THE ELDERS 
Performs Friday, Saturday, & Sunday 9:30-10:30pm
“The Elders" remain one of the top Celtic-rock bands in the US after 24 years because of their timeless sound. It’s their passion, great melodies, unique harmonies, unparalleled musicianship, and strong songwriting that keeps them connected.
And that songwriting began in 1998 when two musicians moved back from LA to Kansas City to play Irish music. Norm Dahlor and Brent Hoad played in numerous bands but their American and Celtic-folk rock roots were calling and The Elders were born.
Their most recent studio album, number 9, “Well Alright Then”, released in March, was conceived after the band retired and the country experienced a lockdown. The band had not intended on recording again but did so in honor of guitarist Steve Phillips, who urged them to finish the album. Phillips recorded all of his vocals and musical parts before he passed in 2020.
“Well Alright Then”, their 9th album, includes the unique story-telling the band is well-known for, with stories of love, loyalty, and Irish feistiness.
From an Emmy-Award Winning DVD to an induction into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame and to a PBS concert televised across the US, The Elders are still going strong because of their powerful, personal, and musical chemistry.
Reviewed in numerous publications such as PASTE Magazine, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange, Music Row Magazine, Goldmine Magazine, TRAD Magazine (France), Chicago Sun-Times, The Kansas City Star and more, the band still remains a recognizable music force.
The Elders are Ian Byrne, lead vocals and percussion; Kian Byrne, vocals, drums, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, and mandolin; Norm Dahlor, vocals, bass guitar, and acoustic guitar; Diana Ladio, vocals and fiddle; William "Liam" Latas, vocals, lead guitar, and acoustic guitar; and Daniel Loftus, vocals, keyboards, and bass guitar.
“Well Alright Then”
A new record by the Kansas City Band, The Elders
The Elders retired from touring at the end of 2018. They performed two events in 2019, a cruise ship tour and the Kansas City Plaza Lighting ceremony. After that the equipment was stacked on shelves and covered with tarps.
Tuesday nights were traditionally band practice nights and this tradition continued on after their retirement. They continued to write songs and record demos. In early 2020, the World was afflicted with the dreaded Pandemic Covid 19. Band practices were put on hold promptly.
The band members did not get to see each other for many months. During this time, Steve Phillips health was deteriorating due to a terminal lung disease called Pulmonary Fibrosis. Tragically, Steve lost a hard-fought battle in October 2020. Steve was the heart and soul of The Elders. He handled all the recording, the bookings, the flights, the Hotels and a million other duties it takes to manage and run a World touring band. He was also our dear brother.
After his funeral and many tears, we reviewed all the songs we had written the previous year. We listened to the Demos. These songs were good! We all worked hard on these songs. Steve worked hard on these songs. He literally sang and played on some of them with his last dying breath. We have to record these songs. We have all experienced our fair share of tragedy these past couple of years. No matter what obstacles are put in front of us, we must keep going.
Steve loved the term “Well Alright Then”.