If you're out to dinner at O'Doherty's Irish Grille, and the folks at the the table next to you pull out a bunch of instruments and bust into an Irish folk song, that can mean only one thing.

It's Tuesday.

O'Doherty's, located at 525 W. Spokane Falls Blvd., hosts a weekly Irish music jam that is run by the members of Free Whiskey, a local Celtic folk-pub-rock band.

You don't have to be a professional musician to join in on the jam, you don't even need to know how to play Irish music (though it helps). Anyone is welcome and the atmosphere is casual.

The jam usually starts at 9 p.m.

One I watched as an older gentlemen was seemingly teaching a younger violinist some traditional songs, and a woman at the table next to them -- who was out to dinner with her husband and teenage daughter -- spontaneously joined in on the chorus after a few rounds. I pulled out video camera to try and capture that moment, but once I did she shied up.

There's a bit of video of that night in the panel to the right. The video quality isn't that great, but you get the idea about folks sitting around  and playing Celtic folk music at a restaurant in downtown Spokane.

There won't be a traditional jam on St. Patrick's Day, instead O'Dohoerty's will offer live music all day on St. Patrick's Day next Tuesday, as well as on St. Patrick Parade Day this Saturday. 

Free Whiskey will be playing starting at 9 a.m. at O'Doherty's on Saturday.

Another great local Celtic band, An Dochas, will not be performing around town during the this St. Patty's season, they're currently touring the region in support of their new album, "Rise." You can hear a track from the album in the mp3 player below the An Dochas profile photo.