Mardi Gras Music Series a Hit

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT > EDITOR'S CHOICES

Cyril Neville with special guests Johnny Sansone and ... Jeff Schwachter?

By Mike Pritchard

Add Comment | Comments: 1 | Posted Aug. 18, 2010

Cyril Neville

Since the “Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk” concert series began with a performance by the New Riders of the Purple Sage on Aug. 2, Monday nights on the Atlantic City Boardwalk have been transformed.

Monday is never a busy night in A.C., even in August, and throughout the month, the best act in town for the night has been found in Kennedy Plaza.

This Monday, the series tops even itself with Cyril Neville (pictured), from the famous Neville Brothers, and special guest “Jumpin’” Johnny Sansone at 6pm.

Neville is the youngest of the four Neville Brothers and began performing at 19. He’s actually a veteran of several groups besides the Neville Brothers, who formed in 1976. Neville has formed several other bands, most notably Endangered Species, and has released several solo albums.

With singer, harmonica and accordion player Sansone, they form a perfect New Orleans duo. Sansone is actually from New Jersey originally, but most of his career has been based in The Big Easy.

One more star on the bill is Atlantic City Weekly editor Jeff Schwachter, who has performed with Sansone in the past, and will undoubtedly have long conversations with Neville and Sansone — about Bob Dylan.

The concerts actually have a pretty big week coming up as a Tuesday night (Aug. 24) concert is scheduled with New Orleans group Bonerama at 6pm and a special afternoon concert at 3:30pm with John Lee Hooker Jr. on Wednesday, Aug. 25. Both concerts are scheduled to highlight Wednesday’s Atlantic City Air Show (Aug. 25).

Later Wednesday, the Atlantic City International Night continues featuring Bollywood style dancing at 7pm. And did we mention that every one of these concerts are free? It’s almost too good to believe.

Read an interview with Cyril Neville here. Read an interview with Johnny Sansone here.