The 2019 Music Mondays in Springwood Park popular free summer concert series wrapped up with the Sensational Soul Cruisers on August 27th.
In addition to the Sensational Soul Cruisers who have held the closing-show spot for the last three years, the musical lineup this season focused on big bands with broad appeal like Layonne Holmes and the Motor City Revue, Al Covington and Nu’Eara, Funktion, Louis Prima Jr. and the Witnesses, Dorian Parreott’s All Stars, JT Bowen and Mighty Kings of Soul, Des and the Swagmatics and Waiting on Mongo. Opening acts like Ashley Delima, Arlan Feiles, Ms. G and DaGuyz, Rachel Ana Dobken, the Mayor’s Players, the New Jersey State Youth Orchestra and Promise Robinson and Nicholas Bloom/NGXB Music – the winners of Asbury’s Got Talent — provided an opportunity to spotlight local talent.
Fans of the series were also treated to a bonus, 11th show on September 1st by avid APMF supporter, Remember Jones, who organized a festival in the park and donated their talent to raising additional funds. The show brought in more than 1,000 people over the Labor Day holiday weekend.
This year’s music series included a farmer’s market courtesy of CoGrow Community Greenmarket Organizers, an on-site wellness check vehicle provided by Hackensack Meridian Health, Kula Café, Rona’s Coffee Beans and an SAT support information station.
The 10-week free concert series, dubbed “Asbury Park’s New Summer Saturday Night” by the TriCity News and a favorite of Asbury Park residents and beyond brought an average of 500 people per week to the 4-year old, Springwood Park on the west side of the city. In addition to raising money through merchandise sales and donor contributions to fund APMF’s youth music initiatives, the anticipated concerts serve as a way to connect people of all ages, genders and socio-economic means.
The series is supported through the generosity of our community-minded sponsors Interfaith Neighbors, Spring Lake Five Mile Run, Asbury Park Press, New Jersey Natural Gas, Madison Marquette, Asbury Audio, Diane Turton Realtors, Arrow Limousine Worldwide, Rockrete Recycling Corporation, The Mullin Family Foundation and the City of Asbury Park.