Blackmore’s Night

Castles & Dreams (SPV)

Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow) fans who haven’t followed his recent work may be surprised to find him in the Middle Ages. Performing with his young, lushly blond wife, Candice Night, Castles & Dreams is an elegant, 2-DVD package of Celtic rock: She’s Loreena McKennitt for the masses, and he’s a rock star for the Ren Faire crowd. Surrounded by sound musicianship and high-concept staging, the four hours of concert and voluminous extras (videos, documentaries, and offstage chatter) conjure fey and fantasy. Forget Spinal Tap and jokes about Stonehenge being crushed by dwarves; Castles & Dreams is a journey to the past, enjoyably imaginative and musically satisfying.

***

This article appears in December 23 • 2005.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US