Events

The Confetti Clatter – August 2020

Posted on by John Giotto

Welcome Ella, as we return to the stage

We will place our historical look-back this month on hold to announce that Ella, a high school student from the Rochester area, is joining the group this year. Ella, Emma, and Frankie performed on the driveway of our practice home on August 2 as a dress rehearsal for our only public appearance in 2020. That show will take place on Tuesday, August 4, from 6-8 PM at the Charcoal Corral in Perry, NY. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the weather forecast is not favorable for this outdoor event — fingers crossed.

Emma, Ella & Frankie after completing our dress rehearsal

If you have been to one of our shows at the Charcoal Corral in the past, this year’s concert will have a different, shall I say 2020 look. Instead of the regular band stage, we will perform in front of one of the two drive-in theater screens. You may watch the band on the lawn in front of the stage, or, if you prefer, in your car, where you can tune-in the performance on FM radio.

This event should be at least a unique moment in the long history of our group, hope to see you there!

04aug6:00 pm8:00 pmCharcoal Corral Concert Series

The Confetti Clatter – July 2020

Posted on by John Giotto

Show postponed

The performance at Dairy Queen Greece set initially for Sunday, July 5, is cancelled. The Town of Greece is not issuing entertainment permits at this time. Both the owner of Dairy Queen and I are hoping to reschedule this event sometime in August when restrictions may relax. It appears that the group will not be performing at all this July.

Group look-back: 1987

1987 was both a transitional and successful year for the band. The following recollections come from the recently-discovered wall calendar for It’s My Party 1987, and the elephant memory of Paul Kanack, whom I leaned on more than once to create this article.

At the turn of the new year, the members of the band included Kelly, Patty, and Charlene on vocals, along with musicians Ken, Paul, Terry, and myself. This formation of the group had yet to perform and included newcomers Patty, Charlene, Terry, and Paul. An interesting note on the calendar from January 15 states, “20 songs.”  I’m not sure if that stood for a goal or an achievement, but to play bars, a band needed in the neighborhood of 35 to 40 tunes. Our first show was on January 24 at Short’s Bar, and here Paul reminded me that we shared the night with the house-band, the Earthlings since we did not have enough songs to cover a full night. Short’s was always welcoming to us, and we would end up performing five more times there in 1987.

In March, we performed for the first time at Rumours in Rochester’s South Wedge neighborhood, an area known for its Bohemian flavor. This show, on March 7, also featured the band Slightly Psychedelic, a great group of guys with whom we formed long-lasting friendships. Bob, Tom, and George were undoubtedly talented. George, the bassist, made a guest appearance with It’s My Party on trumpet that night. We performed four more times at Rumours throughout 1987.

Paul, Charlene (in motion), Patty, Terry, Kelly, and Ken at Rumours

George looks on as Paul takes a rare vocal at Rumours. From L-R: George, Paul, Charlene, John, Patty & Terry

The next venue we returned to often was Shnozz’s in the East Avenue & Goodman area of Rochester. On April 18, we shared the stage with The Swingset, a group featuring Walt O’Brien, who could play British Invasion like it was nobody’s business. We were invited back on May 1, this time performing with The Earthlings in what was billed as “All ’50s & ’60s” night. Schnozz’s guaranteed us an astonishing $115 versus the door! The following video is Patty singing at one of our Schnozz’s shows in 1987.

Well, in between the two shows at Schnozz’s was the infamous show at Scoops on Lyell Ave, directly across the street from the old AC Delco plant. With some performances under our belts and feeling confident, we decided to invite Jerry Falzone, former bassist with the successful band Pearl and now a talent agent to watch us. While Jerry had plenty of positive reflections, let’s say his revue was mixed. Jerry knew what it took to get to the level Pearl had accomplished, and yes, we were far from that point. Regarding our cover of The Shirelles’ classic, he stated, “Baby, it’s not you.” This critique marked a turning point, up until this gig the band had always been about fun, now I started to question whether this formation was a step back from the successful original group. Paul and I were driven by the thought that we could not only make music our vocation but that eventually our group could make waves in the industry. To a lesser degree, perhaps Ken held those dreams too. I can not speak for the others, but I would think they had more sense than Paul and I had. For one guy fresh out of college and another working at a pizza parlor, what would you expect?

