The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Music fest to rock the Valley
SHELTON — It’s hoping to pick up where Soupstock is, and where the Gathering of the Vibes left off.
It’s called the Riverfront Music Revival.
Derek Signor, publisher of Sound Magazine, and Nicole Heriot are promoting the new two-day music and arts festival at the Veterans Memorial Park on June 9 and 10.
“We’ve got 20 bands from all genres, two stages and a lot of family fun,” said Heriot, who with Signor promote Soupstock, an annual summer event in Shelton.
But they’ve determined June’s heat isn’t conducive to hot soup or a chili cook-off, so they moved Soupstock IX to Sept. 29 and 30 at the same site.
“Soupstock is more of a jam band festival,” Signore said. “We wanted to do something different for the summer.”
For Riverfront they’ve lined up Creamery Station as the opening act at noon June 9, and Ripe to close it. On June 10, Fattie Roots, a reggae tribute band, will start the day and Brother Joscephus and the Love Revolution will close it with their New Orleans-style beat.
In addition to the bands, there will be a family fun area with a moon bounce and drum circle; a wellness tent offering massages, chiropractic care and essential oils; an arts and crafts area and nearly a dozen food trucks. There also will be a Peace of Mind Tent with poetry readings, writing workshops and more.
Signore and Heriot also promote the Blues Views and BBQ Festival in Westport during the Labor Day weekend and the Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo at Edgerton Park in New Haven. And they are working on a Newtown festival to benefit the Sandy Hook Foundation.
Alpaca Gnomes
Why Shelton? “There’s two stages there and a beautiful view overlooking the city,” he said. “It’s very centralized. We have parking downtown and just across the bridge in Derby, and a scenic field. I just fell in love with the property.”
He commended City Hall and Mayor Mark Lauretti for being so supportive.
But unlike the Vibes, Riverfront will have no overnight camping.
Beverages, coolers, tents, canopies, glass bottles, illegal drugs and weapons are a no. The promoters reserve the right to check bags.
One band that is no stranger to Shelton, Alpaca Gnomes, will take the stage probably late afternoon on June 9.
“We love playing Shelton,” said Benny Mikula, whose band has performed at Soupstock, as well as the summer Downtown Sounds and the Huntington Green concerts. “We have a nice following here.”
Shelton’s Joe Ballaro replaces Martin Van Buren Amidon IX on bass. Amidon was killed last April in a Newtown motorcycle crash.
“We have a new album coming out in late spring entitled ‘IX,’ ” said Mikula, who plays acoustic guitar and sings. “It’s a tribute to Marty. Actually, every performance we do is a tribute to Marty.”
Mikula said they’ll be performing their new songs, including “Together We Can,” which has a reggae beat to it, as well as old favorites and cover songs.
As for the 20-band lineup, he said it presents a good mix from different genres.
“You’ll see people coming to hear their favorite bands and others coming with an open mind to hear all the bands,” Mikula said.
Tickets are $20 for both days if purchased before April 1; after that it’s $15 a day if purchased in advance. Prices will be higher at the gate.
Polkas, Sinatra, country
If the price matters, Ansonia, Derby and Shelton usually offer free summer concerts with one performer one night a week in their downtown. The Hamden Arts Commission fills Town Center Park on Dixwell Avenue with four headline acts each July Friday.
And on July 28, Joe Shapiro, a Shelton resident and owner of Banko’s in Ansonia, is conducting a Rock the Summer for Music Education at Nolan Field beginning at 5 p.m. The free concert will offer three performers.
“All this is good for the Valley,” said Rich DiCarlo, president of the Valley Arts Council. “Each event draws its own audience.”
He said the weekly downtown free concerts bring out a mostly older crowd, who “like their country, polkas, rhythm and blues and Italian and Sinatra classics.” The latter is often sung by Ansonia’s Mark Lanzieri.
DiCarlo believes the twoday festivals try to draw on the 20-year run of the Gathering of the Vibes at Bridgeport’s Seaside Park, which folded its tent in 2015.