(READINGTON, NJ) -- The balloons may be the stars, but the concert lineup at the upcoming 40th annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning is going to be big, too. This year’s lineup from July 28-30 at Solberg Airport in Readington will be spread across two concert stages.
“One of the first questions we always get, after what new balloons are there, is who is playing this year?” said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman. “We’re proud that our live concert series is as popular as ever, and we’re proud of the wide range of artists who will be joining us.”
Since adding its first live concert back in 1994 with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, and with The Beach Boys headlining in 2000, music has filled the air throughout the Festival weekend.
A who’s who of Grammy Award-winning artists and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, plus then rising stars the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, have transformed the annual three-day event into the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America.
This year's lineup continues that trend. The Main Stage has performances by Everclear and Lit, Laurie Berkner, Parth Oza and Team saaZ, KC and the Sunshine Band, and Fitz and The Tantrums. New Jersey Lotter's CASH POP! Summer Stage has performances by Dead Aire and tribute bands for Bruno Mars, The Grateful Dead, Guns and Roses, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac, Zab Brown Band & Kenny Chesney, and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Multi-platinum artists Fitz and The Tantrums have energized popular music and culture with a series of unshakable, undeniable, and ubiquitous anthems and albums with their blend of "soul-influenced indie pop". Since 2008, the Los Angeles collective have magnified the scope of pop with a dash of indie, a dose of soul, and a whole lot of dancefloor-ready bounce. The band will perform at the Festival Sunday afternoon, July 30, at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ. Their catalog spans fan favorite records such as Pickin’ up the Pieces, More Than Just A Dream, the gold-certified Fitz and The Tantrums, and All the Feels. Along the way, they’ve impressively tallied just shy of 4 billion streams and counting powered by enduring hits such as the triple-platinum “HandClap,” platinum “Out of My League” and “The Walker,” and gold “Moneygrabber.”
Everclear continues to tour extensively, and while it’s a virtual surety that no Everclear gig is complete without a rendition of “Santa Monica” and “Father of Mine”, don’t expect the band to solely rely on its past successes which includes 11 studio releases, numerous videos, and a Grammy Award nomination.
Lit is considered one of the preeminent bands to have come out of the post-grunge era of the late ‘90s and helped define an entire generation of SoCal power punk with hard-charging hits like “My Own Worst Enemy,” “Miserable,” “Zip-Lock,” and “Lipstick & Bruises.”
With sales of over 100 million records, nine Grammy Award nominations, three Grammy Awards and an American Music Award, KC and the Sunshine Band was one of the most progressive bands of the ‘70s and is credited with changing the sound of modern pop music with hits like “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s The Way (I Like It),” “Shake Your Booty,” and “Keep It Comin’ Love.”
Best-selling children’s recording artist and pre-school television favorite Laurie Berkner —recognized as “the Adele of the pre-school set” by The New York Times - is back for an encore performance as she headlines this year’s children’s concert. With an average of more than 22 million monthly streams and millions of CDs and DVDs sold, the Princeton native’s songs have become beloved classics for children worldwide. Her top five music videos have garnered more than 108 million views on YouTube.
Parth Oza, the Festival’s first ever South Asia artist, is a globally recognized and well-known playback singer. The celebrity singer/actor/performer takes the stage Saturday afternoon, July 29.
The New Jersey Lottery’s CASH POP! Summer Stage is a highly popular part of the Lottery Land entertainment complex, which is a great example of new experiences Festival-goers can enjoy. The CASH POP! Summer Concert Stage serves as a second performance venue featuring eight great tribute bands, making Lottery Land a must-see attraction and meet-up destination.
The Main Stage
* Friday, July 28 - Laurie Berkner (1:30pm)
* Friday, July 28 - Everclear and Lit (7:30pm) presented in association with 105.5 WDHA followed by a fireworks extravaganza
* Saturday, July 29 - Parth Oza and Team saaZ (1:30pm)
* Saturday, July 29 - KC and the Sunshine Band (8:00pm) presented by New Jersey Lottery in conjunction with nighttime hot air balloon glow
* Sunday, July 30 - Fitz and The Tantrums (3:00pm)
New Jersey Lottery’s CASH POP! Summer Stage
* Friday, July 28 – Dead Aire (Jim Monaghan from WDHA, Tom Kaminski from Chopper 880), 3:00pm
* Friday, July 28 - Earth To Mars – a Bruno Mars Tribute, 5:15pm
* Saturday, July 29 - The Dead Reckoning: a Tribute to The Grateful Dead, 12:30pm
* Saturday, July 29 - Paradise Rose: a Tribute to Guns and Roses, 2:45pm
* Saturday, July 29 - Lez Zeppelin: an all-female Led Zeppelin Tribute Band, 5:00pm
* Sunday, July 30 – Gypsy - a Tribute to Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac, 12:30pm
* Sunday, July 30 - Tribute to Zac Brown Band & Kenny Chesney, 2:45pm
* Sunday, July 30 - Wooden Ships Band: a Tribute to Crosby, Stills & Nash, 5:00pm
The New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning concert series offers music for people of all ages. It also offers a wide variety of concert ticket options. This includes VIP Experience packages including the Icelandic Glacial Blue Sky Club; Reserved Concert Seating; private Concert Chalets; and lawn seating. Tickets are on sale now at www.balloonfestival.com.
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