The Pogues
Roseland Ballroom, 239 W. 52nd St., nr. Broadway; 212-247-0200
Get rowdy with the quintessential Irish rockers, still going strong with hard-living front man Shane McGowan (and his rotten teeth and bionic liver).
• March 14–16, 6:45 p.m.
• $55
The Commitments
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 W. 42nd St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-997-4144
Ditch your DVD for the real deal when the tireless spinoff band from the eponymous 1991 film blaze through American soul classics like “Mustang Sally” and “Try a Little Tenderness.”
• March 15, 8 p.m.
• $25.50–$28
The Wolfe Tones
Connolly’s Pub & Restaurant, 14 E. 47th St., nr. Fifth Ave.; 212-867-3767
Open up your arms for the rascally Irish radicals who were once banned in their homeland for their outspoken political beliefs.
• March 16, 9:30 p.m.
• $25
Joe Hurley’s Irish All Star Rock Revue
Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St., nr. Bowery; 212-533-2111
Party hearty with Joe Hurley, the ubiquitous local rocker whose annual booze bash features Clash co-conspirator Ellen Foley, Television’s Richard Lloyd, and Steve Conte of the New York Dolls.
• March 17, 6:30 p.m.
• $20
Julia Sweeney and Jill Sobule
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., nr. Astor Pl.; 212-539-8777
Do your brain cells a favor and check out thought-provoking SNL vet Julia Sweeney (of gender-neutral Pat fame) as she teams up with folkie tunesmith Jill Sobule for a night of songs and spoken word.
• March 17, noon and 7 p.m.
• $25
Black 47
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 W. 42nd St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-997-4144
Ramp up your righteousness with the politically conscious edge of Black 47, Irish expats who, after seventeen years, officially qualify as a New York Saint Patrick’s Day institution.
• March 17, 7:30 p.m.
• $25
Unforgettable Fire
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 W. 42nd St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 212-997-4144
Cure your Bono backlash with the U2 tribute act Unforgettable Fire who will (we hope) stick to the band’s golden era—from 1983’s War to 1991’s Achtung Baby.
• March 17, 11:30 p.m.
• $20–$25