Posted by Long Island Sounds proudly welcomes new contributor, Amanda Packey!! As one might imagine, considering the amount of talent Long Island has, there’s just too much coverage for just one person/photographer!! Amanda comes with a stellar portfolio and creative writing style which you find below! So please keep reading!!
Recently, I had the honor of attending the ribbon cutting ceremony in honor of the newly named Catholic Health Amphitheater at Bald Hill. The ceremony was followed by a celebratory concert featuring country singer Jackson Dean. Opening for Dean were local performers C-Bank and Speedwagon – The REO Experience. One of the sponsors in attendance was Rocavaka, a Long Island vodka company. They brought along Joe Gannascoli, who you might know from The Sopranos. Gannascoli has his own vodka was with the company, and he graciously posed with his bottle for me. Rocavaka will be sponsoring all of the concerts at the Amphitheater this season, so be sure to look for their name on The Chalet wall in the coming weeks. You can find out more about Rocavaka at http://www.rocavaka.com. C-Bank is a wonderful freestyle singer, and started the show with a set including her new song, Heaven. You can hear her new song on her website at http://www.cbanknyc.com. Speedwagon then came on and gave a rocking performance that had everyone singing along to their favorite 80s hits. If you haven’t seen them live, you really need to. They perform all over Long Island, be sure to check their tour dates on their Facebook page at facebook.com/theREOExperience. Last, but certainly not least, Dean came out to soulfully pour out his country heart through the microphone, and the crowd gladly accepted every note. So taken were some of the ladies in the audience that they questioned me about Dean’s marital status and joked about rushing the stage. (So Dean, if you’re single, I know a few Long Island ladies who would gladly help you out with that.) Dean performed a set that included his number one hit “Don’t Come Lookin’,” as well as some fun surprises, like his cover of “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes, and also ending the night by taking off his hat and headbanging with his bassist. Dean definitely puts on a performance worth seeing, and he is still out on tour right now. You can find his tour schedule on his website at http://www.jacksondeanmusic.com.
Thanks to John Caracciolo for the opportunity to cover the ribbon cutting/performances
For full gallery coverage, please visit Amanda Packey’s Facebook page or visit http://www.instagram.com/packeyphotography
Long Island Sounds 