Nobody does summer like Long Island. Old friends reunite, Jones Beach is a party and Billy Joel shows up somewhere. This June, all three of those things happened in Long Island music.
Arguably the most important show of the decade took place this month in the form of Silent Majority’s two reunion benefit gigs to benefit the family of the passed Rob McAllister. In a very Silent Majority way, the band handpicked the openers for each day based on who they thought were the hardest working bands in current Long Island hardcore.
High Card and Backtrack played first and brought new school to the inevitable surplus of dads that came to the sold-out party of an evening. Hangman, Somerset Thrower and Incendiary made the second day a much more active scene by bringing out a younger crowd. But obviously, it was Silent Majority’s first performance in 11 years that stole the weekend.
Words can’t accurately describe the energy that took room by storm with the opening riff of “Arthur Trevor,” followed by the 500-person oversold crowd singing the opening line, “If we come back as ghosts, we’ll haunt the things that we cherish most,” louder than frontman Tommy Corrigan could possibly hope to outdo, even with a microphone and PA system.
This energy continued consistently throughout the band’s set during both days and in just ticket sales alone, the weekend raised over $22,000 for McAllister’s family.
The next weekend was the Long Island stop of the Taste Of Chaos tour at Jones Beach. This early 2000s alternative radio worshipping tour saw Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday, Saosin and The Early November, with a special guest one-date-only appearance from Motion City Soundtrack. Since it was a Taking Back Sunday hometown show, Motion City Soundtrack’s last downstate New York appearance ever and Saosin’s first New York stop with Anthony Green back on vocals, it was a night to remember to anybody who was a teenager from 2003 to 2010.
Every performance was great, but naturally, Taking Back Sunday stole the show, even with singer Adam Lazarra dishing a cheesy, but emotional rant about growing up and “being there” for the audience as they went through their late teenage and early adult years. After the risky move of opening with their first hit, “Cute Without The ‘E’,” the crowd was hooked until they closed with their even bigger hit, “MakeDamnSure.” This, of course, was all happening while their now huge family of parents, wives and children watched on to see Taking Back Sunday demolish the island that gave them the start of their fame.
And finally, yes. Billy Joel surprised a crowd to a tribute concert of his own music at The Paramount last month. There’s video everywhere. It’s cool. Go check it.
Up Next for Long Island:
Def Leppard / REO Speedwagon / Tesla at Jones Beach – July 11 – This blockbuster summer arena tour is coming to the nicest looking amphitheater on the East Coast. Pretend it’s the ‘80s again and it’s sure to feel like it’s the ‘80s again, with Def Leppard, REO Speedwagon, and Tesla set to perform. Tickets are on Live Nation from $25 for the cheap seats and up to $125 for the Orchestra ones.
Great South Bay Festival in Patchogue – July 14 – Now, this is a four-day music festival that takes place in the beautiful Shorefront Park in Patchogue. The absolutely stacked first day alone features Kevin Devine, into Minus The Bear, into Manchester Orchestra, into Third Eye Blind. If Taste Of Chaos didn’t cover your early-2000s alternative needs, this festival definitely does. Tickets for the whole festival are up on their website.
Life And Death Tour at Revolution – July 14 – Hardcore legends Terror are coming to town on the third annual Life And Death Tour, with support from Backtrack, Harm’s Way, Hard Stripes, Fury, Red Death and Countdown. Terror will be sure to call for more stage dives and the crowd will almost definitely deliver. Tickets are $23 on Ticketfly.
Hangman at Shaker’s Pub – July 16 – Fresh off recording a new EP and opening for Silent Majority, these kids are going to be playing a hometown show as a part of a tour they announced with Impact. There’s a bunch of great new Long Island bands opening. Tickets are just $5 at the door.
Iron Chic at Amityville Music Hall – July 20 – Local legends doing their monthly hometown show. They’re headlining this now staple Long Island venue with support from Slingshot Dakota and Dikembe. Local indie heartthrobs Oso Oso and Macseal are also playing. Tickets are $12 on Ticketfly.
The Obsessives at Amityville Music Hall – July 21 – Philly DIY is taking Long Island for one night only. Along with The Superweaks, these two bands, sure to be big names in the near future, are hitting Long Island. Tickets are $10 on Ticketfly.
Moose Blood at Looney Tunes – July 22 – It seems that Moose Blood keeps getting bigger and bigger without having to do really much of anything. Guess that’s the type of thing that happens over in the U.K. They’re doing a matinee performance at Looney Tunes. Buying a copy of their new record Blush will get you into their acoustic set.
Heart / Joan Jett And The Black Hearts / Cheap Trick at Jones Beach – July 28 – I don’t know why Cheap Trick isn’t headlining this but I digress. Jones Beach is looking great for throwback concerts this season. Heart is so ahead of their time they should have been coming out right about now. If you’ve read this far, you already know this. Tickets are up at Live Nation for similar prices to the aforementioned Def Leppard concert.
Young English at East Islip Lanes – August 5 – Another beautifully crafted Lanes showcase. There’s quite a number of Long Island’s best locals playing, along with Young English, who isn’t really a Long Island band, but they’ve kind of adopted the place so it’s okay. Tickets are $12 at the door and get you unlimited bowling and bowling shoes for the night.
Yes at NYCB Theater Westbury – August 6 – Yes is a band that’s so good at what they do that they’ve actually managed to become a meme with “Roundabout” resurging. They’ll be playing Fragile and Drama in full, making the night a must-attend concert for anybody with half a brain on Long Island. Tickets are up on Live Nation varying from $60 to $120.
