Rockville Centre singer to perform at My Father's Place

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Rockville Centre singer Dana Simone Glick, right, rehearsed with her bandmate Chris Milo, of Commack, for an upcoming show at My Father’s Place at the Roslyn Hotel.
Rockville Centre singer Dana Simone Glick, right, rehearsed with her bandmate Chris Milo, of Commack, for an upcoming show at My Father’s Place at the Roslyn Hotel.
Briana Bonfiglio/Herald

Dana Simone Glick, of Rockville Centre, is planting her feet on solid ground to launch a singing career.

The 2011 South Side High School alumna, known in the music world as Dana Simone, has a backing band and producers, and has recorded several tracks, both originals and covers, which are available on Spotify — one of them with Richie Cannata, a former saxophonist for Billy Joel.

“I would just like to be known and have everyone hear my music and what I have to say,” Simone, 26, said. “And I want it to touch people’s hearts.”

Simone is now set to make her debut at My Father’s Place at the Roslyn Hotel on March 5. The show is billed as a trio; fellow singers Stephanie Lombardo, of East Meadow, and Krisi Ardito, of West Islip, will also perform.

Production coordinator Marvin Welkowitz and production assistant Steve Kahn are calling the three-act show “Triple Play DSK,” for Dana, Stephanie and Krisi. Sixteen-year-old Chris Milo, who plays guitar, bass and upright bass, will accompany the women and sing on certain songs.

Simone has been singing since childhood and performed in choirs throughout grade school since attending Wilson Elementary School. She also began songwriting in 10th grade. “I started writing about my feelings, people who hurt me in the past, people who made me smile and about relationships,” she recalled.

After graduating South Side, Simone completed Nassau Community College’s two-year fashion design program. She then took an internship as an assistant designer for Sugar Plum Fashions. She’s held part-time retail jobs and now works part-time as a driver for a person with autism and focuses closely on her music.

“I do things like that on the side, and it works well so I can be able to perform, practice, rehearse and all that,” she said. “[The internship] was a good experience for me, but I wanted music the most. And maybe one day if I become known, then my fashion can come along with it because I’m really passionate about both.”

Kahn, of Rockville Centre, met Simone through a mutual friend. He and Welkowitz were looking for local talent to help elevate when they started working with her. Kahn worked at a music magazine called Echoes of the Past for many years and was introduced to the music industry that way, and Welkowitz is a longtime sound engineer who toured with the Beach Boys. Last summer they created the Dana Simone Band, comprised of Long Islanders: Milo on bass guitar, acoustic guitar and vocals, Dave Weissman on lead guitar, Mitch Weingart on keyboards and Saudy Familia on drums.

“[Dana] is very easy going and friendly,” Kahn said. “She’s very talented, and we see the potential. She’s a very prolific songwriter. She is developing a very strong stage presence, so she is really an asset as far as someone to be working with.”

The Dana Simone Band has performed at several venues, including Pianos, The Bitter End and Arlene’s Grocery. They’ve recorded Simone’s own original songs, “Holding On” and “That’s What It Means,” as well as several covers.

The band has now been rehearsing with Lombardo and Ardito, as well, in preparation for the March 5 gig. Lombardo has been playing piano since age 3 and has released several original, “glam pop” songs. She also hosts a radio show on 90.3 FM WHPC called “The Party Mix.”

“I’ve always wanted to be an original solo artist,” Lombardo said, “so this is a great opportunity for me to connect with some other great musicians, get some stage time and see what we can do.”

While Simone sings pop ballads and Lombardo performs contemporary and glam pop, Ardito comes in with some soulful R&B. Ardito also creates her own music, has co-hosted internet radio programs, including “Keepin’ It Real with Krisi,” and has opened for artists including Reina and Young M.A.

“I’ve dabbled in a lot of different things, but never have I put on a show like what we’re doing at My Father’s place,” Ardito said “I’ve never sang my own original music, never been backed up by a band. So it’s going to be different for me.”

“It’s not easy working two to three jobs and trying to pursue a passion in life,” she added. “I’m just doing whatever I gotta do to get out there.”

Each musician will sing her own songs, as well as popular covers, such as Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow,” Radiohead’s “Creep” and Extreme’s “More Than Words,” all of which they practiced at a rehearsal last week in the auditorium of the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Center with Welkowitz’s equipment.

“There’s a lot of diverse music here, so it’s a little bit of something for everyone here,” Lombardo said. “It’s a lot of songs you can recognize and sing along to.”

While they’ve only met in person a handful of times, the three women bond over their love of music, the Long Island music scene, attending Nassau Community College — “wanna-be rockstars go there,” Ardito joked — and the anticipation for their first gig together.

The trio, and Milo, spoke about their excitement to play at My Father’s Place, each for the first time. “It’s really cool to be one of the people that perform there, knowing that so many great artists became famous out of performing there,” Milo said.

Kahn and Welkowitz hope the show will be just the beginning for Triple Play DSK. They will look to book the show at nightclubs and casinos in the future, they said, as well as record more Dana Simone songs.

“There’s definitely more to come with my writing,” Simone said. “I have a lot more knowledge in my head that I’d like to show everybody and let them all experience it.”

For tickets to see Triple Play DSK at My Father’s Place on March 5 at 8 p.m., visit myfathersplace.showare.com.