Birth of an 80s Band: ACTION PARK
Joe & Jon Co-Partners
Joe and Jon first met at Magee’s Bar in Wayne, NJ May 2022 over a burger and beers to discuss Joe’s idea of an all 80s show. Joe had a successful teen and college band in the 1980s but quit music all together in 1992. Jon, a veteran keyboardist, and vocalist and kept his music chops up over the decades with local bands. Jon loved what he heard, from the song selection, the costumes, the skits, and he loved one of the show names Joe proposed, “ACTION PARK … wow, that’s it “ John said! Jon notes, “Not only would I get to play the best era’s music, but Joe asked me to direct a show, and be a co—partner in band that took music seriously, but not themselves. Joe notes, “I saw Jon play keyboards, he was a showman waiting for a show, a pure entertainer without an outlet. I figured, if he didn’t like what I wanted to do, then nobody would. Joe sates, “We work well together, our voices, our ideas, and talents really give this band a personality, different from other acts, and it makes the whole experience of this show an 80s delight for the audience creating a show that will make you smile, laugh, and dance.”
Joe Gills (Joe Gilligan) “Mr Entertainment” “The Band Leader”
AKA: John Bender ( The Breakfast Club)
Class of 1986, Lakeland Regional Lancers, Wanaque, NJ
Co-Founder- Lead Singer, Back up Guitarist, backup keys
In 2022 Gills returned to the live stage after a 30-year pause. As a teen in the 1980s, Joe was the front man for the Jersey Cruisers, a locally popular teen rock band performing hundreds of shows and appeared on the Jerry Lewis telethon. Joe went to Nashville for recording engineering and later co-created The Slap 5’s,a zany original country band, playing CBGB’s .His way back to music was in 2019 when he began hosting “The King of Smule” on the Smule app which he has over 9000 international fans .
At the actual Action Park of the 1980s, Joe suffered a few abrasions the two times he attended but recalls at age 12. At Action Park, like life, “You Enter At Your Own Risk, it was like a fraternity party, underage drinking with the bonus of extremely dangerous water rides”
Joe notes, “The band and I hope you feel like a teenager again at our shows, have some laughs, put on your dancing shoes, drink beers (legally) & party like its 1985!” No curfew!
Jon Weisgal “The Musical Director”
AKA: Goose Bradshaw (Top Gun)
Class of 1987, Tenafly Tigers, Tenafly, NJ
The producer & musical director of Action Park
Co-founder, co-Lead singer and keyboardist:
Jon has dusted off the keyboards and is ready to relive his youth! A teen from the 80s, Jon has been playing all types of keys since he was 7 – from Rock to Jazz to Fusion. Prior to Action Park, Jon has played in numerous musical projects including, playing with Action Park guitarist, Darren Lolk as teens , along with John Popper and with the legendary Frankie Avalon. Most recently, he served as lead singer and keyboardist for Up The Dosage.
Of laudable note, his only sustained childhood injury at Action Park. He was a bruised sternum on the Surf Hill waterslide. Jon says the Action Park Band is only good times and wild adventures
Darren Lolk “ The Fabulous” “El-Lolko”
AKA: Marty McFly (Back To the Future)
Class of 1987, Tenafly Tigers, Tenafly, NJ
Founding Member June 2022 Lead Guitarist, Vocals, Keyboards
EPIC Records/ Recording Artist “D-Smooth”.. aka Darren Lolk started out playing guitar in bands with Jon Weisgal at Tenafly High School in the 1980s. He later joined Hip Hop sensation “Smokin’ Suckas wit Logic” signing with Epic Records and toured the USA from 1990-1994 to support the album. The band received MTV airplay. In 94, Darren headed off to Los Angeles and played all the legendary Rock bars on the Sunset Strip with his Latin influenced band “Malpache” , the Rock band “Joker 5 Speed .” He later joined two Who touring tribute bands “ Whooligans” and “WhoLive” and toured the USA, Canada, Germany and England. He even opened up Blue Oyster Cult and saw the famous cowbell.
Paul Finbow:
AKA: Ivan Drago (Rocky IV)
Class of 1980 Colchester, Essex, England (UK)
Joined June 2023, Drums, Vocals, Percussion
Paul joined Action Park in June of 2023 . Paul played with numerous acts in England including the Flying Heroes in the early 80s and recorded on the the JKM record label (Elton John’s Label) He came to America in 1985 and has appeared in many successful local bands such as The UnBrothers . Paul has acted and been a voice over artist in the past.
Chris Krempa
AKA: Dr. Peter Venkman (Ghostbusters)
Class of 1987 Marist High, Royal Knights, Bayonne
Joined June 2024, Bass Guitar
Chris is no stranger to 80s music, having played in bands since the mid-1980s. Krempa has been with well-known local groups including Backtalk, Group Therapy, That’s What She Said, and Bing Bang Boom!