For this local band, Van is still the Man

It's just after 10 p.m. on a Wednesday at the Half Time Rec in St. Paul, and Terry Walsh and his cohorts in Saint Dominic's Trio are living the lyrics of a Van Morrison song: "You gotta make up your mind about it/ You gotta make it through the world if you can."

After 20-some years of trying to "shove my own music down people's throats," Walsh, 43, said, he made up his mind a few years ago to start playing more songs that people really want to hear.

"And who doesn't want to hear Van Morrison?" Walsh asked rhetorically.

It's true that Van the Man is the rare artist who can win agreement from Blaine soccer moms, St. Paul truck drivers and -- aside from the incessant spins of "Brown Eyed Girl" -- south Minneapolis indie hipsters.

With that in mind, Walsh and his former Bowling Trophy bandmate Brian Swanson (who has since left town to be a booking agent) came up with the idea of the Belfast Cowboys, a Van Morrison tribute band with a horn section and all the bloatedness that the man protrudes today. The group, including Vic Volare as the horns leader, played its first show at the 400 Bar in 2001. Things went too well to be just a one-night stand.

Keeping nine to 10 guys in a band can be tricky, though. So Walsh keeps a rotating cast of players -- "We probably have three guys who can play each position," he said -- and he offers up a smaller version of the group, the Saint Dominic's Trio (actually a four-piece band most of the time).

The trio, in particular, has become a staple in Irish pubs around town. For Guinness and Murphy's drinkers hoping to hear something other than old Gaelic songs or Irish jigs, the songs of Ireland's second-most famous rock act of all time are like a breath of semi-fresh air.

"I think people enjoy that they're not your typical Irish pub music, only singing about wanting to kick the British out of Ireland," said Kieran Folliard, owner of the Liffey, the Local and Kieran's pubs.

Walsh, whose family (including writer brother Jim) is 100 percent Irish-blooded, likes the Irish ties but doesn't think they're essential to the group. When they're not covering Van, the group is more likely to play a "Bobby McDylan" or "Johnny O'Cash" song or one of Walsh's originals than anything truly Irish.

"Sometimes we're asked to sing 'Danny Boy,' and sometimes we'll do it," Walsh said, "but we usually regret it."

Van Morrison is usually enough of a crowd-pleaser, anyway.

"People usually say, 'Oh, I only know one or two Van Morrison songs,' but then they wind up knowing the first seven of 10 songs that we play," Walsh said.

That was pretty much my own experience at Half Time Rec: The guys reminded me how much of a fan I really am.

After "You Gotta Make It Through the World," they waltzed their way through the familiar gems "Tupelo Honey" and "On Down the Road" and on to memorable deeper-album cuts such as "These Dreams of You" and, best of all, "The Way Young Lovers Do." Walsh's re-creation of Morrison's unmistakable voice was sometimes terrific and sometimes spotty. But hey, so are Van's own attempts nowadays. And Terry certainly sings with heart.

"I really do feel passionate about this music," he said. "Maybe not as much as my own music, but at least I don't have to resort to 'Freebird' to play [songs] people know and love."

BELFAST COWBOYS

Friday: 7 p.m., Radisson Riverfront Hotel, 11 E. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. $25. 651-292-1900.

Saturday: 9 p.m., with the Copperheads opening, Lee's Liquor Lounge, 101 Glenwood Av. N., Mpls. $6. 612-338-9491.

Also: The scaled-down band Saint Dominic's Trio plays March 24-25 and March 31-April 1 at the Liffey, 175 W. 7th St., St. Paul. 651-556-1420.

Web: www.belfastcowboys.com.

LOCAL MUSIC SCENE

Haley's return

A year after re-emerging from a self-prescribed career hiatus, Haley Bonar makes a strong re-entry into the music business with "Lure the Fox," the long-awaited follow-up to her 2002 debut, "Size of Planets."

There's a good reason tonight's release party for the CD is at the Cedar Cultural Center and not the 400 Bar or some other rock club. This one definitely falls on the downbeat and quiet side. Songs like the chilling poem "Hawaii" and the pristine "Us" -- with its demanding refrain, "They can deal with us" -- are gentle whispers with loud melodies.

The fact that Dave King plays drums on the album, though, should clue you in to some of the deeper undercurrents the album has to offer. King and bassist Chris Morrissey help "Give It Up" reach a stirring climax and lend a jagged edge to the moody organ dirge "Ransom."

As "Planets" already proved, the 22-year-old South Dakota native is a princess of a singer. Moreover, her lyrical talent is even more apparent here, with great lines like, "You must have too many women on your mind" ("Too Much Nothing," the CD's sweeping climax), and, "You play your guitar like a martyr" ("Ransom"). If time is what Bonar needs to make great CDs, here's hoping the next one takes five years. Her band at tonight's release show will include King, Morrissey, guitarist Bill Mike and Wendy Lewis, whose band Redstart also opens (8 p.m. today, $10-$12).

Expert debut

A band known largely for its various cover-song sets in town -- in fact, I'm ashamed to admit I think that's all I've ever seen it do -- Panel of Experts should reshape its image with this week's release of "The American Dream."

The quintet's six-song debut EP, featuring all original tunes, is full of garagey, ska-punk with an emphasis on the Clash-like punk. Bandleader Rob Sells (ex-Loose Rails) sounds a lot like Social D's Mike Ness, and even Ness would be hard-pressed to come up with horn parts that genuinely add to the oomph of the band like these. P.O.X.'s release party is tonight with the Fillmores at Club Underground (9:30 p.m. Fri., $5).

Random mix

Another CD-release party at the Cedar: The accordion-fueled Orkestar Bez Ime is wheeling out its second CD, "Nice Driveway Vol. 2 : Lake Aquanyet Days." The disc features more of its great eastern European sounds and other international flavor, with more vocals this time by singer Natalie Nowytski. (8 p.m. Saturday, $12-$15.) ...

Pete Hofmann is hosting a "CD creation party" tonight at the Varsity Theater (meaning the show will be recorded). ...

After seeing the premiere of "A Prairie Home Companion" at the South by Southwest Film Fest over the weekend, I might change my story on which local musicians are going to make the biggest splash at SXSW. The singers and players in the film earned all kinds of praise from moviegoers afterward, especially Jearlyn Steele, who deserves a co-star credit. Most of the other "Prairie" regulars are prominently featured (Prudence Johnson, Peter Ostroushko, Butch Thompson and the whole house band).

Also, several folks asked, per a reference in my Sunday story on the movie: The Turf Club isn't actually mentioned; its name is written on a wall next to the backstage pay phone. It looked like they had the right number, too.

chrisr@startribune.com • 612-673-4658