Midway through his first song, David Thomas Broughton already seemed to be in distress. The British singer—performing at the Living Room as part of a night hosted by The Local, a roving London music showcase—kicked off his postmidnight set in a way that was familiar to anyone who had heard him on record, setting up several overlapping acoustic-guitar lines via a loop pedal. When it came time to sing, though, Broughton’s voice wouldn’t cooperate. He squeezed out a few phrases in his patented blank, haunted croon but then broke out in fit of coughing. Second and third attempts yielded the same result. Broughton motioned to the back of the room and mouthed, “Water!” His manager hurried up to the stage with a bottle and sat back down. Into the mike, Broughton asked slyly, “Will you unscrew it for me?” At that moment it became clear that whether the coughing episode had been real or simulated, it was no detour—it was as much a part of performance as the stunted song itself.

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Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day, you’d think we’d be awash in Irish acts tonight. Curiously, not so much. The Chieftains, those ageless torchbearers for Irish tradition and cosmopolitan innovation, hit Newark last night, but aren’t playing Carnegie Hall this year; meanwhile, the Pogues came and went last week.

Happily, your best (and nearly only) bet for a touch of seasonal spirit is a strong one: Rogue’s March leader Joe Hurley is hosting his 10th Annual Irish Rock Revue at (Le) Poisson Rouge tonight, and the lineup includes such Celtic-at-heart luminaries as Garland Jeffreys, Laura Cantrell, Ivan Julian, Don Fleming, John S. Hall, Susan McKeown, La La Brooks and Michael Cerveris, as well as members of Cracker, the Ian Hunter Band, the Patti Smith Band and the Dictators.

For a more interactive approach to Irish music, refer to TONY contributor Gwen Orel’s handy primer on New York seisiúns, low-key jams in which amateurs rub elbows with seasoned pros. Even if you think uilleann pipes are found under the sink and a bodhrán is a Star Trek alien, you’ll find these pubs hopping tonight.

And if Irish music holds no lucky charms for you, your alternatives follow the jump. Read more »