Wild Shiners

The Wild Shiners soar musically and have a relaxed, folksy stage presence that engages the audience. That's no accident. Frontman, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Michael Lagasse has a relaxed manner that belies his intense talent. The result is that similarly talented musicians are delighted to join the core group. So, when you can find them playing, you may find a band of three, four, five, or more musicians having fun and making great music.

Lagasse plays flatpick guitar and mandolin—for the most part, and is the lead singer—also for the most part. Originally a quintet, generally, the band has at least three members: Lagasse, a bass player, and a banjo player. When they are available, they add a drummer and a fiddler. It seems that everyone on stage with the Wild Shiners is a triple threat, and any of them could sing lead in addition to harmony. Their music is rock-based bluegrass, or bluegrass-tinted rock. Either way, it's down-to-earth, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, and always high energy.

The Wild Shiners play folk, bluegrass, country, a bit of jazz, and original tunes. They also pay homage to other local musicians and play their original songs. While life and other commitments have reduced their number of gigs at bars and listening rooms, they can be heard at the Gamble Rogers Music Festival, the Florida Folk Festival, and any others they can work onto their calendars. 

Three musicians from Gainesville most often join Lagasse as the core group of Wild Shiners: Tom Grant, a crazy-talented banjo player, singer, and songwriter; Brian Turk who plays bass in several bands and has played with the Wild Shiners from the beginning; and T'ai Welch, a drummer who writes songs and sings harmony.