CLOSE
Events

by -
0 1038
1 of 5
From left, Kool Rock-Ski accepts LIMEHOF’s induction of The Fat Boys from EPMD’s Erick Sermon and Public Enemy’s DJ Johnny Juice. Photo courtesy of LIMEHOF
Photo from LIMEHOF
Kurtis Blow, another LIMEHOF inductee, has a personal connection to The Fat Boys, as he produced their first two albums.
Photo from LIMEHOF
Photo from LIMEHOF

Hip-hop group The Fat Boys was recently inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (LIMEHOF) at its newly opened museum location in Stony Brook on Aug. 6. Kool Rock-Ski (Damon Wimbley), the last surviving member of The Fat Boys, accepted the induction in person from hip-hop legend and LIMEHOF inductee Erick Sermon of EPMD. Public Enemy’s DJ Johnny Juice (also a LIMEHOF inductee) was also on hand to show support and speak about the group. 

“It’s definitely an honor on behalf of the group, two members who are no longer here,” Kool Rock-Ski said. “To accept this on their behalf is huge, because they brought so much to the culture. Their legacy lives on with an award like this. We got to the pinnacle of our success—and we got there the hard way, by doing a lot of hard work.”

The Fat Boys rose to fame in the 1980s, where they pioneered their influential beatbox style of hip-hop music. The group was from East New York in Brooklyn and included “Prince Markie Dee” (Mark Morales), “Kool Rock-Ski” (Damon Wimbley), and “Buff Love” (Darin Robinson). They would heavily influence hip-hop culture through beatbox, comedic charisma, and rhymes. The trio released seven studio albums, four of which went gold by RIAA. In addition to their music, they went on to star in three feature films: Krush Groove, Knights of the City, and Disorderlies.  

The Fat Boys had several successful singles which included “Stick ‘Em,” “Can You Feel It,” “The Fat Boys Are Back,” “Wipe Out,” “Fat Boys,” and “Jail House Rap,” to name a few. Throughout their career, they participated in several tours, one of which was Fresh Fest. And despite having eventually broken up as a group, each of the three members maintained a strong brotherhood. The Fat Boys is credited as having had a strong influence on the development and growing popularity of hip-hop. 

“The Fat Boys introduced the beatbox, to the world and the song they made was funky to me,” said EPMD’s Erick Sermon, himself a LIMEHOF inductee, when he officially inducted The Fat Boys on stage. “I’m honored to do this because my memories of my kitchen on that ledge was playing The Fat Boys album.” 

Kurtis Blow, another LIMEHOF inductee, has a personal connection to The Fat Boys, as he produced their first two albums. 

“The Fat Boys being inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is so well deserved,” Blow said in a written statement which congratulated the group on this honor. “These young men were talented and passionate about their craft at a very young age. Producing The Fat Boys was one the highlights of my career. Rest in peace, Buffy (the Human Beatbox Master) and Prince Markie Dee (Mark Morales). I will never forget you, and you are greatly missed. Continue to carry the torch, Kool Rock-Ski!”

LIMEHOF has long recognized the unique talent and contributions that Long Island artists brought to the hip-hop genre. Notable hip-hop inductees include LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Kurtis Blow, Whodini, Salt-N-Pepa, and EPMD. Earlier this year, LIMEHOF held an event to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop which had a strong participation and turn out from Long Island artists.

“This historic induction—coupled with our recent 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop Concert—cements Long Island’s legacy as one of the most important regions in the country for contributing to hip-hop’s long-term success,” said Ernie Canadeo, LIMEHOF Chairman.  

“Inducting The Fat Boys into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is a tribute to their enduring influence—recognizing their role in shaping the genre and inspiring generations,” said Tom Needham, LIMEHOF Vice Chairman and longtime host of the “Sounds of Film” radio show, and who organized the induction event.

At the induction ceremony, Kool Rock-Ski announced that he is working on a documentary film about The Fat Boys and intends to hold the premiere at LIMEHOF when it’s released. 

For more information about events and future inductions, visit www.limusichalloffame.org/museum/. 

by -
0 3683
Robin Wilson Photo from LIMEHOF

By Kevin Redding

As a teenaged self-taught singer and “bedroom songwriter” in Tempe, Arizona, Robin Wilson would comb through ads of local bands in the paper—dreaming about being in one someday. The powerful yet tender voice he’d honed, mostly in his room and car, ultimately landed him in a new band that was blowing up in Tempe called Gin Blossoms.

Not long after that, the group found major mainstream success. Throughout the 90s, Gin Blossoms’ catchy harmonies and jangle guitar-driven pop rock dominated the airwaves with massive hits like “Hey Jealousy,” “Follow You Down,” “Found Out About You,” “Til I Hear It From You,” “Allison Road,” and “As Long As It Matters.” 

Wilson and his bandmates had music videos on MTV, became mainstays on late night shows, and were nominated for a Grammy. They’ve not only contributed to the soundtracks for such movies as Wayne’s World 2, Empire Records, and Speed, but for many people’s lives. 

