Stockton Moved Concert Series Before Curtain Fell on Bookings

Ocean City is still working to book contemporary artists for a summer concert series on the Ocean City Music Pier.

Meanwhile, the Richard Stockton College Performing Arts Center announced a full lineup for its "Stockton Goes to the Beach" concert series at a new home in Cape May.

For the past five years, the Stockton concert series has been held in Ocean City. The shows filled the Ocean City Music Pier on seven Monday nights through the heart of summer.

"It came down to the new administration in Ocean City wanting to go in a different direction," said Michael Cool, executive director of the Performing Arts Center. "We had a great run in Ocean City."

Ocean City and Stockton had operated for five years on a "handshake agreement," according to Jim Mallon, director of Ocean City's Community Services Department. He said the city wanted a formal agreement.

But as time passed without that happening, Stockton headed south.

"I have nothing but good things to say about all the folks associated with the Music Pier," Cool said. "But we needed to book artists."

On Jan. 26, Stockton announced a new partnership with the City of Cape May to bring the series to the new Cape May Convention Center starting this summer.

The schedule for includes Jay and the Americans (July 9), Dave Mason (July 16), the Lettermen (July 23), Gerry & the Pacemakers (July 30), "Rickey Nelson Remembered (Aug. 6), The Association (Aug. 13) and Gary Puckett (Aug. 20).

The  will also produce summer children's theater in Cape May as part of the new agreement.

Stockton Goes to the Beach brought seven concerts to the Music Pier in 2011 on Monday nights between July 11 and Aug. 22. The acts ranged from the Southern rock of the Marshall Tucker Band to the '60s sounds of Herman's Hermits to Abba Mania.

The Ocean City concert series was "extremely well-attended," according to Stockton Performing Arts Center Marketing Director Suzé DiPietro.

Mallon said the city is working with a promoter to create a series of concerts from spring through fall, though none of the acts is finalized yet.

He noted that the Stockton series was only a part of busy summer schedule for the Ocean City Music Pier — including a full Ocean City Pops schedule, Ocean City Theatre Company productions, Tabernacle concerts, special events such as the Miss New Jersey pageant and other shows that run all the way through to the new three-day Boardwalk Music Festival in October.

Both Cool and Mallon said the possibility remains for a partnership between Ocean City and Stockton in the future.