The Nerds are back in Hoboken to kick off the city’s Italian Festival Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. at Sinatra Park. Considered one of the most exciting cover acts in the Garden State, The Nerds have become a musical institution.For more than two decades they have rocked out at various Jersey Shore nightlife hotspots, and several times they have played at mile-square city venues.
"We like to have them play at the festival because everybody likes them," said Maurice Fitzgibbons, the event’s publicist. "Their style is very entertaining."
The Nerds perform their shows in "nerd" gear. And during their career, they have played at small and large venues. A few years ago they headlined at the prestigious PNC Bank Arts Center and they sold out New York’s Carnegie Hall. But despite their notoriety, the charismatic cover band continues to grace the small stages at the Shore, as well as playing weddings and private parties.
During the St. Ann’s festival last month, they played everything from Sinatra to Eminem.
Like The Nerds, Slippery When Wet is also a cover band. Yet, instead of singing popular Top-40 hits, Slippery prefers to play tribute to Jersey’s own Bon Jovi. Based in Bayonne, Slippery When Wet will perform 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.
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. "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 individual 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.
On Sept. 5, another cover band, Saturday Nite Fever, will perform songs by Barry White and Aretha Franklin. On Sept. 6, after the festival’s procession of the Madonna dei Martiri throughout downtown Hoboken, the New Jersey Italian Cultural Ensemble will perform traditional Italian songs, followed by the salsa group Le Onde Band and the rock band Mirage. The night will conclude with fireworks at midnight.
The festival’s last day on Sept. 7, will include performances by Joey Dee and the Starlighters, the B Street Band (a Bruce Springsteen tribute band), and Slippery When Wet.
All performances will take place at Sinatra Park at Sinatra Drive and Fifth Street. For information visit www.hobokenitalianfestival.com or call (201) 420-2207.
This year’s sponsors include Coca Cola, Miller Lite, NJ.com, New York Waterway, Gallo Wines, GEM Roofing & Waterproofing, The Original Difeo, and the Railroad Construction Companies. q
Pictured: REVENGE OF THE NERDS – The Nerds will headline the Hoboken Italian Festival, which will be held from Sept. 4 to Sept. 7 at Sinatra Park in Hoboken. In addition to the Nerds, the event will feature live music from Slippery When Wet, Le Onde Band, the B Street Band, Jessica Davis and the New Jersey Italian Cultural Ensemble. This year’s sponsors include Coca Cola, Miller Lite, New York Waterway, NJ.com, and The Original Difeo. For information visit www.hobokenitalianfestival.com. The Nerds perform Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. at Sinatra Park.Six hundred years of history
By Tom Jennemann
Reporter staff writer
In addition to fun and games, the festival also celebrates a venerable Italian pious tradition. The festival started more than 600 years ago in the fishing town of Molfetta, Italy. It is held there each September.
Molfetta is a commercial city and the major fishing port in the lower half of the Adriatic Sea. The town has always had a special relationship with the sea; with its 68,000 inhabitants, it is not uncommon to see countless fishing boats moored against the quays in the port.
Ever since 1399, a street festival has been held in the heart of Molfetta to pay homage to the Madonna. During that first festival, Italian artist Neapolitan Giuseppe Verzella’s statue of the Virgin Mary was placed on two rafts equipped with sails and brought back by sea into the docks of the port. It was this trip that laid the foundations for the ritual of the Blessing of the Fleet.
The Blessing of the Fleet begins with walking the 800-pound statue of the Madonna through the streets to the river. There is a procession where the Madonna is carried by local fishermen and then placed on a fishing boat, which is sailed into the middle of the harbor.
While in the harbor, there is a small armada of local boats ringing bells and blasting their sirens in homage to the Madonna. It is the pinnacle of the town’s festivities. The festival is a time when families reunite, and culture and tradition is passed from one generation to the next.
The Society of the Madonna Dei Martiri in Hoboken began over 100 years ago. A group of men who had recently emigrated from Italy decided to form an organization devoted to the patron saint of their homeland.
The Novena and procession of the statue in the streets go back to 1888. The street festival in Hoboken began in 1927 and continues to this day.