The Original Wailers, Blues Traveler, The Sipe-Coffin Group and local Charleston sensations Gaslight Street, Blue Dogs, Number One Contender and Sol Driven Train, as well as rising stars the Whisperjets rocked for education last weekend.
This much musical talent can’t be found in one place often, but ShineFest Charleston brought it all to  the Joe Riley Stadium Oct. 17.
The Trip Page Education Initiative sponsored ShineFest to raise money for the Citadel Foundation and Charleston County School District. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go toward scholarships, literacy and positive behavior support through these organizations.
Sol Driven Train kicked the day off with their children’s concert, followed by local favorites Dangermuffin.
The Whisperjets got a spot at ShineFest when they won Young and Free South Carolina’s Last Band Standing earlier in October.
The Sipe-Coffin Group took the stage next. Saxophonist Jeff Coffin joined the Brevard, N.C. based Jeff Sipe Trio for a fusion of eclectic instruments and sounds. Coffin has played with the Dave Matthews Band and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and won three Grammy Awards.
 Locals Gaslight Street got the audience and the show going with their relaxed yet soulful sound and lead singer Campbell Brown’s crisp vocals.
Gaslight finished with “Constantly Running,” a song that combines the familiar and the unique into a soulful tribute to the traveling musicians of America’s past.
“I set this around the ‘50s and ‘60s timeline, where they’re still traveling on buses. There’s still not a whole lot of money to be made. They’re smuggling moonshine and whiskey, and dealing on the side to do whatever they can to live,” Brown said.
The Blue Dogs followed Gaslight Street. Frank Hutch’s stand-up bass set the tone and sound for the performance.
Number One Contender appealed to those in their teens and early twenties wearing black in the crowd. NOC definitely brought their loyal fan base, who stood up and sang along to every one of their songs, out to support education at ShineFest. Reid Johnson’s vocals add a grating quality to NOC’s crisp guitar and melodic music. 
The Original Wailers stole the show and kept the audience captivated for their entire hour. Wailers fans of all ages couldn’t stay off their feet for the captivating performances of familiar songs like “Concrete City,” “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Get Up, Stand Up.” Whether people have loved the Wailers since they saw them perform with the late Bob Marley, or if they have come to appreciate their classic music since Marley’s death, everyone felt the reggae sprit the band embodies.
The Wailers introduced reggae to the kids in the audience who wouldn’t know the name Bob Marley, but danced their hearts out to the Jamaican jams.
Sol Driven Train returned to the stage for their adult show, and international performers Blues Traveler finished out the night.
Music wasn’t the only entertainment for the Shinefest crowd. While the two stages dominated centerfield, local businesses and organizations made up the community village with booths around the Joe’s left field.
The musical community at Awendaw Green hosts music festivals all year and came to support ShineFest, director of operations Lissa Owens said.
“Bands can practice in the barn, record an album in the studio, and then perform on the stage,” Owens said.
Awendaw volunteer Chris Garrison works lighting for shows. He and his seven-year-old son Steven spent the day at the Awendaw Green booth. Garrison’s music festival experience gave him the perspective to see the value in ShineFest. 
“We’re having an awesome time,” Garrison said. “It’s good for a first year.”
Charleston Literacy invited festival-goers to do something, from donating a book to volunteering time, to promote literacy in Charleston.
Paul Maschek and Devann Yata used ShineFest to spread the word about their shoe-collecting charity. Share ‘um Shoes is the only organization that collects slightly used shoes for those who need them in the Lowcountry and abroad. They collect shoes and distribute specifically to Tri County Family Ministries, My Sister’s House and Jenkins Institute for Children, Maschek said.
Yata appreciates the opportunity that this collection offers to help the needy right here in Charleston that people don’t always see.
“Jenkins Institute for Children is a real orphanage that’s less than five minutes from here,” Yata said. “People are so blind-sighted by their everyday lives.”
Creative Spark’s Children’s Universe set up educational fun and activities in right field because, as one announcer said, ShineFest is all about the kids.
A sound mixing table complete with top-of-the line computer equipment showed kids the technical side of the music they enjoyed all day.
Charleston Explorers Science Program taught kids a little about marine life with touch tanks and shrimp in bottles.
Homespun Hoops set up their tent, appropriately, between the Children’s Universe and beer vendors. Kids and adults alike couldn’t walk by the one-of-a-kind hula hoops without playing. Homespun Hoops offers classes, performances, parties and festivals.
ShineFest is a young festival that brings together entertainment and charity from throughout the community and promises to grow into a Charleston fixture.