Thanks to Riverdance and the Boston-Ireland connection, Celtic music can hardly be described as exotic here in New England. In fact, most of us have heard enough Irish, Scottish and English ballads, jigs and reels to be able to tell whether they’re played well.

The Karan Casey Band not only exceeded that standard in its performance at the Railroad Stage on Saturday, but successfully juiced up the traditional Celtic sound with a splash of acoustic funk here and a dab of blues there.

The focal point of the four-piece band was Casey’s voice. Silky, sensuous and with the timbre of a well-played flute, its pitch-perfect trills on up-tempo songs and long-sustained notes on ballads spanned the range from joy to heartbreak that can be found in the Celtic tradition.

The band – Robby Overson on acoustic guitar, Niall Vallely on concertina and whistles, and Steve Nayone on bass – was a worthy match, providing a strong groove or a delicate coloring as needed in the 10-song set.

“The Madness of My Heart” was a standout, as Casey alternated between English and Gaelic lyrics, while Overson played insistent riffs on guitar and Vallely added blues notes on – of all things – the concertina.

Casey and Overson scored points with the audience for keeping their cool as a hovering helicopter competed with them, and later as gusts of wind knocked down equipment on stage.

– Tom Groening