The Jersey Journal
Rockers singing in the rain

LibertyJAM draws crowd from across state
Monday, June 26, 2006
By JACK HERMAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The weather wasn't the best, but that didn't stop music fans from heading to Liberty State Park yesterday for the LibertyJAM Concert featuring bands such as Cheap Trick, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic and Patti Smith.

"We brought ponchos," said Myles Udland, a 16-year-old Millburn resident who came to see Cheap Trick with three of his friends.

"If it rains, we'll get wet," shrugged Neil Maruca, who traveled from Piscataway for the concert, just before the drizzle started to come down.

Although the Friends of Liberty State Park usually oppose paid events at the park, they gave this one their blessing, with part of the proceeds going to the group. The organizer also let them set up an "eco village," which featured tents from the Friends of Liberty State Park and other environmental supporters like NY/NJ Baykeeper.

The concert - which celebrated the park's 30th birthday - brought a diverse group of attendees, from Scotch Plains teenagers Liz Flood and Jason Thompson, who wanted to see Parliament Funkadelic, to Jersey City's David Forlander, who came out just to have a good time.

"I'm a huge fan of live music, and, living three blocks away, it's a great opportunity to hang out with friends and support a good cause," Forlander said.

John and Lisa Winkler, from South Amboy, said with their kids growing older - they range from 13 to 19 years old - the concert provided an increasingly rare opportunity for the family to enjoy something together.

The view didn't hurt either.

"We love it, it's very cool," Lisa Walker said. "It's like you can touch Manhattan. It's like 3-D."

Jersey City residents like Alan Smith, a 16-year-old who comes to the park every weekend, and Chris and Deirdre Garrahan, enjoyed showcasing the city's gem to outsiders.

"It just seemed like a good time, it was nice to have it in Jersey City," Deirdre Garrahan said.

Other bands included Los Lobos, the Smithereens, John Eddie, Exit 105 and the Fab Faux, a Beatles tribute band that doesn't look much like the Fab Four, but still received rave reviews.

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