If you are free Saturday, check out “Festival Earth,” a free party on the Morristown Green that caps a month-long series of events celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
We’ve lined up some terrific local musicians for your entertainment. Here’s a peek at the lineup. Times are approximate and subject to change.
11:30 a.m.: 1st Ave. This rock band comprises four friends, ages 9-13, who study at the L.S.I. Music School. They are: Julia Draper, Kathryn Rejaei, Mae Hoad, and Max Goott. These young musicians create abundant energy with small carbon footprints!
Noon: Jim Hicks (bagpipes) and Whistling Joe Sodano.
If there is an instrument that Jim Hicks can’t play, let us know–it will be a scoop. The music director for the Morristown Presbyterian Church on the Green includes organ, piano, assorted medieval instruments and bagpipes in his repertoire. On occasion, he sometimes plays the organ and bagpipes simultaneously. Check out this podcast of Jim.
Morristown native Joe Sodano honed his bird-like whistling style while working in the poultry business. He tells his story in this video; Joe went on to win second prize in the 2010 “Morristown’s Got Talent” show.
| Morristown Talent Preview 2010 |
12:30: Emily Eddey. Singer/songwriter Emily Eddey, a Morristown native, has been writing and performing her own songs since she was 15. At 19 she started her own record label, Emmerik Records LLC, and at 21 she released her first full length album, Rush. She has performed all over the East Coast and at such notable venues as The Bitter End in New York City. She graduated from NYU earlier this month, and hopes to continue her music career until she no longer is on her mother’s health insurance!
1:00 p.m.: Take 1. TAKE 1 is a rock band consisting of brothers and sisters, ages 8-13, who are students of L.S.I. Music School. They are Anna Bloomfield, Emily Bloomfield, Lauren Freidenrich, Lindsay Freidenrich, and Steven Freidenrich. These young musicians are excited to play, and are looking forward to Festival Earth.
1:30 p.m.: Christine DeLeon. Sing Out! Magazine has compared Christine DeLeon to a young Judy Collins, with a crystalline voice that has made her a favorite at The Minstrel in Morris Township. Since winning the 2008 NJ Folk Festival Songwriting Competition, Christine has released two CDs, “January Hiding” and “Fine Traditions,” and she has performed at the Sanctuary Concerts, the Knowlton Riverfest and the Folk Project Festival.
2:00 p.m.: Universal Rebel. This Morristown hip-hop group titled its debut CD, “On the Shoulders of Giants,” which may describe how many area musicians look up to Adeo (Brandyn Heppard), Rich Collins, Matt McCormack and Steve Honoshowsky. In addition to being superb musicians, these guys are stellar citizens who support numerous civic causes in between crowd-pleasing gigs at Morristown’s Dublin Pub and Famished Frog. Their music is upbeat, and so is their message.
3:00 p.m. The Blaire Reinhard Band. Morristown’s Blaire Reinhard Band delivers ear-catching roots rock, courtesy of Blaire (vocals and keyboards), her brother Gray Reinhard (keys/guitar), husband Wade Perrin (bass/harmonica) and Keith Woodward (drums). Some of their music credits include the theme song to ABC Family’s “Lincoln Heights,” a featured song on FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance,” and an appearance on MTV alongside Alicia Keys. This month they are releasing their second album “Songs for Lauren,” a live concert recording from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church showcasing gospel, folk, and original songs in loving memory of their friend, Lauren Failla.
3:30 p.m. The Members. The band consists of Johannes Burger and Travis Fielding, freshmen at Morristown High School, and Olivia Platt and Jordan Black. Olivia and Jordan are eighth graders who attend Brooklawn Middle School and Borough Middle School, respectively. The Members formed eight months ago and will sing songs written for them by Grover Kemble. This is their live performance of these songs and they are very excited about the event.
4:00 p.m.: Bill Griese. Morris Plains singer/songwriter Bill Griese combines pop, country, and R&B influences with classic 1970s’ folk-rock for a sound that is both familiar and fresh. His 2003 debut album “For This Day” won praise from RadioIndy.com and Boomer Radio.com. His 2008 music video, “Believe,” was inspired by the historic election of Barack Obama, and his country song “On Three” has stirred interest in Nashville. Bill is a favorite at such Morristown venues as the Dublin Pub, Hennessey’s and Coco Pazzo, and he will be headlining at the Roberts Garden summer series in Morris Plains on Aug. 1. His next album is scheduled for a fall release.
4:30 p.m.: Electric Blue Sunrise. Great groups have a way of spawning great groups. Electric Blue Sunrise gets its DNA from Morristown’s popular Charlie and the Vanilla Faces. P.J. Brutzman, Ryan Nally and Ben Rhodes are Faces veterans who like to crank the volume a little higher. A flat tire and setting sun conspired against them on Earth Day, so we asked them to try their luck again.
5:00 p.m.: The Community. Mark J. Goldberg ( guitars & vocals), Derek Gazal (keys & percussion), Matt Dans (drums & percussion) and Myke Rivera (vocals ) are a Morristown group that loves sharing a great vibe. They encourage crowd participation, and firmly believe in the power of music to unite people. The band’s first studio CD, “The Project,” was produced by Mark J. Goldberg and has been getting lots of play on 90.3FM the Core, where it is regularly featured during Squidrock with DJ Kalamari.
