originally published: 02/20/2025
(DEAL PARK, NJ) -- Warmer days are ahead, and with them the Axelrod Summer Concert Series! This year's lineup brings an electrifying variety of iconic voices, legendary music, and unmissable performances. Get ready for an unforgettable summer of music, storytelling, and pure entertainment!
Darlene Love - Saturday, June 14. A singer of some of the biggest hits in the history of American popular music, Darlene Love can now claim to have a name that's as familiar as her voice. Her appearance in the Oscar-winning 2013 documentary 20 Feet From Stardom helped launch an extraordinary new phase in her five-decade career. Since the late 1950s, she has sung lead on hits such as the Crystals' "He's a Rebel" and "He's Sure the Boy I Love" and backup on classics like the Ronettes' "Baby, I Love You." Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys and Sam Cooke were just a few of the artists who benefited greatly from her power and versatility as a vocalist. Through the ‘80s and ‘90s, famous fans like Steven Van Zandt, Bette Midler and David Letterman would give Love more chances to take center stage. But it wasn't until the success of 20 Feet From Stardom that Love truly received the recognition she long deserved. Now a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Love and her nine-piece backing band show audiences all that she can do with energetic performances of songs from throughout her career.
Trouble Man: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye - Thursday, June 19. Experience a legendary tribute to the Prince of Soul, Marvin Gaye, starring the sensational L. Young. Trouble Man: A Tribute To Marvin Gaye is one of the top live musical tributes to the legendary soul singer and will cover all your favorite feel-good songs, including over a dozen classic hits from his recording sessions at Motown and Columbia Records. Many may know L. Young from his many viral videos on YouTube and Facebook, including the #1 pop trending ABC's Good Morning America feature of his a cappella rendition of the 2015 Bruno Mars hit "Uptown Funk". L. Young has also released four full length studio albums to date, beginning with 2004's “'They Just Don't Know”, 2008's “The 12th Letter”, 2013's “ReVerb”, and "4Ever Young" in 2015. The title track "Love Is A Verb" from the album Reverb garnered L. Young his first radio hit and top #20 Billboard magazine Urban A/C chart hit. Born and raised in Louisville, KY, L. now resides in Los Angeles. L. has graced the stage with such artists as Stevie Wonder, Seal, David Foster, BabyFace, Eric Benet, Aaron Neville, Lalah Hathaway, Toni! Tony! Toné!, Mint Condition, En Vogue, Patti LaBelle, Toni Braxton, Gladys Knight, Keith Sweat, Teena Marie, and many more.
Linda Eder - Thursday, June 26. One of the world’s most beloved and versatile voices, Linda Eder is forever linked to Broadway history via her award-winning performance in Jekyll & Hyde. A best-selling recording artist with 14 solo albums to her credit, Linda Eder’s diverse repertoire spans Broadway, Standards, Pop, Country, and Jazz. When she performs “live” in concert, it is amazing to experience the ease with which she moves back and forth from one genre to another as if she were gifted with the vocal ability to perform each genre as well as all the others. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote, “What do we mean when we use the word perfection? The question arises every time I watch the pop singer Linda Eder….” She has performed at many prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Palace Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, Wolf Trap, and New York City’s Town Hall, among many others. Eder is happiest on stage singing for her audiences and spreading the joy she exudes.
Three American Troubadours - Thursday, July 10. Back by popular demand, Three American Troubadours (TAT) celebrates the music of pop icons James Taylor, Carly Simon and Carole King with unique arrangements, fan favorites and engaging storytelling, as performed by James Gedeon, Lisa Sherman and Alice Leon. The lives and careers of three iconic American singer/songwriters, James Taylor, Carly Simon and Carole King, have always overlapped and intertwined — and their music continues to inspire generation after generation. Three American Troubadours celebrates these musical icons with unique arrangements, fan favorites, deep cuts and engaging storytelling with multimedia projections. Audiences will marvel at the versatility of Taylor Simon King‘s sensational band and fall in love with its three powerhouse vocalists’ renditions of these classic hits.
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So Good: Neil Diamond - Sunday, July 13. Broadway, television, and film star Robert Neary creates an unforgettable tribute to one of the greatest recording artists in history. Two hours packed with 24 classic hit songs, nostalgia, multimedia, stories and trivia, and a finale that is pure Broadway caliber. This is a true immersion into the life and career of Neil Diamond. Critical praise all across the internet and social media has called this show “The most authentic and professional tribute to Neil Diamond and delivers nothing short of a true Neil Diamond concert experience.” With over 40 years in the entertainment business, Robert has performed leads on Broadway in Smokey Joe’s Café and A Bronx Tale, and has had over 60 major guest- starring television and film roles to his credit.
