A brief comment on Monday's St. Patrick's Day festivities: We turned our backs on the glorious, stench-filled Dubliner as the bar continues to insist on hosting the same crappy band every year -- a band that prefers to play John Denver and Willie Nelson covers instead of Irish ballads. Instead, we headed to The Brazen Head for a true Irish band -- The Turfmen. We walked in at 3 and I had my first Guinness at 3:01 -- far quicker than the Dubliner ever served me on the holiest of drinking days. Still, it just wasn't the same. The Raisin Head essentially is a restaurant located in a strip mall next to a World Market. Its only ties to the emerald isle are a few Irish motifs and a Guinness sign. It's like celebrating St. Patrick's Day at a Village Inn. Even the poor Turfman had been relegated to a corner in the back of the bar, surrounded by empty tables so that no one could get close to the band (or dance an Irish jig). We lasted two hours and then high-tailed it home. Next year, it's back to the Dubliner, even with the John Denver tribute band. Fact is, I just can't get enough of that Dubliner stink!

Tonight at The Waiting Room, it's the Brighton England combo British Sea Power. The 4-piece epitomizes the soaring UK pop sound that I remember from the early days of MTV, complete with chiming guitars and breathy, gasping vocals. They remind me of Welsh band The Alarm (a lot) and early upbeat U2 (a little). Wikipedia says they've been compared to The Cure and Joy Division, which I can't hear at all. Opening are Colourmusic and Who Shot Hollywood -- two bands I'm not familiar with. Still, you probably don't want to miss this one, unless you're torn between this show and For Against tomorrow night (also at The Waiting Room). Why not man-up and go to both? $10, 9 p.m.

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