Character Fleadh

Character Fleadh plays Irish and Scottish traditional music - jigs, reels, hornpipes, airs, polkas, strathspeys, drinking/rebel songs, and more. The instrumentation is fiddle, flute, bodhran/drums/percussion, guitar, tenor banjo, mandolin, bass, and multiple vocals. The band is exceedingly professional, adaptable, and well-versed in various kinds of events. We can scale our line-up to suit the space/budget. The band can bring its own amplification, work with house set-ups, and/or perform completely acoustically as suits the event/venue.

If you're looking for great Irish/Scottish/Celtic music for your event/venue, Character Fleadh is the band you want. You'll love us. Just ask newlyweds Kris and Jason, who raved:

"Thank you for making our wedding day a blast!"

Since 2008, Character Fleadh has honored Irish and Scottish traditions while forging its own path. The band’s spirited approach to traditional Irish and Scottish folk music is exuberant, sophisticated, and full of… character.

Founding guitarist/vocalist Ethan Sellers has guided Character Fleadh through various line-up changes while maintaining a top-quality ensemble comprised of some of the Chicago area's finest Irish and Scottish musicians. Starting as an exclusively-instrumental fiddle/guitar duo, Character Fleadh gradually expanded its line-up and learned hours and hours of traditional instrumental and vocal repertoire, playing regional festivals, concert series, and private events.

We're available for public and private events in configurations of 1-6 players, depending on the venue, budget, event type/length, and player availability. At full strength, the band comprises fiddle, flute, guitar, bodhran/drums, bass, tenor banjo, mandolin, and vocals. Concertina/accordion, piano, and bagpipes (Uilleann or Highland) are available as add-ons.

We're very easy to work with. We bring our own amplification, use yours, or perform completely acoustic as needed. We keep the volume reasonable and the fuss to a minimum.