These days, John D’Esposito is the brains behind The Bamboozle — the three-day, nine-stage, 150-act music festival that next weekend will fill the new Meadowlands stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
But when D’Esposito, or John D., as he is called, was a fledgling concert promoter in New Jersey, he looked to the music scene in Allentown, he says.
John D’Esposito
There, his mentor, New Jersey-based promoter Stan Levinstone, was having success booking a mix of rock acts and other music genres at Crocodile Rock Café, with shows being supported by young crowds willing to watch diverse lineups.
“Allentown, man, that place is awesome, awesome hot for music,” D’Esposito said in a recent telephone call. “It’s not a secondary market, man. What Crocodile Rock does is just awesome … and that whole scene down there is incredible.”
This year, headliners at The Bamboozle include Bruno Mars, Motley Crue, Lil Wayne and Taking Back Sunday.
“This year’s lineup, to me, is one of the best that we’ve ever had,” D’Esposito says. “This is probably one for the fans, if I had to describe it as something, because a lot of the elements that led to this were the fans.”
Bamboozle kicks off at 6 p.m. April 29. First-night headliners include 30 Seconds to Mars, Wiz Khalifa, Boyz II Men, New Found Glory with Marky Ramone and LMFAO.
For a look at how Allentown’s music scene influenced what D’Esposito is doing now with The Bamboozle, read a story in Go Guide in Sunday’s The Morning Call.
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