2019 Greenwich Town Party Announces Headline Performers

GREENWICH, CT — Two iconic bands are scheduled to perform at this year's Greenwich Town Party, the popular event held every year on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich.

For the 2019 edition, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Beach Boys will kick off summer at the all-day, family-friendly music festival, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 25. The volunteer-supported community event is a day-long celebration overlooking the Long Island Sound.

In addition to Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Beach Boys, Grammy-nominated, New Orleans band Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and pop-country singer/songwriter Caroline Jones also are scheduled to perform on the Main Stage, along with local classic rock favorite 8Track Band. The musical lineup will also feature six local bands on the Town Stage.

Each year, the event brings multiple generations of Greenwich residents together to celebrate town pride and the spirit of giving through live music, local food favorites, and family-fun activities.

Musical icons who previously performed at the annual event include Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Carlos Santana, Dave Matthews and John Fogerty.

"Every year we strive to make the Greenwich Town Party better and better," stated Greenwich Town Party Co-President Ray Rivers. "The musical lineup this year truly defines the decades, and we are fortunate to have such icons perform on our legendary stage."

Below is additional information about the 2019 Greenwich Town Party from the organizers:

Lynyrd Skynyrd
Original members Ronnie Van Zant, Bob Burns, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, and Larry Junstrom formed the band in 1964 and became popular in the Jacksonville, FL area, where the original members were from. In 1973 they released their self-titled album that featured “Free Bird,” arguably the most-recognized single in the Southern Rock genre. The band went on to record iconic tracks "Sweet Home Alabama" and "What’s Your Name." Their story took a tragic turn in October 1977 when a plane crash took the lives of Van Zant, Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and several of their road crew. The band took a decade-long hiatus before reuniting for a tour and live album, Southern by the Grace of God. Since then, the band has toured and recorded extensively, with their most recent release being Last Of A Dyin' Breed. The band’s current line-up includes original member Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Mark "Sparky" Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.

The Beach Boys
Over the last 50 years, The Beach Boys have birthed a torrent of hit singles and sold albums by the tens of millions. But their greater significance lies in the fact that the band's songs have forever changed the musical landscape, profoundly influencing countless performing artists to follow. The iconic band has an endless list of hit singles, like "California Girls," "Good Vibrations," and "Surfin' USA," with 36 songs in the US Top 40 charts (the most by a U.S. rock band), and four reaching number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They have sold in excess of 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling bands of all time.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Grammy-nominated Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue was founded by Troy Andrews, a musician, producer, actor and philanthropist from New Orleans' legendary Treme neighborhood. Andrews comes from a family of musicians and earned his name "Trombone Shorty" at age four when he first picked up his trombone. By the age of eight, Andrews was well established in New Orleans as a bandleader playing in parades, concert halls and bars. He is best known as a trombone and trumpet player but also plays drums, organ, and tuba. In 2010, his album "Backatown" was nominated for a Grammy award and hit the Billboard Jazz chart at number one. He has shared the stage with some of the biggest legends in music including Prince, U2, Lenny Kravitz, Foo Fighters, The Neville Brothers and many more.

Caroline Jones
Rolling Stone named Greenwich native Caroline Jones one of the "10 Country Artists You Need to Know" and Billboard called her one of the "15 Country Artists to Watch in 2018." Jones co-produced her album, Bare Feet, with Grammy and Academy Award-winning producer Ric Wake. Upon release, Bare Feet rose to #20 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and #15 on iTunes Country Albums Chart. The album features "Tough Guys," which spent six weeks at #1 on CMT.com's 12 Pack Countdown. Caroline has toured with Jimmy Buffett and the Eagles, Zac Brown Band and OneRepublic, and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. This summer, Jones will tour with award-winning country music singer and songwriter Kenny Chesney.

8Track Band
8Track Band, a local favorite rock band that brings a modern edge to 1970s classic rock tunes with infectious live energy, returns to GTP this year to kick off the day of music on the Main Stage. Party-goers will be transported back to what some critics say is the "Greatest Era of Rock and Roll," with timeless tunes from David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac and many more. Formed in 2008 by two musicians and Greenwich residents, the acoustic duo gradually morphed into a dynamic eight-piece band that brings to life classic, beloved hits from the 1970s.

Local Bands
A popular tradition of the GTP is the Town Stage, which will feature six local bands to round out the day’s performances. Created to celebrate the diverse and abundant talent within the Greenwich community, the Town Stage band application is open to Greenwich residents of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels. Musicians and artists may apply until the end of the day on March 1 at: greenwichtownparty.org/participate/

Corporate and Individual Sponsorships
Generous GTP Sponsor contributions support 80 percent of the party and allow those who may not otherwise be able to attend get significantly discounted tickets and support the sustainability of the event. The sponsor commitment for corporations and individuals offers unlimited access to the Sponsor Tent with catered food and beverages throughout the day and evening, and premier parking in the Island Beach Lot located directly across from Roger Sherman Baldwin Park. All sponsor levels are available at: https://greenwichtownparty.org/tickets-2019/

Ticket Information
Greenwich Town Party tickets may only be purchased by those who live, work or attend school in Greenwich.

Neighbor Ticket
Neighbor tickets provide access to Houlihan Lawrence Neighborhood Area with wine, beer and catered food, as well as designated parking. These tickets are available now at https://greenwichtownparty.org/tickets-2019/

Community/Senior Tickets (General Admission)
From June 1 through September 4, 2018, Greenwich residents, employees and students were given the chance to enter an application for the GTP 2019 online ticket lottery. All applications were entered into the ticket lottery equally through the GTP website; no preference was given to date and time of application submission within the open period. All ticket applications were randomly sorted and lottery winners were verified for Greenwich residency, employment or academic enrollment before they were contacted via email. These winners then had the opportunity to purchase tickets within a two-week window.

Volunteers
As in years past, the GTP is a volunteer-supported event, hosted in cooperation with the Town of Greenwich. Volunteerism runs deep in Greenwich, and this celebration relies on local organizations and residents to donate their time to make this unique large community event possible. Those interested in volunteering can apply at: greenwichtownparty.org/participate/

About the Greenwich Town Party
Sponsored by the Greenwich Town Party, Inc., a non-profit organization qualifying as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, the party is a volunteer-supported community event. The GTP is created entirely by the people of Greenwich, for the people of Greenwich. Sponsorships and substantial donations from town residents and local businesses provide the majority of party funding each year, allowing more people to attend. Thanks to the continued generosity of GTP sponsors and donors, the tickets are offered at a significantly discounted price. Every donation exceeding $25 is matched by one generous donor.

For additional information, to sign up for email updates about the Greenwich Town Party, or to make donations, please visit greenwichtownparty.org. For questions or additional information, please email info@greenwichtownparty.org.

For press inquiries, please contact Susan Kriskey and Marni Lane:press@greenwichtownparty.org.

Greenwich Town Party board members and event organizers are available for interviews. High-resolution images from past events are available upon request.

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/GreenwichTownParty
TWITTER: @greenwichtown
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/GreenwichTownParty

Photo credit: Greenwich Town Party

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