Music on Chocolate
Second Saturdays June through SeptemberDowntown Hershey’s summer concert series will feature the talents of regional acts as well as local musicians getting national attention. Two bands will be featured each evening in a family-friendly atmosphere with food and beverages. Come out to enjoy live music in ChocolateTown Square on the second Saturday of each month, June through September from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
2018 Schedule
June 9
RFA (Philadelphia, PA)
RFA is a four piece garage rock and roll band from Philadelphia, PA. The strapping young quartet formed out of a couple of lunch table conversations about Elvis, The Rolling Stones and The Strokes while its members were just sophomores in high school attending St. Joseph’s Prep in North Philadelphia. All four of the guys Dan Cousart (vox/guitar), Christian Turzo (lead guitar), Brendan McHale (bass/vocals), and Alec Powell (drums) met at auditions for the school “rock band” and quickly hit it off, bonding over their shared love of stripped down rock and roll music and a ravenous hunger to perform in front of an audience. They played together in various bands throughout high school before finally coming together in their current incarnation when all four members moved to Philadelphia for college. The band, in good rock and roll fashion, immediately plunged into the Philadelphia music scene head first, cutting their teeth playing countless shows in damp basements and small clubs, all the while honing their skills night after night and captivating whoever was lucky enough to experience one of their infamously raucous shows. Three years later with two EP’s a new single, two national tours, a film soundtrack, and countless hours of relentless, sweat performances under their collective belt, the group is tighter than ever and anxious to preach their unique take on the rock and roll gospel to all that will listen these four guys have something to say, and are going to say it the only way they know how: loud, proud, and with a shot of rye whisky for good measure.
The Amy Simpson Band (Harrisburg, PA)
After making music her calling, It wasn’t a stretch for Simpson to work with a variety of acts that toured the U.S. and Europe in her early career. Amy has shared the stage as a support act for the likes of Charmagne Neville, Tower of Power and Average White Band to name a few. Besides her studio and stage work with Blitz Dynette the last 25 years, she has released her first solo project ‘The Amy Simpson Band’ and CD ‘Lipstick Blues’. The Album was produced by Michael Giblin and Daniel Kibler. The band has taken on a very dominating vintage soul sound to its fabric and each member in the band ads their own ingredient to making this very unique. Introducing each thread of the band is Amy Simpson on lead vocals, Russ Brookes on guitar, Dan Ruscito on Bass, Steve Montresor on Drums and Trent Peetchatka on organ and keys. Guest horn players Dave,( sax, trumpet )and Mike Yinger, (tromobone) Heavy flavors of vintage influences of Tina and Ike, Etta James, Rolling Stones are just a few artists and styles that motivate this crew.
July 14th
Serenity Fisher and the Cardboard Hearts(Cincinnati, Ohio)
Serenity Fisher and the Cardboard Hearts blend playful poprock with a Tim Burtonesque quirkiness. A wordsmith, Serenity Fisher entices stories into becoming songs using truth telling, highly visual lyrics, and dreamy melodies. Fisher is a powerhouse singer whose nuanced vocals vary from bluesy belt to sultry whisper, from technical prowess to stripped down raw emotion. Her piano style is theatrical and passionate. Her music has been compared to Regina Spektor, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple. Cellist Michael G. Ronstadt, nephew of Queen of Rock Linda Ronstadt, holds a masters degree in cello performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music (CCM). Ronstadt brings a rich musical heritage and absolute knack for improvising up a storm. Violinist Rose Reidmiller Gowda, a childhood friend of Fisher (her mother was Fisher’s piano teacher), also has a master’s degree from CCM. She has a flair for creative improvisation and for exploring dark and light tones. Ronstadt and Reidmiller Gowda create a mesmerizing string section through rich tone and pure energy, displaying genre blending explorations through a command of classical and exotic string sounds. Bobby Fisher on guitars, mandolin and ukulele, provides tasteful ambient swirls as well as old school face melting solos. A world renowned guitar virtuoso, Fisher got his start in Coyote, a popular country rock band that regularly sold out legendary Cincinnati music establishment Bogart’s in the 70’s and 80’s. Most recently, his illustrious career has seen performances at Carnegie Hall and Lucas Oil Stadium for hundreds of thousands of fans. He continues to pass on his musical wizardry to daughter Serenity Fisher. Rounding out the sound with drums and percussion is ethnomusicologist Matt Halvorson. His eclectic setup includes a vast array of instruments from Brazil, Pakistan, Peru, Morocco and Spain as well as household gadgets such as brooms and keys. A diamond in the rough, Halvorson tastefully drives the music with thoughtful dynamics and creative rhythms. Serenity Fisher and the Cardboard Hearts make music that delights the ear, weaving timeless sounds with irreverent, collective, unabashed all round good time having.
