East End bands will have a chance to shine at John Drew Theater this summer

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A few East End bands will get a chance to strut their stuff on the big stage this summer: Crossroads Music has teamed up with the John Drew Theater to present a monthly showcase of area talent that starts this Saturday. Most of the groups have appeared at the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett or at other East End venues.

“What people will hear is East End music,” said Michael D. Clark, owner of Crossroads Music in East Hampton. “There’s a lot of talent here. The series is a way to put some of it on stage and give the performers a chance to play at a world-class theater.”

Titled the Crossroads Music Showcase, the series presents an affordable night of music featuring bands known to East End music fans. There are teen performers and adults. The music is diverse and ranges from classic rock to metal, Latin, “rhythm ’n’ twang” and more.

The bands include Gene Casey and The Lone Sharks (October 24) and Klyph Black and Rumor Has It (September 12). The Lone Sharks perform in spots around Long Island, in New York City and beyond (www.lonesharks.com). Rumor Has It has shared the stage with Hot Tuna, Johnny Winter, Elvin Bishop, Pat Benatar, The Subdudes and others (www.myspace.com/klyphblackanrumorhasit).

Teen bands were culled from the East Hampton music scene. They include heavy metal band Consent of Kings (June 13) and indie-alternative rockers The Glazzies (August 17). Consent of Kings recently added winning the Stephen Talkhouse Battle of the Bands to their list of performance credits. They have two recordings under their belt and a slew of fans (www.myspace.com/consentofkings).

The Glazzies of Sag Harbor formed in September 2008 after the breakup of Too Busy Being Bored (TBBB). The Glazzies was formed by former TBBB musicians Peter Landi, David Horn and Forrest Gray. With new songs under their belt, they have performed at The Stephen Talkhouse, Pierson High School and other venues (www.myspace.com/theglazzies).

Too Busy Being Bored won band battles held by the Town of Southampton (2006) and The Knitting Factory (2007) and played numerous places on the East End, in Manhattan and beyond before disbanding.

First up in the monthly Crossroads Music Showcase will be the Bastards of Boom with special guests Dan Bailey & Living Rhythm. The Bastards of Boom are a popular party band that grew out of weekly community samba percussion sessions led by Escola de Samba Boom. The Bastards of Boom mix Brazilian beats with rock, electronic music and world melodies to create music that makes the audiences want to groove. Based in East Hampton, the group is made up of Dalton Portella, Curtis DeForest, Roni Dias, Mara Hogan, Rafael Pimenta and Matt Martin (www.myspace.com/bastardsofboom).

Dan Bailey & Living Rhythm is another area favorite. Mr. Bailey is a master drummer whose music combines African styles with roots reggae, ska, jazz, blues, folk and protesta. He’ll be joined by Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman and Jeffrey Berstein. Mr. Bailey has performed solo or with the Living Rhythm at Regulars Music Café in North Sea, Ziggy’s in Bridgehampton, 75 Main in Southampton and other venues (www.danbaileymusic.com).

The Crossroads Music series unofficially kicked off last Sunday with a marathon concert. The first official collaboration with Guild Hall, the seven-hour concert helped officially unveil the John Drew Theater for the community following its extensive renovation. The show was part of Guild Hall’s Grand Re-Opening Community Day and the musical lineup included Mama Lee Rose & Friends, Black & Sparrow, Evolution 3, The Blue Collar Band, The Surf Dogs and The Lost Keys. All of the concerts were free.

Taken as a whole, the Crossroads Music Showcase at Guild Hall is a way to spotlight area talent. But it’s also a way to bring music typically performed at nightclubs and bars into a family-friendly setting. Holding the series at the John Drew Theater is rated as a positive on at least two fronts. The under-21 crowd and people who don’t enjoy a bar setting can see the bands perform; and the musicians get to play in a state-of-the-art theater and have an audience whose attention is focused on the music.

“Everyone who comes to the John Drew Theater is there to hear the music,” Mr. Clark said. “The bands won’t have to compete with noise and things that go on in bars. It’s a chance for them to play in a theater and a place with a different vibe than most of them are used to.”

For Guild Hall, it’s a chance to put the John Drew’s capabilities before an audience of music lovers, said Josh Gladstone, artistic director of the John Drew. Teaming up with Crossroads Music was a natural way to tap into the local community of musicians, he said.