PERFORMERS
JUNE 8
ANDY LACKOW & MESS AROUND
Based in Northern NJ, Mess Around is a blues band that plays an eclectic mix of rock, soul, funk, NOLA and country. Singer and guitarist Andy Lackow leads the quartet including bass, keyboard and drums.
JUNE 15
TOM WARNICK & THE WORLD’S FAIR
Described as a fun mixture of Elvis Costello, Tom Waits and The Kinks, Tom Warnick writes and plays a runaway tornado of off-kilter Americana, catchy indie rock and sweet saloon songs. The World’s Fair are all-stars of the NYC/NJ music scenes, as members of Piñataland, The Cucumbers, Little Jack Melody and Sad About Girls.
JUNE 22
DJ Naaz
Nasr Ismail aka DJ Naaz is a New Jersey native and resident of South Orange as well as business owner of Citizens Mortgage Relief located at 67 Valley Street, South Orange. Nasr Ismail is a graduate of Rutgers University (1996) and the Director of Community Music Enrichment, a non-profit organization that promotes diversified music genres through public music events. Community Music Enrichment kicked off the Annual Maplewood House Music Festival in 2022, now in its 3rd year, held on the 1st Saturday of August at the Amphitheater, Memorial Park, Maplewood. DJ Naaz is a mobile DJ for hire for all events. He can be contacted at djnaaz72@gmail.com.
JUNE 29
FORGET THE WHALE
Forget the Whale is an original, genre-bending, NJ-based, female-fronted pop/rock band with catchy, singable tunes and backed by a brassy horn section.
July 6th
BOSSA 5
Bossa 5 has been a favorite in the tri-state area for over a decade, putting a contemporary twist on bossa nova ("jazz samba"), Latin Jazz, and its own spin on select pop standards.
JULY 13
YVONNICK PRENÉ DUO
Yvonnick Prené is a professional jazz musician, bandleader, composer, and educator based in the greater New York City area and one of the most unique and innovative harmonicists on the scene today.
JULY 20
RINI & MAXIME
Shifting South Asian classical elements toward pop and jazz sensibilities in a refreshing, organic way, New Jersey based, Chennai born singer, composer and violinist Harini “Rini” Raghavan creates her own version of Indian Jazztronica. Rini will be playing a duo set with French drummer and percussionist Maxime Cholley.
JULY 27
THE BURNERS
Experience a night of electrifying Soul-Jazz, R&B, and Swinging Blues with The Burners as they honor and celebrate the soul jazz era genre!
This organ trio will ignite the night and leave you wanting more
AUG 3
SARAH HODD & THE DRIVE
Sarah Hodd + The Drive is an 8-piece powerhouse of a band. We play explosive covers and bluesy, soulful originals -- spanning rock, soul, blues, motown, and funk. Based in SoMA, our community love runs deep, and we are so excited to come back to the Downtown After Sundown Series this year!
AUG 10
VIVA FLAMENCO
Viva Flamenco can be seen at a variety of dance events and festivals often combining other dance forms such as Middle Eastern, jazz, and East Indian to draw together the diverse influences of the art in exciting multicultural performances.
AUG 17
The Cadence Crew
The Cadence Crew is a community of creatives who perform live original music and original arrangements of cover songs.
This unique ensemble covers R&B/Soul, Funk, Classic Rock, Jazz/Fusion, Gospel, Pop, Hip Hop, and also performs original arrangements. The collective consists of local singers, drummers, bassists, guitarists, keyboardists, DJs, producers, and all types of musicians and artists in the NJ/NY area.
AUG 24
LAREDO
Three Maplewood and South Orange residents have been making music for over 20 years. They play originals but really love to play covers from Dylan to Dawes and Croce to Carlile and often joined by guests from the local music scene. Laredo always has a few percussion instruments so young children can join the band at outdoor performances.
They have performed at local restaurants and outdoor venues in Summit, South Orange, and Cranford, and, of course, a few times at Maplewoodstock. Gary Shippy, drummer, is a co-founder of Maplewoodstock.
AUG 31
VALARIE ADAMS & THE DIMENSIONS BAND
Valarie Adams and the Dimension Band radiates pure energy that will keep you on the dance floor. They are a premier dance/Soul/R&B band that will have you moving to the classics and originals.
