TROY – As the autumn door closes, the cool air pushes the doors open for the winter solstice. That also means the end of the fall concert season at Hudson Valley Community College (H.V.C.C.).
The Troy campus closed out its autumn series with Capital Region band, The McKrells. Fans of the popular group flocked to the college to watch and be entertained by the six-piece ensemble playing a mix of covers and originals in an Irish-bluegrass flair Thursday, Nov. 16.
The McKrells featured musicians Kevin McKrell (guitar/vocals), Peter Pashoukos (acoustic guitar/vocals), Arlin Greene (bass/backing vocals), Scott Hopkins (banjo/backing vocals), Brian Melick (percussion), and Frank Orsini (violin). Together, they wowed their crowd with their tight acapella harmonies, their delicate soloing throughout their songs, and their quick, joyful joking banter amongst themselves in between song changes.
The hour-long show opened with “Dublin Town” and then went into previous McKrells member John Kribs’ original, “A Song and A Prayer” and the captivating instrumental “Around The Hornpipe” co-written by both Hopkins and Orsini respectively highlighting the musician poise of the banjo and violin.
Along the set, McKrell dedicated his self-penned Valentine’s Day song to his wife in his performance of “Red is the Rose” and continued on with more originals including “Donegal” and concluding the show with the sing-along, “All of the Hard Days Are Gone”.
Prepping for the Winter
The band is currently gearing up for The McKrells Christmas shows. Starting Saturday, Dec. 2, they will begin their holiday tour at The Sand Lake Center for the Arts (S.L.C.A.) in Averill Park (7 p.m.) and will next go to The Strand Theater in Hudson Falls Dec. 3 (3 p.m.), The Cock And Bull in Galway Dec. 6 (7 p.m.), The Litchfield Community Center in Litchfield, CT Dec. 15 (7 p.m.), and will close out their series at The Swyer Theater at The Egg Performing Arts Center in Albany Dec. 16, 7 p.m.
Follow The McKrells online at The McKrells for ticket information and learn more about the band.