By Matt Schickling
Wire Staff Writer
Comedy and rock ’n’ roll are usually paired by accident, but Hatboro resident Matt Beck has spent the last few months bringing them together for a purpose.
His effort, Hatboro’s first annual Rocktoberfest, takes place this weekend on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Tryzub-Ukrainian American Sports Center. It will include live music, stand-up comedy and locally-produced food and drink.
“I had heard the rotary was looking to bring a bandshell to the area for live entertainment and I wanted to think of some way to help them,” Beck, the event’s creator and organizer, said.
The event is meant to raise money to give back to the borough to contribute to ongoing beautification efforts, like the bandshell.
Beck moved to Hatboro 11 years ago after spending the first 30 years of his life in Northeast Philadelphia. He and his family quickly settled into the community-focused town in a way that he did not in his previous home.
“There, you could walk two blocks and you didn’t know anybody,” he said. “Here, when my kids are walking somewhere, there’s more than a dozen houses that know them. It’s a very safe and solid feeling.”
Beck found the same feeling amongst a group of stand-up comics that regularly performed at Puck, a Doylestown venue. A local comedy group called the LawnBoys hosts an open mic every Tuesday. There, Beck performed his own stand-up routine over the last year and a half or so.
Matt Lips, a member of the LawnBoys, is performing at Rocktoberfest alongside Alex Grubarb, who has gained notoriety in the area and performed multiple times at Philadelphia’s Helium Comedy Club. Beck will not perform, but he’s acting as MC for the night.
Beck, along with friend and musician Leo Ricobaldi have brought a similar community to Hatboro for a bi-weekly open mic including both comedy and music. It takes place every other Thursday at Towey’s Hatboro Tavern, 117 S. York Rd. The next open mic is Oct. 16, just a few days before the event.
Along with comedy acts, there will be three bands performing including the Rocktoberfest house band, R0ck40, which Ricobaldi put together and named for Hatboro’s zip code, 19040. The Space Masons and Cross Key Missionaries will also be playing.
“Here’s a comedian, here’s a band — let’s mix it up,” Tom Bilotta, Hatboro resident and member of Cross Key Missionaries, said. “We’re showing off what’s in Hatboro.”
Bilotta met Beck by happenstance. They were both in Crooked Eye Brewery in Hatboro one day, and Beck was talking to the owners about trying to book bands for Rocktoberfest. Bilotta entered the conversation, and got his band on the bill.
He describes the sound of Cross Key Missionaries as “folk with a punk rock feel.” In the past, all the members played in punk rock bands, and “it’s difficult to break from that,” Bilotta said. But they will be doing some oldies and rock covers mixed in with their originals at Rocktoberfest.
Crooked Eye Brewery and Hatboro Beverage will be supplying drinks and Old World Sausage, Nona’s and Lochel’s will be providing the food. All of these are Hatboro businesses.
“It’s food that’s produced by us, entertainment that’s from the area and it’s for the area,” Beck said. “This is by Hatboro, for Hatboro.”
Tickets for Rocktoberfest can be purchased in advance at the Hatboro Chamber of Commerce for $30 or at the door for $35. For more information, visit www.hatboro-pa.com.
