* 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5

* Kerry Irish Pub, 331 Decatur St., 527-5954

When Dave Sharp quietly left town last autumn, New Orleans lost one of its best singer-songwriters. The former guitarist for acclaimed '80s rock band The Alarm led a decidedly more low-key life in the Crescent City, making the Kerry Irish Pub his venue of choice and treating Kerry regulars and tourists alike to stirring sets filled with the gritty, blue-collar anthems that are now Sharp's calling card. (It's a shame that Sharp's stellar mid-90s album, Downtown America, didn't receive its just acclaim.)

Now almost a year after his departure, and with a string of European dates under his belt, Sharp returns to his second home for a homecoming gig. He's also got a terrific new CD in the can, so it's a chance to hear new material before troubadour Sharp hits the road again.

No cover. -- Scott Jordan