HAMPTONS EDITION:Goose Bumps Down Your Legs Good by Christabelle
I wait with baited breath every year for Memorial Day to roll around once again, so I can travel to my dear, sweet Montauk. Though traditionally not the warmest weekend in the NYC area – nor the sunniest – it is a tradition. For as far back as I can remember, we always open the season of beaching, sanding, surfing and lobstering in Montauk on Memorial Day weekend.
Ryan Star performing in Long Island (5/21/09)
But this year, I was even more anxious to begin the summer sojurn to the Hamptons because I was serenaded by a Star at the “opening pitch”. Ok..me and about 50 or so other people were serenaded by a Star. No ‘twinkle, twinkle little star’ here – after all, I am talking about Ryan Star – armed with the girth, power and heat of the Sun-kind-of-star.
Ollie’s in Amityville, Long Island was the venue…an unassuming bar in the small sleepy town whose claim to fame was a possessed house. The crowd formed thickly at the stage in anticipation of Ryan Star’s “acoustic” performance – a long awaited for show, since he has been touring with American Idol winner David Cook since February! I, a grown woman, found myself pushing people over just to get to the front – like a teen-age crazed fan of NKOTB. And then it began…Ryan Star walked out on stage and the room stood still. Clad in a Kristen Farrell pendant worthy of a rockstar of his caliber (see next post), as he opened his mouth and intense, passionate music effortlessly flew out, Montauk became a distant thought in my head. As Ryan engaged with his fans from the low, dark stage – his playful rhetoric with his followers was endearing and at times hilariously obnoxious (he called for his publicist to come in for “damage control” – and the crowd ate it up like ice cream on a hot summer day).
The set list had something for everyone…a little new, a little old…drummer Justin from the days of “Stage” (Ryan’s childhood band) even made a guest appearance for a song. Opening with his new single from upcoming 11:59 (dropping Summer 2009), Last Train Home, sprinkling in the ever ethereal song Breathe, rockin’ Right Now and blasting “oldie” crowd pleaser Psycho Suicidal Girl. Ryan, in true, hard-core rocker mode, ended the show 10 songs performed with a sweat-soaked shirt and a busted guitar string. Need I say more?
Though I consider myself a die-hard fan of Mr. Star, I realized the girls in front of me who drove 10 hours and the ones to my left that flew in from Chicago JUST TO SEE THE SHOW, put me to shame. My only complaint…it had to come to an end. I could have sat in Ollie’s the whole weekend and skipped Montauk all together (and those of you who know me personally know that is a BIG BOLD statement).
Ryan Star…your are on fire RIGHT NOW…and forever. You have a fan for life. You should be a fan too…I promise you won’t be disappointed CHECK OUT RYAN’S NEWEST CUTS HERE
CHECK OUT RYAN’S TOUR DATES HERE
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