Local institution: Little Wilson to play during “Happenings on Main Street” summer series
The Little Wilson Band will close out the Northport Art Coalition’s “Happenings on Main Street” summer concert series on Friday, August 28, in Northport Village Park.
The Little Wilson Band will play in the park after all.
A decision to rotate performers by the Northport Chamber of Commerce for their annual Summerfest concert series left the iconic hometown band off this year’s schedule, prompting a fiery discussion on social media, with longtime fans lamenting what many considered the dismissal of a local institution.
On Wednesday, June 10, Linda Trott Dickman of the Northport Arts Coalition confirmed that, thanks to the generosity of Rob Simmons of LA PORTA, Little Wilson will close out its “Happenings on Main Street” free summer concert series on Friday, August 28, in Northport Village Park.
The Little Wilson Band officially formed in 1979, getting their start playing regular gigs at the original Canterbury Ales in Huntington. Led by Allen Santoriello, the band has played thousands of shows across Long Island and has been a perennial favorite for town-sponsored outdoor summer series for decades.
When approached by NAC about sponsoring the last concert in the park for “Happenings on Main Street,” Simmons said yes but, knowing a performer had yet to be secured, had one condition: he would get to pick the band.
Long story short, he picked Little Wilson and, after speaking with Santoriello, the date was set.
“I am overjoyed that this legendary local band will be the crowning jewel of our concert series,” Dickman told the Journal.
Previously, Little Wilson routinely played hugely popular shows at the Chamber’s Summerfest series, also held in Northport Village Park.
On April 22, the Northport Chamber of Commerce released a statement explaining their decision to rotate their lineup: “This year, we received a strong request to introduce new genres and bring in a wider variety of performers, including a country band and other acts,” the statement read. “...Our goal has always been to create a vibrant, inclusive event that brings people together, supports local musicians, and keeps each season fresh and exciting for attendees. By rotating performers, we’re able to highlight more artists and ensure the series continues to reflect the depth and diversity of talent in our community. We truly appreciate every artist who has been part of the series – past, present, and future – and are grateful for the role each plays in making this event so special.”
For now, Santoriello is happy to keep The Little Wilson Band tradition alive in Northport; four of the band’s current members hail from here. Santoriello recalled how, when his mom was alive, she would sit right in the front of band at the park “and hold court, you know, and everybody would just come up and say hello to my mom.” After she passed, his aunt Susie would sit there “and bring eggplant and sausage and peppers.” Over the years, Santoriello would see people he grew up with, people he played Little League with, at the concerts.
“It always meant so much to me because it was all, it was my community,” Santoriello said. “It’s almost like I knew every single person in the crowd.”
NAC’s Happenings on Main free concerts are scheduled for Northport Village Park every Friday night from 7 to 9pm in July and August, culminating with Little Wilson on August 28. Follow the NAC here. The Northport Chamber of Commerce’s Summerfest concert series runs on Wednesdays from July 29 to August 26. A list of the performers can be found on the Chamber website.
The Little Wilson Band is made of David Leone on drums, James Uhl on bass/vocals, Larry Ketchell on keyboards/ vocals, Thomas Santoriello on guitar/vocals, Greg Krockta on harmonica/vocals and Allen “Little Wilson” Santoriello on vocals. They play at Twisted Cow Distillery this Saturday, June 13, beginning at 8pm, and have other outdoor Northport shows in the works.
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