The third show of the Secaucus Summer Concert Series took a detour on account of rain, landing inside the Arthur. F. Couch Performing Arts Center instead of Buchmiller Park. But despite the last-minute change, “Beginnings,” a tribute to the band Chicago, played on Thursday, July 9 to a sizable audience.
The show kicked off the weekly residency in Buchmuller Park, with shows scheduled there every Thursday night at 7 p.m. until Aug. 27. So far, the bands Night Fever and Good Vibrations have played at other venues.
“I live right there so I go right over to the park,” said Nancy Smentkowski. “It’s free and they always get a good turnout. We have regulars. Senior citizens come out.”
Bands will be playing for free every Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Buchmuller Park through Aug. 27.
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In fact, the volume was a bit much for some attendees. Sitting outside on the front steps of the PAC were a group of youngsters. “I went in there before. It’s really loud,” said Sierra Backiel, 11.
“I went in and I almost fell backwards” because of the volume, said Gabriella Benetatos, 11. “I got scared.”
Not all were deterred, however. “I want to get autographs,” said Sierra’s brother Connor Backiel, 7, happily clutching a pad and pen and eager to see the show.
A smorgasbord of music this summer
The summer concert series has been booked for the past six years by former Councilman and Deputy Mayor John Bueckner. “I enjoy doing it,” he said. “I retired from the town but [Mayor] Mike [Gonnelli] asked me if I’d stay on and keep doing it.”
Bueckner introduced the band onstage to an enthusiastic audience that cheered throughout the evening to all the hits.
“They played last summer,” he said. “It may be a little loud tonight because it was supposed to be outside. But they’re a loud band. They’ve got a lot of instruments. There are eight guys up there.”
The concert schedule for the summer is hugely varied, as always, with seemingly something for everyone. “We try to get a balance of different types of entertainment,” said Bueckner about how he chooses acts. “This year we brought in Jimmy Sturr, for instance. Polish music. We haven’t had that in about eight years. This is Sinatra’s anniversary so one week is devoted to him. Then there are standards that come in every year like the Cameos, and the British Invasion. People love that music.”
The Cameos are even bringing their own opening act, Johnny T, a musical impressionist who impersonates famous singers.
A full schedule of concerts can be found at http://secaucusnj.gov/images/April_2015/Summer_Events.pdf.
Bringing entertainment to residents
Volunteers from the town’s Recreation Department set up under a tent outside the PAC to hand out free bottled water and pizza to attendees.
“We went through 25 pies and eight cases of water,” said Recreation Director John Voli. “Natoli’s donated the pies.”
Fred and Diane Grafeld are longtime residents of town who attend the shows regularly. “Every one of them,” said Fred. “We don’t go out of town though. We stay in Secaucus.”
A resident since 1953, he remembers a very different town in his youth. “Growing up here was horrible,” he said. “In the ‘50s and ‘60s this town was absolutely dead. There was nothing for kids to do. We had one movie theater and they played like fifth-run movies. Absolutely nothing else. No youth center, no senior center, nothing.”
“I used to trap and hunt right here in Secaucus,” he continued. “You’d come home from junior high school, get changed, take a shotgun, throw it over your shoulder, and walk the streets with a gun over your shoulder. And if a cop happened to pass you, he’d roll down the window and say, ‘Hey, good luck.’ It was a much different town in those days.”
And a much better one now, he offered. “I like it now. For a long time the development was kind of hard to deal with. But the last 10 years or so it kind of settled in to what it should be, and it’s terrific,” he said.
In addition to all the activities for residents, “It’s small, it’s a close town, it’s folksy,” said his wife Diane. “We have Mike Gonnelli on speed dial. Everybody does. He’s right there if you need something. It’s a good town. It’s really nice.”
Tony Pini and Elaine Kelly left the show early, shortly before the skies finally opened up and the rain began to pour down. “They’re very nice but they’re not our style of music,” said Pini about the band, with Kelly adding that they preferred Rod Stewart.
Describing themselves as “Secaucus lovebirds,” Pini and Kelly are longtime residents of town. “I built 32 homes on Acorn Road,” said Pini, who is in plumbing and construction and has lived in town for 50 years.
“They do a lot for the seniors,” said Kelly. A resident of Harmon Cove for 42 years, she said, “I’m the only person who lived there [since the beginning]. We had to wait for the building to be built.”
As the lovebirds crossed the parking lot to leave, Anu Gupta and her daughter Nyesha, 4, were preparing to enter the concert, after gobbling down a quick dinner.
“We went to Buchmuller Park,” said Anu. “I didn’t check the update. And then I checked on Facebook and I realized it was here.”
At four years old, Nyesha was already a fan of the concert series. “She loves it,” said Anu. “She’ll be dancing and stuff and I really like that. She may not know the music but she loves the whole idea of the performance. And I think it’s a great way to introduce her to performing. It’s a good thing to do on a summer evening.”
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.