Battle of Bands set for Freehold
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

FREEHOLD - There will be live music in downtown Freehold on Sept. 8 and for $1 visitors can vote for their favorite band.

The Freehold Borough Recreation Commission and the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation will co-host the borough's first Battle of the Bands from 4- 8 p.m. in the Monmouth County Hall of Records parking lot between Lafayette and East Main Streets.

Some of the bands that are scheduled to perform include Off 537, The Creetons, the Glass Bombs, Throw the Heat, Robots and Race Cars, Belafonte and Runway Orange.

According to Steven Le Vine, who is a member of the recreation committee, proceeds from the event will be donated to the educational foundation to support enhanced music education for students in the Freehold Borough School District.

Kerry and Joe Pompeo, the owners of Freehold Borough's newest recording studio, Blue Room Studios, West Main Street, will offer prizes, including a grand prize of three hours of studio time to the band that draws the most votes.

"The Freehold Borough Educational Foundation has been a consistent force in driving the community support of our public school system," said Lynn Reich, a member of the recreation commission.

Reich said she hopes borough residents and guests from other towns will come out to enjoy the music.

The idea for the event was the brainchild of Le Vine who said "coming from a supreme love of music coupled with experience working in the entertainment industry, I thought it would be a good idea to hold Freehold Borough's first 'Battle of the Bands' in the same town where one of rock music's legendary artists was birthed."

Le Vine was referring to the borough's native son, Bruce Springsteen.

"The recreation commission really embraced the idea because of its ability to raise money, offer entertainment for residents and provide exposure to local bands," Le Vine said. "The event will cement a stronger relationship in bridging exciting recreational events with charitable causes that support the community's youth."

Le Vine said bands will come from Freehold, Middletown and Pennsylvania. He said the bands were located and contacted through the MySpace site on the Internet, word of mouth and fliers distributed by Kerry and Joe Pompeo.

He said if the event turns out to as successful as organizers expect it to be, the recreation commission may consider holding a battle of the bands every year.

Jean Holtz, who chairs the educational foundation, said, "The Battle of the Bands is a terrific way to bring greater awareness to the foundation. Partnering with the recreation commission in this endeavor will help us to promote our mission of excellence in our public schools to a broader audience."

Other sponsors of the event include Jersey Pro Sound, Brock Farms and the Monmouth County Buildings and Grounds Department.

Admission is free. Votes for the bands will be $1. Refreshments will be available for purchase.