(WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- The Center for the Arts at Monmouth University presents Irish band Caladh Nua on March 9, 2017 at 7:30pm in the Pollak Theatre. The concert represents the coastal New Jersey debut of the quintet that first convened in 2009 — a group of friends whose relatively recent backstory is balanced by a deep-seated fascination with exploring the traditional musical treasures of Ireland’s southern counties.

The Monmouth date is part of a late-winter tour jaunt that brings the musicians to audiences throughout the American Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states (with one stand-alone Arizona gig just prior to their arrival in West Long Branch). While the month of March is often considered prime time for Celtic-flavored entertainments, the timelessness of the band’s repertoire, coupled with the contemporary flair of their acclaimed live sets, combine to make Caladh Nua an act whose appeal transcends the once-yearly “wearin’ o’ the green.”

Original members Lisa Butler (lead vocals, fiddle), Derek Morrissey (button accordion), Colm O’Caoimh (guitar), Eoin O’Meachair (banjo, tin whistle) and Paddy Tutty (lead fiddle, bodhran and viola) started out as “five friends who played music for fun,” and who got the wild idea that their collective passion for their shared musical heritage could be transmitted to aficionados of Irish culture throughout the world. With Caoimhin O’Fearghail replacing O’Caoimh on guitar and flute, the band has made good its mission; touring and playing festivals in cities such as Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen, Berlin, Mumbai and Vancouver. High profile appearances on American Public Radio and the BBC have helped make such independently released recordings as   a hit with the vast and ever-growing market for the traditional sounds of the Emerald Isle, and have branded Caladh Nua as “a young ensemble on the rise.”

Augmenting such generations-old favorites as “The Gravel Walks Set,” “The Cruel Lowland Maid” and  “Craigie Hills” with the odd original (“Farewell to You”), a set by Caladh Nua is a thing of youthful vigor and mature power that can range from a quiet interlude of haunting mystery, to a raucously galloping reel at a moment’s notice. Coupled with the bandmates’ penchant for humorous stories and onstage banter, the concert experience is one in which the listener is drawn into the intimate circle of friends — and the visitors create fervent new friends in every community they touch.

Tickets are priced at $35 and $45, with a Gold Circle seating option available for $55. Reservations are available through the Monmouth University Performing Arts Box Office at 732-263-6889, or online at www.monmouth.edu/arts.