An Elvis sighting in Valley Stream
Celebrating the birthdays of Elvis Presley and David Bowie, Le Poisson Rouge in New York City held a musical celebration on Sunday. To prepare for the show, one of the performing bands held its first and only rehearsal at Buckley’s restaurant in Valley Stream last week, joined by a modest crowd of music lovers.
Eddie Clendening and the Blue Ribbon Boys took to the Freddy Frogs stage at Buckley’s on Jan. 12 to fine tune their act. Clendening stars as Elvis Presley in the off-Broadway musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” a tribute to the impromptu jam session recording of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash made in 1956.
Clendening was asked to put together a band to fill out the Elvis sound for the New York City show. He said he was happy to do it, and welcomes any chance he can to play the part of the king of rock ‘n’ roll. “He’s the biggest superstar and icon of our time,” Clendening said. “It’s fun to pretend to be that guy for a little bit.”
Gene Casey, of Greenport, joined Clendening as the guitarist for the show. Normally the leader of his own band, the Lone Sharks, Casey said he was happy to help out a fellow musician and friend. “I like just being the hired hand today,” Casey said. “It’s kind of a refreshing change for me.”
Casey, a native of Malverne, said he was looking forward to the Sunday show in New York City and said it was a musical event he probably would have gone to anyway.
The rehearsal at Buckley’s was organized by Valley Stream resident Brian Donnelly. He said that Buckley’s was a good central location for band members who came from around the region.
To make the event special, Donnelly said he wanted to provide the band with an audience. One person who came to check out the show was local Valley Stream artist Michael Stanko. “It’s a real good band,” he said. “It’s real good music in Valley Stream, on a Thursday afternoon. It’s great.”
Stanko noted that Buckley’s is quickly becoming the new area hot-spot for rockabilly and rootsy music.
Donnelly said that Clendening’s band will be back for another show at Buckley’s for St. Patrick’s Day. They will play rockabilly with an Irish twist, and songs will include “Danny Boy” and “Whiskey in the Jar.”
