Music in the Air … with Mark ‘Fenny’ Fenichel: Some old favorites and a few exciting new bands at the 2019 FNMS

Published in the March 20 – April 2, 2019 issue of Gilroy Life

As the days get longer and summer approaches, organizers of the popular Friday Night Music Series have given me the opportunity to make the official announcement of their new line up for the 2019 summer series.

Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman Rich Firato has done an outstanding job bringing back some of the old favorites and adding in many new acts to keep it interesting, upbeat and fun.

June 14 — is the date to put on your calendar for the first of the 12 family-friendly summer concerts. The Houserockers will kick off the series. This 10-piece powerhouse rock and R&B band featuring leader Paul Kent will perform favorites that will keep you dancing all night long.

June 21 — dance band Soul Kiss comes to town. This premier variety dance band offers a mix of songs that everyone young or old can relate to.

June 28 — The Country Cougars return to the series. This is one hard rocking country band performing both country and classic rock hits that you know and can easily sing along with and dance to. I have always felt their sound has a certain rough edge that many other bands lack, making them interesting and exciting to experience.

July 5 — the Friday Night Music Series welcomes back local blues and country artist Shane Dwight. Although Shane has moved to Nashville to pursue his career as a country artist, he always finds the time to come back to his roots and play for his friends and family. His shows are always the highlight of the music series.

July 12 — the band Moondance will be here for the first time. They have played the Mushroom Mardis Gras and often play in Gilroy and Hollister. Moondance pays tribute to the music of more than six decades covering the ’50s to now.

July 19 — The Hitmen are back with a funk, soul, disco, Latin dance party. Their horns are bright and their sound is tight. This is one of those bands that is always fun for listening, dancing and singing along.

July 26 — features a new band to the Morgan Hill area: Puro Bandito. These guys have been in the trenches of the Bay Area music scene for more than 30 years. They are a Latin-based rock and blues band. Their music crosses all borders with no boundaries. Their guitarist Johnny Gunn is one of the most skilled and humble guitarists around. I think this will be one of the biggest surprises of the series.

Aug. 2 — Uptown Funk will be doing a tribute to Bruno Mars.

Aug. 9 — The Heat will be playing smokin’ dance music covering many decades.

Aug. 16 — Journey Revisited is a spot on tribute to the band Journey. The lead singer even looks quite a bit like Steve Perry. You will really think you are at a Journey concert when you see Journey Revisited.

Aug. 23 — Caravanserai, a tribute to Santana, has performed Santana music for more than 21 years. They are without a doubt the top Santana Tribute band on the West Coast. It is always a treat to hear this band and see them live.

Aug. 30 — is the final community concert and a special treat for Morgan Hill to experience The Boys of Summer, that will take you back in time to the days of your youth. As a national touring act, The Boys of Summer are made up of top of the line musicians who re-create the sound of The Eagles. This is a fine choice to close out the Friday Night Summer Music Series.

On another note, If you would like to consider getting your business name out to thousands of people at each Friday Night Music event, become a sponsor of the series. Sponsor businesses’ logos are emblazoned on extra-large banners at the event and included in other print and online media. Chamber members can also set up a table at the event to show off your business. If you want to find out about the three different levels of sponsorships call Nick Firato at (408) 706-4223.

The series also has VIP experience tents available at each event. The Chamber is also looking for volunteers to help with the beer/wine sales and other logistics. Contact Brittney Sherman at (408) 779-9444 or at [email protected] for a tent or to get your employees involved in volunteering at this popular summer time event.

Got a music tip? Email [email protected].