Sachem Alum To Open For Rocker Jimmy Cliff

A Sachem North alum will be sharing the stage with some legendary musical acts when his band participates in the annual SunFest in West Palm Beach, FL this coming May.

Ryan Fitzgerald, a 2008 graduate of Sachem North, and his band Jahguar will be opening for Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jimmy Cliff at the festival. Cliff is mostly known for helping to push reggae and rocksteady music into the mainstream from his native country of Jamaica. His songs include "Many Rivers to Cross." He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

SunFest is a week-long festival of musical acts and activities, held along the beaches in downtown West Palm. Jahguar will be sharing the stage with Kendrick Lamar, Train, Smashing Pumpkins, Slightly Stoopid, The Black Crowes, Cheap Trick, Barenaked Ladies and other top acts.

Jahguar formed in 2010 at the University of Tampa; Fitzgerald is the lead singer and is backed by band members from four other states.

Fitzgerald is quoted in the band's bio on the SunFest promotional website:

About the influence of the tropical atmosphere away from his native New York, lead singer and songwriter Ryan Fitzgerald explains, "It really helps the positive message of the music when you can walk outside almost everyday of the year, feel the sun on your face and go about your day with a smile and your head held up."

The SunFest runs from May 1 - 5. Bank of America is a major sponsor of the festival.