Prepare for the raucous Young Dubliners at the Brewery

The Brewery Arts Center presents the Young Dubliners on March 9 to celebrate St. Patrick's Day early. Never mind that St. Paddy's Day is barely noted in the Irish Republic. Carson City will honor the day of the man who got rid of the snakes in Ireland (and probably sent them to Nevada).

And celebrate is the right word for this quintet (well, five at the moment but they do switch about). They do Irish pop, of course. Alternative. Folk. But they also do pop-rock using traditional as well as modern instruments, including an amp or two.

The mostly Dublin natives are based in Los Angeles but play in San Diego often. The Young Dubliners perform flaming-hot music - "The Pogues meets Van Halen," as the Los Angeles press described their sound.

"This is an up-and-coming band," says John Procaccini, director of the Brewery Arts Center. "They sound amazing - someday they'll be as big as the Pogues or Flogging Molly."

That place them for you?

Young Dubliners pumps up the night Sunday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Performance Hall at the Brewery Arts Center, 511 W. King St. Tickets are $20 (cheap!) reserved seating. A $3 discount is available for BAC members, students and seniors. Call 883-1976 or see www.breweryarts.org.

The usual band suspects are Bob Boulding, guitar, vocals; Brendan Holmes, bass; David Ingraham, drums; Paul O'Toole (left in 2000); Keith Roberts, vocals; Chas Waltz (left in 1995, returned in 2002), violin, keyboards, harmonica, harp, mandolin, vocals. Roberts is the nominal leader, but with Celtic rock who knows?

The 429 Records firm has released "With All Due Respect, the Irish Sessions." It was made when Roberts and his raucous band of Irish transplants along with local Los Angeles musicians locked themselves away in the studio for 17 days at the end of 2006 to focus on creating a definitive shout out to the masters of Irish song past and present.

Roberts refers to the song selection as the best of the best, representing poets, playwrights and vagabonds, indeed, centuries-old traditional melodies bookended by distinctive romps through the songcraft of Shane McGowan, which brush up against the wistfully sad lyrics of Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh.

"The Irish Sessions" is nothing if not a labor of love for the Young Dubliners. The album bursts with a crude, raw, live feel.

Says Roberts of the demand for an album of Irish covers: "They asked for it, so we gave it to them! And had a lot of fun along the way."

And fun is what is on tap at the Brewery Performance Hall.

"We are all aware of how lucky we are to be making a living by doing what we love. Without being on the road and playing to our fans, that just wouldn't be possible," Roberts says. The Young Dubliners have become notorious for the whirling "jig pits" that erupt at their live shows. Be warned.

After going on a number of headlining and co-headlining U.S. tours, the quintet settled down to record an earlier CD, "Real World." From Irish-flavored anthemic rock to rowdy pub tunes, lead singer Roberts voice is stronger than ever and the songwriting, performance and production show a new maturity and artistic ambition.

Musing about the band's sound, Roberts sums up the Young Dubliner's approach to their music, be it Celtic, Irish, or just plain rock. "I like to think that our take on songwriting and performance makes the Young Dubliner's sound unique and original. Our band is made up of Irish and American natives who draw influences from just about everywhere. Our strength is in the sum of our parts. We play as a band, as one."

If you go

What: a pre-St. Patrick's Day (night) by the Young Dubliners

When: Sunday, March 9, 7:30 p.m.

Where: At the Brewery's Performance Hall

Tickets: $20 at the Brewery, 883-1976, and at the door.