The Montana ShamRockers are bringing their unique Irish harmonies to Whitefish to celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day.

The Polson-based quartet — which includes John “Liam” Glueckert, Mike “Paddy” Lozar, Rob “Robbie” Sloan, and Neal “Nialls” Lewing — will be playing tonight at Casey’s Pub and Grill in Whitefish. The show, which blends traditional and original Celtic music with historical and comical relief, begins at 7 p.m.

“We have just over 150 songs in our repertoire, mostly traditional and some original,” Lewing said. “We especially like ‘The Irish Sing and Dance,’ [which is] a song I wrote, and ‘Wild Rover’ is a real interactive crowd pleaser. We like to engage the audience and play a pretty eclectic mix just to keep things interesting. Folks seem to like it and that’s what it’s all about.”

The Montana ShamRockers have been performing together since 2003. Lewing said the group originally got together to play a memorial concert after the passing of John Dowdall, a “full-blood Irishman from Anaconda.”

Larry Barsness and Dowdall, a Polson banker, founded the Port Polson Players theatre troupe in 1976, according to Lewing.

“John D. was a real character and a strong supporter not only of the theatre in Polson but of Polson itself,” Lewing said. “At his passing in 2002, we renamed our theatre after him and put together a show to commemorate the occasion with, of course, lots of his favorite Irish music. Robbie and another fellow worked in the bank with John, and one other musician and I formed the ShamRockers to perform for that occasion.

“I’d worked with an old Irishman for decades and he taught me a ton of Irish songs, so we got those up and a few more of Dowdall’s favorites for the show. People heard us and asked us to come play for them here and there, one thing leading to another. We all loved it and decided to see how far we could ride this pony.”

That pony has seen a lot of miles in 13 years.

The Montana ShamRockers have since performed in a variety of venues on stages around the world. The band frequents local and regional schools, retirement communities and (of course) pubs, but they’ve also been featured at local and national festivals. They recently had the opportunity to open for the Dublin City Ramblers and in 2015 opened for Men of Worth as part of a larger tour across Ireland.

“A road trip with the Montana ShamRockers is always memorable,” Sloan said. “I am really up for a second trip to the Emerald Isle. We met many wonderful folks there and were so well treated.

“And continuing to share the joy and spirit of traditional Celtic music, I think its appeal is timeless. There are beautiful stories and haunting tunes and the Irish seem to have a knack for taking a trial or tragedy and by putting to music can turn [it] into something you want to hear again and again.”

The Montana ShamRockers are represented by Black Paw Music in Polson. The band has released three major albums; “Just Plain Lucky” (2010), “New and Used” (2012), and “Christmas with Lewis and Clark” (2015). The albums are available online at www.cdbaby.com/Artist/TheMontanaShamRockers or www.reverbnation.com/montanashamrockers. Hard copies are available at First Citizens Bank in Polson. The group also sells albums and download cards at live shows.

The Montana ShamRockers are in the middle of a regional March tour. They will perform at Casey’s in Whitefish tonight at 7 p.m., then hit the road again for shows Friday, March 18, at the Elk’s Club in Thompson Falls (7 p.m.), and Saturday, March 19, at Swanee’s in Polson (8 p.m.).

“We’ve had so many wonderful experiences in our years together,” Lewing said. “It’s very therapeutic to play together — we laugh a lot and engage in much silly wordplay that’s such fun.”

The band agreed that making new music and having fun are top o’ the list for the future.

“[I’m most looking forward to] continuing to travel and share performance, storytelling and community with the Montana ShamRockers and friends everywhere,” Glueckert said. “Hoping to be Montana’s official goodwill ambassadors to Ireland.”

According to the band’s Facebook page, their resolution for 2016 is “to continue to provide the thrill of music, the joy of laughter, the power of love, and the indomitable spirit of Irish culture to as many audiences as we can reach; to explore new avenues of musical expression; to address topical themes in Irish music, like this year’s 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising; and, as every year, to have a ball doing it!”

So far, so good, lads.

For more information on the Montana ShamRockers and upcoming performance details, call 406-883-9212 or visit www.facebook.com/TheMontanaShamRockers.

Entertainment Editor Stefanie Thompson can be reached at 758-4439 or ThisWeek@dailyinterlake.com.