On Aug. 25, Wilson will be inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook Village. He’s bounced between Arizona and Valley Stream since the mid-90s, but says he became a full-time Long Islander in 2001 and even more so over quarantine. 

TBR News Media had the opportunity to interview Wilson by phone last Sunday as the singer/songwriter took a trip down memory lane.

What does this induction mean to you?

It makes me very proud and it’s really great to be part of the “Big Rock Story” and to know that we’ve had the same sort of impact that so many of my favorite groups did. I was just onstage last night [in Reynoldsburg, Ohio] looking out at 6,000 people who all know the words to a song I wrote in my bedroom and I was thinking, ‘Ya know, we really did great. Nobody thought we could still be doing it this long.’ And here we are 35 years later…I’m very gratified and grateful that I still get to do this for a living. It’s bewildering to me.

We got inducted into the Arizona Hall of Fame back in 2017 alongside the Meat Puppets, one of my favorite bands. I still just shake my head in disbelief because one minute you’re a teenager going to open mic nights and thinking ‘God I hope someday I can be in a band that plays this bar’ and now we’re among the most successful acts to ever come out of our homestate, alongside Jimmy Eat World and Alice Cooper. 

More than anything else, I’m really proud for my family here. It really feels like their achievement and it means the world to me that so many of them are going to be there for the ceremony. My son’s band is rehearsing and his biggest influences all come from the 90s.

What was it like to be a rock band in the 90s?

There were so many great moments where we knew we were accomplishing something very rare. Most of it was the grind of doing the work and being a touring rock band…it’s only with the perspective of time that you realize how grandly we succeeded. We’re going on tour in a couple weeks with some of my all time favorite bands to tour with: Fastball, Tonic, and Sugar Ray. We’ve been on these package tours with Lit and Everclear and Smash Mouth and none of them have done “Saturday Night Live.” 

We performed at the American Music Awards and I got to front KISS on Letterman! There was a lot of diversity [in the 90s] but the bands that survived as the soundtrack of those times were delivering high quality music and really great, memorable songs. I think certainly the key to our success has been having really good songs.

How did you come to join the band?

As I was finally forming my first band with my best friend, Gin Blossoms called and asked me in for an audition. They had only been playing out for a few months but as soon as they hit the local scene, they were a big deal. I already knew our bass player, Bill Leen, and our original guitar player/songwriter Doug Hopkins [who penned many of their early hits and passed away in 1993]. We all went to high school together. They were a few years ahead of me, but they were the only kids that had a band and putting out records. I was listening to Bill’s and Doug’s music since I was like 15. 

Bill and Doug had heard me sing at a couple of parties so when they needed somebody for Gin Blossoms, I got the call. I auditioned on a Wednesday, they gave me the job that night, we rehearsed on Thursday, and then we did three days of shows that weekend, Friday-Sunday. I was playing rhythm guitar and they’d let me sing a couple tunes. Jesse Valenzuela [Gin Blossoms’ guitar player] was the lead singer. I got the job because he and I sounded so good together; it was really special right from the beginning. 

A few months in, Jesse said, “You and I are gonna switch. I’m gonna be the guitar player and you’re gonna be the lead singer.” I was just blown away. In the history of rock and roll, has a lead singer ever done that? It was just such good fortune and destiny…the right place at the right time with the right skillset.

What’s your favorite song to play live?

Doug started the band with this incredible batch of songs, including “Found Out About You,” so it was easy for me to just step in and sing them. And then there were a handful of songs he and I wrote together. The only one of them we ended up recording was “Hold Me Down” [off their 1992 LP “New Miserable Experience”] and that one’s really special to me. Playing the hits is very gratifying too. There’s a song I wrote for our last record called “Break” and it’s great to see them react to it and to know it’s a song that holds up to the rest of our catalog.

What was it like bringing your own songs to the band?

Being in Gin Blossoms with seasoned composers, it helped me to raise my [songwriting] game at an accelerated pace. It wasn’t until I wrote “Allison Road” that the whole band seemed to realize I was approaching their level as a songwriter. Earlier this year, our hometown of Tempe honored us by renaming a street Allison Road.

What’s the strangest bill the band has been on?

[Laughs] We did a show once with Missing Persons, MC Hammer, Joe Walsh, and Toto. And it was just like, ‘How did we end up on this bill?!’ Missing Persons was on before us and MC Hammer was on after us. That was like 12 years ago or something.

In honor of Empire Records, if you were in a record shop right now, what would you be looking for?

My favorite band right now is called White Reaper. They’re one of the best bands of their generation and I love them to death. If I walked in right now, I’d be looking for White Reaper on vinyl. My favorite band of the last couple decades is The Darkness, and I’m excited they’re going to be performing in Tempe in October and so my son and I are going to home to Arizona at a club I’ve played a bunch of times to see them. Another great rock band I love is called Volbeat.

What’s it like being a rock star on Long Island?

This is the first time since winter that I’ll be home here on Long Island for more than five days. I’m home until the Hall of Fame induction and then I leave town the day after that and I’ll be gone for about six weeks. But I have until the 26th to actually be in the same place so I’m fixing to make the most of it, spend time making the racket down in the basement in our new studio, exercising. I played a lot of video games during the pandemic. I bought a Switch and I love that system.

