x
  1. Home
  2.  Entertainment

NYC acts hit Sussex County

| 14 Oct 2014 | 06:08
    Photos by Chris Wyman Highland Lakes residents Randy Staley (left) and Michael Gelfand are shown outside the clubhouse with a poster announcing the upcoming Oct. 24 live concert starring Glenn Tilbrook of the British hit band Squeeze.
    Photos by Chris Wyman Highland Lakes residents Randy Staley (left) and Michael Gelfand are shown outside the clubhouse with a poster announcing the upcoming Oct. 24 live concert starring Glenn Tilbrook of the British hit band Squeeze.
    Highland Lakes residents Michael Gelfand (left) and Randy Staley are shown in the process of installing and testing a new set of high-end stage lights. The colorful lights are sound sensitive and are actuated and partially controlled by loud sounds and variations in volume.
    Highland Lakes residents Michael Gelfand (left) and Randy Staley are shown in the process of installing and testing a new set of high-end stage lights. The colorful lights are sound sensitive and are actuated and partially controlled by loud sounds and variations in volume.
    Gelfand is setting up the stage for a performance.
    Gelfand is setting up the stage for a performance.

VERNON — The Highlands Lakes Country Club will soon be hopping as local community members have banded together to bring New York City entertainment to the Sussex County area.

Michael Gelfand, Highland Lakes Country Club and Community Association Second Vice President along with Randy and Louise Staley have launched an on-going Concert Series where big name acts will perform at the country club for reasonable prices.

"Part of the reason people struggle to go into city to see shows aside from time and cost is the commute," said Michael Gelfand, Highland Lakes Country Club and Community Association Second Vice President. "But with this, people can walk to one of the shows or drive 10 or five minutes and see New York City talent right in their own neighborhood and won't get crushed by ticket prices."

Starting a concert series
Gelfand moved from the city in 2000 and permanently bought a home with his wife in the Highland Lakes community in 2005. As a music journalist and a former musician who performed in New York City, Gelfand was used to the abundance of entertainment available.

He had performed with his band at the famous music club CBGB where he met Randy and Louise Staley — who helped book acts there.

However, moving to the quiet membership-based, volunteer-driven private lake community in Vernon, he found entertainment to be few and far between.

"The clubhouse is a cool, old, rustic place with a stage in it but it's mainly unused," Gelfand said, " There are kids performances, annual meetings and some events do occur but no real performances."

The group got together and brainstormed on how to bring more entertainment to the local area.

"One of the struggles we had because it is a private community with lots of tradition with older, long time residents was the anxiety of opening up the community to outsiders rather than members only," Gelfand said. "We felt we needed to open this up to rest of the world to make it work."

After 14 months, they had a plan to present to the voting board which was approved. Funds were also allocated to purchase equipment such as speakers and monitors to open up the club.

Gelfand and the Staleys kicked off the Concert Series in July and have already been receiving a positive response.

"I think it's been really well received with people who have attended," said Gelfand. "The most difficult challenge is getting the word out to people who live up here in Sussex County and Orange County and Passiac County. People in the vicinity don’t know about this quality music venue to go to around here. We want to make it a place not only for music fans to come but also to build up a cache with the artist community."

For more information on the Concert Series and upcoming shows call 973-271-9780 or visit http://hlcc.org/events/concert-series.