O'Neill Brothers, Gibson visit Sioux Falls
Aberdeen American News
February 10, 2006
by Angela Mettler
In support of their latest album, "Someone You Love," The O'Neill Brothers are touring nine Midwestern cities
with former pop princess Deborah Gibson.
They will stop in Sioux Falls on Saturday at the Washington Pavilion, with shows at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27.50; call 1-877-927-4728.
Tim and Ryan O'Neill have been performing piano duets together since 1997, while both were attending the University of Notre Dame.
The brothers grew up in New Prague, Minn., where they are still based today. Both began taking piano lessons at age 5.
Since starting their own independent record label, Shamrock-n-Roll, Inc., the brothers have recorded 21 albums and sold more than 1 million copies.
"Someone You Love" features 15 romantic songs, two with Gibson's vocals. This is the O'Neill Brothers' first album featuring a guest singer.
Incredible Vocalist
"This year we wanted to really take things up a notch," said Tim, 33. "(Gibson) is just an incredible vocalist."
Gibson, 35, said the brothers approached her with the idea and asked her to write a song. She wrote the album's title track.
"I like assignments - I like homework," she said. "That was a big part of what appealed to me."
Along with touring with the O'Neill Brothers, Gibson was also recently featured on the television show "Skating with the Celebrities,"
was a guest singer in "Broadway on Ice" with Brian Boitano, will perform the role of Sally Bowles in the North Carolina Theater's
production of "cabaret" later this month and is hosting a show called "100 Greatest Teen Stars," a five-night series that started airing on VH1 on Monday.
Big Hits
She is probably best known for her hits "Only In My Dreams" in 1987 and "Lost in Your Eyes" in 1989. Her last pop album was
released in 2001 and "Colored Lights - The Broadway Album" was released in 2003.
"Right now, I'm writing and demoing and trying to figure out what genre I want to record in next," she said. "I'm really trying to
explore what makes me happiest right now as an artist."
She will perform a few of her hits on the "Someone You Love" tour.
The brothers tour with a group of musicians and also sing in concert, said Tim. They also play the guitar, harmonica and bodhran.
Power of Music
Tim lists Billy Joel, Elton John and George Winston among his influences. He enjoys making music because of "the power of
music to take people places if they just close their eyes - the nostalgia and memories that it brings back for people," he said.
"It's neat to be able to play that."
