The Long Island Music Scene

There was a time on Long Island when the local live music scene was vibrant and a breeding ground for some of the most successful, talented, and groundbreaking musicians of the past 40 years or more! In the 1960s, 70s, and into the early 80s, there were literaly thousands of venues to hear live local music! Long Island had the largest concentrated percentage of "baby boomers" than any other region in the country. Everywhere, in every town, on nearly every street, there was a bar, tavern, restaurant, cafe, that presented live music! You could go into nearly every town and walk from bar to cafe, etc, and hear different performers on any given night! In fact, the various places would hold audition nights on a weekly basis and award paying gigs on the spot! The bars were packed 7 nights a week and the music was everywhere!

The knock against the LI Music scene was that it was the land of cover bands. It was, and still remains to be on a much smaller scale. The many great musicians who came from LI got their stage legs and first experiences as cover artists, playing nightly all over The Island. You all know them: Billy Joel, The Ramones, Pat Benetar, Simon and Garfunkel, The Stray Cats, Lou Reed, Harry Chapin, Vanilla Fudge, Twisted Sister, Eddie Money, Zebra, Chuck D, Mariah Carey,The Good Rats, Debbie Gibson, Busta Rhymes, and many more. They all had to go to the city or elsewhere to get famous.

So, what happened? Where did the music go? Where are the places I cherished in my youth?
Sadly, the taverns, and the music are all but gone. We got older, got married, had kids, and stopped going out. They changed the drinking age from 18 to 19 and then to 21. You can thank Ronnie Reagan and his religious friends for that. They held back federal highway funds from any state that didn't comply.
D.J.s contributed as well. The boomers stopped going out and were replaced by the Gen Xrs who were raised on Sesame Street and other lame, soft TV to the point where they couldn't tell live music from TV jingles! (I Wish I Was an Oscar Meyer Wiener)! Your wish came true!

I have 2 sad stories about those days (about 1983) when I put my guitar down indefinitely. I started playing out live in 1976 and played at a bunch of local venues several times a week for about 5 years. These were paying gigs! In those days, I made anywhere from $45 to $150 per night as a solo performer!! That was fine cash back then! Remember, the baby boomers packed the bars every night! The first time I was turned down at an audition was 1982. The owner suggested I should get a drum machine. The second was shortly after when McHebe's Depot (a little college bar in Hempstead) where I had a regular gig for years suddenly dismantled the stage and installed a DJ booth! Times had changed. I put my guitar away.

Sometime, between then and now, a new phenominon has occured on Long Island, bringing out both old and new performers. It is the Open Mic Night. Some of the few remaining local taverns open up on weekdays and give the stage to independant local musicians for a chance to play live and recreate the glory days of the Long Island music scene! I host the longest running and (IMHO) best Open Mic Night on LI!!!! This is at a little tavern called Bartini Bar. We will continue to keep the spirit alive, rock the night away, and as my Irish Dad used to say "Talk a Little Treason"!!!!

Rock and Roll will never die!!!
www.bartinibar.com
www.davedrewrocks.com