2008 Summer Concerts
2008 Summer Concerts
Riverdale's 2008 Free Summer Concerts in the Park. This is our 5th Annual Concerts in the Park. Hope you enjoy!.
The Duprees - July 16
The Duprees are known the world over for their romantic interpretations of some of the most beautiful love songs ever written. They have made a career out of giving new life to old hits. If you take the Glenn Miller arrangements of the 1940's along with the tunes of Joni James, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Nat King Cole, (just to name a few) and put them together, you have the sound of The Duprees.
Starting out in the early sixties, in Jersey City, New Jersey , The Duprees were formed by Michael J. Arnone. Consisting of John Salvato, Tommy Bialoglow, Joey Canzano, Joey Santollo, and Michael Arnone, The Duprees were discovered by George Paxton, the president of Coed Records and former big band leader from the 1940's. Impressed with The Duprees' smooth
vocal quality, he had them record Jo Stafford's 1950's ballad "You Belong To Me" with Big Band arrangements. It was an instant national hit and the group's first Million Seller. The unmistakable sound was born and the hits kept rolling:
· 1962 You Belong To Me (291 KB "RealAudio")
· 1962 My Own True Love (292 KB "RealAudio")
· 1963 Gone With The Wind
· 1963 Take Me As I Am
· 1963 Why Don't You Believe Me (308 KB "RealAudio")
· 1963 Have You Heard (293 KB "RealAudio")
· 1963 Love Eyes · 1963 It's No Sin
· 1963 The Sand And The Sea
· 1964 Where Are You
· 1964 It Isn't Fair
· 1965 I'm Yours
· 1966 Let Them Talk
· 1966 Exodus · 1967 I Understand
· 1969 Two Different Worlds
The Duprees Website
Rocksplosion - July 23
The Ultimate Rock Star Tribute Show
One band…multiple superstar performances! That's what you get with Rocksplosion!, the show that brings superstar performances to your venue or event.
Rocksplosion! is the rock star tribute show for the young, hip, baby-boomer and “Gen-X” crowd…the biggest rock stars of each decade are portrayed by the best impersonators in the world. Starting in the ‘60's with Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison…into the 70's with the cutting edge of Stevie Ray Vaughn and radio dominating chart hits of Meatloaf…through the 80's when Jon Bon Jovi, Madonna, and David Lee Roth were filling stadiums…into the 90's when Curt Cobain led the grunge revolution…up to today with Britney Spears ruling the airwaves and magazine covers…along with artists that have transcended the decades, such as Jimmy Buffet, Bruce Springsteen and Ozzy Osbourne.
Bringing together the top tribute impersonators in the world, the show can easily satisfy any crowd with a variety of performers presented. The show can be custom tailored to your audience, with shows ranging from three to six tributes that you can personally choose!
Rocksplosion! recreates a rock concert experience. Before each impersonator takes the stage, a stage announcement describes the artist, and the band kicks in with one of the artist's biggest hits. The finale of the show brings all the stars on stage together. Where else could you see Jim Morrison singing with Bruce Springsteen, or Britney Spears sharing a microphone with Ozzy Osbourne?
Rocksplosion! takes the concept of the tribute show to a new level, replacing the tired, over-exposed Elvis impersonators with top tribute performers of today's rock stars, from the 60's through the present day. The show recreates the rock concert setting, utilizing musicians that have played with the actual stars being portrayed, and uses state-of-the-art technology to create an exciting, vibrant experience.
The performers in Rocksplosion! have appeared all over the world, from Moscow to Bali, from Canada to Puerto Rico. From fairs and theaters to casinos and corporate conventions, they have the experience to make any event a sure-fire success.
Rocksplosion on YouTube
Beginnings - July 30
In the fall of 2002 a band was born out of the love and respect of the music of Chicago...........it was called Beginnings. This story starts from two different worlds. Mike DelGuidice (Big Shot) decided it was time to form yet another tribute band
out of his love for his childhood favorite Chicago Transit Authority.