A few years ago, when the pandemic hit, that’s when I really got to meet my neighbors, and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re in a band, huh?’ I’m like ‘Yeah’ and they’re like ‘Well, you keep at it!’ And then a few months later, the neighbor will come up and be like ‘Holy ___, apparently my brother has your record!’

It took me a while to get used to living here, but I’m finally a citizen. And I’m the only guy on Long Island who flies an Arizona flag on his front porch.

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, 97 Main St., Stony Brook will hold an induction ceremony for Robin Wilson on Friday, Aug. 25 from 7 to 10 p.m. Wilson will perform with special guests on the Exhibit Hall stage as part of the evening’s ceremony. Tickets are $40, $35 members at www.limusichalloffame.org or by calling 631-689-5888.

by -
0 788
AHOY MATEY! Visit with pirates at this year's festival. File photo by Aidan Johnson/TBR News Media

By Julianne Mosher 

Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson will turn into a pirate’s paradise this weekend and it’ll make visitors want to shake their “booty.”

On Saturday, Aug. 19, singers from around the world will head to the Village to share the gift of song, and some history, with tunes that came straight from the seas, as part of the 3rd annual Port Jefferson Sea Shanty & Maritime Music Festival.

Amy Tuttle, program director of the Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council (GPJAC), said that the free event brings in local sea shanty singers and others from all over New England, Canada, and even the UK. From noon until dusk, visitors can sit and sing along in Harborfront Park, located at 101-A East Broadway, or they might catch glimpses of a few street singers walking around town. 

“Port Jefferson was a shipbuilding community,” Tuttle said. “A lot of the captains and ship builders lived in these very houses that are still standing.”

Tuttle added that over a century ago, Port Jefferson was one of the largest shipbuilding communities in the state. Not only were a large number of big boats created right on these docks, but a huge number of small, wooden boats, as well. 

“Sea shanties were work songs developed by people who worked on and who built the ships,” she said. “They could be considered one of the first genres of world music —wherever there was a port, there would be different influences. It’s really interesting.”

And to really bring the vibe of early century Port Jefferson, across the park at Bayles Boat Shop, which is part of the Long Island Seaport and Eco Center (LISEC) and a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of maritime history on Long Island, will be hosting its annual Sikaflex Quick and Dirty Boat Build. 

Now in its 12th year, the event allows would-be boat designers and builders to have a weekend of fun and showcase their creative skills and talents. Using only a provided supply of plywood, plastic cable ties, and Sikaflex/sealant, two member teams must build, paint and then paddle their design around the village dock in Port Jefferson Harbor located just offshore of Harborfront Park.

Several two-person teams will have five hours on Saturday and return on Sunday to decorate their boats and prepare to race them at 3 p.m. Trophies will be awarded after the races for design, decoration, first built and race winners. “People will be able to watch the boats being built, listen to music and sing along,” Tuttle said. 

Port Jefferson hosted the first Sea Shanty & Maritime Music Festival in 2021. Tuttle said that for many years, Mystic CT would host a Sea Shanty Festival, but unfortunately, it was discontinued. In the time passing, she heard from many of the artists looking for other places to sing their songs, so the GPJAC partnered with the Village of Port Jefferson and the Folk Music Society of New York to bring this whaling town back to its roots.

Featured performers will include John Roberts, David Jones, David Littlefield, Bonnie & Dan Milner, Heather Wood, Joseph Morneault, Geoff Kaufman, and Deirdre Murtha and Alan Short — plus a grand finale concert featuring all the musicians at around 6 p.m. Pirates at Large will be at the “pirate camp” outside the Village Center in character, singing along, too.

“Each year this gets a little bit bigger and we’re so excited to bring it back again,” Tuttle said. “There’s nothing else like it.” For more information, visit www.gpjac.org.

by -
0 447
1 of 4
A scene from the 2023 East Northport Fireman’s Fair. Photo by Sofia Levorchick
A scene from the 2023 East Northport Fireman’s Fair. Photo by Sofia Levorchick
A scene from the 2023 East Northport Fireman’s Fair. Photo by Sofia Levorchick
A scene from the 2023 East Northport Fireman’s Fair. Photo by Sofia Levorchick

By Sofia Levorchick

The annual East Northport Fireman’s Fair brought many together during four days of festivities over the past week. 

The fairgrounds, located within the East Northport Fire Department’s green and parking lot, were bustling with excitement as families, friends and individuals of all ages came together to enjoy the featured array of carnival rides, games and food options.

On Friday, Aug. 4, despite concerns of rain in the forecast, the fair had drawn a sizable crowd. Animated screams could be heard from the carnival rides as children and adults fostered an ambiance of pure joy. 

Bruce Grant, coordinator of the fair and member of the East Northport Chamber of Commerce, mentioned that Friday had an impressive attendance, but the other days had seen even larger crowds, likely due to more favorable weather. The popular parade was held Wednesday evening, Aug. 2.

