EAST BRUNSWICK — The township will kick off a rockin’ summer concert series June 29 with a performance by The BStreet Band, a Bruce Springsteen tribute group, at 7 p.m.
Formerly known as Backstreets, The B-Street Band has played more than 800 nightclubs and 200 colleges through 20 states. And after 30 years on the road, the group is one of the longest-running tribute bands in the world.
East Brunswick Recreation Supervisor Karen Kecskes said the township has always wanted the B-Street Band to play its annual concert series, and was finally able to land the group this year.
“We wanted a really nice, big band to kick our series off,” Kecskes said. “We were finally able to contract with [the BStreet Band] very early in the season for a good time in June.”
From there, Kecskes said, the schedule has a little something for everyone:
On July 9, country rockers Tequila Rose will take the stage for an evening of new and classic country hits, southern rock and of course, country line dancing, starting at 7 p.m.
On July 13, children’s singer-songwriter Yosi will lead a kids’ sing-along for a special Wonderful Wednesday concert, starting at 6:30 p.m.
On July 23, East Brunswick’s own New Jersey’s Most Wanted band will throw a rock ’n’ roll party filled with kneeknockin’ and jaw-droppin’ rock music, starting at 7 p.m.
And on July 30, Sidewalk Serenade will close out the concert series with a night of rock, pop and doo-wop featuring some of the greatest hits from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, starting at 7 p.m.
All concerts are free will take place outside the East Brunswick Community Arts Center on Cranbury Road. In the event of rain, the shows will be moved to the theater inside.
Each show promises to be a great night of family fun, Kecskes said. With families so busy these days, she encourages local families to come out early to toss a Frisbee or baseball around or have a picnic dinner.
“It’s hard for families to get together for a relaxing time,” she said. “We try to encourage it to be a family night.”
Ice cream and other refreshments will also be available for purchase during the concerts, Kecskes said.
Despite a tight budget, with the popularity of the past two summer’s series and many local families still struggling with the troubled economy, Kecskes said the township worked hard to keep the quality of this year’s concert series as high as ever.
“The mayor [David Stahl] did everything he could to try and keep money in the budget to keep [the concert series] the same, recognizing that a lot of people stay home these days,” Kecskes said.
And with such a great variety of genres, Kecskes said the concerts help expose people to music that they might not normally listen to, all for free and at a nearby location.
“This is one of the times of the year where we can offer free concerts and people can not only experience a genre of music they might not usually go to elsewhere, but it is right here in their backyard too,” she said.