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Local community leader Mike Raies is excited to welcome the performing talents of two major musical legends: Kenny Aronoff and Mark Rivera. These musicians will join local musicians and friends for what the Friends of Portsmouth is calling Bad Habits with Good Friends.<\/p>\n
The concert is the Sunday night entertainment for Portsmouth\u2019s River Days festival, with many other entertainment options throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n
According to co-chair Meridith Brankamp, \u201cI am really looking forward to the musical acts this year. First of all, we have the first ever Final Friday takeover, which is going to be an amazing combination of combining both forces working together. Saturday, we have a national act called Majesty, which is a Queen tribute band. I\u2019m a huge Queen fan, so I am really, really looking forward to that. Sunday is being called Bad Habits with Good Friends and is composed of hometown stars and friends. We have Bad Habits with Jacob Tolliver coming back and gracing the stage with Million Dollar Quartet. We also have drummer Kenny Aronoff and Billy Joel\u2019s Saxophonist Mark Rivera. It is a totally killer lineup with no lineup and only four solid hours of solid acts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bad Habits, known as being the EyeDocs of Rock, is well-known not only to the area but on a national stage, where they regularly travel to perform. They took the River Days stage a few years ago to perform with Jacob Tolliver and members of the Million Dollar Quartet. Raies is excited to do this again, but with additional talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re back. We played River Days about three or four years ago. We\u2019re back with some good friends, which include Jacob Tolliver and some of the stars of the Million Dollar Quartet,\u201d Raies explained. \u201cWith them is legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff, who was voted by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the top 100 drummers. He has played in Portsmouth before and is returning due to popular demand. Our new and exciting guest will be featured celebrity Mark Rivera, who is Billy Joel\u2019s longtime saxophone player of 40-some years.\u201d<\/p>\n
These types of concerts are important to Raies, who was radiating with excitement for the talent being brought to the festival.<\/p>\n
\u201cRivera was also Ringo Star\u2019s musical director and just has an amazing resume,\u201d Raies continued. \u201cHe was involved in Foreigner\u2019s albums in the 80\u2019s, he also arranged all the<\/p>\n
horns for Peter Gabriel\u2019s Sledgehammer. When you find out all that this guy has done, it is just amazing that he will be playing with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raies was able to perform with Rivera not long ago, during a conference where the EyeDocs of Rock Bad Habits took the stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is so much fun on stage and great to watch,\u201d Raies said. \u201cHe has always been a sideman to Billy Joel, but he is a multi-talented instrumentalist with good vocals and he will wow a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
The concert begins Sunday at 7 p.m. at Fourth and Washington Streets.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know, from past history, that our music and Jacob\u2019s music is so popular because it crosses so many genres,\u201d Raies stated. \u201cI like to say if you stick around long enough, you\u2019ll find something you like because we play such a wide variety of music across genres. We always have a great crowd reaction. I think, when people find out these legendary performers are coming to Portsmouth, it will make things even better.\u201d<\/p>\n