Photo by Madison Miller.
Shamfest
The drummer for OutShine has fun on stage during 2015’s Shamfest. This will be OutShine’s second year performing.
They’ll be dancing in the street — Manning Street — on March 12 during the 2016 Shamfest in Mt Laurel.
The St. Patrick’s Day festival, in its fourth year, is hosted by the Red Shamrock Pub and co-sponsored by Area 41 Pizza Company.The all-day event features food trucks, beer tents, kids’ zone activities and lots and lots of music.
Kay Dailey, co-owner of The Red Shamrock with husband Henry, said the band lineup will feature “a little bit of everything” including rock and roll, country and pop.
“Gates open at 11 a.m. and the first band begins at noon,” Dailey said. “The outdoor bands play until 10 p.m. when the indoor after-party begins and runs until whenever.”
This will be Deputy 5’s fourth year to headline Shamfest, and Tommy O’Barr, lead guitarist and fiddler, describes the event as “one of the few but one of the best street festivals around.”
“There’s not many of these smaller festivals anymore and that’s a shame,” O’Barr said. “Being onstage and looking out and seeing that many people having such a great time is the best.”
O’Barr and his band mates — co-founder/lead singer Breck Carroll, bassist Don Breland and drummer John Simpson — first got together 12 years ago and since have been playing old and new country with a mix of rock and roll throughout Alabama and the four surrounding states.
“Breck and I met when our bands were competing for a job in a local club and, while neither of us got the job, he and I got together and formed Deputy 5,” he said.“We had all played with different bands but when we got together there was chemistry and something worked.”
O’Barr, of Irish descent, said while he’s always busy with the band during Shamfest — they’re onstage for three hours with only one 20-minute break — he enjoys the spirit of the event and encourages others to do the same.
“We’re really honored to be back because The Red Shamrock does things right with a top-notch stage and sound company,” O’Barr said. “There are things there for everyone, and I guarantee you’ll have a great time.”
A well-known band along the 280 corridor, OutShine bass player and founder Jay Juliana said the group is looking forward to its second appearance at Shamfest.
“It’s really getting big and we’re so excited they invited us back,” Juliana said.“We love Kay and The Red Shamrock crew. They always make everyone feel welcome.”
Juliano, who lives in Hoover and works full time as a realtor with Century 21 Meyer Real Estate, describes Outshine as a party band.
“We play ’80s and ’90s classics and love to put our own spin on the songs,” he said. “We started the band seven years ago and this is one of our favorite events — the music, the food and lots of fun for everyone.”
Jason Armstrong and Greg Brasher — The Whiskey Dix — are back in the Shamfest lineup for the second time after missing last year.
Both from the Hueytown-Pleasant Grove area, they’re an all-acoustic duo that performs comedy mixed with eclectic music including R&B, country, rap and rock, Armstrong said.
“You get a lot of entertainment for just two guys,” he said. “It’s like going to a concert and a comedy club at the same time.”
In addition to performing, Armstrong freelances as a graphic designer and Brasher works as an anti-money laundering investigator.
“But the band pays the bills and that’s great,” Armstrong said.
The Whiskey Dix has opened for a number of larger bands but also plays fraternity houses, weddings and parties.
“But one of the reasons we love Shamfest is the family atmosphere,” Armstrong said.“We’ve been doing this for six years and can look at a crowd and tell what’s appropriate. And Shamfest is fun for everyone, no matter their age.”
Admission to Shamfest is $15 and children age 12 and under are free with a paying adult, said Dailey. IDs will be checked at the gate and each person will receive an armband accordingly. VIP tickets are also available for $25 and include a VIP tent, seating and private bartender, she said.
“We’re also animal friendly, and chairs are welcome but coolers aren’t allowed,” Dailey said.
Manning Street is off County Road 41 and parking is encouraged along that road, on surrounding streets and in Mt Laurel shopping areas, Dailey said.
“We’ll have four sheriffs on duty throughout the festival so security will not be an issue,” she said.
According to Dailey, more than 3,000 people participated in Shamfest in 2015 and event attendance has increased yearly.
“So we’re expecting a big, big crowd and that’s my favorite part,” Dailey said. “Sometimes I’ll stand on a bar stool so I can see over the crowd and watch everyone having such a great time. We don’t make a lot of money, but it sure is a lot of fun.”
