OntheWilderSide

The DEFIBRILLATORS

The World’s Oldest Boy Band

at Bayard Cutting Arboretum

Sunday August 24, 2008 at 2:00 PM

This year, the Islip Arts Council celebrates its milestone 32nd season of presenting fine music in its Free Concert Series. On August 24th, 2008 at 2:00 PM, the masters of blue-haired blues The Defibrillators will be performing on the lawn at beautiful Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River . he concert area is handicapped accessible, and concertgoers should bring their own chairs. Admission to the concert is free, but there is a $6 per car parking fee. You can find out more about the band by logging onto www.thedefibrillators.com

Aging Baby Boomers now have a band whose music reflects their refusal to grow old gracefully. As pioneers of Senior Citizen Rock and Blue-Haired Blues, The Defibrillators poke good-natured fun at the foibles of aging in their contagious blues-based rock originals. Billing themselves as “the World’s Oldest Boy Band”, The Defibs show they can kick it as energetically as (if not as high as) any of the young whippersnapper bands making the scene. Their high caliber of musicianship is offset only by their subtle theatrics during live performances.

All good fun aside, The Defibrillators have rightfully been called Long Island ’s first supergroup by the press. The members of the band are all highly accomplished musicians who have made their mark on the music scene: on keyboards and vocals: Sonny Speed, who played with the band Orleans during its early years, and has performed with the Drifters, Chubby Checker, and Bobby Lewis. On lead and rhythm guitar: Bob “Pops” Westcott who is widely known as a remarkably talented fingerstyle guitarist, and who hosts the longest running Holiday Revue on Long Island . On drums: Robert Langley, who was a session drummer for Shadow Morton. That’s Rob’s drumming on the Shangri-Las’ “Leader of the Pack” and “Walkin’ In the Rain”; Rob also revved that iconic motorcycle! On lead vocals and harmonica: Sonny Meadows, whose topical songwriting skill has brought him a lot of attention from the media. It serves The Defibrillators well; Sonny is the primary songwriter for the band. On bass: Bobby “Buddy Boy” Cattrano recorded with Billy Joel on the “ Cold Spring Harbor ” album. Bob has kept the bottom moving with such well-known artists as Little Buster and The Scott Ross Blues Band. On lead and rhythm guitar: Jon “Dr. Max” Foreman began his voiceover career in radio.

The Defibrillators have been performing together for almost a decade, and have become a mainstay at the Riverhead and Cedar Beach Blues Festivals. Television credits include a feature on WLIW Channel 21 on Newsday’s Act II show, and their CDs have garnered rave reviews from Newsday, Long Island Press, Good Times, LI Entertainment, and Aural Fix Magazine.

The Islip Arts Council is proud to present The Defibrillators as part of the Free Summer Sunday Concerts on the lawn at the beautiful Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Montauk Highway, Great River , on Sunday, August 24^th, at 2:00 PM.

Filed under: events, local, long island, Long Island Music, More Events Calendars, original music Tagged: | billy joel, boy band, chubby checker, defibrillators, drifters, leader of the pack, orleans, shanga-las, supergroup