One of the best memories of being a part of It’s My Party was our May 22 performance at the Renaissance Theater Club on Liberty Pole Way as part of the Lilac Festival. It’s My Party, and two other local groups opened for Danny and the Juniors and The Regents. If you are not familiar with these acts, Danny and the Juniors are famous for “At the Hop,” which was the name the Lilac Festival used to bill the event. The Regents performed the original version of “Barbara Ann,” which earned a spot on the soundtrack of American Grafitti. These groups were consummate professionals and lent us some good advice. Joe Terry, then lead singer for Danny and the Juniors, wondered why we played “The Boy Next Door” sung by The Secrets and co-written by David White, an original member of Danny and the Juniors. Terry called it a good tune, but a marginal hit. The way he saw it, our road to success was playing recognizable hits exclusively. My thought at the time, and by now Paul had also become a ’60s girl group enthusiast, was that there were so many great songs that didn’t necessarily break the top 20, why not play them as well? Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the band has never supported a principal ’60s act since in the Rochester area. Sad, so sad, we have so much to give!

In the last issue of the Confetti Clatter, I mentioned that Kelly discussed joining the group with her husband in 1986; looking over the 1987 calendar, I was wrong. Kelly went on her honeymoon from June 10 to June 20 in 1987. After Kelly came home, we returned to Rumours, Schnozz’z, and Shorts in July, all successful shows.

With seeds of doubt sewn in my mind, I reached out to our then manager, Ron Stein, and asked him what the band was missing. Ron replied, “To make this sound work correctly, you need teenaged singers interpreting the music. The women on your band are not living the lyrics like the teenagers who sang them in the sixties. Teenaged singers would give the group the ring of authenticity.” To which I replied, “Where do we find teenaged singers?” Ron’s response was to go to the local high school musicals.  It just so happened that the Irondequoit Summer Theatre was putting on Leader of the Pack, the Ellie Greenwich Musical from August 6 through 8 – perfect! Ron and I made a point of attending one of those shows. Irondequoit Summer Theatre was a vehicle for high school students to perform over the summer, and at this show, we heard one girl group song after another sung by some very talented teens. When the play broke into “Wait ’til My Bobby Comes Home,” Ron turned to me and said, “There’s your singer!”

Going through the proper channels, we spoke to both that girl, Tricia, and her mother after the performance. She seemed both flattered and interested in seeing our group, so we invited her to attend our afternoon Panorama Plaza show on August 15.

On August 7, we performed at Idols, one of downtown Rochester’s college radio clubs. This show turned out to be a disaster. The crowd was not into our music, and we received a cold reception. I was volunteering as a DJ at RIT’s WITR radio and this time, and that is how most likely we got the show. There was, frankly, a ton of college radio snobbery at that time. DJs and listeners tended to look down on any music that didn’t fit their mold. Not to lump everyone into that category, there were many great and open-minded DJs at WITR, and I enjoyed my time there. I would like to especially like to recognize Bart, the program director at the time, for his open-mindedness and how he smoothly ran that station. Back to the story, enter Terry with some quick thinking to cut the tension of the night. Reaching into one of our gig bags, Terry found a beachball, inflated it, and tossed it out into the audience. People started punching it around and having a good time, so we were able to leave with some sense of dignity. As a Parthian shot, the house DJ played a song I believe by the Cure that had something to the effect of “Never again” in the lyrics as we exited with our gear, touche!

Tricia and her mother attended the Panorama show, a beautiful day for an outside event, as I recall. She was very impressed and expressed her interest in joining the group. On August 25, Kelly parted ways with the band, and two days later, Tricia joined.

