Smithereens, Defending Champions Headline Concert For Murdered Student

The 1980s rock band The Smithereens and The Defending Champions, a band with big Verona roots, will be the headliners at the Sunday, November 30, concert to honor Brendan Tevlin, the nephew of two Verona families who was murdered this summer. Also playing are The Altman Brothers Band from Basking Ridge. WPLJ’s Todd Pettengill will be the emcee.

The Defending Champions were created by Verona High School graduates Matt Ryan and Dean Nevolis, and they play a mix of reggae, ska and rock at venues all around the tri-state area.

All proceeds of the “Concert For Brendan” will go to the Brendan P. Tevlin ’13 Memorial Field Fund at Tevlin’s alma mater, Seton Hall Prep. Tevlin, a 19-year-old college student from Livingston, was shot multiple times at the intersection of Northfield and Walker avenues in West Orange on Wednesday, June 25, just before midnight.

The concert will take place at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair. Tickets are $30 for the balcony or $50 for the floor and they are expected to sell out quickly. You can buy tickets online.

If you need an extra reason to attend this concert, here’s a clip of The Defending Champions’ “Lucky Man”: