For a complete list and bios of the bands click here

New Jersey State Fair Performing Arts Tent 2016 Schedule
Original and cover bands
Friday, August 5:(1:00 – 5:30) (7:00 – 10:00)
1:00 – 2:00 (1hr.)-Tura
Lura Band
Band Member: Dan Shifrin, Terrance Holleran, and Ryan Grasso
Tura Lura is a three piece Indie Band from Whippany, Nj. Dan, Terrance and Ryan went to Whippany
Park High School together. They each played in different bands until they finally came together and have
been playing music ever since. Tura Lura just released their first single, Sun Tanned Downer, June 27
and are planning on releasing their EP, The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, later in July.
2:30 – 4:00- (1 ½ hrs.)-Kevin
Kinsella
Bio:
Morris County based singer-songwriter, Kevin began his musical career as a rhythm guitarist and
singer steeped in the traditions of classic rock, blues, jazz and reggae.
Greg Allman, David Gilmour, Joe Cocker, Stephen Stills; these were the voices that made Kevin
want to sing and these influences show though unabashedly.
With compositions that span and mix genres, eras and styles in a seamless and organic fashion,
Kevin's songs have something to offer for everyone.
Inspired by a finely-crafted turn of phrase, Kevin is a weaver of tales that lead you on a musical
journey that starts in the familiar confines of your own backyard, and takes you through the
looking glass and reminds you that whether you know it or not, you're already where you have
been trying to go.
4:30 – 5:30- (1 ½ hrs.)-Asphalt
Green Band
PERFORMERS:
Rob Janos (Lead Vocals/Guitar)
Ronnie Sena (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals)
Alyssa Menes (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals)
Zoe Ekonomidis (Drums)
BIO:
Asphalt Green was born out of the desire to bring rock and roll back it to its roots. Comprised of
guitarists Rob Janos and Ronnie Sena, bassist Alyssa Menes, and drummer Zoe Ekonomidis,
Asphalt Green's music channels the classic rock gods of Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones
while also bringing something entirely new to the table.
Since forming in the early weeks of 2010, Asphalt Green have made a name for themselves in
the underground New York City and New Jersey music scenes, performing extremely wellreceived concerts at legendary venues such as The Bitter End, City Winery, Arlene's Grocery,
Mercury Lounge, Don Hill’s, Kenny’s Castaways, Sullivan Hall, Maxwell’s and The Stone Pony
driving crowds into a dancing frenzy with their patented brand of rock and roll.
In the Spring of 2016, Asphalt Green released their third album, a 6 song EP entitled ‘Beaten
Black 'N Blues’. It was recorded and produced by Don DeBiase of Standby Records in
Cleveland, OH and mixed by Grammy Winning engineer Chris Sulit at Trading 8’s Studios in
their hometown of Paramus, NJ.
http://facebook.com/asphaltgreymusic
https://asphaltgrey.bandcamp.com/
7:00 – 8:00- (1 hr.)-Fast
Forward 80’s
( NO PHOTO)
FAST FORWARD 80's
For a bolt of flashback fun from the most-totally excellent decade, look no further than Fast Forward!
Let your mind rewind with the group that replicates everyone's favorite kitschy, one-hit wonders, R&B,
pop, nu-wave, dance, rock 'n' roll, even a power ballad or two. . . an awesome mix of genres bound to stir
up the good times, every time! The fabulicious talents of core musicians Cassidy, Kerri, Vickie, Don Lee,
Johnny Most and Ken Masson rise to deliver a 5-star performance as they unleash the ultimate hits that
blasted from ur (parents'?) boom box. Way!
8:30 – 10:00- (1 ½ hrs.)- Rated
R Band
Band Members: Denise Arcykiewicz (Arcy)
Tom Pepe
John DeVIta
Bill Galbraith
Frank Hernandez
The cast of “Rated R Band” have spent most of their lives saturated in music and
performance. It is within this talented group they have discovered by fusing their individual
styles they create an undeniable blend of rich Pop among a mixture of Rhythm, Blues, Rock and
Soul. By melding hook-filled melodies with hard and heavy beats, “Rated R” demonstrates their
ability to compact a vast array of influences and experiences into all they do.
