Enter the Haggis heading 'home'
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By Courtney Llewellyn
Reminder Assistant Editor
Not many bands that include a fiddle and a bagpipe could be considered rock n' roll, nor could many bands with trumpets and guitars be considered Celtic folk music. Enter the Haggis does it all and does it quite well.
"That's what Haggis is," said founding member and bagpiper Craig Downie. "It's throwing together things that normally don't go together and making them work."
(In reality, haggis is a Scottish dish consisting of a sheep's or calf's offal mixed with suet, oatmeal, and seasoning and boiled in a bag, traditionally one made from the animal's stomach.)
The band recently recorded a live "best of" album at the Iron Horse in Northampton which is set for national release on Aug. 14. The band has traveled to Europe, played in Ireland, Scotland, Italy and even headlined a festival in Germany, but it's Western Massachusetts that feels like home.
"Northampton may be the biggest fan base we have," Downie said in a phone interview with Reminder Publications. "To sell out there night after night is a wonderful feeling."
Enter the Haggis will be performing in the area twice in the upcoming weeks, first at the Agawam SummerFest on Aug. 8 and then again at the John Boyle O'Reilly Festival on Aug. 11.
This will be the band's fourth visit to the Agawam SummerFest and chairperson Patty Souder said the group draws big crowds. "They have a huge following in Western Massachusetts, and they're very popular here," she said.
The opening act in Agawam will be Guggenheim Grotto, a band visiting from Ireland. Souder described their music as a bit more laid back, which will work well in contrast to the upbeat, high-energy performance of Enter the Haggis.
"We look for diverse genres of music that will appeal to everyone," Souder said. "My nine-year-old loves Haggis, I love Haggis and a lot of older people do, too." She went on to say that a lot of young people aren't exposed to a wide variety of music and aren't willing to drop $15 or $20 on an album if they've never heard the band before.
"There's no risk because there's no fee for the Enter the Haggis show," she said. She estimated that approximately 3,000 people came out for the band's show last year.
"It's fun, raucous music, and it's not just for those of Celtic heritage," Souder added. "It's fun for everyone."
Downie agrees. "There's a sense of community that's created from those who come to our shows," he said. The most hardcore fans are the Haggis Heads, a Celtic version of the KISS Army. "The Haggis Heads become good friends with us and no matter where you go to see us, somebody's going to know you."
While the band plays a lot of Irish festivals, such as the upcoming John Boyle O'Reilly Festival, its music isn't specifically Irish in nature. "We lean more to the Irish side, but we also play some Scottish tunes," Downie said. An immigrant from Scotland to Canada at the age of seven as well as a traveler of the continental United States and Europe, Downie understands how easy it can be to blend cultures.
Enter the Haggis plays about 150 shows a year, but it's a toss-up over whether they prefer solo shows like their gigs at the Iron Horse or festivals.
"Festivals are great because there are more people there, but there are also a lot of things going on at festivals to distract people as well," Downie said. "It's refreshing to have a small show once in a while. It lets you connect to the audience better."
And while Enter the Haggis does love Western Massachusetts, it loves the open road as well. "The best thing about being on the road is getting the reactions from new listeners," Downie said. "We're always greeted with enthusiasm."
The Agawam SummerFest show is Aug. 8 starting at 7:45 p.m at 36 Main St. in Agawam; the show is free of charge. Enter the Haggis is headlining the John Boyle O'Reilly Festival on Aug. 11 from 9 p.m. to midnight at 33 Progress Ave.; adult tickets are $7 and children under 12 are free.
For more information on the band, please visit www.enterthehaggis.com.
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