In a capital city that gets an unfortunate bad rap, its homegrown rockers are still able to band together, pardon the pun, and rock Central Jersey.
Jam For Life, a concert featuring young and old rockstars from all over Mercer County, played before a highly appreciative and spirited crowd at the city's Katmandu bar/club, Sunday September 20th.
Papa Carl, the event's creator, has had several surgeries and promotes putting the show's proceeds toward organ and tissue donation.
“This all started four years ago in my backyard,” Papa Carl said Sunday on stage at Katmandu before presenting three acts with special awards. “But Lisa (Bouchelle) and I decided, why not make this an even bigger event annually with more bands, and make it about a good cause?”
Today, Jam For Life proudly also hosts auctions to benefit benevolent causes. The bands seen at the event also regularly play throughout Hamilton Township at bars like the Ivy Tavern, Buffstones (now defunct) and JoJo’s.
Charles Laurita Jr.
JoJo’s was where recent Jam For Life addition and guitar prodigy Charles Laurita Jr. was added to the scene. In 2007, event co-creator Lisa Bouchelle saw Charles jamming away on his guitar. She was so enthralled, she offered to make Charles a fill-in guitarist for her own act. They played several sets one night at JoJo’s. Papa Carl was in attendance, and he took a liking to Charles and how well he played Bouchelle’s songs with little to no rehearsing.
In no time, Charles was playing Papa Carl’s tunes like “Dark Knight.“ Papa and he soon recorded that together, and once those at The Music Box in Hamilton caught Charles jamming away in the song, they invited him to teach guitar lessons for them.
Not long after, Charles was added to the Jam For Life lineup. Today he rocks out to some of his own tracks, and also covers a wide array of acts, past and present. One of those at this year’s event was Michael Jackson’s Beat It.
“My father was a disc jockey,” says Charles Laurita Jr, who turned 18 this past summer. “He introduced me to so much. I mean from David Bowie, to Michael Jackson to Johnny Cash, to Earth, Wind & Fire…a whole mess of different generes.”
Today, Laurita hopes to take his music to a professional level
“I want to try to spread music around the world, and, just do what I can,” he adds.
Older Jam For Life Acts
Tommy Reock and his Reock and Roll Revue played a handful of their homemade greats. Worlds collided as they brought the musical fight of their lives. They also brought the light into their darkest times.
The Ernie White Band dominated the stage for their roughly 40 minutes. A member of many past bands, White belted out a steady sampling of songs from albums like Scenes From America, Unplugged, and his newest, Rock And Rarities. White, whose music has been featured on CBS in recent years, and in the late 80’s on Fox’s 21 Jumpstreet, has also been with groups like Sam The Band and Aviator. Yet he’s always stayed true to his Hamilton roots, with a strong showing every year at Jam For Life and Christmas concerts across Mercer County.
The Stage Hamz brought audiences on trips down memory lane, and helped put new spins on more modern hits. Primarily a cover band, they can be heard singing anything from the Eagles to Melissa Etheridge to Tom Petty to Cream. The band boasts Sandy Cropper as lead vocalist, Gary Geiger as bass player and backing vocal, as well as George Geiger on keyboards and backing vocals. Fred Durr plays guitar and Chuck Bailey can be found on drums.
All hope to make Jam For Life an even sweeter success in the years to come.
