It’s a plum gig.
Several thousand people in a festive environment, multiple bands on multiple stages and an audience of happy beer-drinking people celebrating at a fun event. It’s understandable that bands are excited to play ShamROCK Music + Beer Festival, San Diego’s annual St. Patrick’s Day block party in the Gaslamp Quarter. The 2025 Shamrock event is Saturday, March 15.
“Our favorite thing is the ShamROCK festival,” said Kirk O’Brian, leader of of The Fooks, a long-tie San Diego Irish band, which plays 5:30-6:30 on Pint Stage. “We feel very luck they have asked us to play again. We’ve played there 10, 12 years maybe. We closed the show last year but we actually don’t like the closing spot. We like to play a little earlier because the people are fresh.”
To which guitarist Steve “Gilly”Gilliland joked, in his typical non-serious manner,” we like to catch them about three or four beers deep and not seven or eight.” Being slightly more serious, he added that playing Shamrock “is fun every time.”
Preceding The Fooks on the same stage is Finnegan Blue (4-5 p.m.,), another band that has previously played ShamROCK. It blends rock, bluegrass, Irish, gospel, reggae and NOLA second line with a punk rock edge.
“We look forward to performing at ShamROCK every year!,” exclaimed an excited Anna Lee Fleming, singer, songwriter and guitar player for Finnegan Blue. “There’s always an amazing lineup of local musicians, intertwined with Irish dancers and great beer.
“My favorite moment is right before our first song. My band takes the stage, I walk up to the mic, and look out over the sea of people lining a green carpet down San Diego’s legendary Fifth Ave. The crowd is ready to dance, and we are ready to perform. Being born and raised in San Diego and having the opportunity to bring a good time to this community of people, what more could anyone want?!
“Cheers!”
Tickets for ShamROCK are now on sale and are available on its offical website, Shamrock.com.
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