The Young Dubliners hiatus is about done

Since March there has been a lot of different happenings here. The Young Dubliners took several weeks off, no shows, no rehearsals, no pub crawls or band meetings. Our lead singer, Keith, had a knee operation which took a while to heal. So in the past month, I've had irons in a lot of different fires...

I played a lot of acoustic music with singer/songwriter Jai Vatuk. Jai was an original member of the band Common Sense, and has recently released his first solo outing. For his CD release party in Laguna Beach, CA on April 24th, he assembled a band of players who appeared on his album and also recruited myself and Young Dub's drummer David Ingraham. You can hear some of the album here: http://www.myspace.com/jaivatukmusic

Another highlight was the Rich Sheldon and Friends jam night at the Whaler in Venice Beach, CA on 4/20. A perfect date for that show, I might add. It was Rich's birthday and he was in top form that night, calling a great evening of originals and covers which kept the band and guest players jamming constantly until the joint closed. Check out Rich's music here: http://www.reverbnation.com/#/richsheldon

I've also spent some time just getting to know my new home, Los Feliz village in Los Angeles. It's been a little slow going, since I have become addicted to my home recording studio. One of the projects that have filled my time has been helping out tracking guitars for an upcoming collection of songs by my friend, Jason Whitton. Jason released his album "Thriftstore Cowboy" in 2005, and now he is working on a follow up; it's fantastic alt country and very acoustic/eclectic. As a byproduct of these sessions, we're also working on recording a single of more a Nashville-sounding tune, and releasing it under a new band name. Hey, I figure if Jack White can be in 13 different bands, I can be in a couple myself! Read & hear more about Jason at his website: http://www.jasonwhitton.net/home.html

This Friday, the Young Dubs are back on the road, with a show in Billings, MT to kick-off a tour of the Rockies and Pacific Northwest. Time to pack... cheers!!

Bob,
May 3rd