By Chris Nixon
For the Union-Tribune
March 13, 2008
Immigrating to the United States for Young Dubliners lead singer Keith Roberts turned out easier for him than for the Irish folks that came before him.
Instead of surviving a long boat ride across the Atlantic, he simply hopped a jet. And rather than settling in a crowded, dirty tenement building in New York City, he found himself in the sunshine of Southern California.
DETAILS
12th annual ShamRock with Young Dubliners
When: Monday, 4 p.m. to midnight
Where: Gaslamp Quarter
Tickets: $20-$25
Online: mcfarlanepromotions.com
“America's always been the big golden egg for Irish people,” said the Young Dubliner about the relationship between Irish and the United States. “We heard about America growing up and it was always the place to visit.”
Since coming to America, Roberts has built a name for himself through the blend of traditional Irish and rock of the Young Dubs. When he first came to the West Coast, he went through a little culture shock.
“I had come out here to L.A. to visit (my sister) a couple of times on summer holiday,” added Roberts. “I was blown away by California, definitely. When you're coming from Dublin, it's definitely an eye-opener.
“She had all of her friends and it was a small, tightknit Irish community developing here (in Los Angeles). So, it was really open for what ended up happening to us: starting the band and whatnot.”
For the second year in a row, the Young Dubliners are headlining the 12th annual ShamRock festival on St. Patrick's Day in downtown San Diego. The festival features 60,000 square feet of AstroTurf, two stages, five bands, three DJs and many gallons of green beer.
Longtime San Diego favorites, the Young Dubs are supporting their 2007 release “With All Due Respect – the Irish Sessions,” a collection of traditional songs and more recent favorites by The Pogues and others.
“We ended going national pretty quickly because of the leg up we got here in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco,” remembered Roberts. “So my trip here was a lot smoother than my forefathers.”
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Here's the lineup for the 12th annual ShamRock, kicking off at 4 p.m. Monday in the Gaslamp Quarter downtown:
MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCES
4:30-5:30 p.m.: Raggle Taggle and the Field Irish Dancers
6-7 p.m.: the Stuart Martz Band
7:30-8:30 p.m.: the Down's Family
9-10 p.m.: Top 40s from The Trip
10 p.m. to midnight: Young Dubliners
The 28th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival: The annual festival and parade takes over Balboa Park along Park Boulevard and Presidents Way from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Traditional Irish food and music on two stages highlight the festival, while the parade (starting at 11 a.m.) features enough fife, drum and bagpipes to last another year. This is a free event.
Hooleyfest: Also on Saturday, East County hosts this annual St. Paddy's institution in the parking lot of Hooleys at 955 Jamacha Road in El Cajon, (619) 670-7468. Music, food, and of course beer will be on the menu. Tickets are $25 at the door, 6 p.m. to midnight.
For more information on these and other St. Patrick's Day events, log on to www.signonsandiego.com/feature/st-patricks-day.
– CHRIS NIXON