“Wednesday was really full, especially with the parade and all the local departments attending – even ones from Nassau,” Grant said.

Conducted for 80 years, the fair has remained a beloved East Northport tradition that enables firefighters across the Island to volunteer to make the event a success. Their duties included, but were not limited to, distributing and selling food, managing carnival games and overseeing raffles. Notably, the raffle on Saturday night had a grand prize of $5,000.

“We want to raise money to fund the fire department and also give to other charities,” Grant said of the event’s aims. 

Attending these fun-filled festivities was free, though immersing oneself in the various thrills of the carnival required a $35 charge.

Among the attendees was a family partaking in the event for the first time with their toddler, who rode the carousel and happily, with a snow cone in hand, exclaimed that she had so much fun.

Grant suggested that the fair serves as a reminder of how a community can gather with fun and a spirit of celebration, all while working toward a shared goal — to support the fire department and give back to those in need. 

“The fair is not for profit,” Grant added. “It’s to help the community and our members.”

 

by -
0 828
Meet Jeff Corwin at the Smithtown Performing Arts Center on Aug. 27.

By Melissa Arnold

‘We cannot protect what we do not cherish, and we will not cherish what we do not know…’ — Jeff Corwin

Jeff Corwin has been a vocal and passionate advocate for wildlife and the natural world since the 1990s. The celebrated biologist and conservationist is a recognizable face on television, hosting shows including Disney Channel’s Going Wild, Animal Planet’s The Jeff Corwin Experience, and more recently, Ocean Treks and Wildlife Nation on ABC.

From a cobra festival in India and unexplored jungles in South America, to the African savanna and beyond, Corwin continues to teach audiences that our incredible world deserves protection.

On Aug. 27, Jeff Corwin will partner with Sweetbriar Nature Center to share stories from his adventures around the world and highlight the challenges faced by a variety of endangered species.

The special event, held at the newly renovated Smithtown Performing Arts Center (SPAC), will serve as a wonderful education event hosted by Sweetbriar, a not-for-profit corporation. 

“The Smithtown Performing Arts Center board is always seeking out opportunities to help out community-based nonprofits and share our beautiful, historic space.” said Michael Mucciolo, board president for SPAC. “Our theater has a long history of attracting families with young kids, and I think they’ll have a wonderful time seeing something they’ve never seen before and learning from such an expert like Jeff.”

Sweetbriar Nature Center is situated on 54 acres of garden, woodland, field and wetland habitats on the Nissequogue River. Hundreds of species of plants and animals call the center home — many arrived as part of their extensive wildlife rehabilitation program.

“Everything that we do here is for the benefit of the animals,” said Janine Bendicksen, curator and wildlife rehabilitation coordinator for the center. “Many of the animals that get brought in to us are often at death’s door, sick enough that they allow a human to pick them up. About half of them are successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild, which is fantastic.”

A lot of the patients they receive have similar stories, Bendicksen explained. A concerned member of the community might stumble upon an injured animal on their property or while out on a hike and contact their local Animal Control department, which then reaches out to Sweetbriar.

Whether it’s a wounded eagle on a bike trail or a couple of rabbits playing chase in a mechanic’s garage, the staff at Sweetbriar have seen just about everything.

Around 100 of Sweetbriar’s permanent residents are animals that are permanently injured or otherwise unreleasable. A few birds, including a great horned owl named Lily, have been there longer than Bendicksen has — more than 20 years.

Bendicksen studied fine art and art history, eventually finding her way to Sweetbriar as curator. In addition to her work with rehabilitation, she is responsible for creating art displays and supervising creative projects around the property.

“I was one of those kids who people were always bringing their animals to, and I tried my best to help them. Sweetbriar hits on everything that makes me happy,” she said.

The center’s educational team works hard to instill that same wonder and love of nature in people of all ages. This is especially evident during the summer, when hundreds of children from around Long Island come to the center for weeklong enrichment programs or day visits.

Throughout the school year, Sweetbriar also host field trips, opportunities for families, and in-school presentations.

The dual mission of education and rehabilitation is what makes Jeff Corwin the ideal guest speaker for the event, said Sweetbriar board member Maureen Calamia.

“Jeff has a great reputation and deep care for wildlife, especially those species that are borderline extinct. His enthusiasm is such an asset,” she said.

With only four dedicated staff members, Sweetbriar relies on the ongoing support of volunteers and donors. 

“A lot of people unfortunately don’t know what’s going on in their own backyard, or how to treat nature or wildlife. Sweetbriar does a tremendous service through their programming, both in person and also through their social media, which has a global following,” Calamia said. “They are great stewards, and everyone knows to turn to them if there’s an animal in need. This event is a wonderful way to support their hard work.”

“Tales from the Field with Jeff Corwin” will be held on Sunday, Aug. 27 at the Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 East Main Street, Smithtown at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at www.sweetbriarnc.org or at www.smithtownpac.org. This event is made possible by a grant from the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning.

