Don’t Miss The Craic:
A New Sound Around Town
 THE CRAIC: Sean O’Hara, Elegwen Ó Maoileóin, and Michael Viens.
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VANCOUVER – The Craic were formed in October 2009 when Sean O’Hara and Elegwen Ó Maoileóin responded to an ad on Craigslist looking for Irish musicians.
Together they met Eoghan Scott, a guitarist from Sean’s home town of Dublin, and started playing Sunday evening sessions at Johnnie Fox’s Irish snug on Granville Street.
“We were having such good craic playing together that we thought The Craic would be perfect for the band’s name. “Craic” (pronounced “Crack”) is an Irish word used to describe good conversation and a fun atmosphere.
From doing Sunday sessions at Johnnies’, The Craic were spotted by Ceili’s Irish Pub and were booked in for a few gigs. Now the band plays regularly at Ceili’s for their kitchen parties and for private functions during the week.
The Craic play a mix folk/rock ballads from Canada, Ireland and Scotland and play up-tempo gigs and reels. Their set list has many popular pub songs and they throw in a few of their own to add a mix of old and modern songs alike.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics, the lads were busy nearly every night doing shows around the city which really helped develop their sound and set.
Elegwen is from North Vancouver, and he plays the uilleann pipes, bouzouki and tin whistle. He learned the pipes from a local player here in Vancouver and then spent two years living in Belfast where he played with his band Damanta.
Sean came to Vancouver from Dublin in May of 2009. He was born in Ottawa, Ontario, but has lived most of his life in Ireland. He came to Canada to work in the film business but found himself playing the bodhran instead.
While he enjoys playing with the group, he is also an actor and has done a few roles for Vancouver Film School productions. Among other projects he is directing a stage show called The New York Monologues in September.
Michael Viens joined The Craic in March replacing Eoghan who went back to Ireland. Michael also plays with his band Blackthorn and has many years experience playing music. His skill and talent have not only made The Craic more fun, but is also a great asset for this emerging group.
The band can be found playing at Malone’s Bar and Grill once a month and at Dublin Crossing in Surrey on June 24.
Anyone interested in learning more about The Craic, contact Sean at (604) 714-1299, or e-mail: rathgar@o2.ie. Listen to their mini CD at: www.reverbnation.com/thecraic.
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