Young Dubliners

Feb. 24, 2008

With St. Patrick’s Day just a few weeks away, let the celebrations begin.
The seasonal festivities will kick off this Sunday, March 2 at the InsideOut Gallery in Traverse City with the musical offerings of The Young Dubliners, currently touring in support of their CD, “With All Due Respect—The Irish Sessions.”
Now, before you get your Irish kilts and knickers in a knot, thinking these lads are some youthful version of the Irish Tenors, out performing sleepy versions of dusty old Celtic folk songs, you’d better be ready to get your Irish “arses” rocked off.
These boys from Dublin a la LA are rockers; sure you may call them Celtic rockers, a moniker they have come to accept and one that has hurt their acceptance in the progressive modern radio circles.
“Because Bren (bass player Bren Holmes) and I are from Ireland, we were labeled as Irish or Celtic rockers. From the start we just saw ourselves as rockers -- after all, the other guys in the band are from the States,” said Keith Roberts (co-founder and lead singer). “To be honest I really wasn’t much of a fan of traditional Irish music when I arrived in the U.S. But after awhile I became homesick and I started embracing it.”
RAMBUNCTIOUS
So did the fans, and after years of asking for them to record a CD that consisted of several of the Irish-influenced tunes they often perform on stage, the band agreed. They went into the studio in December of 2006 and produced “With All Due Respect—The Irish Sessions,” an eclectic collection of Irish music performed in the rambunctious-rock style the group is renowned for.
“The fans were asking for it so we gave it to them,” said Roberts. “We consider this a best of the best from our perspective; it represents poets, playwrights and vagabonds of Ireland.”
Actually, the band has already concluded their year-long tour in support of the album that has taken them around the world, including back to their native Ireland (they will return again just after St. Patrick’s Day). But the band has another reason to celebrate.
“We just finished a new CD of original material. We have been in the studio for the past couple of months and we are ready to get out on the road,” said Roberts. ‘The new CD will be out in May.”
It has been a long and “rocky road out of Dublin” for the Young Dubs (as their fans call them) since their inception, gigging at the Irish Rover in Santa Monica, California 20 years ago. Soon they became the darlings of the LA Club scene and critics hailed them as a cross between the Pogues and Van Halen, and as the next U2. It landed them a major label deal in 1995 with Scotti Bros. Records (home to Weird Al Yankovic and “Eye of the Tiger” fame Survivor).

LOCAL HIT
The label started sending out the band’s debut “Breathe” (in 1994 the Young Dubs released a six song EP “Rock Road”) to radio stations around the country. Terri Ray of Double Rock KLT liked what she heard and starting playing cuts from the CD. The listeners liked it as well and during their first national tour in the fall of 1995, the Young Dubliners played three shows in Northern Michigan and enjoyed a lot of radio support from KLT.
“We have always been thankful for Terri Ray and KLT because that was a time when some stations were formatting their own stations and she jumped on board,” said Roberts. “I still remember those first Northern Michigan shows. The people there were crazy and they love to party. It is why we love coming back.”
It was five years before the band returned to Traverse City.
While not on the original bill when Interlochen announced their 2000 summer line-up, the Young Dubs came in as an opener for Jethro Tull, a gig that eventually took them all over the world. The Young Dubs had been struggling to get opening gigs on major tours up to this point and their label was told that the reason why was that they were overshadowing the headliners. But Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull had a different take.
“I listened to their new CD ‘Red’ and loved what I heard and invited them to open some shows we were doing in Texas,” said Anderson. “They kicked our ass that first night and got a huge standing ovation from our fans.
They really motivated us to kick it up a notch. Hands-down, they are the best band we have ever had open for us.”

TAUPIN TOO
Ian Anderson (who performed on the band’s song “Banshee” from their Real World CD) isn’t the only music legend to call out the Young Dubs. Bernie Taupin (songwriting partner of Elton John and Alice Cooper in addition to writing hits for Heart and Starship) lists the Young Dubs as one of his all-time favorites. In fact, Taupin invited the Young Dubs to his star-studded 50th birthday party.
“We were just guests as we had just co-written a song with him, and were not there to perform,” said Roberts. ‘Well, all these celebrities like Rod Stewart started asking us to perform. Then Darryl Hannah asks us, and who can say no to her.”
In addition to Irish lads Roberts and Holmes, the Young Dubs feature Chaz Waltz, by far the best rock and roll violinist on the scene. Band newcomers (since 1999) include Bob Boulding on guitar and David Ingraham from Lansing on drums. Ingraham joined the band after being in Bruce Dickenson’s (Iron Maiden fame) band.
The Young Dubs have built a large following of fans as a result of their stage work. They follow the vein of other jam band acts that receive little airplay but are able to attract thousands of fans to their shows.
The band is playing large venues in the Midwest (including the House of Blues in Chicago the night after Snoop Dog) but agreed to return to Traverse City and play an intimate venue.

A PROMISE
“We have built our success with support from loyal fans and Traverse City was there from the start. We were supposed to play there a couple of years ago and our bus broke down and we could not make it, but we promised we would be back,” said Roberts. “We try and keep out promises.”
One promise the Young Dubs won’t have to make is that their performance will be a blistering one. That is a guarantee. So bring comfortable clothing, dancing shoes (yes, everyone must get into the Young Dubs’ “Jig Pit”) and a few pints of your favorite beverage (the InsideOut Gallery does not serve or sell alcohol but you are welcome to bring it in if you are 21 years of age).

The Young Dubliners will perform at the InsideOut Gallery on Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. A special pre-concert party will take place next door beginning at 4 p.m. at the Right Brain Brewery. Advance tickets are suggested. Your
next chance to see the Young Dubs will be March 15 as the house band for
the “CBS Morning Show,” but live is better. For a sampling of their music visit youngdubs.com, and for show details
go to insideoutgallery.com or call
231-929-3254.