LIVE: Dougie MacLean @ the Eighth Step at Proctors, 9/18/09

Scotland’s most famous folk singing troubadour, Dougie MacLean started his North American tour with a stop at the Eighth Step at Proctors in Schenectady, where a nearly sold-out crowd of fans in the G.E. Theatre greeted him with open arms on Friday night.

Battling jet lag, he crafted two fine sets filled with songs about romantic and lost love, nature, Scottish history and a bucket full of personal stories delivered with tongue-in-cheek humor. He paid homage to his first hero Bob Dylan and told tales of his time playing with two legendary traditional Celtic folk groups – the Tannahill Weavers and Silly Wizard.

Singing impassioned versions of his world renowned songs, including “Caledonia,” “Ready for the Storm,” and “The Gaul” (known to millions as the music behind a former Nike ad campaign), MacLean gently transported the audience from downtown Schenectady to the British Isles and back again.

Review and photographs by Andrzej Pilarczyk