Music lovers on the Atlantic City, NJ boardwalk this gorgeous Wednesday, September 2, 2025 evening are ready to let their hair down and twist and shout at a free Mardi Gras AC concert starring the family band, The Cowsills, along with the Beatlesque foursome, The Weeklings.
Before the show, Paul Cowsill talks about performing on the Atlantic City boardwalk this evening, noting, “We have beautiful weather tonight — I was looking at the weather for AC last week and it said 48% chance of rain, so I’m happy it’s so gorgeous right now!”
In talking about what he and his siblings — famous for inspiring the 1970s’ TV series, The Partridge Family — have been up to these days, Paul reveals, “We just did 57 Happy Together Tour shows and, because we sold more tickets this year then ever before, we’re gonna keep going and going with it next year!”
With regards to recent Cowsills’ recording projects, Paul explains, “Cocaine Drain is a ’70s album which never came out, so we’re very excited that our record company, Omnivore, is going to release it this month — they reissued our 1998 album, Global, last year, in addition to putting out our 2022 album, Rhythm of the World — plus we’re supposed to come out with an a cappella album and they’re pushing us to do a Christmas album, too.”
Lastly, Paul mentions other current sibling endeavors when he acknowledges, “We have The Cowsills Podcast which is doing very well and we have the Cowsill Chronicles radio show, too, out of West Virginia, so it’s crazy — we’re everywhere!” before concluding, “We just want to thank everybody for remembering us all these years.”
At the Kennedy Plaza stage adjacent to Boardwalk Hall, concert producer Carmen Marotta welcomes tonight’s crowd announcing, “‘Abbondanza’ means ‘too much of a good thing’ and we have two great acts performing tonight!” prior to introducing “a truly phenomenal group — The Weeklings.”
Guitarists Bob Burger and John Merjave, bassist Glen Burtnik, and drummer Joe Bellia take the stage and open tonight’s show with The Beatles’ “I’ve Just Seen a Face” where Burger, Burtnik, and Merjave all sing together with style on the folk-rock tune’s catchy “Falling, yes I am falling/And she keeps calling me back again” refrain.
Music lovers dance at their seats to The Weeklings’ original call-and-response rocker, “Like We Used to Do,” before Bellia’s driving drums kick off “None of Your Business,” a rhythmic rocker which ends with the iconic guitar riff from The Ventures’ “Walk Don’t Run.”
The crowd sings along with Burger on The Beatles’ “Come Together” before Merjave solos with feeling as the intensity builds and the audience cheers in appreciation.
Drummer Bellia handles the lead vocal on The Beatles’ rockabilly number, “Honey Don’t,” before the group cries, “My baby’s gone 1000 miles away,” on their original power pop tune, “1000 Miles Away.”
After announcing, “The next two songs were picked as the ‘Coolest Songs’ on Little Steven’s Underground Garage radio show,” the quartet gets the audience clapping along to the rhythm of their sparkling original pop song, “In the Moment.” Then, Burtnik — known by many for his work as a member of the world-class pop-rock band, Styx — is featured on the driving pop tune, “All the Cash in the World.”
Next up is The Weeklings’ arrangement of “Joy” — a medley of Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” — where Merjave’s formidable guitar skills elicit cheers from the crowd.
Burger sings lead on The Who’s “I Can See for Miles,” and the crowd claps along to “Little Elvis,” a ‘60s-influenced Weeklings original which features Merjave’s and Burger’s dueling guitars supported by Bellia’s propulsive drumming.
A highlight of The Weeklings’ set is a stellar interpretation of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” where Merjave sings, “I look at you all, see the love there that’s sleeping,” before making his electric guitar cry.
A cacophony of sound introduces The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” which has Burger energetically handling the “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together” lyric.
Music lovers sing along on the “Goo goo g’joob” refrain before Burtnik dashes out into the audience playing his bass and winds his way through rows of seats prior to returning to the stage for the ensemble’s intense conclusion which has music lovers standing and cheering for more.
After inviting concertgoers to dance, the foursome concludes tonight’s set with a smashing rendition of The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” which has audience members singing, dancing, and cheering for the mighty Weeklings.
Following a short intermission, Marotta introduces the crowd to “one of the world’s greatest pop groups — The Cowsills.”
Siblings Susan, Paul, and Bob Cowsill take the stage along with guitarist Brendan Cowsill, keyboardist Keiko Komaki, drummer Russ Broussard, and bassist Mary Lasseigne. After Paul exclaims, “This is for all the flower girls out there!” he and the band launch into a swinging rendition of The Cowsills’ 1967 hit, “The Rain, The Park, and Other Things” (aka “The Flower Girl”).
The crowd cheers and Susan and Paul sing together on Ian and Sylvia’s “You Were On My Mind” before Bob is featured singing Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Who’ll Stop the Rain.”
Bob announces, “We’re going to do a sort-of hit,” joking, “Well, at least Al Hirt and Lawrence Welk thought it was a hit!” before he and his siblings soar into the group’s 1967 Top 40 recording, “We Can Fly.”
Bob says, “Here’s a song that wasn’t ours,” as three-part vocal harmonies ring out on Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” After Bob reveals, “We’re gonna let Susan sing now,” Susan’s sweet voice calls out with feeling on Lulu’s “To Sir with Love.”
Concertgoers join Paul on a sing-along version of John Denver’s “Country Roads,” and lush vocal harmonies characterize The Beatles’ “This Boy.”
The Cowsills follow up with a high-energy rendition of the Love, American Style TV theme song they recorded in 1969, before four-part backup vocals support Susan’s strong lead on The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.”
Bob talks about The Cowsills’ friend, Tommy James — acknowledging, “We love this song and we do it for him” — as Paul is featured on a pulsating arrangement of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “Draggin’ the Line.”
Paul follows up by introducing all of the Cowsills’ band members before Bob and Susan present an effervescent rendition of The Hollies’ “Bus Stop.”
The band leaves the stage to the three siblings and Bob accompanies the trio on guitar as they sing, “Love is the opening door/Love is what we came here for,” on an enchanting arrangement of Elton John’s “Love Song.”
Audience members sing along as the trio also performs two Peter, Paul and Mary tunes — “Puff the Magic Dragon” and “If I Had a Hammer.’
When the band returns, The Cowsills follow up with a bouncy version of their 1967 Top Ten hit, “Indian Lake,” where Paul happily harmonizes with his siblings.
Impressive three-part harmonies ring out on The Cowsills’ rendition of The Fortunes’ “You’ve Got Your Troubles,” and Susan rocks the house with her upbeat rendition of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ “Heatwave.”
The Cowsills end tonight’s show with a dynamic rendition of their 1969 smash, “Hair,” which has music lovers singing along with gusto on the tune’s “Grow it/Show it!” lyric before rewarding The Cowsills with an enthusiastic standing ovation.
To learn more about The Cowsills, please go to cowsill.com. For more information on The Weeklings, check out bobburger.com/weeklings. For info on future Mardis Gras AC concerts on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, please click on tonymart.com.
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