(RINGOES, NJ) -- Unionville Vineyards presents the 19th Annual Sourland Mountain Festival on Saturday, July 13, 2024 from 3:00pm to 8:30pm. This year's lineup is headlined by the Matt O'Ree Band and includes performances by Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz, The Adventures of Matte Black, and Tony & The Trees.
The Sourland Mountain Festival brings the communities of the Central New Jersey region together and presents the best in musical talent, local food and drink, family fun – and a spectacular view. Proceeds from the Sourland Mountain Festival benefit the Sourland Conservancy, a non-profit organization that works to protect the Sourland Mountain region. The 90-square-mile Sourland region is home to the largest contiguous forest in Central New Jersey. The sparsely populated area includes parts of Somerset, Hunterdon and Mercer counties, and encompasses a complex ecosystem of forest, wetlands and grasslands.
Festival-goers get music all day, and get to learn about the history and wildlife of the Mountain. Bring your: friends and family, lawn chairs and blankets; plan to sit back and enjoy the party. Food, wine, spirits, craft beer vendors will be on-hand for your convenience! We strongly encourage our food vendors to use compostable cups and plates and not sell Single use plastics, including beverage bottles. Guests and Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own reusable water/beverage bottles. Water will be available from two water stations on festival grounds. Tickets for the festival are available for purchase online.
Over the past few years, the Matt O’Ree Band has done what most area bands do. They’ve played their shows, developed their sound, released their records and built a massive fan base in the process. Their live shows are like revisiting a Zeppelin concert at the Garden, and with their collective influences and talent, the Matt O’Ree Band will have you out of your seats and dancing through a Sourland sunset.
What makes the Matt O’Ree band different from the others is that their local fan base includes people like Bruce Springsteen, David Bryan of Bon Jovi, Steve Cropper of Booker T and the MG’s, John Popper of Blues Traveler, Bernie Worrell of Parliament-Funkadelic, and Hubert Sumlin all of whom have volunteered to perform on the band's album, Brotherhood.
Members Matt and Eryn are accomplished, award-winning and globally recognized musicians; Matt has toured with Jersey’s own Bon Jovi and Eryn has performed with artists such as Gregg Allman, the Gin Blossoms, Little River Band, Don McLean and many more, in addition to being the youngest artist to be inducted into the NJ/NY Blues Hall of Fame – one of only 3 females to have been inducted at the time.
Their latest album, Hand in Glove shows the influence of each of the band members, featuring more songs written by the band as a whole and including more songs where Eryn sings lead vocals, as evidenced by the first two singles, Whole Lotta Nothin’ and Better as I Go.
Award-winning Philadelphia native Christine Havrilla brings her “well-built, catchy, smart tunes” (Upstage Magazine) to audiences everywhere, touring solo and also with the support of her band, Gypsy Fuzz. With a New EP released in the Spring of 2024, Christine continues to create and record with her band and share new music at venues, festivals, & house concerts! Last year’s EP and single, “California Night”, is a blend of 90s guitar and late 60s harmonies wrapped up in this catchy rocker about sharing the California Coast & it’s memories.
WXPN’s The Key raves, “Rock and roll singer-songwriter Christine Havrilla has been a local favorite since the 90s, and her high-energy music is kindred is spirit with Sheryl Crow, Grace Potter, Brandi Carlile, and Lucinda Williams!” Christine utilizes the soft gritty texture of her vocals to express warmth and honesty listeners quickly embrace as well as her aggressive, raw, trash-style guitar playing and looping!” Steel Notes Magazine says, “This ambitious Philly native manifests her talent in certain ways that allows her to create eclectic music which will grab your heart and leave a lasting memory.” The Washington Post writes, “(Havrilla’s) songs are intelligent and moving, the arrangements are incisive and colorful, and, best of all, Havrilla consistently comes across as a confident and seasoned performer.” Joining Christine to create her “Neofunkadelicfolkpoptwangrock” are Keith Giosa on bass/keys/backing vocals, Colleen Clark on electric guitar/bass, Erik Johnson on drums, Gretchen Schultz on backing vocals.
The Adventures of Matte Black is a Factory Western Gothic Americana Steampunk Folk Rock band led by Madison Gerish & Daniel Skinner, featuring a rotating line-up of their intrepid traveling friends. Madison's philosophical, vulnerable and disarming compositions dance with Daniel's subtle, yet moving melodies, all while leaving space for their talented caravan of musical comrades. The original music is rooted in deep improvisation and an emphasis on being courageous when facing the absurdities of life.
Tony & the Trees are a soulful Blues Funk and Americana band based ON the Sourland Mountain region of Hillsborough.
Unionville Vineyards is located at 9 Rocktown Road in Ringoes, New Jersey. The Unionville Vineyards team manages and sources grapes from six vineyards, spread across three New Jersey counties. The range of soil types, macroclimates, and topography allows our winemakers to craft diverse wines which showcase the often-discussed and hard-to-define concept of terroir.
