Music on the Green at Mariners’ Wharf Park 2014 Lineup

Contact: Deborah Malenfant or FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Maureen Donnelly

Telephone: 252-267-6920 (Deborah)

252-338-2177 (Maureen)

Email: d_malenfant@yahoo.com

ecitybb@embarqmail.com

Web: www.musicatmarinerswharf.com

Music on the Green at Mariners’ Wharf Park Announces 2014 Lineup

Nine weeks of great music on the beautiful downtown Elizabeth City waterfront!!

Music on the Green at Mariners Wharf Park began five years ago as a way to promote the growing local music scene while encouraging locals and visitors to enjoy the beautiful waterfront of Downtown Elizabeth City and its independent businesses. Each year, the festival gets bigger and better. This year will be no exception!  

Beginning July 29th and continuing for nine consecutive Tuesday evenings through September 23rd, local and regional bands will perform at Mariners’ Wharf Park (Water Street, across from Cypress Creek Grille) from 6:00 until 8:00 pm. Music lovers can bring a lawn chair or a blanket, sit back and enjoy the concerts, as well as the beautiful waterfront backdrop.  Each week the spotlight will be on a different artist; a different genre of music. We have some new and exciting performers this year including Bahia Caliente – the U.S. Army TRADOC Latin Salsa Band, Brown Sugar, The Mid Life Crisis Band, Fourth and Twenty, The Full Deck Band and Danny Sawyer & Friends.

The series will open with the ever-popular local musician and restaurateur, Bobby Plough. Other returning artists include The Million Watt Sons and The Country Classics Band.

Food and drinks will be available to purchase on site provided by the American Legion Post 84. The Music on the Green Committee has also added children’s activities each night for the kiddos! It’s a family friendly series. Concertgoers are encouraged to visit the many downtown restaurants, bars, pubs and businesses prior to and after the concerts. 

It is only because of the overwhelming generosity of sponsors that this event will happen. We encourage everyone to visit their businesses and help support them for supporting this wonderful event.

Visit www.musicatmarinerswharf.com or check out Music on the Green at Mariners’ Wharf Park on Facebook for additional information and updates. Contact Deborah Malenfant (252-267-6920) or Maureen Donnelly (252-338-2177) for press inquiries.

(A complete schedule with band descriptions follows this Press Release.)

PRESS RELEASE ADDENDUM

Music on the Green at Mariners’ Wharf Park Announces 2014 Lineup

Dates: July 29, August 5, 12, 19, 26, September 2, 9, 16 and 23

Time: 6-8 pm

Place: Mariners’ Wharf Park, Downtown Waterfront

Website: musicatmarinerswharf.com

***Food and drinks available on site and some kids activities are planned. ***

For More Info: Debbie Malenfant 252-267-6920 or Maureen Donnelly 252-338-2177

BANDS:

July 29 – Bobby Plough and Friends. A regular performer at Music on the Green from the beginning, Bobby Plough is a Texas native who has come to love Elizabeth City almost as much as the Elizabeth City community has come to love him.  Most folks know Bobby as the entrepreneurial owner of the ever-popular Cypress Creek Grill located in downtown Elizabeth City.  Not only is he a chef and businessman, he has developed quite the reputation as an extraordinarily talented singer, songwriter and musician. 

He is a mid-Atlantic version of Jimmy Buffet in that his songs are written from his life experiences and performed in a Texas-Mex genre of country, folk, and Americana.  An avid surfer, horseman, and nature lover, he certainly has many experiences to draw from. 

Bobby’s performance will be a laid back acoustic solo gig.  He will perform songs from his popular CD, “Barn Full of Memories” which was written on the beach in El Salvador.  Don’t be surprised, however, if he invites a friend or two to join him on stage.  

Web site:  www.bobbyplough.com
www.myspace.com/bobbyplough

August 5 – The Mid Life Crisis Band. What do you get when you cross a displaced Yankee and a home-grown good ol’ boy from Carolina? You get some pretty good music and good times! Joe Sarette and Mike Lilly make up the acoustic duo known as the “Midlife Crisis Band.” Two local “car guys” that started playing acoustic together just to have some fun grew into playing out at local pubs, VFW posts and festivals. They love to share music without taking themselves too seriously! Mixing up some all-acoustic CCR, Eagles, Buffet, Seger and a bunch of classic artists in the folk-rock and country flavors, they play music that just about everybody’s enjoyed singing along with at some point in their life. Audience participation is always welcome!

August 12 – Brown Sugar. For over some time now, Joel Taylor has been pushing the art of music to its rhythmic limits. He also has become one of the most followed, trendsetting and sought-after artists hailing from the Albemarle Area. Working with National recording artist Raheem Devaughn and many other artists and bands around the east coast, Joel has been hired to professionally sing at weddings, anniversary parties, church functions, socials and events. Determined to create a unique musical elixir, Joel and the Brown Sugar Band (a collection of artists and musicians around the Albemarle Area) has taken the finest ingredients of funk, jazz, soul, gospel, hip-hop and rock to create a sound and genre all of their own, they call it the Albemarle Sound. They are striving to rock harder and heavier each time they unite and contribute to the greater good of music. 252-312-5831. albemarlesoundnc@gmail.com. Facebook: Albemarle Sound & Joel Taylor.

