A well-established band with local roots will be spreading its musical joy in Gardendale this month.

The Gardendale Arts Council, the city of Gardendale and Chick-fil-A are hosting “A Musical Evening Under the Stars with Streetkar” Aug. 27, 7:30 p.m., at the Gardendale Civic Center amphitheater.

Lane Sewell, who heads up the band, has lived in Gardendale 35 years. His wife Debbie has always lived in Gardendale.

“Streetkar has local ties, which makes it special to residents of Gardendale and the surrounding area,” said Larry York, president of the Gardendale Arts Council.

The band has been together since 1984, with only two changes in members in its 27 years.

All six members have known each other since seventh grade and graduated together from Minor High School, according to Sewell.

When he started the band in the 80s, Sewell named it in honor of his grandfather, who worked on a streetcar during the Great Depression.

“I used to hear his stories, and I always thought it would be a good name for a band,” Sewell said.

Streetkar performs throughout the southeast.

“We’ve got a pretty good name, a pretty good following,” Sewell said. “We don’t play to hear ourselves play. We play for people to have a good time.”

Streetkar plays music from the 1950s to the 1990s, with a focus on dance music.

The band usually plays about 35 dates a year, but its bookings dropped some last year because of the economic recession.

“It hurt us like it did everybody,” Sewell said. “People don’t have expendable money like they did. But it’s picking back up now.”

The members of the band are:

• Sewell, lead guitar and vocals

• David Hulsey of Gardendale, drummer

• Gary Neighbors of Hueytown, bass and vocals

• James Clark of Pinson, lead singer

• John Morris of Roebuck, keyboard

• Mike Hill of Wilsonville, sound engineer and vocals

Concert tickets are $10 each, with no charge for children ages 12 and younger. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

In case of bad weather, the concert will be moved inside the civic center to the exhibition hall.

To learn more about the band, go to www.streetkar.com. To learn more about the Gardendale Arts Council, go to www.cityofgardendale.com and click on arts.