Sweetbriar is always in need of donations and volunteers, regardless of experience or skills. Visit their website or call 631-979-6344 learn how you can help.

by -
0 444
RUN FOR A GREAT CAUSE Bethel Hobbs Farm in Centereach hosts the 9th annual Run the Farm race on Aug. 12. File photo by Kyle Barr/TBR News Media
Thursday August 10

Atelier Art Reception

The Atelier at Flowerfield invites the community to an opening reception for its Masterworks Art Exhibit at Atelier Hall 2 Flowerfield, Suite 6 and 9, St. James from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. featuring the talents of Atelier’s resident instructors Anthony Davis, Beth Drucker, Bill Graf, Daveen Herley, Denis Ponsot, Diana O’Brien, James Beihl, Jane McGraw-Teubner, Jenny Kim, Linda Catucci, Liz Fusco, Randall DiGiuseppe and RJ Gowdie. The show runs through Oct. 5.  631-250-9009

Summer SWAP Concert

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook continues its free “Summer Stage With a Purpose” (Summer SWAP) concerts on its front lawn from 6 to 8 p.m. with the Melanie Marod Ensemble. Guests may purchase refreshments in the Basie Garden beside the venue. Bring seating. 631-751-1895, www.thejazzloft.org

Historic Harbor Tours

The Northport Historical Society, 215 Main St., Northport hosts two Historic Harbor Tours today at 6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. The Society and Seymour’s Boatyard invite you to take a relaxing evening cruise while learning about the history of Northport Harbor, followed by drinks and light fare. Tickets are $60, $50 members. 631-757-9859, www.northporthistorical.org

Harborside Concerts

Harborside concerts are held at the Show Mobile at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Thursdays at 7 p.m. Tonight’s concert features Fleetwood Macked.  631-473-4724 www.portjeff.com

Dennis Cannataro Concert Series

The Dennis Cannataro Family Summer Concert Series concludes at the Smithtown Library, 1 North Country Road, Smithtown with a concert by the Gold Coast Orchestra tonight at 7:30 p.m. with a preshow at 7 p.m. Bring seating. 631-360-2480 ext. 150

Kings Park Rocks

Kings Park Chamber of Commerce hosts a Kings Park Rocks free outdoor summer concert featuring That 70s Band at the municipal lot adjacent to Kings Park Library, Main St., Kings Park from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Bring seating. 631-269-7678

Friday August 11

Art of the Guitar Festival

The Jazz Loft, 275 Christian Ave., Stony Brook presents the 3rd annual John Monteleone Art of the Guitar Festival at 6 p.m. with a free reception and exhibit viewing at 6 p.m. and concert at 7 p.m. and on Aug. 12 with a free guitar workshop at noon followed by three concerts. The two day event will feature performances by the John Jorgenson Quintet, Steve Salerno Trio, Frank Vignola, Vinny Raniolo and The Dario Napoli Trio. Call 631-751-1895 or visit www.thejazzloft.org for festival schedule and ticket prices. 

Happenings on Main Street

Northport Arts Coalition continues its Happenings on Main Street series, free concerts at the Northport Village Park Gazebo at the harbor with a performance by The Dead Ahead Band (Grateful Dead tribute) tonight at 7 p.m.  Bring seating. 631-261-1872, www.northportarts.org

An Evening of Opera

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington, 109 Browns Road, Huntington hosts a concert by Opera Night, Long Island at 7:30 p.m. Ten artists will perform excerpts from popular operas such as Bizet’s Carmen and Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale.” $10 donation at the door. For more information, visit www.operanight.org.

Musical Moments

Musical Moments in Kings Park returns to Russ Savatt Park, 14 Main St., Kings Park tonight from 7:30 to 9 p.m. with the Eagle River Band, courtesy of the Kings Park Civic Association. Bring seating. 516-319-0672

Travel Back to the 80s Experience

Join the Smithtown Performing Arts Center, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown for a Travel Back To The 80s Experience tonight and Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. Immerse yourself in the fun, the fashion, and the sounds of the 80s! Meet familiar characters and personalities while being thrown back in time to a story straight out of the 80s, all set to the tunes you know and love. Arrive dressed up to enjoy yourself to the max! Featuring a live performance by The Ronald Reagans. All ages are welcome. Tickets are $35 (each ticket includes one drink from the bar). Call 1-800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org to order.

Psychic Medium Robert Hansen

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson welcomes Psychic Medium Robert Hansen to the Main Stage at 8 p.m. Hansen will share with the audiences his psychic gifts of communication with loved ones that have crossed over to the other side. Messages of love will be randomly demonstrated to the audience and sensitively shared. Tickets are $49. 631-928-9100, www.theatrethree.com

Saturday August 12

Art of the Guitar Festival

See Aug. 11 listing.

Travel Back to the 80s Experience

See Aug. 11 listing.

Run the Farm

Friends of Hobbs Farm and Town of Brookhaven Councilman Neil Manzella and Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle invite you to take part in the 9th annual Run the Farm 4-mile run/walk at Bethel Hobbs Farm, 178 Oxhead Road,  Centereach at 9 a.m. Proceeds benefit Hobbs Farm’s mission of feeding the hungry. $25 per participant in advance at BrookhavenNY.Gove/RunTheFarm, $30 day of race. Call 631-451-6647 for more info.

