For the third year in a row, local rock band Not My Dad will help the community celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with ShamROCK, a party from 8 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, at Culture, 18029 Dixie Highway in Homewood.
This will be the second year the event will raise money for the Homewood Arts Council. The fun’s will help the organization launch a series of events and activities shining a light on the work of local artists.
The council will sell cups for $5 at ShamROCK and patrons buying one will get half-priced beer all night. The cups are for sale in advance, cash only, at UpsaDaisy Boutique, 18100 Martin Ave. in Homewood.
Band leader Jon Elfner said the two previous ShamROCK parties at the former site of Grape & Grain were filled with people and fun. He was delighted that the new owners of the establishment wanted to keep the party going.
He sees the event as a kind of “passing the torch” for the community’s music scene from Grape & Grain to Culture, which opened on New Year’s Eve.
The band will be decked out in kilts in honor of the occasion. The music, too, will include a nod to the Emerald Isle. NMD’s repertoire includes classic rock artists like Van Morrison, The Beatles, Blondie and John Mellencamp plus newer artists like Walk the Moon, Nathaniel Rateliff and Amy Winehouse.
“NMD is chiefly a rock band, but we will be playing at least one Irish themed song a set to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day,” Elfner said. In addition to Elfner, NMD is made up of community members Lara Elfner, Matt Epperson, Terence Smith, Krista and Ted Venegas and Billy Villarreal.
In addition, sitting in with NMD as a special guest will be legendary blues guitarist and Homewood resident John Randolph. Randolph toured the world as a blues sideman for 50 years, playing alongside greats like Son Seals, Solomon Burke, Jimmy Johnson and Zora Young.
The band’s Irish touches will be complemented by the menu at Culture, which will feature the traditional Irish dish corned beef and cabbage.
Co-owner Joan Sullivan said Chef Robert Lee will also be preparing three kinds of wings, plus ribs and a veggie plate.
Sullivan said the Culture team was delighted to be able to continue the St. Patrick’s Day party and to contribute to the arts council.
“The creative arts are our passion,” she said. “We love the idea of celebrating and supporting such a wonderful cause. We think that the hallmark of a community is gathering together and celebrating artistic expression.”
The event will kick off a busy year for the arts council. Co-founder Greg Loudon said it’s the first of 16 events planned for the year as the council continues to develop its presence in, and support for, the local arts community.
Three events are planned in April, including two improv classes, one for kids on April 6 and one for adults on April 20. A new show featuring student art will have its opening night from 6 to 9 p.m. April 24 at the council’s gallery, 2015 Ridge Road.
Other events this year will include
- Kentucky Derby Party on May 2.
- Homewood-Flossmoor High School alumni show in the gallery, opening June 5.
- Scholarship presentation June 8.
- Sponsorship and participation in Trail Mix, an outdoor music festival on June 27.
- An all-day music event on July 11.
- Theater at Irwin Park on July 15.
- Participating in Porch Fest, a neighborhood music festival on Aug. 8.
- Third annual 0.3K Fun Run on Sept. 21.
- A dark and scary art exhibit opening Sept. 26.
- Partnering with The Well for a showing of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Oct. 17.
- Annual pub crawl fundraiser on Dec. 10.
- Opening of a juried art show, “Day in the Life of Homewood,” on Dec. 16.
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