The New Jersey Friends of Clearwater Festival will take place in Asbury Park, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.
Now in its 49th year, the New Jersey Friends of Clearwater Festival will take place Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at Sunset Park in Asbury Park, offering a variety of musical and educational attractions, plus children’s activities, food trucks and vendors. There will be no admission charge.
For information, visit njclearwater.org.
The festival is a cousin of the long-running but now defunct Clearwater Festival, which was co-founded by the late Pete Seeger and his wife, the late Toshi Seeger, and used to take place annually in Westchester County, New York.
“Our group was founded by Bob Killian who was inspired by the late folksinger and environmentalist Pete Seeger in the early ’70s,” said Chrissie GoedKoop, president of the New Jersey Friends of Clearwater organization, in a press release. “Seeger said, ‘Give them good music and song and while they’re listening give them good information about preserving the environment.’ We think Pete would be proud.”
Here is the music schedule:
AUG. 31
MAIN STAGE
1 p.m.: Southpaw
1:50 p.m.: Spook Handy
2:30 p.m.: Colie Brice Band
3:20 p.m.: The dt’s
4:10 p.m.: Sawmill Run Old Time String Band
5 p.m.: Poppa John Bug
6 p.m.: Kevin Hill & Secret Sound
7 p.m.: The Wag
CIRCLE OF SONG STAGE
1 p.m.: Ingrid Heldt
1:20 p.m.: Dale Lakata
1:40 p.m.: The Clarity Project with Isis Ra & Diane Doolittle
2 p.m.: Sally Neal
2:30 p.m.: Roseann DePasquale
3 p.m.: The Solidarity Singers
4 p.m.: Hank Woji
5 p.m.: Lydia Adams Davis
6 p.m.: Spook Handy
SEPT. 1
MAIN STAGE
1 p.m.: John Tornquist Band
1:50 p.m.: Tommy & the Deep Blue Sea
2:40 p.m.: Corvid Corpus
3:30 p.m.: The Shadetree Mechanics
4:20 p.m.: The Chuck Lambert Band
5:15 p.m.: Finale
CIRCLE OF SONG STAGE
Noon: Dale Lakata
12:15 p.m.: Ingrid Heldt
12:30 p.m.: Sister Isis Ra
12:45 p.m.: The Clarity Project with Diane Doolittle
1 p.m.: Eric Russell and Hillary Zaenchik
1:45 p.m.: Lily Rose and David
2:30 p.m.: Ninetta Nappi
3 p.m.: Mara Levine and Caroline Cutroneo
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1 comment
We are so honored to be part of this again. I first played the Clearwater Festival back in 2000 when I received an environmental service award from the NJ Friends of Clearwater back when I was the Communication Coordinator for the NJ Environmental Federation. I thought that was pretty cool.. Anyway the New Age Blues Experience was rehearsing the other night, and Prof. Gowa casually mentions that he had played the Festival previously as well. This is what he told us (I was floored):
“Many many, years ago. I really have no idea how many years ago it was, Pete Seeger sailed his Hudson river sloop the Clearwater to the Atlantic Highlands for one of the early Clearwater events.
I remember that there was was a rock band on the dock playing “In the Court of the Crimson King”. I had never seen anything like that in person before and at the time and it blew my young mind.
Pete Seeger and his friends were playing acoustic music and educating us about the dangers to the environment and the need to make changes in the way that we treated the lakes, rivers and oceans.
I had recently started playing the guitar and being totally clueless, I asked him if I could sit in with him and his friends. I figured that I could probably play along. Much to my surprise Mr. Seeger actually said yes. I was subsequently handed acoustic guitar and proceeded to play along for several songs.
At some point, Mr. Seeger got up and started to walk around while he was singing and stepped on my foot. Amidst all of this beautiful folk singing some idiot kid (me) yelled “OUCH” very loudly!
Luckily everyone kept playing and singing so it wasn’t a disruption.
Thinking back upon it now, I realize how audacious it was for me to ask to sit in. And also, how hilarious it was that he stepped on my foot during the proceedings.
Later in life l played in a bunch of bands and had the opportunity to open shows for some famous rock and blues musicians including Chuck Berry, Tony Levin, Marshall Tucker, and others whom I hold in great esteem, however that was my first brush greatness! Having my foot stepped on by the legendary Pete Seeger, the founder of this festival. A great American musician, activist, educator and a truly kind man to a budding guitar player from New Jersey..” – Alan Gowa