Irishmen in L.A.
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 30, 2002 9:00 p.m.
Scotti Bros. The Young Dubliners are opening for Jethro Tull at
the Greek Theatre on Sunday night. The band members, originally
from Dublin, Ireland,
have now settled in L.A.
By Ben Baroncini
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]
More Irish than U2 and more rock than The Chieftans, The Young
Dubliners combine their influences to create tunes that are both
unique and pleasantly familiar.
The band will be performing with Jethro Tull on Sunday, June 2
at the Greek Theatre.
Based in Los Angeles, this critically acclaimed band has
traveled incessantly all over Europe and the United States during
the last few years.
“Los Angeles is a very exciting place, they don’t
compare, they’re very different,” said frontman Keith
Roberts of his new locale compared to his hometown of Dublin.
“There’s one thing this place does have that Ireland
doesn’t, and that’s the weather! When you wake up 250
days a year to piss in the rain … one does look forward to the
sunshine.”
Despite Roberts’ love for L.A., he still looks back to
Ireland for inspiration; this is evident in every composition he
writes.
“It’s only once I moved to America that I developed
a much stronger affection for Irish music,” Roberts said.
“I grew up with a rock upbringing and traditional music was
sort of a side thing, but they started getting intertwined once I
came here because you start getting homesick.”
Scotti Bros.
It is this same fondness for Ireland that has caused much of the
strong bond between The Young Dubliners and their fans.
“You’ve got some fairly intense Irish Americans over
here,” said Roberts, who speaks with a fairly evident Irish
brogue. “That certainly provided us with a good healthy
audience early on.”
But The Young Dubliners or The Dubs, as their fans know them,
don’t just appeal to Americans of Irish descent.
“We chose the rock circuit, the rock venues, and expanded
our following,” Roberts said. “We also want people who
are into music in general, not just because there’s something
Irish about it.”
The band began after Roberts migrated to L.A. in the early
’90s, planning to become a journalist.
“I was planning on staying here for a year or so, but I
got caught up in L.A. and enjoyed it,” Roberts said.
The Dubs began as a duo, playing in an Irish-themed bar that
Roberts opened in Santa Monica. Over time, the band grew in members
as well as in fans.
“We used to own a bar in L.A. called Fair City on Wilshire
Boulevard. It’s actually called Lush now. We had shitloads of
UCLA people coming to see us then, but the thing about college
(students) is they (eventually) graduate!,” Roberts said,
laughing.
These days it’s much more difficult to catch The Dubs in
the L.A. area, especially now that they’ve embarked on a
nationwide tour with Jethro Tull.
“Last year we did 280 shows,” Roberts said.
“The tour we’re starting today is going to last until
September.”
The Young Dubliners are known for their live performances.
It’s become their trademark, and the Irish rockers have been
compared to the Dave Matthews Band and Phish in terms of the vibe
they convey during their live sets.
That live feel is what the band wanted to capture on their
latest full-length album, titled “Absolutely,” and
slated for a June 4 release on the Om Town/Higher Octave Music
label.
“This album was a real breakthrough for the band,”
Roberts said. “In the past, I tended to write alone whereas
this time … the rest of the band kicked in, and Chas Waltz (the
violinist) and I actually co-wrote songs together.”
“So we actually put songs together on this album written
by The Young Dubliners; it’s a real sign of the camaraderie
and where we’ve come,” Roberts continued.
According to Roberts, there is a tendency for many bands to
emphasize negativity in their music today.
“There are plenty of musicians out there commenting on how
shitty everything is. And I actually like some of those
bands.” Roberts said, chuckling. “You know, I’m
into pain just as much as everybody else is … I love Radiohead.
But the feel of our music, in general, is a little bit more
optimistic. That’s our cross to bare, to keep people
happy.”
Their newest record is no exception to the overall positive
message that The Dubs try to portray.
“This album points out a lot of nice little faux pas and
sad situations, to more jovial, unusual situations,” said
Roberts. “Everything is sort of looking up; at the end of the
day, the message is: it’s never the end, you can always
overcome.”
MUSIC: The Young Dubliners are playing the
Greek Theatre on Sunday with Jethro Tull. Tickets are $28.50 to
$59.50 and are available through Ticketmaster.
