New Concept for Off Kilter

Just FYI - Off Kilter is going under a re-structuring - Tony (keyboards) is no longer with the band and Jason (fiddle) will be joining full time. Apprently Disney is coming up with a "new concept" for the band.

Hopefully they improve rather than completely change it. (not that it needed improving but the alternative would not go over well)

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Off Kilter+ ?

So.... theyre going "Flogging Molly"?

I dont know about Flogging Molly but a new concept could be interesting. I am sad to see Tony go though, and do wish him the best. Jason is pretty incredible and will be a great presence to the Off Kilter Stage. I cant wait to check it out in person!! Marie

At least they're not killing them off like they did with the groups at DAK. I miss the Village Beatnicks a lot. I would always catch a couple of set when we visited the park. Seeing them was what kept DAK on my "to do" list for every trip but since they have almost completely rid that park of live music (other than shows of course), we often skip it for a sleep in/hotel pool day or head over to see the fish at Sea World (since military is free after all).

Can't imagine them pulling off Flogging Molly vocals but I'd like to see them try

Is Off Kilter a Disney created act? So that they can decide to make change like this? Or were they an act that existed outside of WDW, but was then hired/contracted much how other acts perform at other locations in the FL area?

They existed outside of Disney.

I will be there on Saturday. I'll see if I can grab video of a set and post it to YouTube.

here here!

Yeah, my family used to catch them years ago performing at Irish festivals...we were very surprised to see them in Canada.

Awesome!!! Marie

I'd love to see that...especially if you can catch them doing any Rush....

Of course, it'll be kind of hard to do Tom Sawyer without a keyboard...

Tom Sawyer maybe get Rush.
I know Off-Kilter is trying to make music that is representative of Atlantic Canada but the group members are all Americans.

Rush is 100% Canadian, and have nation wide appeal.

Clearly, it'll be On Kilter.

Um that is not entirely true. Mark Weldon was born in Ireland and didnt come over to the States until he was an adult. Jason Thomas I know is of Canadian ancestry, but I Am not sure if he was born there or not. Marie

Tony Escapa hails from Puerto Rico, a US Territory yet not one of the States.

Off Kilter is a Disney creation. Jamie (bagpipes) had already been playing in the Canadian pavilion with a drummer - both wearing white shirts and kilts with the Nova Scotia tartan and walking through the gardens and up to to the NW Mercantile where they would play a small show.

Disney wanted to up the ante a bit and found other musicians (some already worked for Disney, like Randy - some did not) and worked out a more of a celtic rock band. Jamie and Mark tried to figure out some traditional Nova Scotian songs to do that they could spruce up so he asked an amazing, attractive, talented, awesome, sweet, intelligent...oh, ok it was me Nova Scotian girl who worked at the pavilion to give a couple of song suggestions.

They began rehearsing (which I snuck into a couple of times) and then they played their first show for Disney execs (and a few of us Canadians for support) as an audition to see if they band would work. The execs loved it and the band debuted at Disney in 1997.

They did not exist outside of Disney until after that.

Interesting. I was under the impression that they existed prior to that.

I know Mark used to play in a local celtic rock band but it wasn't with Jamie. They had another bagpiper so that may be what you're thinking. I honestly don't remember at all what it was called.