Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival to Take Place May 7th

Joe McGinty & The Loser’s Lounge. Photo by Todd Kancar

(HOBOKEN, NJ) — The Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival takes place on Sunday, May 7, from 11:00am to 6:00pm. The festival, featuring displays and sales by artists, crafters, food vendors, and local businesses, will occur on Washington Street between Observer Highway and Seventh Street.  This year Joe McGinty and The Loser’s Lounge will close out the festival on the Observer Highway stage playing favorite songs and deep cuts from the incredible catalog of The Kinks, and the songwriting genius of Ray Davies.  

There will be two stages of live musical performances located on Washington Street between Newark Street and Observer Highway and on Washington Street between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. The complete schedule is listed at the end of this article.

Joe McGinty & The Loser’s Lounge are a collective of New York City’s finest performers who have been selling out live shows every other month for almost thirty years. Founded in 1993 by former Psychedelic Furs keyboardist Joe McGinty, The Loser’s Lounge continues to canonize the great songwriting catalogues of the ’60s, 70’s and ‘80’s in its own unique way. “From Abba to the Zombies” as The New York Times has said, The Loser’s Lounge is in the business of redemption; honoring pop stars from these eras and validating the zeal of music fans. 

From well known composers like Neil Diamond, Prince, Burt Bacharach and David Bowie to more obscure artists like Serge Gainsbourg and Harry Nilsson, The Loser’s Lounge walks the line between sincerity and irreverence to recreate the meticulous arrangements of the classic song books that you love, live. A Loser’s Lounge performance often includes strings, horns, extensive vocal arrangements, unusual keyboards, and a backing band made up of the best musicians in New York.

Elk City is an American art-pop band from New York City, New York, formed in 1997 as a spin-off of Melting Hopefuls. The original lineup consisted of Renee LoBue, Ray Ketchem and Peter Langland-Hassan. Their soundscapes encompass galaxies while retaining intimate thoughts and feelings, like epic adventures under the skin. The band released two albums, Status and Hold Tight the Ropes, in 2000 and 2002, respectively. After the second album, Langland-Hassan left the band, which led to the inclusion of Sean Eden and Barbara Endes. In 2018 Elk City signed with Bar/None Records and released “Everybody’s Insecure” and the adjoining EP, Souls in Space, before shuffling their line-up again for 2020.

Cliff Westfall is a Kentucky native now playing his brand of “electrified honky tonk” out of the NYC area. His literate, contemporary spin on classic country themes has been compared to Dwight Yoakam, Rodney Crowell, Robbie Fulks and Elvis Costello. Westfall’s 2018 debut album, Baby You Win, garnered airplay on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country station, among many others, and received strong reviews in upwards of 30 publications, both in the US and worldwide, including an “Album of the Month” feature in the UK’s Country Music People print magazine. The album also made numerous year-end “Best Of” lists. Westfall has also been a finalist in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at MerleFest in North Carolina. Backed by top musicians — his bandmates have toured and/or recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Ronnie Spector, Danger Mouse, Dispatch, the Demolition String Band and many others — Westfall’s band provides a raucous but always danceable groove to showcase his vocals and lyrical wit. He has been on bills with such notables of the indie country and rock worlds as The Minus 5, The Sadies, Wayne Hancock, Eilen Jewell, Jesse Dayton, The Legendary Shack Shakers, and Laura Cantrell.

JONNY COUCH. A former punk drummer, the Jersey City-based Couch reinvented himself as a solo artist in 2016 via the shockingly strong Animal Instinct EP.  Animal Instinct introduced the world to his soulful, synth-laced pop, earning him labels like “a Bryan Ferry pop crooner” (Louder Than War) and “unpolished and charming” (High Times).  Couch’s songs are gems – infectious rockers and ballads, descended directly from the power pop and new wave greats of the late ’70s and early ’80s.

HUDSON CITY RATS. From their haunt high atop the Palisade in Jersey City, Hudson City Rats serve up a healthy dose of primitive, infectious rock ‘n’ roll, in their own raw, stripped down style. With the ageless punk rocker Patrick Lally at the helm, Fred Jenkins and Jeff Feinberg provide a big beat behind Robert Boudreau’s blues-tinged guitar. Their live show is a house rockin’ party! It needs to be experienced. It’s sure to make you move!

