The Exiles

The Exiles have been a regularly featured act at O’Leary’s and at Jacob Wirth’s in Boston. The band has brought their fiddle, flutes, bodrhans and vocals (and many other instruments) to many venues, such as the Lowell Irish Festival, the Bread and Roses Festival, the Lowell Memorial Auditorium, The Elephant and Castle, the Honey Fitz pub, and for Fiona Shaw and the cast of Dublin’s Abby Theater. The band plays exhilarating, traditional Irish instrumental dance music, as well as their own compositions, with vitality and spark. The Exiles features Bob Drouin on a dizzying array of melodic instruments, backed by one of the most driving rhythm sections in the business. Their music ranges from sets of high-energy jigs and reels, to delicate finger picking tunes, to lively traditional songs.

Bob Drouin (bouzouki, fiddle, banjo, whistle, flute, vocals) Bob’s music evokes his deep love for the Irish music tradition. For the past seven years, he has been anchoring the traditional Irish music session at Patrick’s Pub in Providence, and he is also a founding member of the Celtic group Pendragon.

Jeff Feingold (bodhran, vocals) Jeff, mid-Atlantic champion on the Irish drum, was filmed as a guest performer for RTE, the Irish public television network. Jeff also joined several other musicians to record original and traditional music for the soundtrack of the Indie film Private Lies. Jeff also founded the Celtic Artists’ Network, a traditional music concert production and promotion company.

Jay Gilbert (guitar, banjo, vocals) Jay has fast become one of the most highly regarded accompanists in Irish Music in the New England traditional music scene. In addition to the “backing”, Jay also plays melody, for both traditional tunes and those of his own composition. Jay has developed an individual style on guitar, on which his playing is at once strong, precise, and delicate. He also plays Irish tenor banjo, and he has a rich singing voice. He sings both lead and backing vocals for The Exiles.