If you were walking through Marine Park on Wednesday evening, July 16th, and thought you heard Louis Armstrong, Gloria Gaynor or Olivia Newton-John singing, you would have undoubtedly been drawn to the lawn in front of the bocce court where the Scott Yahney & Friends Band had crowds singing and dancing along to a variety of classic rock songs. This concert was the third in a series of Marine Park summer concerts sponsored by Assemblywoman Jaime Williams.
Yahney, a local resident and band leader of the six-piece ensemble of talented singers and musicians, enchanted concert-goers for the third year in a row. The band did a great job grabbing the crowd’s attention with their skillful mash-up of 70s and 80s songs.
Keva, one of the singers, astounded the audience and had the crowd singing along with “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. Another singer, Kathryn, sounded like Olivia Newton-John when she sang “Let’s Get Physical” and then Cher’s “Believe.” Yahney moved the fans with Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.”
Kiki astonished all ears as she played the saxophone. It’s fascinating to hear such a powerful, mesmerizing sound come from a petite young lady. Babalola played the congas with ease and Sean’s musical rhythm and flow on the guitar was impressive.
Surprise guest performer, actress, singer and Brooklyn native, Ilene Kristen, delighted the audience with her sultry voice. Kristen played Roxy on One Life to Live and Delia on Ryan’s Hope. A perfect addition to the band with her alluring voice, Kristen and Yahney performed “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and the crowd joyfully sang along.
Three excited ladies claimed their wine raffle prizes, and it just so happened that one of those raffle winners also won a $50 Amazon gift card donated by Sotheby’s International Realty.
These amazing concerts are free and open to the public. Williams along with sponsors Marine Park Alliance, Bical Auto Mall, Michael’s of Brooklyn, Sotheby’s and others, in partnership with NYC Parks, Millennium Development and the Marine Park Community Association make these popular summer concerts possible.
The concerts are held in Marine Park every Wednesday night (with a rain date of Thursday) at 6:30 p.m. on the lawn near the bocce court. Bring your friends, family, a chair, blanket and a camera to record the memories! For more information, call 718-252-2124.
