With their unique blend of Celtic, Ukrainian, and Appalachian traditional music, Scythian thundered into Raleigh for a show that had the Fletcher Opera Theater audience on its feet, clapping hands, and singing along. These festival favorites took the opportunity of a theater concert to show off some slower songs and spend time on storytelling, giving their songs rich context and connecting them to a larger story. They also previewed their String Break Cruise, a chance to see the band aboard a ship with plenty of musical friends along for the voyage.
The quartet’s onstage energy was matched by their musical prowess, a phenomenon Nashville’s Music City Roots once described as “what happens when rock star charisma meets Celtic dervish fiddling.” Led by brothers Alexander and Danylo Fedoryka, the band’s sound stems from their classical training and love for bluegrass and Ukrainian folk music, with folk-rock and even Cajun flavors added by the band’s other members. The buzz around Scythian’s sets spreads like wildfire at festivals they attend, and the audience at their Down Home Concert likewise left ready to spread the word to friends.
It was an evening of singing, dancing, and shouting with friends, a reminder that music unites across oceans, opinions, and everything else.
Learn more about Scythian here.
Photos by Todd Gunsher
