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鈥淲e started our 50^th anniversary tour about two years ago and it continues with no end in sight,鈥� said George Millar, the group鈥檚 leader who began touring at age 16. 鈥淭he music itself never gets old. It is still fun. It鈥檚 in our blood and when it gets in your blood it is hard to stop it.鈥�

The Irish Rovers concert is part of ISU鈥檚  鈥淎 Season of Note鈥� and will be performed in the Joseph C. and Cheryl H. Jensen Grand Concert Hall in the L.E. and Thelma Stephens Performing Arts Center.

As time has passed, the group has focused more on traditional Irish music, Millar said.

鈥淢ostly, we play 95 percent traditional Irish-type songs. There are not many modern songs we do, we鈥檝e gone back to mainly to Irish jigs and they like.鈥�

Irish music, when brought to America, spawned uniquely American musical genres, he noted.

鈥淚rish music is the forerunner of country music,鈥� Millar said. 鈥淲ithout us, you wouldn鈥檛 have Garth Brooks. The Irish and Scottish brought their music to America and it first was turned into bluegrass and then country music.鈥�

Throughout the years, these international ambassadors of Irish music have had the ability to deliver a rollicking, raising performances of good cheer that often get audience members singing and clapping along.

They have produced more than 40 albums in North America and many more internationally. On this tour the band will release their two-DVD and two-CD set  鈥淟IVE on St. Patrick鈥檚 Day.鈥�

This 鈥淐eltic super-band鈥� was founded in Canada in Toronto but first became known on American television in the 鈥�60s. As guests on shows like The Tonight Show, The Smothers Brothers Show, Mike Douglas Show, The Virginian, The Dating Game (George Millar actually won the date), they gained experience before hosting their first of three international television series, 鈥淭he Irish Rovers Show鈥� for the CBC.  

Over the next 20 years they became staples of the world music scene with two more international television series, and performing at five World Expos. At that time, fans enjoyed their early hits like Black Velvet Band, The Unicorn, Whisky on a Sunday and Wasn't That A Party. These days they鈥檝e produced two more television specials, 鈥淭he Irish Rovers Home in Ireland鈥� and 鈥淭he Irish Rovers Christmas.鈥�

鈥淲hen you get older you don鈥檛 have the same worries as you did when you were younger,鈥� Millar said. 鈥淣ow it is just fun, the music is good, we鈥檙e playing it well and the audiences want to hear it. Who would want to stop (touring) if you don鈥檛 have to?鈥�

More information is available online at .

Ticket prices are $26 for main seating and $22 for upper level sitting. Tickets are available at the ISU Box Office in the Stephens Performing Arts Center (1102 Sam Nixon Dr.), by phone at 282-3595, online at or at Vickers Western Wear.

For more information on the 2016-17 Season of Note, contact the Stephens Performing Arts Box Office at (208) 282-3595 or visit .