the olllam
The olllam is a Transatlantic collective that combines Irish traditional music with Detroit’s post-rock and psychedelic sensibility. Drawing on uilleann pipes, whistles, guitar, keyboards, bass, and intricate drums, the group creates lush, genre-defying compositions built around cyclical, trance-like melodies and virtuosic instrumental interplay.
The group’s name comes from the Old Irish word for a master of a skill. Its core creative forces include Belfast uilleann piper and whistle player John McSherry, American piper and whistle player Tyler Duncan, and drummer Michael Shimmin. Their recordings also feature bassist Joe Dart of Vulfpeck and the Fearless Flyers. The olllam’s self-titled 2012 debut became a cult favorite and won the Indie Acoustic Music Award for Best Instrumental Album.
The live collective has expanded over the years with collaborators including Vulfpeck members Theo Katzman and Woody Goss. Following the 2022 album *elllegy*, the lineup featured guitarist Seán O’Meara of Limerick and Michigan producer Joe Hettinga on keys. Scottish whistle player and piper Ross Ainslie joined in 2024 as Tyler Duncan shifted his focus toward producing. The group subsequently toured the United Kingdom and Ireland, including sold-out performances at Glasgow Barrowlands and London’s Jazz Cafe, and collaborated with Zedd on the 2024 album *Telos*.
When: November 6, 2026
Showtimes: Doors open at 7:00 PM. A performance start time is not provided.
Tickets: $27 / $32
Ticket options: Paid admission.
Ages: All ages.
Genre: Alternative, world, and folk.
Venue: Songbyrd Music House, 540 Penn Street NE, Washington, DC.
Lineup: The olllam’s associated musicians include John McSherry, Tyler Duncan, Michael Shimmin, Joe Dart, Seán O’Meara, Joe Hettinga, Ross Ainslie, Theo Katzman, and Woody Goss. The page identifies Duncan as having moved his focus to producing after Ainslie joined.
Background: The group describes its sound as “Neo-Acoustic Celtic Post-Rock,” combining traditional Irish instrumentation and musicianship with experimental rock textures, psychedelic atmosphere, and complex rhythmic arrangements.