Beer Drinkers and Deep Thinkers

Despite their reputation as hell-raising Irish punks, the Saw Doctors have always been an introspective lot, says singer Davy Carton. “But our upbeat songs get more notice,” he says. “We’re just trying to capture something people understand.” On last year’s The Cure, the quartet turned even more pensive. “We just went into the room and played stuff as naturally as possible,” says Carton. “We kept it pretty simple.”

The Saw Doctors got their big break in 1989 when countryman Mike Scott (frontman for the Waterboys) produced their debut single and brought them on tour. Since then, they’ve been heralded as working-class rockers who like to down a pint or two at the end of the day -- just like their fans. “We’re still making a great racket,” says Carton. “We have a better connection with our audience than we ever had.” The Cure documents the past 10 years of Ireland’s cultural shift. Songs like “Out for a Smoke” and “Wisdom of Youth” survey history from a contemporary perspective -- as well as from a slightly personal angle. “I turned 40 when we put the album together,” says Carton. “I suppose it could be about a person approaching middle age. It’s not teenage stuff.”
Sat., Aug. 25, 8 p.m.