Music fans stream into Holmdel, NJ’s PNC Bank Arts Center this Wednesday, September 16, 2026 evening for a Malt Shop Memories 2026 concert starring Bobby Wilson, Eddie Holman, Ron Dante, The Dixie Cups, Rainere Martin, Vinnie Medugno, The Duprees, Brian Hyland, Clyde McPhatter’s Drifters, Vito Picone and the Elegants, The Chiclettes, Jackie DiMaggio, and The Coda Band.
Tonight’s event is the second in a series of free fall 2026 performances presented by the Garden State Arts Foundation under the direction of VP Ron Gravino and assisted by Cookie Santiago, Karin Souren, and Andy DiPalma.
Gravino welcomes the large crowd and thanks the various sponsors of tonight’s concert including LiveNation Entertainment and PNC Bank prior to introducing singer Jackie DiMaggio who performs “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Members of The Coda Band — Mary Beth Ryan-Mastropaolo on saxophone, Dennis DiBrizzi on keyboards, Joe DeAngelis on guitar, Paul Page on bass, and Pete Mastropaolo on drums — along with the vocal trio, The Chiclettes, accompany DiMaggio on an upbeat presentation of Connie Francis’ “Stupid Cupid” and a smooth rendition of “Where the Boys Are,” which has the audience happily singing along.
A five-piece horn section joins The Coda Band to accompany Sounds of the Street — Frank DiRobella, Buddy Brewer, Lou Orrichio, Joe Noto, and Tony Aquino — on a swinging doo-wop version of The Drifters’ “Fools Fall in Love.”
Following the Neil Sedaka ballad, “The Diary,” Sounds of the Street concludes its set with a pleading rendition of Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge’s “The Worst That Could Happen.”
Music lovers applaud as tonight’s emcee, MusicRadio 77-WABC DJ Vinnie Medugno, takes the stage along with The Chiclettes and launches into a sparkling arrangement of Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods’ “Who Do You Think You Are.”
Medugno leaves the stage to his “sisters in song” — The Chiclettes’ Gracie Hyland, Mikayla Cohen, and Jennie Colabatistto — who pay tribute to singer Dusty Springfield with a bouncy rendition of “I Only Want to Be with You” featuring Gracie on lead.
After Mikayla’s voice is highlighted on a dynamic presentation of “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” tight vocal harmonies support Jennie on a soulful performance of Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man” which elicits hoots and hollers from the crowd.
Medugno, from Staten Island, NY, proudly introduces Staten Island’s own Vito Picone who, along with The Elegants — Frank Jeckell, Gary Catalano,, and Bruce “Sonny” Copp — get the crowd singing and swinging to Tom Jones’ 1968 hit, “Delilah.”
The crowd cheers as Vito is featured on a live rendition of the Elegants’ 1958 chart-topper, “Little Star.”
To conclude their set, Vito and Co. perform a dynamic arrangement of Neil Diamond’s “I Am… I Said” to avid audience applause.
Bobby Wilson joins Medugno on stage and the pair reminisce about the founding member of The Drifters, Clyde McPhatter.
They follow up by introducing Clyde McPhatter’s Drifters starring Clyde’s son, Ronn David McPhatter. Taking the stage with Larry Hines, Samuel White, and A.J. Davis, McPhatter sings lead on The Drifters’ 1963 hit, “On Broadway,” as the group provides tight backup harmonies and stylized moves.
The Drifters get the audience clapping along as they sing and dance to “Spanish Harlem” before McPhatter is featured on a soulful medley of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” and Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World” and “Chain Gang.”
The crowd reacts with a standing ovation and Medugno introduces Brian Hyland who has the crowd cheering as he takes the stage with his electric guitar.
Opening with “the one that started everything” — the hit song he had at age 16 — Hyland performs his 1960 smash, “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.”
The audience happily joins in with Hyland on his signature song — the 1962 pop/rock ballad, “Sealed with a Kiss.”
Dedicating his last selection to “anyone with a bit of a Gypsy soul,” Hyland performs the hit he wrote with Del Shannon, “Gypsy Woman,” to enthusiastic cheers and applause.
Medugno and Wilson welcome The Duprees — Tommy Petillo, Jimmy Spinelli, and Shawn Stevens — who perform the group’s 1963 recording, “Have You Heard.”
Following the 1962 ballad, “My Own True Love,” Petillo’s voice is featured singing, “See the pyramids along the Nile,” on the group’s classic number, “You Belong to Me,” which inspires a standing ovation from the crowd.
After a short intermission, Medugno returns with The Chiclettes and The Coda Band for an upbeat performance of Carl Carlton’s “Everlasting Love” and a powerful rendition of Jay and the Americans’ “Cara Mia” which has concertgoers cheering on their feet.
Medugo introduces Bobby Wilson and Rainere Martin who pay tribute to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell with performances of two Motown classics — “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
The Dixie Cups — Barbara Ann Hawkins, Athelgra Neville, and Naydja CoJoe — take the stage and get the audience clapping along on a swinging version of their 1964 hit, “People Say.”
Founding member Barbara Ann Hawkins is featured on the group’s 1964 chart-topper, “Chapel of Love.”
It’s a party atmosphere inside the PNC amphitheater as audience members wave white handkerchiefs on a bubbly version of “Iko Iko.” After segueing into “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the Dixie Cups segue back to “Iko Iko” where they toss out Dixie Cups to members of the cheering crowd.
Medugno is proud to announce that singer Ron Dante attended the same Staten Island high school he attended before introducing Dante who takes the stage with The Chiclettes to perform The Archies’ hit, “Jingle Jangle.”
The crowd cheers and Dante explains that in 1969 he had hits with two different group prior to launching into a number he recorded with The Cuff Links, “Tracy.”
After revealing that in 1969 he also had a hit song with another band, Dante delivers a sparkling performance of The Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar,” which has the audience clapping and singing along before cheering and applauding.
Medugno and Wilson welcome Eddie Holman who, backed by the large ensemble and The Chiclettes, impresses the crowd with his smooth-as-silk vocal on his 1969 ballad, “It’s All in the Game.”
After Holman, 80, reveals, “This is my 70th year in show business!” he follows up with his interpretation of Al Green’s 1971 soul hit, “Let’s Stay Together.”
To conclude his set, Holman performs a song which his beloved late wife wanted him to record suggesting, “It will take care of us for the rest of our lives.” Here, Holman’s beautiful falsetto voice elicits an overwhelming standing ovation from the crowd that brings Holman to tears following his impeccable performance of 1969’s “Hey There Lonely Girl.”
To conclude tonight’s show, Bobby Wilson — the son of Jackie Wilson — takes the stage to perform a energetic rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”
Backed by The Chiclettes and full Coda Band, Wilson dedicates his father’s R&B song, “Reet Petite,” to GSAF VP Ron Gravino before singing and dancing on a soulful performance of his dad’s 1959 smash, “Lonely Teardrops.”
Wilson has concertgoers’ hands in the air on an electrifying interpretation of The Isley Brothers’ “Shout” before inviting the entire Malt Shop Memories cast on to the stage for a lively rendition of his dad’s 1967 classic, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher,” which has audience members singing and dancing and Wilson enthusiastically responding, “God bless you all!”
For information on future GSAF concerts at the PNC Bank Arts Center please click on gsafoundation.org. To learn more about Malt Shop Memories cruises — including the upcoming 2026 cruise, please go to maltshopcruise.com.
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