The Langan Band will perform Saturday, July 26.

The Langan Band describe themselves as “high energy acoustic dance music” and while that may not be an official genre or a descriptor that matches many modern bands, it certainly fits the bill for this trio. The band are also immediately and undeniably Scottish, adding a wee bit of brooding melancholy to an already complex stew.

Founded by namesake John Langan, the Langan Band is a guitar/violin/double bass affair with ample percussion provided by foot stomping and rhythmic strumming. While Langan’s voice is front and centre, violinist Alastair Caplin and bass player Dave Tunstall also join in for good ol’ harmonic singalongs, creating a sound that alternates between wild frenzy and pure joy, depending on where Langan decides to take them. Sometimes that means a fiery cacophony of sound, which may be followed by an intimate ballad, primed to break the listener’s heart.

While the trio uses traditional Scottish roots music as its launch pad, they bill themselves as a “progressive” group, dabbling in the odd bit of jazz, some Eastern European traditions, a smidge of American folk and whatever else fits the mood of their original songs. Audiences absolutely can expect to dance, but also to think, to listen, and maybe even raise their voices and start singing along.

-Elizabeth Chorney-Booth