Sherwood-Jayne House Tour

Preservation Long Island will host tours of the Sherwood-Jayne House (c. 1730), 55 Old Post Road, Setauket at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. with a self-guided tour at noon. The house contains period furnishings and features original late eighteenth-century hand-painted floral wall frescoes. Tickets are $10, $5 children ages 6 to 15, under age 6 free at www.preservationlongisland.org/tours. 

Saturdays Poetry Reading

All Souls Church in Stony Brook continues its Saturdays poetry series via Zoom from 11 a.m. to noon. Featured poet will be Victoria Twomey. An open-reading will follow; all are welcome to read one of their own poems.  For more information, call 631-655-7798.  Participants can access the program through the All Souls website https://www.allsouls-stonybrook.org/

Pop-Up Saturday event

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization continues its 2023 Pop-Up Saturdays series with a visit The Silly Magician (ONLY from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.), Caricature drawings by Marty and live Music by Brenda & Burke in the Stony Brook Village Center’s Inner Court, 97 Main St., Stony Brook from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Free. 631-751-2244

Owl Prowl at Sweetbriar

Sweetbriar Nature Center, 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Smithtown hosts an Owl Prowl for families with children ages 5 and up at 7:30 p.m. Learn about the Center’s resident owls and then embark on a walk into the darkness to enjoy the night and maybe call in an owl or two. Bring a flashlight just in case. $15 per person. Register at www.sweetbriarnc.org. 631-979-6344

Bobby Brooks Wilson in concert

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson welcomes Bobby Brooks Wilson in concert at 8 p.m. The son of legendary R&B/Soul singer, Jackie Wilson, Bobby has the same amazing traits and talents as his father; many say Jackie Wilson’s legacy lives on through him. His adoring fans have dubbed him as “Mr. Entertainment.” With a special performance by The Chiclettes. Tickets are $59. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

Sunday August 13

Art in the Park

Join the Northport Arts Coalition for an Art in the Park festival at Northport Village Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Featuring music, dance, poetry readings and children’s art workshop plus more than forty artists displaying and selling their original work, this free event in Northport Park is a fun day for the entire family. www.northportarts.org

Wind Down Sundays

The popular summer concert series continues at Hap’s historic Red Barn at Frank Melville Memorial Park, 1 Old Field Road, Setauket with Quarter Horse at 5:30 p.m. Bring seating. 631-689-6146, www.frankmelvillepark.org

Celebrate Park Concert

Celebrate St. James continues its summer concert series at Celebrate Park, 369 Lake Ave., St. James with music by the Blu Bayou Band from 6 to 9 p.m. Free. Bring seating. 631-984-0201

Summer Concert on the Green

Summer concerts are back in front of the Stony Brook Post Office at the Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every Sunday through Aug. 20, courtesy of the Ward Melville Heritage Organization. Tonight’s concert features The Equity Brass Band . Free. Bring seating. 631-751-2244, www.wmho.org

Monday August 14

Sound Beach Civic Meeting

Sound Beach Firehouse, 152 Sound Beach Blvd., Sound Beach hosts a meeting by the Sound Beach Civic Association at 7:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be entomologist Alexis White, PhD, of the Arthropod-Borne Disease Lab at the Suffolk County Department of Health Services who will discuss the medically important tick species on Long Island, their biology, habitat, the pathogens they transmit, and the best strategies to prevent tick bites in adults and children. All are welcome. 631-744-6952.

Movie Trivia Night

Join the Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington for a Movie Trivia Night at 8 p.m. Try to answer 50 questions based all around film, actors and actresses, awards, and everything else associated with the world of film. Challenge like-minded film fans in a battle of wits for cash and other prizes. You can form teams, so bring some friends and work together. Feel free to come alone and play solo as well! Hosted by Dan French. Tickets are $10 per person, $7 members at www.cinemaartscentre.org. 631-423-7610.

Tuesday August 15

Author Talk

Author and motivational speaker Christine Pendergast will present her book Blink Spoken Here: Tales from a Journey to Within at the Northport Public Library, 151 Laurel Ave., Northport at 7 p.m. This true story chronicles her life with husband Christopher Pendergast, longtime educator in the Northport-East Northport School District, who lived with ALS for 28 years. Learn about “ALS Ride for Life,” the Pendergast’s nonprofit charity, and hear other inspirational stories about meeting and overcoming life’s challenges. Open to all. To register, call 261-6930.

