originally published: 04/07/2025
(PARAMUS, NJ) -- Bergen Community College music professor and songwriter/performer Dan Sheehan brings a special presentation of his project The Seas Are Rising: Stories of a Climate in Crisis to Bergen's Paramus campus on Monday, April 21, 2025 as part of the college’s Earth Week celebrations.
The Seas Are Rising is a concept album and live music experience emphasizing the immediate urgency of the climate crisis. With songs ranging from melancholy tales of caution to vigorous calls to action, Sheehan entertains while calling on audiences to do their part to combat climate change through voting, holding politicians accountable, limiting their personal carbon footprints, and inspiring others to advocate and act.
Through songs rooted in rock, folk, soul, funk, and hip-hop, The Seas Are Rising tells the stories of people around the world already dealing with intense, climate-induced consequences. Audiences hear the stories of people from New Orleans to Puerto Ricans facing deadly, ravaging hurricanes; Pacific Islanders seeing their islands disappearing due to rising sea levels; rivers and reservoirs drying up in Europe, and other alarming and under-reported world events caused by climate change. Projected lyrics and visuals make The Seas Are Rising a multimedia experience.
At this special presentation, Sheehan will perform live guitar and vocals to tracks from the forthcoming album. Sheehan’s previous concept album, Tales from Earth Incorporated tackled corporate and political greed and earned Sheehan “Songwriter of the Year” honors at the New Jersey based Elephant Talk Indie Music Awards as well as “Best Political Subject Album” from the music director awards at WHFR-FM in Detroit. Sheehan has previously won awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). He has performed or recorded with members of bands including the Doors, Pearl Jam, Morrissey and Yes.
The show takes place at the West Hall Recital Hall at Bergen Community College (400 Paramus Road) in Paramus at 12:30pm on March 21st. Admission is free. Additional Earth Week events will occur prior and after and can be found on the college’s online events calendar.
"This bold political and social statement is one rocker’s attempt to raise awareness and social consciousness about issues like climate change, sweat shop labor, drug cartels, for-profit prisons and the like… a great and dynamic musician." -- Rich Lynch, New Jersey Stage (USA)
"Carefully structured to raise the social consciousness of these issues and bring about a much needed change in the current greed-driven direction of the world"-- Alan Ovington, Tameside Radio (UK)
"The lyrics are surreal, painting a picture of our capitalist society trying to profit off of a dangerous situation." -- Nandini Likki, The Miscellany News, Vassar College (USA)
COLUMNS
Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Do You? Will You?" by Sam Tunkel
Hot off the heels of his acclaimed 2025 debut LP, "Out There," and its immediate follow-up single, "Inner City Lullaby," young but prolific Central Jersey singer-songwriter Sam Tunkel is keeping the momentum going with an EP, "The Parade Man."
