Good Old-Fashioned Rock And Roll At McMullen Park In Verona

Aug 01, 2013

Not many top notch rock and rollers can claim to have been making music back when rock and roll was born close to six decades ago. But that is the case for the band The Monarchs, whose average band member age is roughly 68.5 years. Their age is no way a detriment to the sound the band produces - a tightly knit classic rock and roll all cover band, who seem as at ease cranking out classic '50s doo- whop hits as well as cool, unnerving classic surfer tunes like Pipe Line and Wipe Out. The Monarchs consists of four players: Donny Candon on rhythm guitar/vocals; Peter Bebee on lead guitar/vocals; Gary Tisdale on drums/vocals; and Wayne Sweet on bass/vocals. The four play solely covers and their repertoire included numerous Elvis classics like The Wonder of You, Can't Help Falling in Love, America's Horse With No Name, The Hollies' Long Cool Woman, Eddy Rabitt's The Wanderer plus Chubby Checker's The Twist and many, many more. The musicians are each more than capable as soloists on lead guitar, drums and bass, with each playing their fair share of top notch solos. Guitarist Donny Cordon and bass player Wayne Sweet carried most of the lead vocals with ease and to great effect and each band member also assisted in the many four part harmonies, which are what make their early '50s repertoire so classic. The Monarchs fit in perfectly with the outdoor summer concert series that the Verona Community Association has been offering up free for music lovers. The crowd of 100 listeners ate up the Monarchs' music and two young toddlers could not keep themselves from dancing up a storm. Listeners also had a chance to take home some of the band's classic sounds in their latest CD recorded this year titled "Pub Night".

Those who missed the concert have no fear. The Monarchs will be performing at the upcoming Verona Cattail Festival on August 10 and 11. The final concert in the VCA's McMullen beach free concert series will be the gospel group Faithful Friends on Sunday August 25 from 1-3 pm, with the VCA BBQ beginning at noon. In case of inclement weather, the concert will take place indoors at the Verona Lions Hall on Verona Sand Road.