Direct Drive to Perform at 9/28 Fore 'N' Aft Benefit Concert Fest

DIRECT DRIVE to perform at the gala Fore ‘N’ Aft benefit concert at the Ives Concert Park in Danbury in CT on Saturday, September 28 at 3:00pm. Last year's event was such an incredible success that it's coming back with different bands and family fun! The Fore 'n' Aft in Brewster, White Plains, New Rochelle, and Westport, CT were the original rock establishments beloved by club-goers in the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. It was the place to be, and had the best musicians and bands of the rock world from Connecticut to New Jersey.

Direct Drive will be performing at this year’s gala concert which features an amazing line-up of bands including The Billion Dollar Babies (founding members of The Alice Cooper Band), The Good Rats, Sapphire, & more. The complete artist line-up can be seen on the website. Plus there are special guests, surprise appearances, food trucks and much more.

Formed in 1988, the Direct Drive Band is a tribute to the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan, performing his entire catalog of music, with some Jimi Hendrix added to spice up the mix.

Featuring founding member George (Pesko) Neske Jr., also a member of The Paralax Band, performed at last years event at the Ives center on guitar and lead vocal Bobby Devlin on bass and vocal, and Nick Vara on drums.

A fixture throughout the local bars & clubs, the band has also performed at many motorcycle and club events in the northeast including Laconia bike week, the Harley Rendezvous, as well as warming up for several national acts most notably Johnny Winter, The Outlaws, Foghat and Johnny Van Zant to name a few.

How did it all come about? In March of this year, New Fairfield resident Mike Policastro posted a note on a Facebook page asking, “Would anybody be interested in doing a reunion for the Fore ‘n’ Aft? Julie Shaker, of Danbury, a recent retiree, contacted Policastro and within two weeks the pair had taken the initiative to set a date, secured a venue and got the ball rolling. They had never met before, but within days, they were approached by nearly a dozen bands offering to play, while stage and tech pros volunteered their services and several charities were designated to benefit from the proceeds.

With Ives Concert Park in Danbury chosen and a date set, Policastro and Shaker enlisted Charles F. Rosenay, who had promoted the very successful and highly-acclaimed “Danbury Fields Forever.
The Fore ‘n’ Aft Benefit Reunion Concert/Festival is an entertainment extravaganza that, for one day only, reunites the bands and fans from the unforgettable years which helped pave the foundation for rock music and events in the region - that are still talked about to this day! It all takes place on Saturday, September 28, 2019, from 1pm to 10pm at Ives Concert Park in Danbury, CT. Open to the general public, this highly-anticipated festival features live concerts, special guests, surprise appearances, food trucks, vendors and much more.