“Rated R” is proof that raw talent and ambition can still survive in an ailing music
industry. With over 80 performances this past year, including the legendary blues club, B.B.
King’s in Manhattan, The Mohegan Sun and an annual appearance on the Big Stage at the New
Jersey State Fair. Rated R has earned more than 1500 Facebook followers. There are a growing
number of establishments they perform at regularly as Rated R has become one of the Tri-State
areas most sought after bands! This “Rolling Stone” gathers no moss, constantly adding new
songs to their repertoire keeps their loyal followers entertained. Rated R is currently working in
the studio on several originals to be released in the near future. By aligning their unwavering
dedication in their work ethic with a signature sound they have defined their own unique
landscape on the Tri-State Rock music scene. They perform stylistically eclectic songs,
suggesting a range of influences from Paul Simon, Etta James and Aretha to Heart, Pink Floyd,
Led Zeppelin and anything in-between. Priding themselves as “Not Your Average Classic Rock
Band” they step outside the box and appeal to audiences with something for everybody.
The minute "Rated R" hits the stage the audience begins to rock to the infectious sounds
only this mix of talent and experience can provide. This band enjoys entertaining and their
audience loves it!
Rated R Band can be the entertainment at your next event! Rated R is also available for
Corporate Functions, Weddings, Private Parties, Back Yard BBQ’s and Benefits.
Contact info: Denise 862-266-0456 or Tom - 973-271-5220 www.ratedrbandnj.com link
to demo: http://warrensoundstudio.com/player/?playlist_id=3
For a sample of live performances check You Tube for amateur videos posted
Jersey cover bands
Saturday, August 6: (3:00 – 5:00)
3:00 – 3:45- (3/4 hr.)-Ready
Steady 60’s
Ready Steady 60s! Presenting a faithful and dynamic tribute to Pop music's greatest decade!
Ready Steady 60s! specialize in recreating the authentic sounds of the music of the 1960s. Its
real foot-stomping stuff; the kind of music that reminds you of moptop hairstyles, screaming
girls and riots whenever rock bands flew into airports. This is an old style, hard working bunch
of musicians whose set has rocked and raised the roof in a mass of local nightspots, private
parties, corporate events, festivals and casino venues.
Dance the night away with hits from the golden decade of beat music, and take a step back in
time to capture the glory days from the 1960s. Ready Steady 60s! are your choice for 60s themed
parties, functions and festival events.
MEET THE BAND:
Kevin Richards - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Dave DiLorenzo - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Steve Goodman - Keyboards, Vocals, Harmonica
Kerri Freda - Bass and Vocals
Steve Lobmeier - Drums and Obscure
Music Trivia
4:15 – 5:00- (3/4 hr.)- Fab
forward
Takes fans through an audio and visual music compilation tribute through the song catalogs of the solo
music of the four former Beatles. Is made up of five talented musicians, who have played for some of
the greatest tribute bands and most successful cover bands in the country. FabForward gives fans the
chance to hear the sounds of McCartney, Lennon, Harrison, and Starr performed all in one night and in
one venue!
www.fabforwardband.com
There are countless numbers of Beatle sound alike and look-alike bands that breathe life into the music of
the Fab Four, but up until now there has never been a musical act that captures what it “might have
been” if The Beatles had reunited and played their solo music together in concert! Its music’s most asked
“What if?” and What Could Have Been? Imagine …
Rock, Folk, Blues, and Country
Sunday, August 7: (1:00 – 10:00)
1:00 – 2:00 (1hr.)- OPEN
2:30 – 4:00- (1 ½ hrs.)- Country
Cousins
Band Members: Mike Faller, Mike Deluca, Andy Fedi, Jerry Heisler, Jesse Faller, John Faller
Bio: Lead singer Mike Faller founded the Country Cousins band in 1980. The group has
performed country music throughout the Tri- state area ever since. Joining Mike Faller is Mike
Deluca on lead guitar, Andy Fewis on bass, Jerry Heisler on drums and Mike Faller’s 2 sons
Jesse Faller (on guitar) and John Faller (on bass). The Country Cousins’ musical style is fun for
audiences of all ages!
