Prodigal sons of Ireland, The Pogues will be in their element this St. Patrick's Day as they play to a sold-out crowd at New York City's Nokia Theater. Providing a perfect counterpoint to the the City's annual parade, the Pogues will cap off the 2006 festivities by providing New York's holiday celebration with an additional touch of Irish authenticity. The St. Patrick's Day show will be part of a four night run at the Nokia, concludes a brief two week United States reunion tour which will stop in Washington D.C., Atlantic City and Boston.

Of note, The Pogues will be fronted by the legendary, if not erratic, Shane McGowan and boast a classic lineup including Philip Chevron, Jem Finer, Darryl Hunt, Spider Stacy, Andrew Ranken, Terry Woods and James Fearnley. Although founded on mostly reliable word-of-mouth anecdotes, tales of McGowan's drunken outbursts and diva-like tantrums have been embellished to the James Frey level of credibility. Even during the bands heyday, Pogues fans have long been tortured between wanting the see a full show or possibly being present for one of McGowan's monumental breakdowns. Surely, all eyes will be on Shane in the months of March.

The Pogues' popularity peaked in 1987 with the release of Fairytale Of New York. Since splitting with McGowan in 1991, The Pogues have come nowhere close to their late 80s success. Previous attempts to reform the band with McGowan have failed to entirely recapture the Pogues' magic. However, even if all the Pogues have left to offer is nostalgia, their Irish charm will endure.