Slippery When Wet is a cover rock band with an attitude. At last weekend’s Hoboken Italian Festival on Sinatra Drive, the quartet rocked out to heavy and light Bon Jovi favorites keeping the crowd jumping and jiving all through the night. They were electrifying and their energy was contagious.
If you closed your eyes you thought you were at a Bon Jovi concert. Forget about those Top-40 cover bands pretending to look like Good Charlotte, Slippery is where the heart is.
The band prefers to play tribute to Jersey’s own Bon Jovi, because they are perhaps the greatest bar band that ever lived. Based in Bayonne, Slippery When Wet performed during the festival’s last day (Sept. 7) at 8 p.m. The group often plays at The Arena at George’s at 245 Avenue E in Bayonne, but last Sunday they turned their amps to "11" and created an arena rock vibe, which only the pros can pull off.
Their sets are usually 45-minutes, and they perform a wide array of songs from each of the Bon Jovi albums including "Bed of Roses," "Blaze of Glory," and "Born to Be My Baby."
"We believe it’s more important to sound like the albums," said lead vocalist Mike Parkes, during a previous interview. "Otherwise, it’s not the same as what people are used to hearing."
Slippery was formed more than three years ago and they take their name from a Bon Jovi album. While they continue to pursue careers in music – creating and playing original songs – they find time to come together four or five times a month to pay tribute to Bon Jovi.
The festival also brought out families looking for good, clean fun. Dioselis Morales, a young Hoboken resident, was climbing a wall at the festival’s rock-climbing ride. Morales was with her parents, and made it to the top of the wall, while a bungee cord strapped around her waist offered security.
"This is one of the best festivals in town," Morales said.
The festival was sponsored by Coca Cola, Miller Lite, NJ.com, New York Waterway, Gallo Wines, GEM Roofing & Waterproofing, The Original Difeo, and the Railroad Construction Companies. q