history
Celtic Creek was born in 2004, out of a desire to keep alive the ancient story-songs of the Scottish & Irish races. We have also started performing the music of the Civil War era, and many Great Lakes maritime tunes. We have given over 500 performances since.
Because of the demand, we began playing Pop/Folk tunes especially those associated with water and so we formed an alter-ego of Drunken Sailors for those types of event. Drunken Sailors plays Jimmy Buffett, Van Morrison, Seals and Croft, James Taylor, stuff like that at marinas, bars, whatever.
Along the way, we were asked to come up with a Pirate show for kids and so we developed Capt'n Kid's Pirate Show, which has taken off like hotcakes. We play an exhausting schedule mostly from St. Patty's Day until the end of the Autumn outdoor season.
We traveled to Scotland in 2006, and to Ireland and Northern Ireland in 2005, where we played music with traditional players at the famous Murphy's Pub, in Dungiven, Northern Ireland. In 2010 we went to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton and became totally immersed in Celtic music for seven days - two or three events a day! We sat in wherever they would have us. We returned again to Nova Scotia in 2017.
We've also played in some other remote places like Bombay Peggy's Saloon in Dawson City, Yukon, and out on Ambergis Caye, Belize in several bars - wherever we can find a corner and people want to listen. Beth even played for tips on the streets of Glasgow, Scotland, and at Loch Lomond, where she played the song Loch Lomond, and at Carrickfergus, Ireland, where she played the song Carrickfergus. The sea gulls loved it!
Our duo consists of husband and wife, James and Elizabeth (Jim and Beth) McQuiston. We lived on the shores of Lake Erie, near the mouth of a creek, when we started the band, and we both have Celtic backgrounds. So, we decided on Celtic Creek as the name best suited to represent our music. We have purchased a home just down the beach from where we used to live and just love Lake Erie.
Jim has performed for 52 years, playing many types of popular music. He grew up on Celtic music and began performing it live a few years ago, after many years of Rock n' Roll. Beth played flute in high school and discovered her own love of Celtic music. In early 2004 we began rehearsing for St. Patrick's Day, and we've been very busy ever since! In 2013 we played both the Jamestown Celtic Fest and Geneva-on-the-Lake Celtic Fest on the very same day - eight hours of performing!
We’ve been on and off regulars at the Erie Irish Fest and the Edinboro Highland Games for many years, and have been with the Jamestown Celtic Fest every year of its existence. Last year we added the McConnell Mills Heritage Days, both Saturday and Sunday, and they are having us back again this year.
On our biggest St. Patrick week we played ten jobs. On our biggest St. Patrick Day we played four jobs in one day, three in Erie and one in Warren. It was crazy.
We have performed in all types of Irish pubs from Buffalo to Pittsburgh, to Olean. And whenever we take a vacation overseas, we try to get our music played one way or another wherever we are visiting.
This year we are back at the Erie Irish Fest, the Edinboro Highland Games, The Jamestown Celtic Fest, the North East Wine Fest, and about 30 other venues throughout the region. Bottom line, we are busy! But then, we are always looking for more places to perform.