Bands Reunite For A Good Cause In Westhampton Beach - 27 East

Arts & Living

Arts & Living / 1328678

Bands Reunite For A Good Cause In Westhampton Beach

author on May 13, 2019

In 1994, Bryan Tymann and a few of his fellow students approached their Westampton Beach High School principal about hosting a battle of the bands. The students were told that they needed a cause and a teacher to sponsor it. They asked science teacher Jok Kommer to sponsor the event and came up with the idea of raising money for recycling containers through his CURE group (Classmates United in Restoring the Environment). It was a big success.

Over the years, Mr. Kommer has continued the “Battle of the Bands” tradition at the school, raising a significant amount of money for many environmental initiatives such as solar power and now wind power. Mr. Tymann has continued to participate as well as a judge and a mentor to CURE students.

But this year, there was only one student band at the school, so the event has been taken off-campus and will instead be a concert featuring alumni from former “Battle of the Bands.” Called “REBand,” the reunion concert will be held on Saturday, May 18 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, which has generously offered up the venue for the cause. This year’s 25th annual event is also special in that it is the final one for Mr. Kommer before he retires next month.

Current and alumni bands performing at “REBand” include The Water Boys, Haunted Hacienda, San Salvador Dali Parton, and Local Motion. All proceeds raised will go toward’s CURE’s Wind Turbine Initiative and the effort to install three wind turbines at the elementary school to provide an alternative energy resource.

WHBPAC is located at 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach. Tickets are $15 to $20 at eventbrite.com (search RE-band).

You May Also Like:

Saxophone Luminary Jane Ira Bloom Brings Her Quartet to The Church

Acclaimed soprano saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Jane Ira Bloom will bring her boundary-pushing all-star ... 5 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Tickets on Sale for East Hampton Library’s 21st Annual Authors Night Fundraiser

The East Hampton Library will host its 21st Annual Authors Night fundraiser on Saturday, August ... 4 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Tales Told in Sound: Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Celebrates Its 42nd Season

The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival (BCMF), Long Island’s longest-running classical music festival, returns this summer ... by Staff Writer

Santi Debriano’s Bembé Arktet Brings Global Jazz Fusion to Sag Harbor

Hamptons Jazz Fest continues its summer season with bassist and composer Santi Debriano and his dynamic ensemble, Bembé Arktet, on Friday, July 18, at 6 p.m. at The Church in Sag Harbor. Panamanian-born and Brooklyn-raised, Debriano is a powerful force in Afro-Caribbean jazz, known for his work with legends like Archie Shepp, Randy Weston and Freddie Hubbard. With Bembé Arktet, he blends complex polyrhythms, folkloric melodies and modal improvisation into a vibrant sound that is both deeply spiritual and rhythmically propulsive. The ensemble’s name draws from “bembé,” an Afro-Cuban sacred celebration of drumming and dance, which reflects the group’s mission: ... by Staff Writer

Joy-Ann Reid to Speak in the Hamptons at ‘Equality Matters’ Lecture, Part of Stony Brook’s ‘Thinking Forward’ Series

Journalist, author and Emmy-nominated broadcaster Joy-Ann Reid will headline “Equality Matters in the Hamptons” on Thursday, July 17, at 6:30 p.m. at the Avram Theater at Stony Brook Southampton. The event, moderated by Ken Miller, is part of the “Thinking Forward Lecture Series,” presented by the Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center (The Center) in cooperation with Stony Brook University. The series aims to educate, inspire and foster dialogue on important cultural and social issues. A limited-space VIP reception will be held at 5 p.m. and includes a signed book by Reid. Reservations are available at stonybrook.edu/reid. Reid is best ... by Staff Writer

Ted Hartley To Be Inducted into Hamptons Artist Hall of Fame, Exhibit at Hamptons Fine Art Fair

Artist Ted Hartley will be inducted into the Hamptons Artist Hall of Fame during the ... 3 Jul 2025 by Staff Writer

Sara Nightingale Gallery Debuts Rose Cameron’s Dreamlike ‘Forever. For Now.’ Exhibition

Sara Nightingale Gallery will present a solo exhibition by artist Rose Cameron titled “Forever. For ... by Staff Writer

Childhood Friends and Authors Scott Johnston, Michael Cannell Discuss New Books at Bridgehampton Barnes & Noble

Authors Scott Johnston and Michael Cannell, longtime childhood friends who grew up on the East ... by Staff Writer

Artists Go Off-Map in ‘Having a Long Coarse Daunting Peak’ at LTV Studios

“Having a Long Coarse Daunting Peak,” an exhibition of color, urgency and unmapped terrain curated ... by Staff Writer

Supporting a Biodiverse Future: David Loehwing and Kevin McDonald in Conversation at The Church

The Church will host David Loehwing and Kevin McDonald for a talk on Saturday, August ... by Staff Writer