September 20, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
The upcoming Annual Mad Love Music Festival -- a lively one-day outdoor celebration for the entire family hosted by South Shore Conservatory -- is back again this year, bigger and better than ever and all for a worthwhile cause.
2022 marks the eighth year of the event, which will feature an exciting lineup of musicians, food trucks, craft beer, and children's activities on Sunday, Oct. 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Jane Carr Amphitheater.
Proceeds from the festival benefit SSC's Dave Jodka Scholarship for Future Rockers, which is open to high school students living on the South Shore. The event will be held rain or shine.
While Dave's first love was rock and roll, the festival will feature a mix of different types of music. This year’s line-up of crowd-pleasing performers includes Coyote Island, The Aldous Collins Band, The Quins, Gracie Grace & All The Good Boys, Chase Stebbins and the Only Knowns, and Overnight (Mad Love’s Student Scholarship Band).
The annual festival was established in 2015 by the Jodka family after Dave, an incredible father and musician, passed away from cancer at the age of 44. The festival was founded to celebrate Dave’s life and to create a legacy to share his love of music and to inspire future generations of musicians through great rock and roll.
"When we approached South Shore Conservatory about creating the festival and holding it here, they -- as such community supporters and educators of young musicians -- embraced the idea with open hearts," Dave's wife and festival founder Kathleen Jodka told the Hingham Anchor.
"Dave had a passion for life, fun, music, and family and friends," she said. "He was incredibly hardworking but believed in having just as much fun as well."
The "Mad Love" in the festival's name relates to Kathleen and Dave's and their four children's (Clare, Andrew, Conor, and Matthew) practice of signing notes to each other with the words "mad love."
The scholarship -- which enables students from all backgrounds to experience the love of music that Dave inspired in his family and in his life -- also covers all the expenses associated with performing in a band and the costs of a coach and other professionals who help the students truly develop as a band.
The scholarship funded the regionally known band, Toast, and now supports the second generation of the Mad Love house band – Overnight.
A major benefit to those who are granted scholarships is that these young musicians learn all facets of a rock band -- including designing merch, setting up gigs, songwriting, recording, and more as they pursue their love of rock music, which was Dave's passion.
"Dave really loved rock and roll, especially the 1980s "hair band"-type music -- the louder the guitars, the bigger the hair, and the crazier the stage show, the better," Jodka said.
Past scholarship recipients have pursued their passion for music at Berklee College of Music and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, among others.
Jodka and her children are looking forward to participating in the Oct. 9 event.
The festival is a nice way for them to get excited about a season that sometimes weighs heavily on their hearts "and to share how Dave lived his life as well as to celebrate the community and music. This event really boosts community spirit,” she said.
Jodka realizes that her family is not the only one to have experienced loss. "What I love about the festival is that others who are saddened about the loss of a loved one can hopefully find their own sense of healing, joy, and celebration through this event," she said.
Mad Love Music Festival tickets are $35 for adults, $20 for students, and $10 for children. VIP tickets are also available for $100 in addition to a $50 virtual rocker ticket for fans to support Mad Love, even if they are unable to attend.
To purchase tickets, make a donation, learn more about the festival and volunteer opportunities, or to become a sponsor, visit www.madlovemusicfestival.com.