MUSICAL SPECTRUM TO BE COVERED
AT KEYPORT FESTIVAL

KEYPORT, NJ – Although seafood will be the focus of the inaugural Keyport Americana Festival of Sails and Oyster/Seafood Festival, music lovers can get their fill, too, at the free event on Saturday and Sunday, July 6 and 7.

“We have a terrific entertainment lineup,” said Kathaleen Shaw, business advocate for the Keyport Business Alliance, which is hosting the festival taking place rain or shine at Beach Park overlooking Keyport Harbor. “This is a family event, and the performers in the lineup offer something for everyone,” said Shaw.

Scheduled to appear Saturday, July 6, are:

v   Still Small Voice from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This six-member group performs “music with a message,” including upbeat rock, Christian contemporary, and secular music with “a positive message,” according to Michael Shahid, pastor of the Bayshore Gospel Center and the band’s base guitarist. The band also features two singers, a keyboardist, drummer, and lead guitar.

v   Jade Fire from 1 to 3 p.m. Proclaimed by local media as “not your average boy band,” this nine-member group ranging in ages from 12 to 15 features a four-piece rhythm section and five-piece horn section. The band crosses several lines of rock ‘n’ roll genres and was named winner of the Monmouth County Fair Talent Showcase two years in a row.

v   Edgar from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The acoustic duo collectively known as Edgar performs covers of popular songs from the 1950s to the 1990s along with originals. Dynamic guitar playing, spirited vocals and harmonica wails, along with heavy audience participation, have made this group a Jersey Shore favorite.

v   Naked Prey from 6 to 9 p.m. A popular Bayshore area group that specializes in covers of rock oldies.

Scheduled to appear at the Festival on Sunday, July 7, are:

v   Yarina from 11 to 12:30 p.m. This international group of four musicians and two dancers, all brothers and sisters and natives of Ecuador, performs a unique repertoire that incorporates jazz, blues, Latin and classical offerings.

v   Off the Wall from 1 to 3 p.m. This five-piece band covers mainstream pop and classic rock with unique harmonies, distinctive guitar work and a strong rhythm section, and features Kim Whelan on lead vocals and percussion.

v   Claudia DiNatale from 4 to 6 p.m. This 20-year-old Canadian-born singer-songwriter has an urban pop vocal style that has been compared to Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 6, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 7. For additional information on the Keyport Americana Festival of Sails and Oyster/Seafood Festival, check out www.keyportonline.com or call Allen Consulting Inc. at 732-946-2711.