With his great ability to emulate, he hand picked Marty Safran (Just 60"s)
and commissioned the wall of sound known as the "Funky in The Middle"
horn section. On the other side of the world, there were these two tormented
Chicago fans, who talked about forming a tribute band since their days with
the "Royal Scam". The common link was the "Funky" horn section.
Upon hearing of each others intentions, the DelGuidice and Antonucci/Colombo
worlds collided. After the first rehearsal, we knew we had the right combination.
Beginnings went on to dazzle audiences at venues such as The Downtown,
Pauls Jeans. Fulton Street Pub, Huntington Festival and an amazing concert
at the Patchogue Theater.
As time went on, Big Shot's schedule became overwhelming for Mike and it was
time for him to make a decision. With a heavy heart, he knew it was time to leave.
This was a tremendous loss to the band. Who would we get to play bass, who would
sing Peter Cetera and who would learn this bass book in such a short amount of
time? We prayed, we chanted, we even thought of advertising
(that would have been a Nightmare).
As the sun rose one morning, God gave us Mason Swearingen.
After finishing a two year stint with Big Shot, Mason was suddenly available.
He was a wonderful bassist, but not one of us were really sure he could sing
the Cetera songs. After a two week hammering, Mason came to us not only
being able to play the charts with authority, but sang Cetera as if he was raised
by the man himself! And he scored big points with my two young daughters
who think he walks on water. We are very lucky to have Mason Swearingen!
After a few wonderfully successful shows with Mason, the band is preparing to
embark on what we know will be an entertaining and fun filled run.
We hope you make the time to come out and see the band.
We know it will prove to be one of the most entertaining shows you will see.
The music of Chicago is really wonderful, especially performed by this talented
group of musicians.
It is certainly my honor and pleasure to be part of Beginnings.
Phil Antonucci
Beginnings Tribute Band Website
Jersey Sound - August 6
With the "Jersey Boys" so popular on Broadway we thought we would bring to you a band that provides that sound distinctive to New Jersey musicians.
Oldies come alive with this eight-piece band. The four vocalists create a distinctive blend of harmonies delivering the memorable sounds of the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. They have the showmanship and style that will provide a truly exciting musical experience.
Jersey Sound Website
Somers Dream Orchestra - August 13
The concert will feature the Somers Dream Orchestra playing the lush Big Band sounds of the 30's and 40's with true swing era authenticity in instrumentation. This 17 piece band features four-part harmonies and rich orchestrations of beautiful melodies as originally written, scored and recorded by legendary performers such as Harry James, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Arti Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, etc. This renowned ensemble is directed by John Somers on trumpet, and includes five saxophones and/or clarinets, three trombones, four trumpets, piano, electric guitar, base guitar, drums and vocalists.
A Message From John ...
On a cold winter night, five years ago, I had a DREAM to create a unique "hand-picked" 18 piece swing orchestra from within the New York City/New Jersey area. My DREAM selected all the musicians based on personality, love of the music and musicianship. Every musician was then offered the opportunity to purchase their respective seat as an "owner/shareholder".
Hence, the Somers Dream Orchestra was born! Today, the orchestra is enjoying the success resulting from a rare chemistry/communication bond created through this unusual corporate structure. Making music and having fun with it is not a secret to this sensational swinging orchestra! I invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy listening to the sounds of the Somers Dream Orchestra!
Somers Dream Website
1910 Fruit Gum Company - August 20 First Half
The 1910 Fruitgum Company ® virtually exploded onto the National charts in 1968 with the first single release, "SIMON SAYS". The song quickly moved up the charts to become a # 2 record on the national charts and reached the top of the charts in the United Kingdom. The 1910 Fruitgum Company followed up this initial success with another smash hit, "1-2-3 RED LIGHT". The group's next hit record, "INDIAN GIVER" became The 1910 Fruitgum Company's third Gold record. Other releases to follow included, "MAY I TAKE A GIANT STEP", “SPECIAL DELIVERY”, “THE TRAIN”, “WHEN WE GET MARRIED” and “REFLECTIONS IN THE LOOKING GLASS”. Several other songs created a virtual treasure chest of albums!
