Benefit for Kevin Kavanaugh, Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ, May 01. 2011
Jole’ Blon For Kevin Kavanaugh (2 Videos)
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Bands set for food pantry benefit
John Kowalenko’s plan to bring together a crew of musicians and restaurateurs to raise money for cash-strapped East End food pantries is coming together.
The event, which will be held on August 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Principi farm in Amagansett, will feature a performance by a cast of serious musicians, all with ties to both East Hampton and to famous musical groups.
The group, calling itself the “Band of Brothers,” includes Simon Kirk from Bad Company, G.E. Smith from Saturday Night Live, John Conte from Billy Joel’s band and Jeff Kazee from Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes.
Local musicians will warm up the audience and surprise guests are expected.
“The show opens up with the Escola de Samba BOOM, who will open up coming through the audience, and will end up on stage and turn into the opening act with Bastards of Boom,” said Mr. Kowalenko. “Rob Camillio, out of New York, is a cross between Bruce Springsteen and B.B. King.
The Surf Dogs come on next—they’re a bit like the Ventures. Then will be Mamma Lee and Friends, and Danni D. She’s the new Madonna. She’ll have a couple of backup singers and dancers. All these musicians are donating their time, which is really cool.”
U.S. Representative Tim Bishop and New York City mayoral candidate John Finan are also expected to attend.
Back at the Basie
BACK AT THE BASIE WITH BANDIERA, BONDS, BON JOVI, & MR. GRINCH – DEC. 22. 2008: Springsteen drops in to wish Red Bank crowd a Merry Christmas, Baby!
It’s all cold down along the beach… the wind’s whipping down the boardwalk… and it’s freezing in Red Bank, where Bruce showed up tonight to bring some extra warmth to the newly renovated Count Basie Theatre. Just as in 2006, with no area holiday shows of his own, Springsteen chose to join in the festivities at Bobby Bandiera’s Hope Concert.
On the bill with Bandiera’s Jersey Shore Rock-N-Soul Revue were Tim McLoone and the Shirleys, Brian Fallon, Nicole Atkins, Gary U.S. Bonds, Southside Johnny, and Jon Bon Jovi; Springsteen’s surprise appearance came at the end of the night, as he joined the house band and a few of the bill-toppers for a few Christmas songs, two classic covers, and one of his own.
The night’s format had crossover between artist’s sets: Gary U.S. Bonds (after notably performing Bruce’s “Action in the Street”) was joined by Southside Johnny for “This Little Girl” to segue into Southside’s set; Johnny was joined on his last song by Jon Bon Jovi for “This Time It’s For Real.” When it came to Bon Jovi’s last song, out came Springsteen to back him up on “Run Run Rudolph,” playing lead guitar and hollering backup on the final chorus.
“Happy holidays!” said Bruce, otherwise a man of few words tonight. (Leave the quotables to Southside: “I’d wish you a merry Christmas, but it would be out of character” and “I get so sentimental, I have to drink myself into oblivion.”) Springsteen opened his own set with a doubleshot of his holiday B-sides, “Merry Christmas, Baby” followed by “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Southside — “Mr. Grinch” — joined in on the latter, and LaBamba came downstage to take Clarence’s part, “you better be good for goodness’ sake.” (LaBamba and Mark Pender brought the horn section headcount to eight for Bruce’s set.)
After Bruce went it alone on “634-5789,” Bon Jovi came back out to split the vocals on “Tenth Avenue.” And a final encore, as Springsteen was joined by Southside, singing lead, and Bonds for a rousing “Havin’ a Party.” Weather outside: frightful. Inside: plenty hot.
Source: BACKSTREETS.COM
Bonjovi and Bruce keep Hope alive
RED BANK – There already was star power a-plenty on the stage of Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank Monday night, and then Jon Bon Jovi introduced Bruce Springsteen.
BY KELLY JANE COTTER – Music Writer – December 23, 2008
“It ain’t Santa Claus,” Bon Jovi said, announcing a special guest. “We got something better.” Like his fellow rockers at Monday’s Hope Concert, Springsteen took the stage in a low-key manner, providing guitar solos and backing vocals to Bobby Bandiera’s lead on “Run Rudolph Run.”
Springsteen soon took center stage, with back-to-back performances of “Merry Christmas, Baby” and his definitive version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” He directed the band and led the audience in cries of call-and-response. “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” soon followed, and all was merry and bright.
A finale of “Having a Party,” with Southside Johnny Lyon on lead, backed by Springsteen, Bandiera, Gary U.S. Bonds and the band, capped an evening that raised more than $250,000 for the Parker Family Health Center in Red Bank, as well as thousands of cans of donated food for the FoodBank of Monmouth/Ocean Counties.
This was the fourth Hope Concert, a tradition founded and organized by Bandiera, a longtime member of the local music scene who currently tours with Bon Jovi. Earlier in the night, Bon Jovi sang “Blue Christmas,” and then gave an optimistic wish for the new year and the new president, Barack Obama.
Hope Concert IV at the Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank
Jon Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny will be among the performers at the Hope Concert IV, the latest in a series of benefits at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.
Other performers will include Gary U.S. Bonds, Bobby Bandiera and his Jersey Shore Rock-N-Soul Revue, Nicole Atkins, Brian Fallon (of the Gaslight Anthem), and Tim McLoone and the Shirleys.