4:30 – 6:00- (1 ½ hrs.)-OPEN
6:30 – 8:00- (1 ½
hrs.) Whiskey
Crossing
Performers: Tina Marie, Andrew Gallagher
Whiskey Crossing Bio: Whiskey Crossing is an Acoustic Duo consisting of Tina Marie and Andrew
Gallagher. They have been performing together for over 4 years, exciting many audiences at
great venues like: bars, restaurants, churches, open mics, festivals, State Fairs and television shows.
They take the stage with classic rock, country & popular hit songs of the century, as well as original
country/southern rock acoustic style songs written by both Tina and Andrew, sure to get your toes
tappin' and hands clappin'! Whiskey Crossing always puts on a fun and unique show, with fantastic
acoustic guitar playing and great dual harmonies.
8:30 – 10:00- (1 ½ hrs.)- The
Royal Dumonts
With a lofty name like The Royal Dumonts, one might think of royalty or people of privilege
with delusions of grandeur. The Royal Dumonts are none of that. They are hard line rockers with
a love of the blues and roots rock, who got their name from a label on a bottle of scotch. Albums
like “Make it Right” and “Before the Stone” capture your spirit and you know The Royal
Dumonts will lift you up and keep you there.
Jack Bernice, NY Blues Hall of Fame inductee, brings his blues influenced vocal power, along
with his lyrical portraits of everyday life.
The Murp’s remarkable skills of drumming, song arranging and recording experience make him
a perfect fit.
Simon Burke brings his solid as a rock style of bass playing to help form the sound of the band.
Mike Smith, guitarist extraordinaire brings his considerable talents to make The Royal
Dumonts a musical force that's guaranteed to please.
Monday, August 8: No Bands
Tuesday, August 9: No Bands
Young Rock Night
Wednesday, August 10: (6:00 – 10:00)
6:00 – 7:00- (1 hr.)-Alex
Allegra
Artist Name: Alex Allegra
Names of Performers: Alex Allegra and Dave Kelly (backup guitar)
Alex Allegra Bio:
Alex Allegra is no stranger to the stage and has been dancing, acting and singing since she was
a toddler. She started writing lyrics at a young age and recorded her first song as a teen. She
performs regularly across the region, entertaining audiences with Country Pop favorites as well
as her originals. Alex Allegra has been in the recording studio recently and is excited to share
her music with the world.You can learn more about Alex Allegra by visiting her website at
www.alexallegramusic.com or follow her on Facebook at Alex Allegra Music.
7:30 – 8:30- (1 hr.)-Little
Engineers
Band Members: Kerwin Ortega, Charlie Nolet, Chris Lee
Chris - 24 Went to school for electrical engineering,
Charlie - 24 Went to school for Double bass
performance, Kerwin - 22 Went to school for biology
The Little Engineers was started as a solo project after Chris graduated from college with a
degree in Electrical Engineering. He decided to name the band after his degree. Chris met
Kerwin at a local show in Newark, athough he was playing in another band. Several months later
Kerwin left them to join The Little Engineers. The band then found Charlie on an online website
for networking musicians and asked him to join.
9:00 – 10:00- (1 hr.)-The
Company Kept
Band Members: Paul Singh, Tom Hickey, Nikki Marroccoli, Dan Chiera
"The Company Kept was formed in 2013 by a group of Seton Hall University students who love indie
rock. Influenced by bands like Death Cab for Cutie, The Strokes and M83, the band has developed a
unique driven-indie rock sound."
Thursday, August 11: No Bands
Classic Rock & Country Night
Friday, August 12: (5:00 – 10:00)
5:30 – 6:30- (1 hr.)-V
Man Excursion
Band Bio- The V
Man Excursion
An ‘excursion’ is a
journey from one
location to another.
