Saw Doctors shine on St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day in Boston is a week – ok, maybe a month – long celebration of the best music the Irish heritage has to offer. Last week, I personally had the opportunity to see Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys and while they were both excellent shows, there was nowhere else I wanted to be but at Showcase Live with the Saw Doctors on March 17. And they didn’t disappoint, treating the sold-out venue to a solid show featuring their biggest hits that had everyone in the room proud of the green, white, and orange.
Taking the stage promptly at nine o’clock, the Saw Doctors wasted no time getting the crowd dancing with “World of Good”, which quickly became a sing-along that would last for most of the night. Thanking their opening act Barefoot for a great set, the guys kept the crowd satisfied by launching into “N17” and letting the audience take the lead on the choruses.

In a surprise move, the Saw Doctors introduced a few new songs into the set (all from a forthcoming album due later this year). While the new material was okay and played nicely in the live setting, the new songs didn’t garner nearly as much engagement as the older ones. The first new song showcased was “Friday Town” which was a bit slower in tempo and resulted in a lot of the crowd talking over the lyrics.

Perhaps knowing in advance that the new material might be met with mixed reaction, the Saw Doctors got back in the groove with “Tommy K.” which is always a fan favorite and comes complete with interpretive choreography to match the lyrics. “All the Way From Tuam” let the guys reminisce about home and show off their vocals a bit more. Sticking with the more subdued mood “All the Way From Tuam” had created in the audience, “Mercy Gates” followed and was a great segue into “Never Mind the Strangers”. The second new song of the night, “Someone Loves You”, was better received by the crowd as there wasn’t as much talking and people even joined in on the refrain.

“Green and Red of Mayo” was taken over by the crowd, leaving the Saw Doctors providing only instrumental support at points throughout the song. In one of the best moments of the show, “Green and Red of Mayo” led immediately into “Galway and Mayo” which featured “Maroon and White Forever” in the middle before closing out with the tail end of “Galway and Mayo”. This may be something the Saw Doctors do on a regular basis, but it was perfect for this night.The crowd waved flags, sang along and provided their loudest applause as the song came to an end.

In another stroke of set-list genius, the Saw Doctors then played “Share the Darkness”, “Exhilarating Sadness”, and “Clare Island” all in a row. I know I have mentioned that the crowd had been singing throughout the night but this mini-set may have had the loudest crowd engagement I have ever experienced. And given the capacity of Showcase Live! compared to other venues, that is saying a lot for the crowd at this show. Thanking the crowd for “sounding so beautiful out there” they kept the momentum going with “To Win Just Once” which started slow but was soon met with cups in the air and fists pumping with the beat.

“Macnas Parade” and “I’ll Be On My Way” got the energy of the room back up and had people dancing their own versions of the Irish jig throughout both. Sticking with the hits, “Why Do I Always Love You” came next followed by a slightly extended version of “Bless Me Father” that had the crowd in a frenzied state. As if they could possibly squeeze more excitement out of the crowd the Saw Doctors closed the set with “That’s What She Said Last Night” before leaving the stage. While the set was amazing the crowd clearly wanted more as no one so much as flinched and the chants of “one more song” began before the band had completely cleared the stage.

The Saw Doctors returned and kicked off their six song encore with “Red Cortina”, which featured an impressive Chinese fire drill style instrument exchange as everyone ran from their typical point on stage to close out the song with another instrument. “Chips” came next followed by “What A Day” and “Joyce Country Ceili Band”, which had some impressive choreography of its own both on stage and in the crowd. Closing out what was already an incredible show were two more Saw Doctors hits, “I Useta Lover” and “Hay& Wrap” with “Hay Wrap” featuring a cover of The Cars “My Best Friend’s Girl” in the middle. Wishing everyone a Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, The Saw Doctors left the stage after two full hours of providing the best celebration we could have asked for.