The show takes place at 8 p.m. Dec. 22, and tickets, priced at $100-$500, go on sale Dec. 3 at 9:30 a.m. Proceeds will go to the Parker Family Health Center in Red Bank.
Via: Jay Lustig/The Star-Ledger
Musicians play three nights of "light"
THE ASBURY PARK PRESS – 11/8/05 – BY RICHARD SKELLY – CORRESPONDENT
What do Southside Johnny, Robert Earl Keen, Soozie Tyrell, Gary U.S. Bonds, Pete Yorn, Joe Grushecky, Jess Klein, Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg, Cindy Bullens, Willie Nile, Jesse Malin, Jeffrey Gaines and Garland Jeffreys have in common? All of them put their egos aside for the sake of a common cause this past weekend, at the annual Light of Day concerts to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research.
Fund-raising concerts were held Friday night at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park and Saturday and Sunday nights at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville.
Founded by Highland Park-based musical impresario Bob Benjamin, who has Parkinson’s, the annual shows are a way to spread awareness of the need for more research into the causes of the neuro-muscular disorder. Recent research has shown that embryonic stem cells may offer a cure for Parkinson’s and ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. This year’s shows were dedicated to the memory of Joan Dancy, a longtime companion to Terry Magovern, who has worked closely with Bruce Springsteen for many years. Benjamin is proprietor of School House Records and manages musicians, including Grushecky, Joe D’Urso and Stone Caravan and Dawne Allynne, among others.
As often happens in this three-day musical marathon, there were as many musical high points as there were performers. The vibe throughout all three shows was a positive one. Musicians freely mingled with the audience before and after their sets, signing autographs and selling CDs, lending as much support as they could to their fellow musicians, putting up with occasional odd couplings on stage for the sake of a common cause.
One musician missing in action this year was Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen had performed at all five previous Light of Day fund-raising concerts, but since the shows have expanded this year to include a Dec. 12 event at House of Blues in Los Angeles and one later this month in Rome, the Freehold native — in the midst of a tour for his latest album, “Devils and Dust,” — may show his face yet.
High points from Friday’s show at the Pony included Bonds and Southside Johnny Lyon delivering spirited takes on two songs off Bonds’ latest album, “Back In 20.” Bonds traded vocals with Lyon, who offered up some tasty harmonica solos on “Murder in the First Degree” and “Fannie Mae.”
Inspired performances
Saturday night at Starland, Joe D’Urso and his Stone Caravan delivered a four-song set — most groups played only four or five tunes — that consisted of nothing but new songs that will appear on a forthcoming album.
Jeffreys and Yorn and their bands delivered inspired sets Saturday at Starland. Yorn, a native of Montville, opened with North Mississippi bluesman Junior Kimbrough’s “I Feel Good Again,” while Brooklyn-based Jeffreys and his band blended blues, classic R&B, rock and reggae with “Don’t Call Me Buckwheat,” “We the People” and an audience rousing take on the blues, “King Bee.” Jeffreys and his band closed with their take on ? and the Mysterians’ “96 Tears.”
After Jeffreys’ rousing set Saturday night, Benjamin got on stage and told the audience, “Rock ‘n’ roll is the tool that can change the world.”
Sunday night’s show at Starland was a totally different format, an acoustic show. Instead of the usual open floor space, patrons were encouraged to sit in chairs at tables. An extension of Gordon Brown’s successful “Writers in the Raw” series that was often held at Harry’s Roadhouse in Asbury Park, Sunday’s show included conversation and performances from Yorn, Grushecky, John Eddie, D’Urso, Malin and Jess Klein, among others.
More information on Parkinson’s Disease symptoms, possible causes, and research, is offered on the Web at www.pdf.org. More on Light of Day shows in Los Angeles and Italy can be found at www.lightofday.org.
Copyright (c) The Asbury Park Press – 2005
Tappan Zee Highschool Benefit, Orangeburg, NY, 2005
With a little help of our friends
ASBURYJUKES.NET – BY MAUREEN SHAMES – MARCH 21, 2005
SID BERNSTEIN’S BENEFIT ROCKS THE PONY
Mr. Kite would have been duly impressed! – A “British Invasion” themed Benefit for the Kamala Grammar School in Phuket, Thailand raised funds, morale and ultimately the roof at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park on March 20.
Topping the bill was Sid Bernstein, the famed Beatles promoter who graciously presented this benefit to raise funds to rebuild a school that was devastated by the Tsunami. Rock bands included the Jersey shore’s, “topper most of the popper most” at a marathon event lasting more than seven hours. Headliners included– Tim McLoone, Asbury Jukes Ed “Kingfish” Manion, and Bobby Bandiera.
Homegrown Stars Rock Charity
THE ASBURY PARK PRESS – BY KELLY-JANE COTTER – JANUARY, 30, 1998
Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen have made charity as much a part of rock ‘n’ roll as youth and rebellion. Tomorrow’s sold-out concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, which benefits the family of slain Long Branch police officer Sgt. Patrick King, is only the latest example of two local guys trying to do the right thing. They will — ahem — “keep the faith” and “prove it all night.”
Time and time again, New Jersey’s most famous rockers have put their money where their mouths are — penning songs about hope and then working hard to give hope to others. They’ve donated time and cash to help fight disease, poverty and misfortune. Much of their work has benefited local causes and, much of the time, their fans don’t find out about their financial donations to charity.