Tricia’s first gig with the band was on October 3 at Schnozz’s. Her energy was palpable, everything that Ron said we needed. Some of Tricia’s signature songs were “Kids in America” by Kim Wilde, the aforementioned “The Boy Next Door,” and her lead from the musical “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Comes Home.” However, Halloween night ended up being our second and final performance for this lineup at Short’s bar. Terry moved to New York City, and Patty decided to leave the band.  She spoke with me soon after that show and said, “I see where you are taking this band, and I don’t feel I fit in.” Her words were a crushing blow to me; I wanted her to stay so badly. We all liked Patty very much and loved what she brought to the table. She was referring to Tricia and a younger look and sound.

By November 17, we recruited two new members to replace Terry and Patty. Josh Winston was a friend of Paul Kanack’s. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Josh played not only keyboards but brought the saxophone to the table, something ubiquitous to the ’60s sound. Jennie was a high school friend of Tricia’s. A talented singer who could cover the middle and low parts of the vocal ensemble, Jennie’s sound was complementary to Tricia and Charlene’s voices. 

This new lineup would not perform until early 1988. There were some cool events in store for It’s My Party in that year. I will reminisce about 1988 in the August edition of the Confetti Clatter. 

 

 

The Confetti Clatter – September 2019

Posted on by John Giotto

The Finale that almost wasn’t

The following article is a fan-submission that focuses on our final performance of the 2019 season in Newark, NY. We would like to thank this fan for his observations and kind words — enjoy!

Fan submission:

My spouse and I definitely do appreciate the music, the joy, that you folks in It’s My Party give as a group.   
 
We’re fortunate to have caught several It’s My Party band performances in the 2019 season! Now, it’s a waiting game of nearly 10 1/2 months until such time when we can again receive that It’s My Party! brand of joy in live concert format.  We are indeed fortunate for those live concerts, and yes, recorded versions do help It’s My Party fans, to varying degree, in filling in that 10 1/2 month hiatus when no live performances are given. 
 
I offer some comments on the last performance of the season, the partially rain-eclipsed scheduled show in Newark on Friday 8/16/2019.  Awesome! …, the “partially unplugged” iteration of It’s My Party, while shorter in concert duration was even richer in presentation & enthusiasm level in some respects. Perhaps in part due to the vocalists being sans bright lighting in their eyes — the lighting gear was not functioning after the rain — and also due to the intimacy and enthusiasm of the audience, interaction with the band members, and adding one more It’s My Party Girl — Sarah briefly returns to make a foursome of It’s My Party girl vocalists — certainly helped.  As well, perhaps being the last summer 2019 opportunity to perform together, and the camaraderie — it is evident — that exists in It’s My Party lent to this uniquely dynamic performance. Oh, and then too, there was that new 3 year old sensation, Bianca — yes, her favorite colors are purple and pink — who sang the concert’s closing song along with the It’s My Party vocalists. She’s a band fan, a huge appreciator, and wow how cool to have opportunity to sing a song as an It’s My Party girl, replete with Sierra’s microphone, and be “killin’ it” at the tender age of 3 years old. The It’s My Party girls, especially Sierra, did a wonderful job encouraging this very young singing sensation, as did the audience. 
 

Bianca closes the night with her rendition of “It’s My Party.”

 
Those who did not wait out the rain surely missed a very special It’s My Party performance, while total it was probably less than an hour performance, none-the-less well worth waiting out the rain, sticking around for, and our making the hour plus travel to get there. To expatiate some, here is more about the 8/16/2019 Newark concert, and about the group.  John, the band manager, early on had apparently been monitoring weather radar on a mobile electronic device. Having some experience with thunderstorms, band performances and safety of band members and audience, John announced that it was not a question of “if,” but rather “when,” the thunderstorms would be tracking over the concert location and suggested to audience members they may consider picking up their chairs and waiting out the storm in safety of vehicles. The concert performance would be on hold, waiting for the approaching stormy weather to pass. Thereafter the majority of the audience dispersed, finding “cover” in one manner or another, albeit some waited out with their chairs on the warm evening, and some umbrellas appeared, … all this before rain started. Well, a possible turn of events and things cleared a bit, and It’s My Party in yeoman’s fashion started performing. Meanwhile, one It’s My Party fan had gone to the nearby grocery store, and decided in waiting for the performance, it would be “ice cream for all” and so bought boxes of ice cream sandwiches for handing out to band members and concertgoers alike. Rain sprinkles came, then rain, then rain and blowing, and of course the band stopped playing. Enough room existed under the pavilion that the audience, now pared down in numbers, was graciously invited to “come in out of the rain” joining the band in veneration under the pavilion to stay dry and safe. And it was Ice cream time under the pavilion, and too for those under cover of the gazebo and the “covered bridge,” for those who chose to partake in the sweet treat. Eventually the two separate banks of thunderstorms ran their course and the weather cleared. So, yep, … time for It’s My Party to perform.  And it was then that the lighting would not operate, so it became the “partially unplugged” It’s My Party performance. And what a performance it was! 
 
