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Records Confirm the Cost of Rahway's Summer Concert Series
A city contract shows $183,600 went to this year's Mayor's Summer Concert Series, after a council candidate's records request first raised the question.
Irving Street in downtown Rahway is shut down ahead of a Mayor’s Summer Concert Series performance. (The Central Jerseyan)
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Chris Howell | August 25, 2026
For the first time, city records show a detailed breakdown of how much Rahway spends on this year’s Mayor’s Summer Concert Series and other city-sponsored arts events, after questions about the cost surfaced on social media.
Alan Levy, a Republican candidate for city council, first cited the figure after filing a public records request. The Central Jerseyan has since independently confirmed it.
“The Contract states that $183,600 was paid to the Union County Performing Arts Center for the Summer Concert Series,” Levy wrote in a Facebook post. “Of course, that doesn’t state how much of that went to performers or other costs. Also it does not state what amount each performer got.”
Levy also questioned the city’s response to his request. He said officials told him UCPAC, not the city, holds records showing what individual performers were paid, and he called for more transparency from the administration.
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An invoice from UCPAC, submitted to the city in March, confirms the $183,600 figure. It’s the largest single line item among ten city-sponsored events UCPAC billed the city for this year, out of a total of $226,925. Other line items include the July 3rd Fireworks Concert at $22,900 and the Cherry Street Soiree at $3,700.
This year’s concert series runs Thursdays throughout August outside UCPAC’s Main Stage. The lineup includes country artist Niko Moon and Grammy-winning R&B group All-4-One, along with hip-hop acts Jim Jones, Maino, and Memphis Bleek. Past years have drawn similarly notable names, including Grammy-nominated R&B artist Brian McKnight in 2023 and platinum-selling Latin artist Frankie Negrón in 2025. The free outdoor series predates the current administration, tracing back to at least the tenure of former Mayor Samson Steinman.
The overall UCPAC contract funds the concert series alongside the city’s other events, and its size has shifted considerably over the years. Rahway Rising reported in May 2022 that the council had just awarded UCPAC a $220,000 contract, an amount the outlet said was roughly four times what the city had historically paid for downtown event assistance.
The outlet reported again in March 2024 that the contract had been renewed at $183,750. The cap rose to $210,000 in 2025, then to $230,000 this year, the highest total in at least four years.
The flyer for the 2026 Mayor’s Summer Concert Series. (Source: City of Rahway)
DJ Drewski, a HOT 97 radio host who also performs at this year’s concert series, defended the spending in a Facebook comment. Drewski, whose real name is Andrew Loffa, said his own industry connections helped the city land this year’s headliners at a reduced cost.
“I’ve spent 20 years building relationships in the music industry, and I personally made calls, asked for favors, and leaned on those relationships to help make this lineup happen without the normal price tag that comes with booking these artists,” Drewski wrote. “So yes, ask questions about where tax dollars go — we should! But in this particular case, I can confidently say my involvement and my relationships saved Rahway taxpayers money, not cost them more.”
Neither Drewski nor the city has specified how much individual performers were paid.
It also isn’t clear how much of the UCPAC contract went specifically to the concert series in years before this one. Itemized invoices for prior years weren’t available.
The Central Jerseyan sent the Mayor’s Office a request for comment.
Editor’s note: The Central Jerseyan is free to read and supported by advertising. If you value this kind of local reporting and want to help sustain it, you can become a citizen supporter on Patreon. Your contribution helps fund continued coverage of local government, schools, and community issues.
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