Breathing new life into Little Silver concerts

BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

LITTLE SILVER - Under the starry, starry skies of the borough, the Starry, Starry Nights Concert Series began Friday.

Peter Roskowinski, Maple Avenue, took over the planning and organization of the concert series this year, after discussions by the Borough Council about ending the annual event.

"They were going to stop the concert series," said Roskowinski, "because they were so poorly attended. When I was growing up, I always used to go to the Wednesday night concert series. It really brought everybody together. I wanted to get that going again. I just wanted to breathe some life back into it."

The concerts take place every Friday night through Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Markham Place Middle School gazebo, and will take place rain or shine.

"If it rains," said Roskowinski, "we'll move the concerts inside to the Markham Place gymnasium."

Roskowinski said that he tried to bring local artists to the forefront with this year's series, with bands like Michael Patrick and the Suburban Hillbillies, featuring Little Silver's own Lou Montella, who opened the series July 14.

PHOTOSBYCHRIS KELLY staff Michael Patrick and the Suburban Hillbillies kicked off the Starry, Starry Nights Concert series at the Markham Place Gazebo Friday night. Friday's concert will be performed by Divine Sign, featuring Kerry McNulty, a teacher and band leader from Red Bank Regional (RBR) High School's Visual and Performing Arts Program, on lead vocals.

Roskowinski is a member of the RBR Board of Education, and, he said, bringing attention to the school's arts programs is of special importance to him.

"Over the course of the years," he said, "the same bands were being asked to come again and again, which I think had something to do with the fact that so few people attended. Some nights only drew 25 or 30 people. If we could bring in 100 or so, that would really be something."

Rick Fink and Gas House Gorillas will take the stage at the July 28 show, fusing swing, blues and jazz, which Roskowinski hopes will drive the audience to get up and dance.

"I'm also hoping people might bring a picnic dinner to the shows," he said.

The Doug Clarke Quartet, featuring Brookdale Community College music teacher Doug Clarke, will perform on Aug. 4, featuring music from their CD "Beware of Doud."

The series will end on Aug. 11 with the Dave McCarthy Band, which will perform its signature cross-section of popular music by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, Mamas and the Papas, and, of course, Bruce Springsteen.

"This should really be a good community event," said Roskowinski.

"Bands have been really generous with their time. I'm hoping, if we can really get this going this year, that next year, we might have a larger budget and not see this event disappear."

He said there might be a chance of adding on a sixth week to the concert series, so he urges people to check it out.