Musical Genes Run in Eight Leahy Siblings

The 2010 Olympics is not all that Canada has sent out from its borders recently. Canada has produced a group called Leahy.

Leahy (LAY-he) is a noun, verb, or adjective.

As a noun, it means a family. The Leahy family will perform at the Alberta Bear Theater, 3rd and Broadway downtown in Billings, Wednesday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m.

This musical group of brothers and sisters produces a sound, a style of music, a way of life, a volcanic explosion of talent and energy, intense emotion, and feral passion. “We’re one of Canada’s most sought after exports,” they tease.

Leahy is a Canadian powerhouse of eight musical siblings, who have been playing together their entire lives. The band’s three acclaimed CDs — Leahy, Lakefield, and In All Things — have world-wide sales of over half a million copies.

The family continues to move forward as musicians and performers. Winter 2007 saw them release their first ever live DVD and CD. PBS audiences are currently watching Leahy’s third television special. On their American tour, new audiences learned that this family of instrumentalists, singers, and dancers brings a rare level of originality and musicianship to the stage. This originality includes music that Leahy writes, arranges, and produces. Known for their unique blend of musical styles and genres, their repertoire is more distinct than ever.

All that audiences need to do to understand the style that has come to be known as “Leahy” is look at their awards — Junos for Best New Group, Best Country Group, and Best Instrumental Album, the most played folk/roots song in Canada in 2004 and the Socan award for Folk/Jazz instrumentalist the following year.

Their self-titled album rose to number four on the Billboard world music charts and found its way onto the soundtrack of the award-winning movie “The Hanging Garden.” On stage, Leahy brought 175 audiences to their feet when they opened for pop-star Shania Twain on her inaugural world tour.

Leahy brings its whole being to each and every performance. Their life story reads like a Hollywood movie ... a large family raised without a television on a farm in the small town of Lakefield, Ontario, Canada. In fact, their life story was so compelling that it became the subject of an Oscar winning documentary — “The Leahys: Music Most of All.” The film foretold the success that would follow.

Tickets are $30 for all seats. Good seats are still available. Call 256-6052 or stop by the ABT ticket office at the theater.