Concerts at The Gazebo 

Enjoy Tuesday night concerts at The Gazebo, 127 Smithtown Blvd., Nesconset  through Aug. 15, courtesy of the Nesconset Chamber of Commerce. Tonight’s concert will feature Southbound at 7 p.m. Rain dates are the next day. Bring seating. 631-672-5197, www.nesconsetchamber.org

A Star is Born — The Concert

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents A Star Is Born — The Concert at 8 p.m. ​Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Lady Gaga each stole our hearts with “A Star is Born.” Now a trio of Broadway/cabaret’s best voices join forces to celebrate the music from all three iconic film versions of “A Star is Born” featuring “The Man That Got Away,””Shallow” and the Academy Award-winning “Evergreen.” Tickets are $45. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Wednesday August 16

Sunset Concerts

Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council continues its Sunset Concerts at Harborfront Park, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson from 6:30 to 8 p.m. with a performance by Teddy Kumpel & Nome Sane. Held rain or shine. Bring seating. 631-473-5220, www.gpjac.org

Summerfest Concert

The Northport Chamber of Commerce continues its Summerfest Concerts on Wednesdays in August at the Robert Krueger Bandshell in Northport Village Park, with the Little Wilson Band from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Bring seating. 631-754-3905

Thursday August 17

St. Joseph’s Family Festival

St. Joseph’s Church, 59 Church St., Kings Park hosts a Family Festival tonight from 6 to 10 p.m., Aug. 18 and 19 from 6 to 11 and Aug. 20 from 6 to 10 p.m. with carnival rides, games and food. Free admission. Pay-one-price rides. 631-499-6824

Summer Thursdays at the LIM

The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook continues its Summer Thursdays series with a free concert by musicians from The Jazz Loft from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Pack a picnic supper, enjoy the concert and take a free tour of the Carriage Museum. Held rain or shine. 631-751-0066

Indigo Dye Workshop

Join the Huntington Historical Society for an Indigo Dye Workshop at the Conklin Barn, 2 High St., Huntington from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Using freshly harvested Japanese Indigo, you will be dyeing a silk scarf and exploring leaf stamping and coloring with rolled up leaves. $55 per person, $50 members. To register, visit www.huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

Theater

‘The Prom’

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson kick off its 53rd season with The Prom from Sept. 16 to Oct. 21. As the lights dim on four fading Broadway stars, they wildly seek the spotlight. Courting the controversy surrounding a small-town Indiana prom, the quartet invades a community that wants to keep the party straight. Tickets are $40 adults, $32 seniors, $20 students, $20 children ages 5 to 12. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’

The Carriage House Players continue their 34th annual Summer Shakespeare Festival in the mansion courtyard of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport with Love’s Labour’s Lost on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. from Aug. 11 to Sept. 8. Tickets are $20, $15 children under 12 at www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

‘Rent’

Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents Jonathan Larson’s Rent from Sept. 16 to Oct. 22. Based loosely on Puccini’s La Boheme, the groundbreaking musical follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians — Roger, Mimi, Tom, Angel, Maureen, Joanne, Benny and Mark — struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Tickets are $35 adults, $32 seniors, $28 students. To order, call 800-595-4849 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

‘Escape to Margaritaville’

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Escape to Margaritaville from July 13 to Sept. 3. This upbeat and energetic new musical features all your favorite Jimmy Buffett classics including “Volcano,” “Fins,”,“Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and of course “Margaritaville.” Tickets range from $80 to $85. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com. 

Film

‘42’

Join the Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook for a special screening of  the 2013 biopic 42 on Aug. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. with special guest Ivo Philbert of the Jackie Robinson Museum. The film tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball. Stop by the History Museum before the screening to see the museum’s baseball exhibitions: Picturing America’s Pastime and Home Fields: Baseball Stadiums of Long Island and New York City. This event is free but registration is preferred by visiting www.longislandmuseum.org 631-751-0066

Alfred Hitchcock Perspective

The Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington presents a retrospective of the films of master director Alfred Hitchcock from Aug. 11 to Aug 16. Each of the six film screenings  — Psycho, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Notorious, Vertigo, and Shadow of a Doubt —  will feature an introduction by local film historians who will discuss the history of the film, provide, and explore the impact of some of Alfred Hitchcock’s most influential and acclaimed works. Tickets are $15 per screening. www.cinemaartscentre.org

Class Reunions

•Ward Melville High School Class of 1973 will hold its 50th reunion at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket on Sept. 9, 2023 from 6 to 11 p.m. For ticket information, contact Tibo Dioguardi at [email protected].

•Save the date! Port Jefferson High School Class of 1964 will hold its 60th reunion at the Meadow Club, 1147 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station on Oct. 17, 2024. For more information, email Mike Whelen at [email protected].

by -
0 780
Several pieces from the famous Blue Guitar Collection, once on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, will be part of the Jazz Loft’s annual John Monteleone: Art of the Guitar Festival

These stunning historic and iconic guitars were once on display at the Smithsonian!

Several pieces from the famous Blue Guitar Collection, once on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, will be part of the Jazz Loft’s annual John Monteleone: Art of the Guitar Festival, August 11-12, at the Jazz Loft in Stony Brook. In addition to the blue guitars, the festival will also include an exhibit of iconic and historic guitars, including James D’Aquisto Excel, a Monteleone Mirabella Carmela and a Monteleone Radio City Deluxe.

The vision of a Blue Guitar Collection came from vintage guitar collector, the late Scott Chinery, a major figure in the vintage guitarworld. A lover of the arch top guitar, Chinery said he “often thought that it would be neat… to get all the greatest builders together and have them interpret the same guitar, an 18-inch archtop, in the same color blue.”