The V Man Excursion
is a musical journey
that travels through a melodically rich environment. From the Rascals in the 1960’s to Adele in
the 2000’s, and a great deal in-between, a traveler on this journey,will delve into the heart and
soul of songs from many of the paramount soul and rock based artists. With lead singers John
Vislocky and Stephanie White, both rooted in soul, blues, rock, and jazz, this vocal oriented
group will catch and keep the ear of any audience.
John grew up in Fords, New Jersey where he started playing trumpet at the age of nine. In his
early teens he began to sing and play drums. John is a clarion tenor, with wild flexibility that
crosses over into many styles, characterized by thrilling, stratospheric high notes, and warm
lows. John is a true professional with creative musical styling and a deep understanding and
appreciation for all genres.John attended the Berklee College of Music, where he studied trumpet
and worked throughout New England as lead vocalist in a Boston based rock band. Over the
years, John performed in a number of bands, including, Mirthrandir, Attaboy, and he also
appeared with Bernie Brausewetter, of ‘BB and the Stingers.’ Early on in his career, John was
honored with a recording contract with CBS/Kirshner Records for the group ‘Spy.’ In 2015 John
disbanded his project Iron Horse, and began to assimilate ‘The V Man Excursion.’
As second lead vocalist, Stephanie White may be most noted for her participation in Season 5
(2006) of the television series American Idol where she qualified for "Hollywood Week" and
progressed into the Top 42 (just before live performances). "Her soul-infused smokey vocals
reflect the remarkable range of Christina Aguilera, cut with a fearless Janis Joplin edge.” - Hope
Tree Entertainment, 2013
With talent bursting from the seams, this New Jersey based band, consists of some of Jersey’s
best veteran musicians. The band heralds a set list equal to none and presents a show stopping
array of rocking tunes and heart felt ballads. The V Man Excursion is in rehearsals for a
forthcoming debut in the summer of 2016. The band may be contacted through Fossil Fuel
Productions for all events.
7:00 – 8:00- (1 hr.)- Country
Comfort
(NO PHOTO)
Country Comfort is a contemporary Top 40 Country cover band from northern New Jersey that
features hits from today’s most popular male and female country artists! Stunning solo and
harmony vocal performances, backed by stellar instrumental talent makes for faithful renditions
of everyone’s favorite hits that get everyone up dancing and singing along. Jesse Addy, NASH
FM 94.7 NYC’s afternoon DJ, referred to Country Comfort as "North Jersey’s Premiere Country
Cover Band".
Country Comfort started out in 2011 playing small bars and community events in northwestern
New Jersey. As they strengthened their skills and their fan base, they worked their way up to
winning the NASH FM 94.7 NYC Battle of the Country Bands in 2014.
This led to them being an opening act for country mega-stars Sara Evans and Craig Morgan at
NASH FM’s 2014 Salute The Troops concert held at the Plymouth Rock Assurance Arena at Six
Flags Great Adventure.
The rising popularity of country music in the New York / New Jersey / Connecticut area today is
driving ever increasing demand for the crowd-pleasing performances that Country Comfort
continues to provide.
Country Comfort is a six-piece band with male and female vocalists, bass, drums, guitars, and
pedal steel guitar.
Band Members:
Stephanie White - vocals
Dan Altana - guitars, vocals
Daniel Zimmermann – drums, vocals
Patrick Burns - pedal steel guitar, vocals
Ken Esposito - bass guitar, vocals
Jeff Kurtz – lead guitar
8:30 – 10:00- (1 1/2 hrs.)- Williams
Honor
Straight from Asbury Park, NJ's legendary music scene, comes an unstoppable collision of
likeminded influence, chemistry and a true love for country music. Singer and performer
powerhouse Reagan Richards and producer/multi-instrumentalist Gordon Brown have come
together to show the world their love for modern country by building on the years of tradition,
harmonies and story songs the genre continues to pride itself on.
