Tonight, put down your Guinness, put on some green and get into the Saint Patrick's Day spirit a little early.

The Chieftains will be bringing old-fashioned Irish jigs and several special guests to its performance at the Eisenhower Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

Playing for the first time at Penn State, the band is on its annual winter tour, which began in Houston Jan. 5 and ends on St. Patrick's Day in New York City's Carnegie Hall, according to Laura Sullivan, marketing and communications director for Penn State's Center for the Performing Arts.

"The Chieftains are one of the most respected bands in the music industry. Their music crosses cultures and continents. If you've never seen them, it is a great opportunity to do so while they are right here in your own backyard," Sullivan said.

The band has released more than 40 albums -- among them collaborations with the Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Sting and Los Lobos -- and earned six Grammy Awards and 19 Grammy nominations.

The Chieftains include Paddy Moloney, the uillean pipes player who started the Dublin band in 1962 and serves as its music director; Kevin Conneff on bodhrán and vocals; Seán Keane on fiddle; and Matt Molloy on flute.

Joining the Chieftains will be the dance group Líadan, individual dancer Cara Butler, harpist Triona Marshall and keyboard player Ryan MacNeil.

Tracy Noll, sales director for Eisenhower, said she is expecting a full house.

"The tickets have been selling rather well, but there are still some nice seats left," Noll said.

Those who go to the concert, however, shouldn't expect to just sit quietly. At the end of the show the audience is encouraged to join in and learn a traditional Irish dance called the Andro, Moloney said.

"Cara and the other dancers demonstrate the dance to the audience, and then everyone gets up to do it and there's a snake dance down the hall," Moloney said. "We have been doing this for over a year, and the audience enjoys it immensely. It really is a lot of fun and a memorable way to end the show."