One of my observations, Emma, particularly at this 8/16/2019 unplugged concert was really into the performance, more so than usual. The vibes she sent out, in form of vocalizations, energy, and body language said so. If you’ve never seen It’s My Party in live concert, well, you may not realize that certain songs that are performed by respective lead vocalists are “owned” by the lead vocalist. What does that mean?, you may ask. Well, the vocalist and the song simply jive together so well, that the delivery can be received by audience members as nothing short of spectacular, beyond the usual great delivery of sound by this group. Sierra, Emma, and Frankie each exhibit this phenomenon, and too this evening so did the special duet of James and Sarah. Of course, instruments and back-up vocals may lend to this phenomenon. And, yes… it is possible to feel the “owning” in some back-up vocals as opposed to the lead vocal, and yes it can be both in some instances. I’m guessing this “owning” reception may be more likely felt by those folks who deeply connect with music, perhaps some folks may not feel the level of “owning” enthusiasm. 
 

Sarah returns, and with James sings “I Just Want to Stay Here.”

 
It’s My Party concerts provide multiple opportunities for those in the band. James the multi-talented instrumentalist gets in some singing, even Paul the bass player, and sometimes some other band member may get some vocalist line(s). And, yes, there are others in the band who also play multiple instruments and with versatility make the band larger for it. Beyond the vocalists, there is indeed “singing” by instruments. The violin section, in particular, has some showcasing “singing” segments. Respective wind instruments, prevalent saxophone, trombone & trumpet too, keyboards, guitar, bass, and numerous percussion instruments all have their moments and lend to the richness of an It’s My Party performance, and have capability at times to “own” particular parts of various songs.  
 
I’d not wish for rain when an It’s My Party concert is scheduled. Heck, most concert appreciators would not wish for rain when an outdoor music concert is scheduled, albeit folks who do not like outdoor concerts and prefer the indoors atmosphere may make such a wish, in hopes that a concert rain location, indoors, may be utilized. Those folks are in an extreme minority, I’d guess. I’ll say this, … it can be those oddity scenarios, such as when rain has come and gone yet the It’s My Party concert continues to be held, that creates opportunity which leads to unusual bonding moments between band members and fans. I’m fortune to have experienced this on more than one occasion, and the Friday 8/16/2019 Newark concert was indeed among such scenarios.         
 
Not lost on me, that the parents of the young performers in this band have lent huge developmental support to these capable vocalists and instrument players alike, and continue support of these musically talented performers. And for the older band members, long out of JHS, HS, & college, yes we recognize you too likely had some of the same support by parents, teachers, and mentors, and that support has lent to talents you showcase in It’s My Party band.
  
Disney World has been dubbed by its promoters as “the happiest place on earth,” I’ve “been there, done that” on multiple occasions. And while I’ve never been to a Beatles concert, I feel I’ve had enough exposure to numerous other concerts and “Beatles experiences” to have a flavor of what going to a Beatles concert would be like.  For pure joy, given the choice of going to Disney World, a Beatles Concert, or an It’s My Party Concert, my preference is, and continues to be, a concert performed by It’s My Party. Thank You, It’s My Party, for the joy you send into the world and for the unique way in which you do so! 
 

In Closing

Let us know if you have a special It’s My Party moment you would like to share. Contact us by email to share a full article, or simply leave a quick moment as a comment to this post.