After spending years separately in Nashville and never running into each other, they both were
writing, recording and touring for other projects and artists. They felt the need to live up to the
legend of where they came from with their own version of country by the sea.
While both off the road, the two met while doing a benefit for Hurricane Sandy victims. Artists
on the bill noticed their chemistry and felt they'd make a good team, so they decided to do what
comes natural: write a few songs, perform live and see what kind of reaction they get. They took
a few inspiring trips together back to Music City, where they wrote with such talented tunesmiths
as Billy Burnette (Fleetwood Mac / Faith Hill / George Strait / Ray Charles) country star Cyndi
Thomson, Paul Sidoti
(Taylor Swift / Eric
Carmen), and quite a few
others.
After the summer of 2014
they came back to Jersey
with a plan. They decided
to create a banner based on
tradition. Fueled by the
memory of their fathers,
who were both lost way too
soon, WILLIAMS HONOR
was born.
Rock Covers & Original Bands
Saturday, August 13: (1:00 – 3:00) (8:00 – 10:00)
1:00 – 1:45 (3/4hr.)-Big
Sister
Big Sister Performers are:
Stephanie White
Matt Calabrese
John DeVita
Shane Faber
Ken Esposito
Joao Conclaves
We don't have any bios or logos, sorry.
2:15 – 3:00 (3/4 hr.)- Chelsea
Carlson
Bio: (Photo attached)
Chelsea Carlson is a roots-rock singer/songwriter from Morris County NJ. Described as a “young and
ambitious” performer on the rise by Elmore Magazine, Chelsea has been taking the local music scene by
storm since 2011. With influences ranging from Led Zeppelin to Adele, Chelsea is not your typical
“singer/songwriter.” Her original music has been described as soulful, powerful, and full of emotion. It
is Chelsea’s goal to take the heart of classic rock and blend it with the intensity of the blues, energy of
modern rock and pop, and raw emotion of alternative music, into something new and exciting. Chelsea’s
debut album, “The Broken Road,” premiered in Songwriting Magazine and was officially released in
February 2016. The title pays homage to Chelsea’s amazing musical journey so far, which she feels has
shaped her as both a musician and a person and provided her with so many amazing, unforgettable
experiences such as winning Top New Female Act at the 2013 Jersey Acoustic Music Awards,
performing at venues such as the Wonder Bar, Bitter End, and Sherman Theater, and collaborating with
many talented musicians. Chelsea is very excited to be returning to the New Jersey State Fair. In an
ever-changing music industry, Chelsea is someone you definitely want to keep your eye on!
8:00 – 8:45 (3/4 hr.)-Neighbors
Band Name: Neighbors
Band members: Dave Gardner, Kate Gardner, Mike Brusko
Classic Rock from the 60’s, 70’s, and Beyond
Neighbors is a 3 piece rock band based in Newton NJ. The band plays a variety of music from th
e ‘60’s and 70’s with a few surprises, including songs by The Beatles, Cream, Van Morrison, Th
e Band, and Jethro Tull. Their sound ranges from folk and acoustic textures to rockin’ tunes. Nei
ghbors is sure to play some old classics as well as a song or two you may not have heard, but will
soon be your new favorites.
Neighbors formed in July 2015 when husband and wife team of Dave Gardner (guitar, vocals), a
nd Kate Gardner (bass) were introduced to their new neighbor Mike Brusko (drums). An instant
musical camaraderie was formed, and they decided to share their music with friends and the publ
ic. Neighbors seek to capture the true spirit of the songs they perform while delivering creative a
nd interesting arrangements of the classics.
Neighbors are available for all types of performances in the North New Jersey, Southeast New Y
ork State, and Eastern Pennsylvania areas. The band has a professional sound system and both el
ectronic and acoustic drums for playing any size venue at any volume.
Check out the attached mp3's to hear them in action!
For bookings or other info, please contact Dave Gardner at [email protected]
( Photo above: Neighbors)
9:15 - 10:00 (3/4 hr.)-Anya
Parker-Lentz( INFO TO COME )
Sunday, August 14: No bands