Young Dubliners to take stage at Hermosa Beach Summer Concerts
Young Dubliners. Courtesy of Monica Hopman
The story of the Young Dubliners begins in the late 1980s when frontman and Irish native Keith Roberts packed his bags and flew stateside to pursue journalism. After a brief stint with PBS, he decided the profession wasn’t for him. In 1993, he and a friend opened Fair City Dublin, an Irish pub and venue in Santa Monica that established itself as a hotspot for Irish musicians, bands and appreciators. As the house band, the Young Dubliners — comprised of Roberts, bassist Brendan Holmes and a string of musician friends — played every Saturday night. The shows routinely sold out.
In 1994, the band received a record deal with the now-defunct Scotti Brothers record label. By 1995, the Young Dubs were touring nationally. They’ve since opened for the likes of The Flaming Lips, Jethro Tull, Johnny Lang and Collective Soul, appeared twice on Jimmy Kimmel Live and had their songs featured in TV shows Sons of Anarchy and Human Target. In 2013, the Young Dubs released their ninth album, titled 9, under the band’s independent label.
The group also regularly tour across Europe and has played in major festivals. Eight years ago, the Young Dubs began taking a small group of American fans to Ireland with them. For the upcoming eighth annual trip this March, the all-inclusive travel package will span nine days traveling through five cities in Ireland, including Dublin, Galway and Donegal, where the band is scheduled to play.
The band’s current lineup includes lead guitarist Bob Boulding, multi-instrumentalist Chaz Waltz and drummer Dave Ingraham. Roberts notes their brand of Celtic rock fuses a variety of influences — after all, he and Holmes are the only two with Irish roots. Looking forward, Roberts says the Young Dubs may be due for another volume of traditional Irish ballads interpreted by the band. Its 2007 cover album All Due Respect was among the band’s most successful releases to date.
“We really try our best to put the effort in and evolve with the industry and the music,” Roberts says. “That’s been a challenge but that’s what’s keeping us doing this all the time.”
The band remains beloved throughout the Los Angeles area. Last month, the group played their last-ever show at the House of Blues Sunset Strip, which announced it will close its doors in the coming months. It was a moment of coming to a full circle, Roberts says, as the Young Dubs were one of the first bands to play at the venue when it opened in 1994.
“L.A. has been our stomping ground since we got started,” he says. “It’s the small towns that propelled us to what we’re doing now.” ER