The result went beyond anything the various luthiers had ever done.

“We ended up with a collection of the greatest archtop guitars ever made,” Chinery said.

The Blue Guitar Collection was displayed at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History from 1997 through 1998. The Blue D’Aquisto Centura Deluxe, the Benedetto La Cremona Azzurra and the Monteleone Rocket Convertible were featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the museum’s “Guitar Heroes” exhibit in 2011. After Chinery’s passing in 2000, the guitars have remained with the Chinery family and in 2021 were passed along to The Archtop Foundation.The Foundation’s goal is to share the collection with everyone.

Numerous samples from the collection will be available to professional musicians looking to record on–or just experience– these wonderful instruments, as part of the guitar festival at the Jaz Loft. Renowned guitar craftsman John Monteleone, will feature two days and nights of demonstrations, exhibits, workshops and performances by Dario Napoli, John Jorgenson, Frank Vignola, Vinny Raniolo and Steve Salerno.

Other iconic guitars on display will include John Monteleone’s Grand Central Station; a trio of blonde D’Angelico New Yorkers, including George Benson’s; James D’Aquisto, Bucky Pizzarelli’s D’Angelico and his very first guitar; a restored Epiphone Deluxe by way of master luthier Cris Mirabella, and a collection of Cris’s own creations including, ‘Carmela.’

The Jazz Loft is located at 275 Christian Avenue in Stony Brook. Tickets for the guitar festival can be purchased here: https://www.thejazzloft.org/tickets

by -
0 1478
The combat boots and dog tags worn by Alan Alda in M*A*S*H will be auctioned off on on July 28. (LM Otero/AP)

Update:

The combat boots and dog tags Alan Alda wore while playing Hawkeye Pierce on the  television series “M-A-S-H” sold at auction on July 28 for $125,000.

Alda held onto the boots and dog tags for more than 40 years after the show ended but decided to sell them through Heritage Auctions in Dallas to raise money for the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University.

The buyer’s name wasn’t released.

——————————-

When Alan Alda reported to the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in the summer of 1972, he received two items from wardrobe that became the only M*A*S*H mementos he kept when the show ended in 1983.

Costumers handed him a pair of scuffed-up combat boots, inside which someone had written in black marker the name of his character: “HAWKEYE.” He was also given a pair of dog tags which the names of strangers had been stamped: Hersie Davenport and Morriss D. Levine.

Alda was grateful the dog tags didn’t say Benjamin Franklin Pierce of Crabapple Cove, Maine. That would have made them mere props that couldn’t have carried the weight of war. Wearing those real dog tags, the genuine article, “seemed like a handshake,” Alda says. Until recently, he knew nothing about the two men whose names are on those dog tags — one, a Black soldier from the South; the other, a Jewish man from New York.

“Yet every day for 11 years, putting them on over my head and wearing them, I had a very close connection with them,” said Alda. “I always wondered what their lives were like. Were they alive, or were they dead? How had they served? They were real people to me, even though I didn’t know anything about them other than their names. But to this day, I remember the names very well, and that’s why it meant a lot to me.”

These pieces of wardrobe, the last remnants of his tour of duty, mean so much to Alda he now parts with the boots and dog tags only to help fund what has become one of his greatest passions. 

Heritage Auctions will auction off Alda’s M*A*S*H mementos in a single-lot auction on July 28. All the money raised will benefit the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University and the university’s School of Communication and Journalism. Heritage will also donate all of its proceeds to the center.

“Hawkeye’s boots and dog tags are not only entertainment memorabilia from a beloved series, but the cherished keepsakes of a national treasure,” says Heritage’s Chief Strategy Officer Joshua Benesh. “And before that, they were the personal artifacts of real soldiers. They now take on a new life as a source of fundraising for a noble cause in which a noble man has invested so much of his time and resources, and we are honored to be even a small part of such a grand gesture.”

Alda kept the boots and dog tags for years in a closet because he did not know where else to store them.

“Then I realized that they could come to life again to be used to help the Center for Communicating Science because, probably, somebody would be interested in having a memento of the show,” he says. “I can’t think of a better use for them.”

When asked if it will be difficult to say goodbye to these last keepsakes from M*A*S*H he responded, “Not at all. Because I knew they were going to a good cause. They were going to do more good than sitting in my closet. They were screaming, ‘Let me out!’ I thought, what a great chance to put these boots and dog tags to work again. For 11 years, they helped promote the idea that human connection could be a palliative for war. And now they can promote the idea that a human connection can get us to understand the things that affect our lives so deeply.”

by -
0 391

Emma Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket presents a Shed the Meds event on Tuesday, Aug. 8 from 4 to 7 p.m. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office hosts this safe way to properly dispose of unused medications. Proper disposal is essential to protect the environment and ensure that old drugs don’t end up in the wrong hands. Please note: The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office cannot accept any liquids, needles, creams, or ointments of any kind. They are only accepting unused or expired medications from individuals (not large quantities from a doctor’s office or health care facility). Questions? Email [email protected]

Prev1...323334...215Next Page 33 of 215
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©