a night of celtic jamming. A full show of fan favorites included older tunes of “Noseworthy & Piercy”, “Getaway Car” and crowd favorite “Gasoline”, with a mix of new tunes of “Balto”, “Letters”, “Copper Leaves” and the rockabilly “Down the Line” from The Modest Revolution. The playlist of music spans a decade or creativity and growth and their amazing range of talent and ability to create new and edgy music over the course of time. However it’s the signature tunes that put Haggis Heads over the top. Tunes such as “Litter and the Leaves”, “Lancaster Gate” in which Craig rocks the stage with his amazing bagpipes, and “Lanigans Ball” where Trevor and Brian set the stage on fire that really truly hooks the audience each and every time.
Enter The Haggis – Trevor Lewington & Mark Abraham
Never have I attended an ETH concert where they haven’t yet mesmerized the audience and converted all to what fans referred themselves as Haggis Heads. True musicians and true performers and I must add, a great group of guys that love what they do and their fans that allow them to continue. Always a show to remember. Stay tuned for ETH’s next project being created currently through Kickstarter once again. This project, The Black Penny Project, is inspired by fans this time. Handwritten letters of their “stories” will become ETH’s next work of art.
Meet the band:
Brian Buchanan: Vocals, Fiddle, Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
