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Health & Fitness

Battle of the High School Bands in Fort Lee - Roots at Palisades Amusement Park

Fort Lee Film Commission's June 10th Battle of the High School Bands Continues Rock & Roll Tradition Started at Palisades Amusement Park

On June 10th the Fort Lee Film Commission will host our annual Battle of the High School Bands inside the large gym / stage of the Jack Alter Fort Lee Community Center (1355 Inwood Terrace).  The program is free to the public and runs from 7-10PM. 

This program is open to all high school bands from Bergen County.  There is a winner take all top prizes of $500.  Over the past decade we have enabled many area high school rock musicians to perform before the public, which is a rare opportunity in this day and age.  Though it’s easy to throw your band’s videos up on You Tube or Face Book, to perform before a live audience on stage is a rare treat and we are happy to provide these young musicians with this opportunity.  Over the years, many venues where young rockers could perform have closed down. 

One such venue was the legendary Palisades Amusement Park in Fort Lee / Cliffside Park.  From 1898 through its closure in September of 1971, this was an entertainment Mecca.  The Park’s peak probably came in the 1960s.  Certainly in the 30’s and 40’s swing bands and Big Bands were very popular at the Park but it was Rock & Roll that put the Palisades Amusement Park stage on the map.  All you have to do is view Palisades Amusement Park historian Vince Gargiulo’s documentary or book (both titled Palisades Amusement Park A Century of Fond Memories) or visit his excellent web site http://www.palisadespark.com/ to understand the popularity Rock & Roll at the Park in the 60’s.  We all know  Cousin Brucie aka Bruce Morrow, who is still going strong,  hosted many famous groups on that stage as did Clay Cole, who passed away less than a year ago.  Palisades Amusement Park even had  a Battle of the Bands.

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Out of this history our Fort Lee Film Commission modern day Battle of the High School Bands was born.  As you can see in these photos, the past is prologue – we celebrate the history of Rock & Roll at Palisades Amusement Park by providing a venue for the youth of today to Rock on.

Photos courtesy of the Fort Lee Historical Society and the Fort Lee Film Commission.

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