Switchback is a duo which is adept at delivering sounds that define St. Patrick’s Day.
Martin McCormack and Brian FitzGerald serve up gloriously green melodies at 8 p.m. Thursday at Theatre at the Center in Munster.
McCormack said performing Celtic-flavored shows at the venue has become a tradition for them.
There is a certain atmosphere that the pair imparts.
“It’s almost like stepping into the parlor in Ireland,” McCormack, an Irish tenor, said. “We run the gamut of Celtic music for our audience there. The theater itself is just a natural place to have an intimate show. It has that horseshoe setting.”
Bonding with ticket buyers adds to the homey flavor of Switchback concerts.
“The audience becomes part of the show, to some degree,” McCormack, a Chicago resident, said.
Banter is an element of Switchback performances, as are yarns about the Emerald Isle. “I’ll tell some stories,” said McCormack, an acoustic bass guitar player.
As far as the musical menu, Switchback takes pride in promoting diversity.
“We’re able to mix it up quite a bit; there’s a wide range of Irish music,” McCormack said. On tap at the Munster show is the rowdy “Drunken Sailor” and “Black Velvet Band” — a bouncy melody made to order for hoisting a few pints.
In the same upbeat vein, Switchback will roll out other party favorites.
“We’ll do ‘Finnegan’s Wake;’ we’ll be doing ‘Nancy Whiskey,'” noted FitzGerald, a guitarist, mandolin player and singer.
On the other side of the coin, Switchback intends to slow down the pace at times. “We’ll do some beautiful ballads,” related FitzGerald, a resident of Lansing, Iowa.
McCormack pointed to an original Switchback song that is set to be served up to the Munster audience.
“There’s a ballad about my grandfather’s farm in Ireland,” said the singer. The lilting, heartfelt tune is called “Bolinree.”
Additionally, “The Galway Shawl” is a pretty folk effort that gives McCormack a chance to show off his clear, ringing voice. McCormack — who has dual Irish and American citizenship — likewise is scheduled to sing a traditional St. Pat’s tune that flows slow and easy.
“He does, like, the definitive version of ‘Danny Boy,'” FitzGerald said. A third verse of “Danny Boy,” that is not often heard, will be performed.
“We also have some widely requested original Celtic music under our belt, too,” Fitzgerald said.
“Connemara Man” is a galloping tune created by the duo that has become a crowd favorite.
“That’s kind of an example of a Celtic rocker,” FitzGerald said.
McCormack and FitzGerald will be backed up at their Munster show by percussionist Joey Werner and bodhran player Takeshi Horiuchi.
Adding choreographic flair will be Irish step dancers.
McCormack and FitzGerald have shared the stage with famous purveyors of the Celtic sound that include Cherish the Ladies and Gaelic Storm.
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The duo has played Ireland often.
McCormack and FitzGerald have performed at a noteworthy pub in Ireland called Mike Malloy’s. Located in Westport, in County Mayo, the popular tavern is owned by traditional flute player Matt Malloy of the Chieftains, a titan of Irish music.
Closer to home, a dinner-show package is available for Switchback’s St. Patrick’s Day appearance in Munster. Dinner begins at 6 p.m., and includes corned beef and cabbage.
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance writer.
Switchback
Where: Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Tickets: $40; dinner and show $61
Information: 219-836-3255, www.TheatreAtTheCenter.com