Continuing their international tour, De Temps Antan returns to the Earlville Opera House Saturday, May 21, at 8 p.m. Playing fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki and several other instruments, including their feet, these three virtuosos from Quebec bring boundless energy and unmistakable joie de vivre to the traditional music of their native land.
Since 2003, Éric Beaudry, André Brunet and Pierre-Luc Dupuis have been performing time-honored melodies from the stomping grounds of Quebec’s musical past. De Temps Antan—which roughly translates as From Bygone Times—is a band made for wild applause.
Their music digs deep into its French, Irish, and Scottish roots with a sound that’s fresh, contemporary and full of life. Dupuis concentrates on accordion and harmonica, Brunet on fiddle, and Beaudry on guitar and feet, using his boots as percussion instruments, banging and tapping them on the floor. The band has won raves, including this review from Vancouver’s Rogue Folk Club: “Fabulous! Such power and drive, yet every nuance of every note is highlighted—even when they are playing those crooked reels at hyper-speed! De Temps Antan are definitely the most powerful and exciting québécois band we’ve heard in a long time. Maybe all time.”
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $25 to the general public, $22 for members and $13 for students and children under 18, with premiums applying in the first four rows of seating. The Earlville Opera House is wheelchair-accessible with a ramp and a lift. For more information, call 315.691.3550 or visit www.earlvilleoperahouse.com.