Although our performance season has ended, we will continue to work on a new recording, possibly our first “long-player” in quite some time. Also, 2020 is our 35th anniversary as a group, and we are planning a special year. So, keep returning to our newsletter for updates on these events as well as other developments.

 

The Confetti Clatter – August 2019 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

Four Shows in Four Nights

We never turn down an opportunity to perform, which led to an interesting twist to the summer 2019 tour, a cluster of four performances on consecutive nights. This is the first time in group history that we faced such a task, and quite frankly some of us had our doubts. Would voices hold up? Could the crew, many of whom are also musicians, endure four ten-hour days of toil and performance? What would be the effect on the show, especially on shows three and four? All of these questions were answered, and we’d like to tell the story in this edition of the Confetti Clatter.

First Show: Wednesday July 24 Ferris Hills at West Lake

This was the first time we played at this venue, which is a senior living home on the west side of Canandaigua Lake. Claire, the events coordinator, was helpful in making sure we had everything we needed to have the show go smoothly.

We were hampered during set up by afternoon showers, but eventually the skies cleared. The show ran only one hour, from 7 to 8 PM. The residents were not shy about sitting very close to the band and seemed to enjoy every note. Several folks danced or mouthed the words to some of the hits. A big bonus for us was being able to perform for residents of the nearby VA hospital, who were bused in for the special occasion.

One down and everyone was happy, but how would we hold up for the rest of the stretch? Since our next gig was in Hammondsport, there was no sense driving the gear back to Rochester. Instead the crew secured a room at the Canandaigua Econolodge — more on this later.

Second Show: Thursday July 25 Hammondsport, NY

The weather report was questionable for the afternoon, but we received a call at 11:00 from the Trinity with the Hammondsport Chamber of Commerce, that the concert was a go. This show has become an annual for us, and the community always looks forward to our return. Trinity helped by securing parking along the village green for our truck and trailer in advance of our arrival at noon. 

The journey from Canandaigua to Hammondsport is both scenic and hilly. Descending into Potter, NY is always interesting with a trailer in haul! We always stop by the Crooked lake Mercantile, in Branchport, NY for a sandwich along the way to Hammondsport, and this time was no exception. The food and service was top-notch, as usual.

Always look forward to lunch at the Crooked Lake Mercantile

Arriving in Hammondsport, we began setting up. This takes two people about six hours, maybe less, if we don’t carry a percussion player, which was the case for all four of these shows.

Ken, formerly the head of the Chamber of Commerce, introduced us and the show went off without a hitch. The village green was full of appreciative attendees. This is the farthest we travel from our home base, and it is worth every mile. As soon as the concert ended, thoughts of returning in 2020 came to mind. Some of us dined at the various eateries after the performance.

At show’s end in Hammondsport

Show Three: July 26 Veterans’ Gazebo, Honeoye, NY

After the performance in Hammondsport, we returned to the Econolodge in Canandaigua for our second night. The facility was clean and obviously well cared for. I struck up a conversation with the owner about his garden along the side of the building. He shared one of his hot peppers, and said I could take any plantings I liked in the future. We talked about Indian cooking, and then it was on to Honeoye, about 45 minutes to the south west.

The Econolodge in Canandaigua as we depart Friday morning

The weather forecast for Honeoye was perfect, but the clouds quickly accumulated, as they often do in Western New York during the summer. The crew had sandwiches at the nearby ShurFine supermarket, and stopped by at Ward’s Lumber to purchase some tools before the task-at-hand. One of the appeals of performing small towns and hamlets is supporting local vendors, rather than the usual big-box stores. It wasn’t long after we began pulling gear from the trailer that the sky began to look ominous, and distant thunder was apparent to the north. Four outdoor shows on consecutive nights is asking a bit much for this part of the world, and it looked like this one would be cancelled.

Honeoye: Let the set up begin!

Just before showtime, a few raindrops fell, but most of the activity was to the north and south, Honeoye was in a corridor that dodged the major downpours. Admittedly, the crew was a step slower, due to a third show in three nights and the oppressive heat.

