PWR-ers Rock for Bradford at Bradfest Fundraiser This Saturday, Oct. 25
Bradfest is coming! Bradford School’s
rocking parents night out is set for Saturday, October 25th at
Tierney’s Tavern. The show features Bradford mom- and dad-bands—who also happen to be in Parents Who Rock—playing music to
raise money to benefit the Bradford PTA.
This time around, four performers/bands
are donating their time and musical talents to help raise funds for their
children’s school.
Bradford mom singer/guitarist Stacia
Thiel will kick off the show with an acoustic set of alt-country meets
indie-folk originals and covers. Thiel did an amazing version of "So Like Candy" at PWR's Elvis and Elvis show in February.
Next up will be MMY-FM, featuring
Bradford parents Ross Yustein on guitar and Connie and Greg Mattison on vocals
and keyboards/vocals. Joining the Bradford trio are Watchung dad Howard Freund
on bass, and Paul McKeon, who used to live in Montclair, on drums. MMY-FM plays
a mix of great rock ‘n’ roll classics, guaranteed to get everyone up and
dancing.
The third band on the bill, Sock Monster,
finds cool songs from bands like the Kinks, Clash, and Squeeze and mixes them
up with alternative and power pop gems like The Records’ “Starry Eyes” and the
Plimsouls' “Million Miles Away.”
“We play the stuff we love, the music
that would be on the radio if we were programming a great station,” says
guitarist John Paul Uva, dad to two Bradford fifth graders. Montclair resident
Jim Kvoriak, on vocals and guitar, and two other dads, Andy Yeates from Verona
on drums, and Bob Terhune on vocals and bass, round out the band.
Filling out the bill are The Plimptones,
with Bradford dad Mike Potenza on guitar, along with several lawyer friends
from the firm Debevoise and Plimpton, who got together to play the Law Rocks
Battle of the Bands at the Gramercy Theater in New York in December. Potenza has also played with Eugene Chrysler Band.
In addition, Bradford parent Joe DeLuca
will emcee the event. T-shirts featuring a Bradfest logo designed by Bradford
mom Debra Pirkle will be on sale and there will also be a 50/50 raffle that
night.
This is the third year Bradfest has been
held. The PTA came up with the idea in 2010 to take advantage of the number of
Bradford parents who played in rock ’n’ roll bands in their spare time and give
them the opportunity to raise some money for their children's school.
The event raises lots of money for the
Bradford PTA. It also give the school’s parents a great, casual way to kick
back, reconnect with old friends and show their support for fellow parents who
play music.
The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15
from the Bradford PTA website, or $20 at the door that night. Tierney’s is
located at 136 Valley Road. For more information, visit www.bradfordpta.org or like Bradfest
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bradfest-A-Benefit-for-Bradford-School/467122956682620.