Rock out to Matt O’Ree’s ‘Black Boots,’ then Rock the Farm to help addicts recover

There's something to be said for the healing power of music.

Matt O'Ree and Eryn Shewell joined New Jersey 101.5's Bill Spadea in the studio to perform their original song 'Black Boots' and promote Rock The Farm, an all-day music and food truck festival at Brookdale Community College to benefit CFC Loud N Clear.

CFC provides addiction recovery and sober living services, including counseling and social programs devoted to helping people live ambitious, enjoyable, fulfilling lives without substances.

O'Ree — who recently toured with Bon Jovi — told Spadea he first met the Jersey rock band's keyboard player, David Bryan, at a bar in Red Bank. The two hit it off, and when Bon Jovi needed a band to accompany it on the tour, O'Ree got the audition.

But O'Ree made perhaps an even more meaningful connection, when, after Bryan invited him to a Christmas party, O'Ree hooked up with CFC.

CFC's story is a personal, touching one — co-founder Daniel Regan's life was spiraling out of control, having overdosed several times as he fell deeper and deeper into addiction to heroin and other substances. It was only when his mother flew out to California, kicked in the door of a crack house where he was staying and forced him to get help that he began to get better.

Together, hey developed an aftercare system that focused as much on socialization and enjoyable living as it did on more traditional avenues to recovery. That eventually became CFC, located at the group's farm in Farmingdale.

Also in the studio with Bill Wednesday, Regan said he's continuing to advocate for changes to New Jersey law he believes could help advocates — including measures to provide more treatment beds and to force those taken for emergency medical treatment to get continuing care.

"The harder part about it is getting people there and forcing them to get there," he said. "Once they get there, they're usually OK."

Rock the Farm will feature more than nine hours of music across several stages, 25 food trucks, a kid zone, yoga and fitness lessons and plenty of local crafts. The event is rain or shine at Brookdale Community College from 1 to 10 p.m. Aug. 27, with tickets normally ranging from $50 to $60 (kids under 10 are admitted free). But use discount code "101.5," at RockTheFarmNJ.com, and get your tickets for just $35.

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