WEST ORANGE — Downtown West Orange Alliance (DWOA) ended its summer series with The Characters performing at Downtown Thursdays.
The Characters played two sets of fun music, including a special tribute to David Cassidy. Last summer, Elm Street was co-named David Cassidy Way to honor the late “Partridge Family” star, who grew up at his grandparents’ house at 23 Elm St.
In addition to performing songs by The Partridge Family, The Characters performed songs by The Turtles, The Monkees and also cartoon songs such as “Theme From Spider-Man” and the Banana Splits theme song “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana).”
West Orange fans were dancing and singing along, having a blast.
The Characters recently celebrated their 30th anniversary with a deluxe edition three-CD set on Blackheart Records, Joan Jett’s label. Jett sang on “Last of a Dyin’ Breed” on The Characters CD. The Characters founder and lead vocalist Danny Solazzi is in Jett’s video “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
During a 30-year career, The Characters have had many highlights. They’ve performed with musical legends such as The Kinks, The Monkees and Ray Manzarek from The Doors, to name a few. They’ve also appeared in 16 Magazine and on The Joe Franklin Show. They’ve performed throughout New York City and New Jersey, as well as The Roxy and The Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles.
The Characters line-up for the Downtown Thursdays show was Solazzi on lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Ken Sidotti on keyboard; Antony Fanelli on bass; Damian Fanelli on lead guitar; and Dino DiMartino on drums.
Meg Brill, executive director of Downtown Alliance, said she was very happy to have The Characters perform, adding, “I love their music. They’re everything.”
West Orange Councilwoman Michelle Casalino agreed. She said, “They just scream summer. They’re very talented. We’re very fortunate to end our summer series with them.”
Shirley Harrington, who is Brill’s sister, also loves The Characters. She said, “My sister and I have gone to Bum Rogers in Seaside to see them. They’re great.”
Harrington said she was also there to support her sister and DWOA. She and her husband, Michael, were having a great time dancing to the band.
In addition to The Characters’ performance, there were several food trucks and a mix of crafting vendors.
Jocelyn Summers was giving samples of Saint Rocco’s Treats – locally sourced dog treats, which are handcrafted and baked daily to ensure freshness.
Ayana April-Sanders of Chlorophyll & Chill was educating the public on houseplants and plant care. Her goal is to get people started on their plant journey.
There were also fun family games to enjoy.
The Downtown West Orange Alliance (DWOA) is a New Jersey nonprofit 501c3 organization formed in August 1998. The alliance manages the township’s Special Improvement District (SID), which represents 182 property owners and more than 300 businesses along the downtown corridor. The organization is led by an executive director and governed by a board of trustees. The DWOA is a nationally accredited Main Street Community that partners with businesses, non-profits, landlords and government to make Downtown West Orange a destination where people want to live, work, visit and enjoy.
For more information on The DWOA, visit: https://downtownwo.com/.
For more information on The Characters, visit: https://thecharacters.net/.
Photos by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
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