Amaudaun
Psst! Wanna know a secret?

Once the big crowds pack up their beach chairs and umbrellas on Labor Day, the Jersey Shore begins what is known as “the local summer.” That’s when the year-round residents squeeze a few weekends of uncluttered beach time as September weekends yield the last few chances of fun and sun!

There is also a sham-rocking tradition in this part of the sand known as the Irish Riviera. Celts of all shapes and sizes go to the Jersey Shore Irish Festival on the Sea Girt National Guard Armory (Camp Drive and Sea Girt Avenue) in Sea Girt.

One of my favorite bands (with the wickedest of names) is Amadaun, a rollicking outfit from New Jersey that blends traditional Celtic roots with contemporary rock, bluegrass, Cajun, world music and folk rock influences.

Amadaun provides a fresh and energetic take on Irish music, borrowing liberally from the songbooks of Christy Moore, the Saw Doctors, Great Big Sea and the Pogues.

They will also be joined on the big stage by rebel-rousing of Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones, Birmingham Six and the Snakes, one of my favorite bar bands working the Jersey Shore.

Yours truly will be on the main stage at around 3:30 p.m. reading from my book, This Is Your Brain on Shamrocks. If y’all are nice to me, I might even read a passage or two from the upcoming sequel!
For more information, log onto www.jerseyshoreirishfestival.com.