A concert to benefit the Old First United Methodist Church restoration fund will be held at Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University on December 17 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be ordered by phone at 732-930-0466 or online. In addition, ticket-holders can bid on art pieces on display at the “Art Walk” outside Pollak Theatre. All proceeds from the art auction will benefit the Old First United Methodist Church, which is located in West Long Branch, as well as exhibiting artists.
The Doo-Wop set starts at 4 p.m. with the Shore Tones, Rock ’n Rhythm, Sidewalk Serenade, and The Del Angels. Jake Clemons, Woodfish, and Joe Wymer will follow.
Jake Clemons began traveling cross-country with his family, singing and performing as a child, and he hasn’t left the stage since. Son of a former Marine Corps band director and nephew of international rock icon Clarence Clemons, Jake has music running through his veins. Having spent the majority of his career as a highly sought-after musician on saxophone, guitar, and piano, he reached a point (thanks to encouragement from the likes of Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and legendary music producer Brad Leigh) where forging his own personal journey through songwriting became his primary focus. Jake has shared a stage with a myriad of artists ranging from Will Smith to Bruce Springsteen. He continues to rapture audiences with passionate and raw performances combined with a natural gift for vivid storytelling.
Woodfish’s appeal is universal. The 5-piece high-energy rock band hails from Red Bank, NJ, and was founded by brothers Steve and Dominic Kalorin. Woodfish has received many awards including “Best Groove Rock Band,” “Best Jam Rock Band,” and “Best Bass Player,” and was named “New Jersey Shore Performer of the Year” in 2007. Woodfish was nominated this year for Best Release/Album for the 2010 release Starlight Remedy at the Asbury Music Awards.
Rocker Jo Wymer at once bludgeons and seduces her audiences with her gritty and soulful songs. In a musical landscape often dominated by youngsters, Wymer is a grown-up. The visceral experience of hearing and watching Wymer deliver these songs with her voice, her guitar, and her hard-rocking band, in one of her sweat-soaked live performances, leaves her audiences more than satisfied, yet still yearning. Wymer has been nominated several times for various awards at the Asbury Music Awards and won “Best Blues Band” in 2010.