Dan's Papers - May 23, 2008 - Backbeat: Preview to East End Music Scene

For East Enders craving live music and anticipating the day when there are a wide variety of bands and genres to choose from, Memorial Day weekend is finally here. The weekend marks the start of the summer season, when bands can be heard blaring from the doors of a number of venues on any given night. The holiday weekend also sets the stage for what locals, tourists and second-home owners can expect for their aural fixes this summer.

This year, if you just want to go out and hear some old favorites, you're probably better off checking out some cover acts and tribute bands. The Amish Outlaws (www.amishoutlaws.com), "straight outta Lancaster," according to the website, is a unique act set to perform at the Beach Bar in Hampton Bays on May 25. Playing up to their name, with three members having actually defected from the Amish lifestyle, these guys cover everything from Guns N' Roses to the Insane Clown Posse, adding a bizarre flair to whatever they perform.

Talk of the Town (www.talkofthetownband.com), a Pretenders/Cars tribute band (I know, it's an odd combination), will be performing at the Artful Dodger in Westhampton Beach. Lead vocals alternate between male and female, with bassist Billy Reutlinger channeling Ric Ocasek on the Cars' songs, and Mary Beth Cronin doing her best Chrissy Hynde on the Pretenders' numbers (Cronin pulls off Hynde pretty well, but I'd be interested in hearing her try a few Patti Smith tunes). They'll be coming back to the Artful Dodger a few weeks later on June 7, a day after hitting up Sunwater's Grill Restaurant in Hampton Bays.

Or you might want to catch Lez Zeppelin (www.lezzeppelin.com), and yes, the band's name says it all - but if I really need to spell it out for you, it's an all-female Led Zeppelin cover band. They'll be at Stephen Talkhouse on May 25.

Of course, the Talkhouse is an even better place for original music, and their coming Memorial Day weekend schedule is full of it. Friday night you can first check out the ska sounds of Britain's Dave Wakeling and the English Beat (davewakeling.com), which came into its own when it sped up its reggae-infused rock in the '80s, alongside another well-known British ska group, The Specials. That same night, you can check out the R&B-infused disco rock of New York City's Booga Sugar (www.boogasugar.com), who will be in Amagansett again May 30, and the weekend also features such acts as singer-songwriter Martin Sexton (www.martinsexton.com), the very well-known East End Americana/roots rock act (akin to Lucinda Williams) Nancy Atlas (www.nancyatlas.com) and Brooklyn reggae/dub artist Winston Irie (www.myspace.com/winstoniriereval1).

A great place to check out some local rock acts this weekend is "The Umbrella Show," presented by the art collective Arts 4 Bonac Tonic at Stella Maris School in Sag Harbor May 23-26. While the festival will feature a variety of art genres, including visual arts, literary efforts and film/animation shorts, Saturday night from 5:45-10 p.m. will feature a bevy of local bands. Too Busy Being Bored, one of the bands in the line-up, has more of an indie-rock feel - something you don't often hear on the East End. A Midnight Orchestra also evokes that very indie feeling, bringing a more modern rock-oriented, almost hardcore sound to the table, as does the group All County Fair.

Eastenders Coffee House in Riverhead might have done away with their weekly open mic nights, but it's still a great resource for music on the East End, as they bring in a different act every Friday and Saturday (and sometimes Sunday). On Friday, Johnnie Lee Jordan (www.myspace.com/johnnieleejordan) brings his indie folk style to the coffee house. With wavering vocals, a little bit Devandra Banhart, a little Connor Oberst from Bright Eyes, this is a show not to be missed.

Saturday features two original acts. From 3-6 p.m. catch The Singing Willow Tree Band (www.myspace.com/thesingingwillowtreeband), a self-described jam and roots band, but with an R&B flair, particularly in the vocals. Later that day, between 8 and 11 p.m., check out the Jay Scott Acoustic Trio (www.jayscott.com), a bluesy, folk rock act.

And of course, the vineyards are always a good place for live music, pretty much any Saturday or Sunday over the weekend, as well as holidays.

Bedell Cellars and Corey Creek Vineyards, which have the same owner, are offering live music Saturday through Monday this holiday weekend. The Contractors (www.thecontractorsband.com), a party band that tackles a variety of groups, including the B-52s, No Doubt, Cyndi Lauper and Stevie Wonder, are at Bedell on Saturday. Acoustic rocker Joe Allegue is at Corey Creek that day then heads to Bedell on Sunday. Jon Divello (www.jondivello.com), another acoustic rock performer, but with a band behind him, is at Corey Creek on Sunday, while Johnny Kroo (www.johnnykroo.com), a singer-songwriter who performs original music as well as a wide variety of covers (James Taylor to Sublime) is there on Monday. Spoonwalk (www.spoonwalk.com), a folk-rock duo with jazz leanings, is at Bedell on Monday.

The well-known Kerry Kearney (www.kerrykearney.com), a great blues rock act that has long been an integral part of the Long Island music scene, will be at Martha Clara Vineyard in Riverhead on Saturday for the vineyard's "Red, Whites and BBQ Blues" event.

Jamesport Vineyards in Jamesport is hosting a trio of artists over the weekend. Highway 49 performs on Saturday, acoustic singer-songwriter Barry Waller (www.barrywaller.com) is on Sunday and Gibraltar Jazz on Monday.

So enjoy whichever band you decide to check out, and rest easy, knowing that next weekend - and even some weekdays - will bring you great, live acts.

If you're a band or musician interested in being featured in our new music column, email tiffany@danspapers.com.