New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy, along with First Lady Tammy Murphy, had a vision to create a new performance festival that could rival the local state. south to southwest Texas or bonnaroo in Tennessee. And they had a plan to distinguish it.
“Austin and Nashville are great towns,” the governor said, referring to two famous arts hubs associated with prominent festivals. “But when you stop and think about the cultural priorities of your governing state, you say, ‘Wait a minute.’
The New Jersey festival, they argued, would be held in a state that aligns with issues and values such as gun safety and reproductive rights, arguably hard-to-win in the South. But what organizers are really promoting at this summer’s first-ever event is that local talent and national artists (Halsey, Santana, Jazmine Sullivan) will bring him from the state’s biggest cities to the state. to perform in three different cities. coast.
of north to shore festival Throughout the month, roam from Atlantic City to Asbury Park to Newark. The premiere will feature more than 220 performances of music, comedy, dance and film in 115 venues. “Combining all the talent we have in New Jersey with the fact that our values are on the right side of history, we saw no reason why this couldn’t be a challenge,” Murphy said.
In May, the festival doubled in size, partly due to its commitment to local talent. Grants of up to $5,000 were distributed to his 58 New Jersey-based artists.
“What I love about this festival is that it brings together big names in entertainment, comedy and film,” said the president of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, which produces the festival. Chief Executive Officer, John Shriver said. It is also a chance to raise the voices of the locals who I call the local heroes: artists, creators, presenters, producers and others who work in these cities 365 days a year. “
An example of this kind of artistic fusion is “You Got VERRRSED: NJ Poets vs. New York Poets” in Newark the following day, June 24th. Marisa Montethe Grammy Award winner will perform there.
In each host city, venues expand beyond the familiar. Newark, for example, will host “Jersey Club 101” on June 24, combining dance lessons and parties at Ariya Plaza Hall, a local dance club known for hosting private events and occasional concerts.
On June 9th in Atlantic City, brewery The Seed: A Living Beer Project will host a multi-disciplinary event, From Earth to Earth, including live music, pottery making and craft beer tastings. Hold a cup. The following afternoon, popular skatepark Sovereign Avenue Field hosts local hardcore and punk bands with a free show at the Buck Sove Breeze Concert.
Asbury Park’s famous rock club stone ponywill see Eric B. & Rakim, Brian Fallon, Demi Lovato and B-52 perform on a lesser-known stage. watermarkThe street downstairs also rotates frequently and expect more traffic than usual.
Alexander Simone And his seven-piece band, Whodut Live Crew, will play there on June 14th. Simon, 34, from the area and granddaughter of Nina Simone, won a grant to join North to Shore, a band that leans toward funk and R&B. Chosen by a recommendation from a local fan. This assessment confirmed what he already knew. “I definitely think he’s one of the most famous bands in this community,” he said.
He now hopes the rest of the country will pay more attention to his music. “Artists are coming here to Jersey and bringing people the way South by Southwest brings people to Texas,” he said. “They are coming to see what we can offer for this purpose.”
Signs along the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike advertise the festival. Shriver said he expected more than 350,000 people to attend. The windfall effect across the New Jersey economy could be $100 million, he added. “We are confident that the economic impact on all three of these communities will far outweigh the investments we have to make,” Murphy said.
Accompanied by Natalie Merchant Orchestra of St Luke’s in New York City“I think this is really ambitious and impressive,” she said of the idea behind the festival.
But Marchant said her decision to attend had little to do with her performance in a liberal-leaning state. “I tend not to penalize fans in states with political circumstances such as abortion restrictions.” Instead, “I talk about them on stage.”
of north to shore festival It will be held in Atlantic City from June 4-11, Asbury Park from June 14-18, and Newark from June 21-25.
