While University of Alabama students were away on spring break, Red Mountain Entertainment announced the lineup for this year’s Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil.
Among the acts playing the weekend-long event to be held May 4 and 5 are Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, Moon Taxi and ten other artists ranging from rap to country to rock. Without much advertising following the announcement, many UA students have still been in the dark about the event.
“They haven’t promoted it as much this year,” said senior Caroline Spriull. “My guess is that the line-up is not as good as last year’s.”
The Schaeffer Crawfish Boil started in 1986 as a backyard get-together featuring 50 pounds of crawfish and friends of founders Aaron and Phyllis Beam. According to the website, people began getting extra tickets for friends and selling them.
When Beam heard about this, he decided to begin charging admission and donating the proceeds to charity. As the event kept growing, Schaeffer Eye Center got on board with the event, taking it from the back yard to Sloss Furnace to the Birmingham Race Course and finally to the Southside.
Typically the event draws in big name acts, past artists include Katy Perry, The Goo Goo Dolls and Akon, and even bigger crowds that range anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 attendees.
“I was excited when I heard both [Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg] were coming to Birmingham, but when I heard [about] the other artists, I didn’t know who they were,” said junior Jade Kenney. “Last year had more big names.”
The 2011 Crawfish Boil featured bands such as Weezer, Nelly, Cee Lo Green and Stone Temple Pilots. The lineup received a lot of hype, however, many people missed the shows in the wake of the tornado, which hit two days before the event.
Tickets for this year’s shows are currently on sale through their website, schaeffercrawfishboil.com. Single-day passes are $30 for general admission and $75 for VIP passes. Weekend passes are $49.50 for general admission and $140 for VIP passes.
Besides the usual massive amounts of crawfish being served, the boil will also feature barbecue, Papa John’s pizza and funnel cakes, among other options. Alcohol will also be served at the event.
