HOWELL – Howell’s Summer Concert Series had its last show on September 10, after having to reschedule from August 13 due to weather, with Garden State Radio closing out the three-concert series.
The concerts themselves were community events that included food trucks, vendors, and fireworks that were launched after the show.
Soldier Memorial Park, which has become the hub for outdoor events, fairs, and festivals in Howell, played host to these concerts as well. Residents set up their lawn chairs in the open field in front of the park’s main stage, with the row of food trucks and concessions situated behind them on the main pathway. This concert in particular drew in a crowd of around 100 people.
The Music
The show started at 6 p.m. with a DJ entertaining the crowd and warming them up for Garden State Radio, who took the stage at 7. Garden State Radio is a cover band, providing their own twist on already existing songs.
When the band took the stage, they mostly played 90s and early 2000s pop songs with other hits mixed in. Their song selection focused on popular music that people know and can follow along with. These songs included “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC, “Jump Around” by House of Pain, and “Ride Wit Me” by Nelly.
A few got up to dance, but most people just stayed in their chairs and enjoyed listening to the music. Since there were families in attendance, a few parents got up to dance with their kids near their family’s setup.
Garden State Radio themselves are one of the most sought after cover bands in the local area, according to event organizer Steven Fecher. Fecher said that his crew tried to book them for the concert series last year, but were unable to come to an arrangement.
The Food And Drink
Several food trucks lined the main pathway to the event. These food trucks included a Kona’s shaved ice truck, a Mister Softee ice cream truck, a hot dog truck named “Relish the Dog,” and simply sofrito, a food truck that specializes in Puerto Rican cuisine. Howell’s Police Benevolent Association was also there with a truck that had beer tap handles on the side of it to serve alcohol to concert goers.
The Howell Summer Concert Series was established by a special events committee appointed by the town’s government, according to Fecher.
Since this concert was a rain date replacement of the original show, it did not have as much going on as the other concerts did, he said. Other concerts earlier in the year included fair rides and games, but those got left behind in the attempt to reschedule. More food trucks were also able to attend those events.
These other concerts also had bands with distinctly different sounds as Fecher tried to book different types of bands throughout the summer. Their July 4th show had three different musicians performing at it, as they had a DJ to start off, the Eddie Testa Band as the main event, and a singer named James Armour performed the national anthem during the firework show.
With the first two concerts being in the summer as well, more people were able to attend. According to Fecher, they had approximately 4,000 people at their Independence Day concert.