August 19 – The Million Watt Sons. The Million Watt Sons formed from members of the local classic rock band Murphy. Toby Tate and Adam Nixon have been performing around Northeast NC, the Outer Banks, and Hampton Roads for several years. They have been featured multi-instrumentalist and vocalists in various projects, and both have spent time “behind the glass” in studios as engineers. Toby Tate has been involved with music in one way or another most of his life, and is also a published author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. You can find his books at www.tobytatestories.com . Adam “Deacon Blues” Nixon grew up in the church, and is seen all over the area playing with Out N the Cold, Bobby Plough, Kudzu Junction, and is the founding member and bandleader of the award-winning blues band Uphill (www.uphilltheband.com for more info). Their combined talents allow them to cover a wide range of music from the past nearly 100 years up to today, playing both covers and their own original songs.

August 26 – Fourth and Twenty. Odd band name, yes. But, it signifies this band well – they are all the type of people who want the ball when the game is on the line (hence the sports reference), and even when they only have one more shot and a long way to go, they tune up, kick butt, and take names. Band members include: Bill Luton (vocals, guitar), Charlie Hoidal (guitar, vocals), Chuck Hodges (guitar, vocals), Mindi Cunningham (vocals, piano), Jordan Winborne (guitar, vocals), Evan Neal (drums), Steve Raisor (bass). They’re on Facebook.

September 2 – Bahia Caliente Latin Music Ensemble - The US Army Tradoc Salsa Band. www.tradocband.com The TRADOC Latin Music Ensemble is an extremely high-energy group that is capable of performing traditional Salsa, Meringue, Mambo, and Samba. This group is also regularly featured in numerous local and regional performance settings and venues. The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Band serves as an outreach asset for the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. Members of the band have passed a highly selective audition, and are among the finest musicians in the Army band program. The majority of band members have studied music at some of the finest colleges, universities, and conservatories of the United States and abroad. The TRADOC Band performs numerous concerts in support of local, regional, and national events, including festivals, inaugurations, and both city and state commemorations. The band’s various ensembles frequently travel throughout the country, performing several concert tours each year. In addition to its outreach mission, the band also serves as the primary ceremonial unit of Forts Eustis and Story, supporting numerous military ceremonies, and performing for visiting American and foreign dignitaries.

September 9 – The Country Classics Band -- This group was formed at the beginning of 2010 when John Anderson [guitar] and Mercer Long [guitar] met while visiting their mothers in Elizabeth City. They struck up a conversation about music and realized that they both liked "Classic Country" music that was mostly recorded in the late 50's and 60's. They couldn’t think of any band locally that played classic country, so they created one. Mercer enlisted the help of his son Jerry to play drums and Richard Boar to play bass. They play music from artists such as Hank Williams Sr., Merl Haggard, Elvis Presley, Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves. And, of course, Johnny Cash.

September 16 – Full Deck Band -- Band members: Jerry Drew (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Lindy Watts (fender bass), David Lunsford (drums), Bruce Lamb (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Chris Betts (vocals, lead guitar), Sylvia Berry (keyboards). Jerry, Lindy, and David were friends growing up in Elizabeth City and came together around 1970 with music as the common bond. Bruce was asked to join the trio a few years later. The first time these four band mates got together to make music, they set up in a former meatpacking house. From there, the practice locations varied from abandoned country homes, an attic, and a former automobile paint shop, to name a few. At that time, the band was known as “Goose“. After a couple of years, life got in the way and the band mates, staying in touch, went their own ways and eventually all got married and raised families. In early 1995, the four original members got back together under the new moniker, “Full Deck.” Several local talented musicians, including Jerry White, came and went as part of the band over the next fourteen years, with the original four staying pretty much intact throughout those years. Full Deck performed at practically every venue in the area including local nightclubs, the Potato Festival, Riverspree, private parties, wedding receptions, and fundraisers. The band also regularly played several venues in Virginia. The exceptionally talented Chris Betts was the last “newest” member of the band. These five band mates played together for three years until it was decided to disband. After taking a break for a few years, the five original members of the band got back together in 2013 with the addition of the much-needed keyboard talent of sixth member Sylvia Berry to enhance the sound of Full Deck. The musical styles of the band include classic rock, blues, soft rock, Motown, a bit of country, as well as some originals. Full Deck is available for club dates, private parties, wedding receptions, special events, fundraisers, etc. Contact information: Jerry Drew (252-312-9786, jerry.drew.39@facebook.com); Bruce Lamb (252-340-4657, BluesmanOBX@aol.com); Sylvia Berry (252-331-2037, sylviab@roadrunner.com)

September 23 – Danny Sawyer & Friends -- Danny always assembles a cast of friends that keeps the audience captivated and Sept. 23rd will be no different. Danny Sawyer and Friends will be playing familiar songs that will showcase the talents of everybody on stage. This will be the perfect way the end the 2014 Music on the Green Series.

SPONSORS:

Backstage Pass Sponsors: Elizabeth City Downtown Incorporated (ECDI), Elizabeth City Convention & Visitors Bureau, Teague and Glover Law Firm

Front Row, Center Sponsors: Simone Cooper Public Relations, Page After Page Bookstore, TowneBank Mortgage, Elizabeth City Bed & Breakfast, Cypress Creek Grill, The Framery, Edward Jones Financial Advisor J. David Simpson CFP, Gary Hobbs – Long & Foster Real Estate

In-Kind Sponsors: Elizabeth City/Pasquotank Parks & Recreation Department, American Legion Post 84