Camden County’s Sound of Music
Ask Jeff Nash how long he has been a Camden County commissioner, and he laughs.
“One hundred and thirty-nine years.”
Actually, it has been 33 years, so Nash is, um, seasoned. He has been around long enough to see the county’s collection of music series grow from humble starts to extremely popular events.
And he won’t forget the time he met Peter Frampton. The British rocker played Camden’s July 4 celebration in 2000, and Nash was excited to connect with the man whose 1976 live album Frampton Comes Alive has sold more than eight million copies. But when the time came, Nash was a little confused.
“I looked for the guy on the album cover with the long hair,” he says. “He was balder than I was.”
Nash may have been disappointed that time had diminished one of his rock-n-roll heroes—or at least his hair—but he is certainly not upset about the concerts, which draw tens of thousands to venues across the county every year.
“People can come out on a beautiful night with a lawn chair and enjoy music with some great ambiance,” Nash says. “There are food trucks and vendors.
“Property values in Camden County have exploded, and part of that is making sure the park system is immaculate. The concerts help the quality of life, and we have perfect venues. Residents can leave their houses, walk to the parks and enjoy free entertainment. From all reports I have received from the various corners of the county, people are happy with the concerts.”
The county sponsors a variety of concert series, and just about every resident can find something they would like to hear.
“Variety is very important,” Nash says. “There is something for everyone.”
Summer Sounds Across the County
At Wiggins Park, which has tremendous views of the Philadelphia skyline, there is the annual Sunset Jazz Series, which has brought local and national acts since 1992. Singer-songwriters rule at Haddon Lake Park during the Sundown Music Series, a partnership with alternative radio station WXPN.
The Twilight Concert Series at Cooper River Park has hosted major names at Jack Curtis Stadium, while other venues include:
- New Brooklyn Park – Winslow Township
- Lindenwold Park – Lindenwold
- Lions Park – Waterford
- Connolly Park – Voorhees
- Leanna Harris Park – Chesilhurst
Because the concerts are free, families can easily find entertainment that suits them. Nash recalls a Taylor Swift tribute concert at Cooper River that was a massive hit with young girls.
“Parents would have had to pay thousands of dollars for their daughters to see Taylor Swift’s real tour,” Nash says. “The singer at our show looked like Taylor Swift and sounded like Taylor Swift. Parents said their kids didn’t know it was not Taylor Swift. They were all there jumping around.”
“That’s why the variety is great. We have something for the five-year-old who thinks she’s seeing Taylor Swift and for me, who was listening to Todd Rundgren [in June].”
Big-name artists over the years have included David Crosby, Pat Benatar, The Doobie Brothers, America, Kansas, Foreigner, and Joan Jett. Jazz/R&B acts like Jeffrey Osborne, The Brubeck Brothers, Spiro Gyra, Kenny G, and The Sugar Hill Gang have graced Wiggins Park.
2025 Lineup Highlights
The 2025 lineup is equally exciting. Alongside Rundgren in June, Cooper River Park will feature:
- Tiffany – Mid-July
- Yacht Rock Gold – Smooth summer staples
- 4 Peace of Mind – Tribute to Foreigner and Boston (Late August)
Stanley Clarke, a four-time Grammy winner, will perform at Wiggins Park in late August. Two weeks later, Ruben Studdard—“American Idol” winner—will offer a tribute to Luther Vandross.
The Sundown Series features Joan Osborne in August and punk pioneer Bob Mould two weeks prior. And that’s just the start—there’s music for every taste across the county’s summer schedule.
“It’s just a great experience, and it’s easily accessible to the Camden Waterfront,” Nash says. “It draws thousands of county residents.”
Roland Traynor’s Legacy
In 1972, Roland Traynor was two years removed from military service when he took advantage of the Emergency Employment Act for veterans and began working for Camden County.
“They handed us a stick with a nail on the end of it, and we picked up trash, cleaned out brush and got tons of poison ivy,” he says. “We created parkland acreage at a time when it had been left unattended.”
Little did he know that one day, a stage would be named in his honor.
“It was overwhelming,” he says. But absolutely deserved. In 2023, the county dedicated the Wiggins Waterfront River Stage to Traynor.
“It was a wonderful night,” he says. “It was very emotional.”
During his 39-year tenure with the county, Traynor helped build the concert series into a signature event for thousands. Though he retired in 2011, he remains involved as a consultant, helping to book acts each year.
From Modest to Massive
The concerts began in the late ’70s, “on a low-key scale,” Traynor says. A portable stage inside a tractor-trailer hosted string bands and old-school performers like the Glenn Miller Orchestra and Buddy Rich.
“The shows were geared toward senior citizens,” he says, with acts like the Shirelles and The Dovells.
Everything changed in the late ’90s when Traynor and the county partnered with WMGK-FM to bring America to Cooper River Park on July 4. “We went into a whole new era,” Traynor says.
Since then, July 4 concerts in Camden County have featured Cheap Trick, Paul Rodgers of Bad Company, and in 2024, The Spinners brought crowds dancing to Wiggins Park.
Jazz, Sunsets & Vibes
Traynor believes music is the best way to bring people together. One of his proudest ideas was creating the Sunset Jazz Series. Standing in Wiggins Park, he first thought to call it the Skyline Series, gazing at Philadelphia. But realizing the show was about New Jersey, he looked west instead. “It’s been the Sunset Jazz Series ever since.”
Traynor admits jazz was foreign to him—“I’m a Motown and classic rock guy.” But after a visit from Frank Tiberi, leader of the Woody Herman Orchestra, who offered help finding acts, Camden County partnered with WRTI-FM to promote and book the series.
It’s all added up to an annual music bonanza in Camden County.
“There’s a vibe of appreciation, and the lineup is the most anticipated piece of mail people receive—next to a refund check,” Traynor says.
And certainly, easier to dance to.
