Rockaway Comes Alive

By Lou Pastina

These past few weeks have been pretty amazing in Rockaway. With Hurricane Erin offshore bringing sweet breezes after that really hot, humid stretch, and those beautiful gigantic waves far from the shore, it’s been absolutely gorgeous here. Even with the beaches closed and people warned to stay out of the water (and for good reason too), it’s been life affirming to simply sit at the beach and stare out at the water.

But Rockaway’s physical beauty is not the only thing happening here. No mam, Rockaway’s creativity has been on full display. Recently, I have had the time to check out a few happenings and can recommend each to you. Here goes!

I wandered into the Rockaway Hotel to check out the Mighty Quinn, a family band anchored by keyboardist Larry Vedilago, his two sons, and nephew. The band was named by the kids’ centenarian grandmother, and she hit the mark. These guys play a lot of Grateful Dead, some Allman Brothers and a smattering of Beatles tunes too. They are young, talented and definitely worth seeing. The Quinns extended family can create quite a crowd all by themselves, but it’s a great vibe, and they keep getting better.

I have been trying to see the band Blackstone and finally got the opportunity at Tap That on the Boulevard. The only person I know in the band is veteran drummer Jim Cronin. He is worth the price of admission alone, but I was blown away by how good this band is. First off, I was impressed with their technical set-up, as they had their own soundman who controlled the PA, monitors and lights, and it made a big difference. Secondly, this band plays Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Outlaws like no other band in Rockaway. They are very well rehearsed and know their stuff; what a pleasure to hear them. I regretted not seeing them sooner but have now put them on my list for future gigs to see.

Right in our own backyard, I had the opportunity to see Bill Fleming play solo at Callie’s. This location is great for families with kids. It’s enclosed; the artificial turf allows the little ones to tumble about with no fear of cuts or bruises, while the adults enjoy the music. And the talented singer guitarist Bill Fleming puts on a great show. His technical guitar skills honed over years of playing are amazing to see up close. The mermaid and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Our only regret was not getting to hear Bill’s beautiful wife Annette sing, as we made our way to Shakespeare (more on that below). Not sure how long Bill will be in town, but if you get a chance to catch him solo, don’t miss it before he heads back to the west coast.

On Friday, I got to play myself at Pico with Bryan Fraser (of Rattrap Bumpkin fame) and singer songwriter John Simonelli. What a treat that was. Mr. Simonelli has recorded several original songs over the last decade and has played with several prominent bands both here and in Manhattan. Watching him navigate the fretboard sitting across from him is a real joy. And he doesn’t have to worry about me stealing any licks because he’s a lefty and I can’t figure out what he’s doing anyway. If you have never seen John perform, I would highly recommend catching his act too.

Lastly, I had the opportunity to catch the Shakespeare show at the Amphitheater at 94th Street of Romeo and Juliet. Not any easy piece to tackle, this production had many Rockaway luminaries acting and participating in managing and organizing. What a fun production this was, and what a nice turnout of people to see the troupe. I know they put in long hours rehearsing and practicing, and technically, the sound and lighting were impressive too. It reminded me of stories about the bungalows from the 1940s when vaudevillian actors would fill the courts with merriment and mayhem! This production brought a little bit of that back into Rockaway.

All these events were free by the way. Most of the talent are home grown Rockaway people who walk among us every day. How lucky are we to live here. I salute all the creatives who make life so much fun here. And I salute all the bars, restaurants, and establishments that foster and promote these events, musicians, actors and creatives. Rockaway really does come alive in the summer; hope you get out and get a taste!