Downtown Auburn has its fair share of bands come through to provide entertainment to the masses on the weekends. However, not every band can say they were once students at Auburn and frequented the downtown area.
The Bama Gamblers are returning to Auburn and performing at Bourbon Street Bar Friday, Nov. 15, at 10 p.m. James Miller and the Country Road Band will also be performing.
The Bama Gamblers is comprised of five Auburn alumni, including lead guitarist Matt Alemany, drummer Forrest Flemming, bassist and vocalist Bo Flynn, lead guitarist Matt Kooken and Eric Baath on the keys.
The Gamblers got their start in 2010, blending dirty blues and Southern Rock into a unique sound all their own. They described themselves as having the best of both worlds with "Southern swag and big-city blues."
Richard Forehand, CFO of Sink or Swim Music, said the band performed high-energy blues and Southern soul.
"As the Bama Gamblers begin to spread to new and exciting markets, listen for a sound that is both classic and new, and refreshingly opposite from the house or club music congruency that is gripping many parts of the music scene," Forehand said.
Before The Gamblers, Alemany and Flemming met in Auburn and started out in a band called the Underground Railroad. Soon, they joined with Flynn and the band grew from there.
As for the band's name, the members said they wanted something different.
"I know it sounds tricky, us being from Auburn with 'Bama' in the name," Alemany said. "We just wanted it to stand out more than all the other band names out there."
The Gamblers have played in Auburn more than 100 times in the last three years, and said it is always exciting to return home to their alma mater.
"We love that hometown feel," Flynn said. "But it's also fun to play at big venues."
The band of "whiskey-bent, hell-raisers" has been traveling since the spring, beginning in Nashville, Tenn., and performing in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida.
"I love the Gamblers," said Ryan Noll, manager of Bourbon Street Bar. "They always bring the house down, and you never see the same show twice."
The Gamblers have been working on and producing their debut album at Wonderdog Sounds in Atlanta. While the name of the album is still up in the air, the members said fans should expect the same sounds they know and love.
"At our show Friday, we're going to be playing some newly recorded stuff and some Southern rock and blues covers," Alemany said. "We'll be playing songs that inspire our writing and all our music."
"The Gamblers have everything you want in a band," said Joe Lewis Fleming, Auburn alumnus and fan of the band. "Their Southern style really keeps the crowd going, and their music makes anyone want to have a good time. They are the definition of the South."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
