The Bama Gamblers are a four-piece rock ’n’ roll band from Auburn, Alabama.
The group consists of Bo Flynn on bass and vocals, Eric Baath on keyboard, Matt Alemany on guitar and Hunter Jackson on the drums.
The Gamblers are regular performers at Bourbon Street Bar and released their debut album, "Stone Mountain," in 2014.
Lead guitarist Matt Alemany is a founding member of The Bama Gamblers and has been performing with the group since their inception in 2010.
Q: When and how did the band form?
A: We all met in school and were all playing in different groups.
We knew each other for a while but someone needed a fill in for this person, or we needed somebody to do this or that, and next thing you know we started playing together from two different groups, and then it started picking up from there.
From playing once every few weeks to once every other week to playing almost every week and then every weekend.
It grew out of that.
Q: What would you say are the Gambler’s main influences? What genre would you describe yourself as?
A: Well it’s rock ’n’ roll for sure, and if you had to call it anything else it would be closest to southern rock.
But I mean, it makes sense; everyone in the band is from the South. Naturally that is what’s going to come out.
If you’re playing rock ’n’ roll it’s going to sound sort of Southern, whether you intend to or not, if you’re from the South.
It’s kind of hard to get away from those sounds.
They’re awesome; we’re all big fans of The Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker band, stuff like that.
All of that just sort of plays into it.
Q: What would you say was a performance where you realized the band was doing well? What is the band looking forward to in the future?
A: Probably the first time we did an actual opening gig for a band, The Casey Donahew Band out of Texas.
It was the first time we opened up for any sort of national touring act.
We talked to those guys for a while, they rolled up in a tour bus. We were like ‘Woah, we’re opening up for these guys?’
That was the first time I kind of realized I could do this and actually sustain a lifestyle.
Over time you definitely figure out a lot of stuff, but at the time I was just thinking, ‘Oh I can just make music all my life and it’ll be fine.’
As for the future we have a bunch of new material that we are trying to figure out what to do with and how to present it and what the format is. We have a couple of cool ideas in the works, but it’s just a matter of heading into the studio and cutting stuff and not just doing a follow up to our first record but making it interesting.
Q: The band and all of its members have a long history with Bourbon Street Bar. What would you say is the your craziest Bourbon story?
A: One sticks out in my mind. I was playing with a group called The Underground Railroad at the time. It was freezing cold outside. I think it had started snowing, and it was slam packed.
It was my sophomore or junior year of college so all my friends were out.
We were playing, and we were like halfway through the set and we were getting it, people were going nuts, people were partying harder than usual because there was no school. That always seems to bring out the crazies.
I was playing a guitar solo, and I looked up at the lead singer, and he’s just darting out of the way because one of the pipes above the stage had burst.
It was just water pouring out of that pipe on to the amplifier, on to the drum-set, basically the entire center of the stage!
That cut that gig pretty short!
Q: What would you say is the band’s favorite venue in the Auburn-Opelika area?
A: That is difficult! We loved playing at the Supper Club when that was open.
I mean I’ve been playing at Bourbon Street since 2009. Ryan always takes care of us; I’ve known Ryan for a long time. He’s a good friend.
If we’re looking at Opelika, the only place really to play is 8th and Rail. I mean there are other places but nothing really to support a full band. Opelika would be 8th and Rail, but we have a lot of history with Bourbon. That would be our choice.
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.