Nina Scarcia and the Bad Choices(Harrisburg, PA)
Harrisburg, PA native, Nina Scarcia, started her musical career at a young age, influenced by her musician father. She has been described as an evocative singer songwriter and guitarist, with musical styles similar to some of her much loved artists like Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt. Also on regular rotation in Scarcia’s music collection are Lucinda Williams, Aimee Mann and Jeff Buckley. Performing her blues driven and acoustic tunes, listeners are captivated by her lyrics and voice that are emotionally charged and powerfully delivered.
August 11th
Canyon (Connecticut)
Currently hailing from Connecticut, Canyon is a 30 year old vocal powerhouse. She is known by those that have seen her perform to be a captivating singer/songwriter with haunting and heart wrenchingly honest songs. Performing with just an acoustic guitar, her catchy vocal melodies will immediately grab your attention while the intimate lyrics and stories she tells will keep your ears guessing. Known for performing with an intensely raw passion and conviction, her sound will cut you deep and hit a nerve. Canyon’s emergence onto the music scene began with The Break Contest 2010 when she, along with friend and former partner Andrew Maturana, were the only acoustic act to be selected to perform at The Bamboozle Festival 2010, which boasted an estimated attendance of 20,000. Since January 2011, Canyon
has been performing in festivals and venues throughout the Northeast living by her model, “I
will play anywhere and everywhere that will let me…” With her folk roots as undeniable and organic as her namesake which comes from lyrics in the song “Thrasher” by Neil Young. Canyon is poised to make her mark on the Folk genre by redefining what modern Folk means and finally letting her voice be heard.
Galactic Cowboy Orchestra(Minnesota)
The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra has been freakin’ minds for 9 years! Since 2009, the band has stretched their own musical limits with album after album of intensely energetic ART ROCK. Definition of ART ROCK: A type of rock music, often with poetic lyrics, characterized by sophisticated harmonic, dynamic and technical complexity based on forms derived from classical (and jazz) music and requiring performers of considerable training and skill. It sounds so serious, but when you combine that type of music with four fun loving musicians who don’t take themselves too seriously and who have a love of so much music beyond art rock (which is why the band covers songs from Otis Rush’s All Your Love to Whipping Post to When the Levee Breaks to YYZ), you get a bit of magic in live music form. The band writes and performs music that excites them and has a blast doing it! The GCO appreciates and aspires to superior musicianship while combining their love of a good riff, hummable melody and groovy jam…
over a jazz/jazz rock musical bedrock. It all culminates in an intensely energetic live performance because “we freakin’ love what we do and love that the fans dig it too!!”
September 8
Danielle Miraglia (Boston, Mass)
Danielle Miraglia comes armed with a strong steady thumb on an old Gibson, an infectious stomp box rhythm and harmonica with tunes ranging from heart felt to socially conscious that will move both your heart and hips. Her latest “All My Heroes Are Ghosts,” released with her band Danielle M and The Glory Junkies touches on a lot of what might be on your mind these days the loss of so many musical heroes on the title track, the chaos of “fake news” on “Monster,” our collective anxieties on “All On Fire,” and more.. The music itself blends influences of some of Miraglia’s own musical heroes The Rolling Stones, Prince, Janis Joplin along with Danielle’s lyrical ability to explore human nature at its best and worst. Danielle was nominated for a 2015 Boston Music Award for Singer Songwriter of the Year. “Straddling the line where folk/roots meets rock/blues, Miraglia has a voice that can go from a raspy come-hither purr to an Etta Jamesesque powerhousebelt, although she may be best known for her lead thumb – a heavy, thumping strike on her Gibson that’s backdrop percussion in itself.” – Lauren Daley – The Boston Globe.
Gleasons Drift (Pottsville, PA)
Somewhere within the comforting confines of two guitars, bass and drums lies a never ending vein of inspiration. For Gleasons Drift, its wide and vast spanning country ballads, straight ahead rockers and riff driven refrains over the course of 4 releases in the last 12 years. On their latest, they’ve mined a new cut finding kinship and reliability in early Garage Rock. From the opener, with its BTO riffs and Big Starish harmonies, on through the swagger of every Keith Richards for hire solo, the band wears the abridged history of Rock N’ Roll proudly on their sleeve. Boring, it’s not. It’s alive, and fresh, and teeming with as much girl group tenderness as blistering guitar breakup. Spanning 12 songs in an economical 38 minutes, Gleasons Drift ebbs and flows across sixty years of influence, encapsulating sound and vision, and relentlessly keeping it real.
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