Bands scattered along the New Jersey shoreline are often faced with the burdensome task of playing a wide spread of events and providing an array of musical genres. On a given night, a band can be positioned on the dock of a waterfront bar, playing quiet, melodious yacht rock with acoustic instruments. That same band can have their name spread across the marquee of a hit bar the next evening, expected to bring a vibrating and rocking energy that attracts patrons ready to dance and have a great time.
While some bands wince at the difficult job of providing countless genres of music that space the decades, the E-Boro Bandits, a local event and bar band, have embraced all the demands that come with the local band territory.
The E-Boro Bandits, who were originally formed in 2006, pride themselves on the versatility that they can provide for public or private events, offering anywhere from a one to eight piece band and using a collection of standard and unique instruments such as the fiddle, pedal steel and different vocalists to offer a brawny 1,000 song repertoire.
The E-Boro Bandits have a penchant and specialty for 90’s country, classic rock, and the Grateful Dead. However; the crew can play anything and everything from Latin and Cuban hits all the way to Caribbean steel drums, Irish folk, children’s music, Jewish music, Hawaiian, bluegrass, classical string ensemble, classical guitar, jazz, funk, and disco.
Jonathan Kumfert, the founder of the group, grew up in Manalapan, wrestled at TCNJ, teaches in Middletown and has resided in Belmar for the last 17 years. As a guitarist and harmonicist in the band and a self admitted “Jersey guy,” Kumfert attributes the success of the crew to the breadth of music genres provided at their high energy shows.
“Part of the reason I think we have been getting a good following is because we do so many different genres and we are very passionate about the music we play,” Kumfert said. “A common theme is people coming up to me after the shows and saying ‘I cant believe how diverse your set was.’”
A START TO SOMETHING NEW
The recent spark in success that the E-Boro Bandits have experienced dates to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Mr. Kumfert founded Branded Music Group, an agency that books bands that play country, classic rock, weddings, and books solo musicians in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut.
While the world slowed down in the face of the pandemic, Kumfert saw an opportunity to bring light to the area, and he, along with fellow E-Boro Bandits, took to the streets of Belmar, biking through the borough and pulling up to residents’ homes to play a collection of hit tunes.
This, according to Kumfert, is when the crew really began to take off, and since, the band has been booked for private events like weddings and parties, public performances at hot spots including Headliner Night Club, Fox Hollow Winery, Donovans, B2 Bistro, Jacks by the Tracks and Maggie’s.
Along with booking events, the E-Boro Bandits welcome any and all musicians to their open mic night, where they both host and perform every Wednesday at the Headliner, located at 1401 NJ-35. Branded Music Group is also seeking the talents of full bands, fiddlers, bagpipers and solo singers to add to their list of available performers.
The E-Boro Bandits can be seen next this Sunday, March 19 at D’Jais nightclub, for a fundraiser that is looking to purchase a weatherproof concert piano that will be installed in Pyanoe Plaza in Belmar.
For a complete list of upcoming events where the E-Boro Bandits are playing, visit eborobandits.com. The home page of their website also provides a link to their Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram pages.
