The Gaslamp Quarter lays down a carpet of AstroTurf for ShamRock bash
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 16, 2006
The saying goes: “Everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day.” Maybe, but not everybody's St. Patrick, a man credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. March 17 marks the day of St. Patrick's death in 462. It's also the day Americans figured it would be a good day to drink lots of green beer. Go figure.
San Diego took it one step further, covering the streets of the Gaslamp Quarter with AstroTurf and throwing a party downtown and it's been going that way for the past decade.
This year ShamRock rolls out the green carpet for an expected 10,000 to 15,000 party-goers, with DJs and live music to help celebrate Irish heritage (even if you're not Irish) for just one day.
“From the start I actually came to the (Gaslamp Quarter Historical) Foundation with the idea of the block party, the AstroTurf on the street, the name, concept,” said Laurel McFarlane, president of McFarlane Promotions.
ShamRock has booked groups like Flogging Molly and the Young Dubliners to headline the event in years past. The creative booking and top-notch bands give the festival substance.
“We try and keep it Irish-based, but more on the rock side then the traditional side,” said McFarlane. “However, we know people do like the dancing so we always start the block party off with the traditional Irish dancing and then build momentum from that point on.”
McFarlane's one hope, of course, is that people have a good time.
“We just want (people) to be happy and have a great time running around on all that AstroTurf,” she said. “People seem to always just have a great time at this block party more then any other event and leave feeling as if they really had a great St. Patrick's Day.”
The Fenians (Irish rock), the Downs Family (punk) and Skelpin (Irish fiddle music) will head the cast of characters holding down the main stage this year.
Headed by fiddler Patric Petri, the quintet Skelpin combines traditional Irish tunes with Spanish flamenco overtones.
“I've been playing fiddle since I was roughly 4,” said Petrie, who comes by her musical tendencies honestly. “You know, my family has been part of traditional Irish music for at least the last 150 years.”
Petrie – along with Tim Foley (Uilleann pipes, whistle, bodhran, guitar, saxophone, vocals), David Maldonado (flamenco guitar, mandolin), Hector Maldonado (guitar, bass, vocals) and Rowshan Dowlatabadi (button accordion, darbuka, bodhran) – recently returned from a tour of Japan in support of the 2005 release “Rua/Roja.”
St. Patrick's Day has a deeper meaning for the fiddler with Irish roots.
“For some people, it's just an excuse for partying until you puke,” said Petrie. “For my family, it's a day of celebration. Slightly more than one hundred years ago, there were signs everywhere saying, 'No Irish Need Apply.' Through famine and persecution, we've persevered.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