Today, The 1910 Fruitgum Company travels and performs throughout the United States. Our venues include large capacity concerts and we have appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand and numerous tv and radio shows as well as Las Vegas. The group has shared the stage and toured with such music and entertainment giants as, The Beach Boys, Lou Christie, Sly and the Family Stone, Tommy Roe, Mark Lindsey (original lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders), The Vogues, The Archies' Ron Dante, Gary US Bonds, Jim Yester of the Association, Melanie, Commander Cody and numerous other top acts.
1910 Fruit Gum Company Website
Randy and the Rainbows - August 20 Second Half
In 1962 Mike Zero and his brother Sal emigrated from the Borough of Brooklyn, NY to Maspeth Queens. Both were lovers of music and especially the vocal group sound and soon found themselves forming a group with 3 other friends in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Neil Levenson, a classically trained pianist and fledgling songwriter was beginning his career as a writer of popular songs. A chance meeting and songwriting lesson with Paul Anka at a Catskill Mountain resort gave Neil all the inspiration he needed. He wrote a song called "Pretty Girl", and after meeting a girl at the beach named Denise LeFrak, Neil changed the song title to her name.
He then met The Tokens, recording stars in their own right, who were also producing commercial jingles and records for other artists. Neil told them he had a great song and the Tokens urged him to find a group to do it. Mutual friends put Neil in touch with a group they knew of in Maspeth, and the journey began. He took Mike and his group to The Tokens, where they re-arranged the song and ultimately recorded the group at Allegro Sound Studios, in NYC. The Tokens took the master to Laurie Records who changed the group's name from The Encores to Randy & The Rainbows and released the song on their Rust Records label around the spring of 1963. While the record did not chart immediately, Eddie Matthews, a promotion man who strongly believed in the song, pulled out all the stops to let the world know about "Denise". By the summer, "Denise" was a national top 10 hit and the group began working and touring with great acts like The Four Seasons, Dionne Warwick, The Beach Boys, The Drifters, Stevie Wonder, Gene Pitney, The Searchers, The Miracles and so many more.
In the fall of 1963, with the group riding high and their follow-up record "Why Do Kids Grow" up showing much promise in it's first weeks of release, things were abruptly halted. President Kennedy's assassination placed a pall over the country, and the music business was no exception. Radio playlists were suspended and records consequently died a sudden death. But there was other news on the horizon. Rumblings from overseas told of a group from England who would soon be heard from and change the course of music forever.
While the Beatles made their mark in the US in early 1964, many groups including Randy & The Rainbows continued their recording careers. Around this time, they met Vinny Carella and his group at a Rock & Roll show and became immediate friends and associates. Vinny and his group signed with Neil Levenson and Vinny subsequently replaced Sal Zero in the Rainbows when Sal retired. The group continued to work and hone their entertaining skills, which served them well through the years. They never abandoned their desire to record and through many musical revolutions were always competitive.
From 1977 through 1980 they recorded as the group, Madison Street, making their mark on the Adult Contemporary Charts with the songs "Minstrel Man" and "A Simple Love Song", both written by Neil Levenson. Their disco record, "Hey Look Who's Dancin" recorded for MCA , was well received by critics and in the clubs. In 1982 and 1985 they recorded concept albums for CBS and Rounder which spawned a PBS special featuring the group. In 1988 they began their association with Jimmy "The Wiz" Wisner that continues to this day. Randy & The Rainbows and their band are regarded as one of the most versatile and polished acts performing today and have been co-billed with The Spinners, Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Grass Roots, Gary Puckett and The Mamas and The Papas. They have performed at Presidential Inaugural Balls, on cruise ships, in concert and in casinos as well as black tie and corporate events. In the fall of 2007 the group scored on the FMQB Adult Contemporary Charts with the Four Seasons tribute, "The Boys From Queens Salute the Jersey Boys" which peaked at #25 for 9 weeks. It has also opened the door for an upcoming CD being produced by Jimmy "the Wiz" Wisner. In June 2007, "Denise" was prominently featured in the final episode of the HBO series, "The Sopranos".
The group continues to be a force in the new millennium, whether it be on stage or in the recording studio.
Randy & the Rainbows Website