Buzzword for 2007 SummerFest is variety
Doo-wop not on list of offerings this year
BY PATRICIA A. MILLER
Staff Writer

It's not your grandparents' SummerFest.Brick Township officials have revamped the free annual event, now in its 13th year. SummerFests of years past were traditionally heavy on doo-wop groups like the Duprees. This year's event will offer a variety of acts to appeal to a wider audience.

"Brick is a very diverse town," council President Stephen C. Acropolis said. "We have a lot of people who like country music, a lot of people who like jazz and other types of music. We tried to open it up to everybody. I guess we'll see what happens when it comes to whether the people like the change."

Opening night on July 5, dubbed "A Blast from the Past Night," will feature Beatlemania Now. The Beatles tribute act covers the time period from the Beatles' 1964 American debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" up until shortly before the group's breakup in 1970.

Members of Beatlemania Now will go through up to seven costume changes and 35 songs in a two-hour period, accompanied by a big-screen video presentation. A fireworks display will follow the show. The rain date is July 10.

The Township Council hired New Egypt-based Global Producers Services Inc. for $68,500 in April to coordinate the entertainment for five nights of SummerFest, which will run into August. Global Producers replaced LaGuardia and Associates, which coordinated the events for the past 10 years, when Joseph C. Scarpelli was mayor.

And unlike past years, the job went out to bid before a contract was awarded. Township Attorney Jean Cipriani told council members earlier in the year that the job had to go out to bid because of the scope of the event.

Two of the SummerFest show nights are in July and three are in August. All of the shows will be held on Windward Beach off Princeton Avenue.

Grammy award-winner Tom Chapin and his band will perform on Folk Night, July 19. Chapin, a musician, entertainer and songwriter, will sing songs for both children and adults. The rain date is July 26.

Keiko Matsui, a renowned jazz pianist and composer, is slated to perform on Jazz Night, Aug. 2. The opening act will feature the Everald Williams Jazz Trio, which consists of saxophone, organ and drums.

Aug. 16 is Classic Rock Night. The Nerds, a popular party band, play songs from every era and genre. Also slated to perform is Yasgur's Farm, a classic rock cover band. The group plays Santana, the Rolling Stones Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mountain, the Doors, the Allman Brothers, and more contemporary artists such as U2, Creed and the Dave Matthews Band.

Aug. 30 is Country Night. Grammy award-winner Marty Stuart, whose career has spanned 40 years, will perform. The Glimmergrass band is the opening act. The group plays acoustic bluegrass, folk and contemporary music. SummerFest 2007 will close with a fireworks display after Stuart's performance.

In addition to the shows, there are two special events on the SummerFest calendar. The National Night Out Against Crime and National Kids Day celebration will start at 6 p.m. Aug. 7. Police department members will be on hand with demonstrations and exhibits, along with various community youth-based businesses and organizations. The night will also feature the Brick Township Police Camp graduation ceremony.

The third annual SummerFest car show will be held on Aug. 31 and will showcase hundreds of cars.

SummerFest is sponsored by Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper. It is also supported by a grant from the State Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission, a grant from the Board of Freeholders, Commerce Bank, IMAC, ShopRite, Ocean Medical Center and WJRZ Oldies 100.