The skies cleared somewhat for the performance, and Wendy, the organizer was thrilled with the turnout and performance. It had been six years since we played this venue, and hopefully we’ll return sooner. 

So far voices were holding and the band continued to play enthusiastically. One glitch was the PA system, which failed to output the left channel. We quickly switched to mono for the show, and wondered what went wrong. Would this happen again tomorrow at the next show, with no time to troubleshoot?

Show Four: July 27 Country Club of Rochester 

Our final stop of the marathon was in our hometown of Rochester, NY. The Country Club of Rochester is steeped in tradition, it is the home course of  legendary golfer Walter Hagen, where he began as a caddie. This show was part of an evening dining experience for club members, which included lobster and drink. We performed on the terrace, under an awning, fortunately, as the mercury soared to 89 degrees. The skies threatened, but once again we dodged the rain. It was quite a walk from the driveway to the terrace, and it seemed as if we were in moving slow motion. 

Don “Riffin” Griffin joined us on guitar, here at the Country Club of Rochester

The performance was surprisingly strong, with high marks going out to our string section. We were well-received, with a few members taking cards at the end of the night, while others made positive comments on our Facebook page. As for the PA, the left channel output came back to life; fortunate, but would the problem arise again? The run of four shows was over, and it was time to recuperate!

 

New Show announced, a reschedule of a rain out

08aug6:00 pm8:00 pmGeneva Lakefront Park

The Confetti Clatter – July 2019 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

2019 tour begins at Burgundy Basin

The group opened its live performance tour on June 18 at the Burgundy Basin car cruise. The weather, always a deciding factor, was perfect, which brought out cars in force. The organizers counted 235 cars on the lawn, with an estimated crowd of well over 500 attendees. The vendor sold out food and drink before the end of the night, an indicator of a successful event.

Sierra, Frankie, Emma and young friends before showtime

After shaking off some understandable rust and jitters, the group performed a strong second set. Two new additions to the repertoire, “He’s the Greatest,” and “Path of Love,” were big hits, especially with long-time fans.

The violin section was particularly strong during this performance. Props go out to Matt Doi, who filled in admirably on guitar, and Drew, who covered piano after only one practice. Ed and Jakob set up the sound system, lighting truss and backline, in addition to running sound and lights during the show.

Our next performance is in Batavia, at the Jackson Square alley on July 5. Regulars James and Dylon will cover guitar and keyboards at this show, while Matt Doi shifts to saxophones. Our former singer, Michelle, will be our special guest.

New show added!

We have been invited to perform on Sunday, July 7 as part of the Greece Dairy Queen’s Sunday car cruise. We would love to see you at there. This is our one-and-only show on the west-side of town this year! 

07jul6:00 pm8:00 pmDairy Queen Classic Car Cruise Night

Social media guru needed

It has become clear to us that we are not documenting our live shows or news as effectively as we could. This is the result of one or two people wearing too many hats, and the fact that we are in-the-moment and not observers. We would like to reach out to any of our local followers who may be interested in becoming part of our team as a social media specialist. This assignment would entail taking photos at live performances, photo sessions, and recording sessions, and then adding catchy additions to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you are interested please contact us my email, or by posting a comment below.

The Confetti Clatter – June 2019 Newsletter

Posted on by John Giotto

From Casual Fan to Support Crew Technician

One of the benefits of performing with It’s My Party is meeting so many outstanding people. Sometimes fans become an integral part of our team. Ken Peters, became our guitarist and songwriter from 1986 through 1988. Arne Kraft was our road manager from 1985 through 1986. Cedric Young played guitar for us in the late 2000s. Kevin Plinzke, a friend with a passion for music, was our outstanding sound technician in 1988. Recently, Ed O’Connell, a loyal follower, joined the group in many capacities.