FRANKIE MORALES & THE MAMBO OF THE TIMES ORCHESTRA. Starting on the streets of “El Barrio”, New York City’s Spanish Quarter & learning from Salsa legends such as Joe Bataan & Hector Lavoe, Frankie sang backup with greats like Celia Cruz, Ismael Rivera, Ismael Miranda, Pellin Rodriguez and Cheo Feliciano. His first recording “Sabor Del Barrio” led the way to a ten year association with Bad Street Boys. Caiman Records produced two albums featuring Frankie Morales as a solo artist, entitled “Frankie Morales: En Su Punto” and “Standing Out”. He was invited as an independent vocalist to join the great legends of “The Fania All-Stars.” After singing back-up for Tito Nieves, the late visionary, Ralph Mercado recommended Frankie to Ernest “Tito” Puente, who was in search of a lead vocalist. Traveling the world with Master Puente, “El Rey Del Timbal,” was definitely one of the highlights of Frankie’s career and famed him as a Grammy Award winner with the recordings of “Tito Puente Mambo Birdland” and “Masterpiece”, Puente’s final album and collaboration with “The Great” Eddie Palmieri. Still today, even after “El Rey’s” passing, Frankie holds the position of Lead Vocalist with the Tito Puente Orchestra. Frankie Morales’ accomplishments have acclaimed him as one of the best Salseros, and have earned him a world renowned reputation.

The Brooklyners is a NYC reggae band that blends Jamaican standards, French classics and original conscious tunes in a unique tropical cocktail. The band got its name from its members’ diversity and their multi-cultural backgrounds also from its home base Brooklyn NYC. It was created 7 years ago and have since played hundreds of shows in NYC and traveling up and down the East coast. The Brooklyners features: David Langlois on vocals, percussion & rhythm guitar, Ras Abda G on vocals & bass, Kikkah Jackson on vocals & drums, Diego Cebollero on guitars and Bryan Benhingove on keyboards, saxophones and melodica.

Veronika Jokel writes about self reflection and growth, insecurities and relationships. In 2016 she landed her first song placement in the film “Stealing Chanel” and in 2017 she released her first single “Tides” co-written with Ben Antelis (Dixie D’amelio/Leah Kate). Last winter she was one of IHeart Radio 104.3my FM’s Holiday Star finalists and she is gearing up for some exciting live performances and releases this summer!

Mariachi Oro de Mexico is one of the best groups in the tri-state area. It has been around for more than 20 years serving its community and giving everyone a great and unforgettable performance. They have performed with many celebrities including: Maribel Guardia, Pedro Fernandez, Alicia Villareal, Yolanda del Rio, Ana Barbara, Professional Wrestlers Chavo Guerrero, Armando Estrada, CM Punk, movie star Joe Pesci, Bam Margeta, Ryun Dunn and much more. Mariachi Oro de Mexico was founded by Jose Guadalupe Uspango in the early 1990’s. Jose Guadalupe dedicated many years to have the group well known, not only in New Jersey but in New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut as well. Always giving an excellent performance and bringing the best of Mexico and its Mariachi Music.

3 Dollars is a Hoboken-based emo-punk four-piece band consisting of high schoolers Arthur Pawley, Theo Shuttleworth, Jared Lee, and Ben Kamel. Their music is high energy, balancing tasteful melodies and blazing guitars.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULES ‍

Seventh Street Stage

12:15 p.m. – All Saints Day School and BOLD Arts Dancers

12:45 p.m. – Veronika Jokel & band  

1:20 p.m. – 3 Dollars

2:10 p.m. – The Brooklyners

3:30 p.m. – Mariachi Oro de Mexico

5:00 p.m. – Frankie Morales and the Mambo of the Times Orchestra

Observer Highway Stage

12:00 p.m. – Hudson City Rats

12:55 p.m. – Elk City

1:50 p.m. – Jonny Couch

2:50 p.m. – Cliff Westfall

4:30 p.m. – Joe McGinty and The Loser’s Lounge Present: The Kinks!

The Hoboken Spring Arts & Music Festival is funded in part by a grant from the NJ Department of State, Division of Travel and Tourism and sponsored by Burgiss, Ironstate, Veolia, Wonder Lofts Hoboken, This Is It Productions, The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, and WFUV. Food donations are provided by Anthony David’s, Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, JP’s Bagel Express, Choc-O-Pain French Bakery and Café and Losurdo’s Italian Deli and Bakery.‍