Crowds gathered on Thursday, August 21st (Wednesday night’s concert was rained out), despite the dreary, fall-like conditions, with hoodies, hats and blankets to see Decades play in Marine Park. This was the seventh concert in a series of Marine Park summer concerts sponsored by Assemblywoman Jaime Williams.
Decades, a five-piece band that originated in Brooklyn, charmed concert-goers with hits from all genres and decades. Their mash-up of tunes, TV show theme songs and one-hit wonders had the crowd singing, dancing and clapping along. The band’s witty banter with the audience kept everyone guessing the next song.
Angela, the lead singer and guitarist, had a captivating soulful voice that entranced the audience. Whether she was singing Georgia Satellites’ “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” or Tina Turner’s “The Best,” she had the crowd mesmerized. Rob, singer and guitarist, sounded like Darius Rucker singing “Hold My Hand,” and Adam, singer and guitarist, channeled Steve Harwell singing “I’m a Believer.”
The moment that Joni played certain melodies on the keyboard, concert-goers audibly approved and were transformed to another decade. The energetic drumline that Pat played during the song, “867-5309/Jenny” had everyone tapping their feet. Guest singer, Barbara (Rob’s wife), entertained the masses while singing “Dancing in the Streets.”
The band played The Rembrandt’s “I’ll Be There for You” (the Friends theme song), and when singing the first few words, “So no one told you life was gonna be this way,” the entire crowd erupted with four punctual claps. You could hear the audience laugh immediately when participating in the ritual.
During the concert’s intermission, Assemblywoman Jaime Williams and Donald Cranston presented sponsors of the annual summer concert series with plaques of recognition and appreciation of their support. These beloved community gatherings take place because of these generous donors. Robert Tracey from Tracey Real Estate; Maureen, a representative from Vincent R. Cervone and Associates; Charles D’Alessandro from Sotheby’s International Realty; and Marine Park Alliance board member Todd Lichtman, with his distinctive “wooooo,” graciously accepted the acknowledgement.
Greg Borruso from Marine Park Hardware and Kings Plaza were also acknowledged, but they were unable to attend. Scott Yahney was also recognized for his dedication and hard work behind the scenes. He took care of the sound system for all the concerts, as well as DJ-ing during intermissions and master of ceremonies.
These amazing concerts are free and open to the public. Williams along with sponsors Nick’s Lobster House, Marine Park Alliance, Chrysalis Archaeological Consultants, Michaels of Brooklyn and others in partnership with NYC Parks, Millennium Development and the Marine Park Community Association make these popular summer concerts possible.
Don’t miss the last concert of the season, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 27th (with a rain date of August 28th) 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.
