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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

bbaroncini@media.ucla.edu

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.