Here is his story: 

Ed was raised in Bayonne and Princeton, NJ in the early to late ’60s. After winning an AM/FM radio in his youth, Ed began tuning into 77 WABC from New Your City and the Philadelphia Sound from 56 WFIL. Listening to these stations, Ed gained an admiration for the rock-n-roll and pop music of the time. Although his aunt was a musical, owning a baby grand piano, Ed never considered himself a musician, giving up on French horn. “I hated lugging that heavy case around and I didn’t think it was a cool instrument,” Ed recalled. However, in high school he joined chorus and in his senior year some members of the chorus, including Ed, began singing  doo-wop songs at school functions. 

During his college years, Ed started to listen to contemporary FM stations, which opened him up to new genres of music. Later on, through his passion for model railroading, Ed met two fellow model railroaders who happened to also be musicians, Bob, the guitarist in Big Tree Road, a classic rock cover band, and Joe, the drummer in Four Man Trio, which covered the music of the ’50s &’60s.

In 2009, while still living in New Jersey, Ed happened upon It’s My Party by way of YouTube. As he recalls, “I was looking for the 1968 hit ‘Will You Be Staying After Sunday’, but did not know the name of who recorded it, since it was by a lesser known group. I Googled the title and in addition to a YouTube video of the Peppermint Rainbow doing a lip-synced performance on a TV variety show, the second thing on the list was a recently posted video of three attractive young women in period outfits performing the song backed by several musicians in black suits.” Of course, he was referring to It’s My Party.

After checking the link to our website, Ed discovered that we were from Rochester, NY, where his sister and mother happened to live. Although Ed did not get a chance to see one of our shows shortly after discovering us, he ended up moving to Rochester, on New Year’s Eve 2010. 

The next three seasons Ed caught about three shows a year. And at our What’s ‘Ur Scoop performance in 2013, he reunited with John Clemente, the author of Girl Groups – Fabulous Females Who Rocked The World, in which John had included It’s My Party. John was the lead singer of the aforementioned Four Man Trio. Surprised to see his erstwhile friend, John sent a selfie of himself and Ed to Joe, the drummer, along with the caption, “Look who I found!”

After following us for several years, Ed asked if he could help in any way, that’s when his involvement began. Ed started out by helping tear down gear at the end of the performances. He organizing skills and trailer packing prowess were evident. Slowly Ed’s involvement expanded. From merchandising, to running lights, and even sound, Ed did it all, providing yeoman service. At the end of the 2017 tour, Ed helped store gear and repair any equipment that may have taken a beating during the touring months. One example was repairing the broken frame of an expensive glockenspiel.

He may not play an instrument, but he is instrumental.

In 2018, Ed contributed to every show, juggling his work schedule as an EMT. Ed has proven invaluable with everything he does for us.  For his efforts, Ed enjoys the camaraderie among the It’s My Party team, which includes hanging out with those who can at an after-gig, late-night meal, usually at Denny’s.

Ed recalled one special after-gig gathering, “While several of us were eating at Denny’s, someone commented on the multitude of talents I had assisting the band. I replied that I could do just about anything except play an instrument. James quickly responded,  ‘He may not play an instrument, but he is instrumental.’ I took that as the ultimate compliment.” 

From left to right: Ian, James, Steve and Ed provided setup at tear down during the 2017 season.

We appreciate Ed and all our attendees, and we are certainly looking forward to our first show of the season on June 18th at Burgundy Basin Inn. We know Ed will be there, six hours before showtime. Ed at times longs to return to New Jersey,  however, in his eyes there would be a price to pay, “You can take a guy out of Jersey, but you can’t take Jersey out of the guy. Maybe I’ll go back there someday, but then I’d really miss It’s My Party!” We would surely miss you too, Ed!

18jun6:00 pm8:00 pmBurgundy Basin Inn Cruise Night

Readers make Guesses on our Cover Song Artist

In our May newsletter we mentioned that our group is recording a cover song from an unlikely artist. We have had three very excellent guesses thus far: Darlene Love, Jon Bon Jovi, and George Harrison, however they are all incorrect. This is a solo artist who also performed with a group and garnered accolades from the music industry. Another clue is that it is male artist. Again, this artist’s songs appear to be very unlikely picks for an It’s My Party cover rendition, especially if you are not familiar with his entire catalog. If you would like to try and guess, please leave a comment.