Montauk Pioneer - May 1, 2009 - Concert For Concerts

One of the beautiful sites of summer in Montauk is the Chamber of Commerce sponsored Monday Night Concerts on the Green where the town informally gathers for a free evening concert each week. Many locals love to take a break after the very busy summer weekends of stress and work to relax and watch the free shows. However this year the Town Board cut the funding for the concerts for 2009. In an attempt to continue this lovely and important tradition, Laraine Creegan, the Executive Director of the Montauk Chamber of Commerce announced that on May 3 starting at 3 p.m. and going on to 7 p.m. at the Old Harbor House, Nancy Atlas, Gene Casey, and Caroline Doctorow are spearheading a benefit to raise the money to continue the wonderful Monday Night concert series. A donation of $10 will be required at the door to attend, but donors are free to donate as much as they would like beyond the ten dollars. The series has been wonderful for the community as families come out with beach chairs, big blankets and coolers to sit and listen to music as the day dwindles down into a wonderful Montauk night. Dogs and young children alike seem to behave splendidly as the music is performed in the gazebo to the gathered crowd.

Nancy Atlas, a mother who lives in and loves Montauk recently said how important living in Montauk is to her, her family, her music and her life. On a recent taping of Ingrid Lemme's American Dream TV show Nancy stressed she is Montauk, always has been, and always will be. She surfs at Ditch Plains and enjoys seeing her son play at the very same beaches she did as a child.

Therefore it was an easy decision for her answer the call of helping raise money to save the Concerts on the Green in which she herself plays for the community well below what she usually charges for her top-rate, well-polished rock and roll shows. Last year when I went to watch her perform it was fun to see her mix with the crowd, child in arms in between sets.

Laraine Creegan stressed how she is so proud the chamber is to be affiliated with such a wonderful program that the Monday Night Concerts on the Green have become. I was present when she realized the funding for the concerts were stricken from this years budget. She tried her best to get it reinstated but because of the fiscal difficulties the town is facing the board was unable to reinsert the funding, so the Montauk Chamber along with the wonderful people who own the Old Harbor House, have coordinated to put the benefit together. It will be worth $10 to see Carl Darenberg show off his Gene Kelly, John Travolta dance moves. Carl has been very active in promoting this benefit through his facebook website. The proposed dates for the Monday Night Concerts on the Green start on July 6, to be followed by July 13, 20, 27 and August 3, 10, 17, 24, with the last one scheduled for August 31.

I personally have enjoyed the bands, troubadours, classical musicians, and Nancy's band, The Nancy Atlas Project, which play on the green. Joining Nancy at the benefit and also performing will be Gene Casey and Caroline Doctorow, who will share their talents to raise the needed funds and entertain the residents of the village they love so much.

Be there May 3, between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to support the Monday Night Concerts on the Green, enjoy hearing the talents of Nancy Atlas, Gene Casey and Caroline Doctorow, while mingling with your friends.