The Weeklings Horns & Strings - Thursday, July 17. The Weeklings “BEATLESBASH” starring Glen Burtnik, Bob Burger, John Merjave and Joe Bellia, is a celebration of the timeless music of The Beatles featuring the incredible Horns & Strings Orchestra! The 2-hour show highlights selections from The Beatles' “Ed Sullivan'' years in the first half and after a brief intermission, takes you on a trip through the psychedelically tinged, musically sophisticated, with the addition of orchestral arrangements, music from their later recordings including Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album, the seminal Abbey Road and Let It Be. And since this is, of course, The Weeklings, a sprinkling of Weeklings’ fan-fave original songs, placed perfectly within the sets, will be included!
Docksiders: America’s Favorite Yacht Rock Band - Thursday, July 31. Imagine that it’s 1981 and you’re cruising the Atlantic shores of the Hamptons with your friends. Bikinis are fluorescent, polo collars are popped, and boat shoes are rocked sockless. In the background, your booming sound system is playing the soft-rock sounds of Michael McDonald, Olivia Newton-John, Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross and Air Supply. The Docksiders are made up of veteran musicians originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and now based in Las Vegas, Nevada – led by 3-time Grammy nominee, Kevin Sucher. Their unique tribute act of your favorite soft rock songs of the '70s and '80s – now defined as Yacht Rock – have been entertaining hundreds of thousands of people for years - and audiences are only getting bigger! The Docksiders—hit song after hit song, costume changes, and visual production—is only topped by their world-class performance.
Doo Wop Project - Thursday, August 14. Back again by popular demand, The Doo Wop Project, America's premiere group, performs a brand-new show ECHOES OF THE STREET. This supergroup features some of the world's most talented performers from Broadway and beyond. With a hit PBS Special airing all over the country, four albums streaming on all major music platforms, and over ten years of playing sold out shows all over the country and the world, chances are you've already heard DWP and are a fan. If not, this is the concert for you!
Magical Mystery Doors - Wednesday, August 20. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors. These three iconic groups have changed the face of music as we know it. Their songs have become part of our history. Their melodies have moved people everywhere to “Come Together” in their love of music. Patrons attending a Magical Mystery Doors performance can expect to hear timeless tunes from each of these historic bands over the course of the night. The songs you know, the songs you love, the songs you sing at the top of your lungs!
Portrait of Aretha Franklin - Thursday, August 21. Aretha Franklin taught us how to "Think" and demand "Respect..." all while ridin' on the "Freeway of Love!" In Portrait of Aretha, CeCe Teneal honors the legacy of the Queen of Soul with personalized interpretations of both popular and lesser-known songs from this 18-Grammy-Award-winning icon’s 50-year career, including “Chain of Fools,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Rock Steady,” and “Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)." An award-winning songstress in her own right, Ms. Teneal has been nominated for four Independent Music Awards and claimed the title for 2011 Best Gospel Song (“I Heard You Prayin’”) and 2011 Best R&B Album (Train from Osteen), as well as 2018 Best Soul/Funk/Fusion Song ("Danger"). Other accolades include the 2015 Touch the Mic “Muse” Award, the 2017 Orlando Music Trailblazer Award, and the honor of being chosen as the halftime headliner for the 2019 Citrus Bowl. “This show forces you to feel and connect with emotions you didn’t know you had.” – Presenter, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando, FL
Tonight’s the Night: Celebrating the Music & Legacy of Rod Stewart - Friday, September 26. The band features singer Rob Caudill, legendary drummer Carmine Appice, and Rod Stewart’s former sax player Katja Rieckermann, with an incredibly talented live band. Carmine Appice, originally the drummer of the iconic Heavy Metal rock group Vanilla Fudge, was later a close collaborator with Rod Stewart, writing, recording and thrilling millions of fans all over the globe for over seven years, with some of his biggest hits like “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and “Young Turks”. Singer Rob Caudill is a dead-on Rod Stewart impersonator with the look, the voice and the moves. He has performed all over the world, mesmerizing crowds with his amazing vocals and high energy portrayal of Rod Stewart. A typical Tonight’s the Night set includes all of Rod’s biggest hits including "Maggie May," "Hot Legs," "Rhythm of My Heart," "Forever Young," "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You," "Tonight’s the Night," "Sailing," "Do You Think I’m Sexy," and so many more!
