Free outdoor concert series comes to Wyandanch this summer
Singer Olutayo Bosede, 38, who grew up in Amityville, will front The Stoop Coop on July 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Delano Stewart Plaza in Wyandanch.
Wyandanch is evolving. The Suffolk County hamlet is currently getting a makeover as part of the Town of Babylon’s Wyandanch Rising project. Over the years, there have been more than 390 new apartments added, 35,000 square feet of new retail space and a plaza built with an ice rink, fire pit and a fountain. This summer, a free concert series marks the first music collaboration in the Wyandanch community, which is partially funded by the Town of Babylon, Suffolk County, Wyandanch Plaza Association and Empact Inc.
“By hosting music concerts in our community parks, we celebrate and amplify the vibrant diversity and heritage of our residents,” says Falischa Moss, founder of Empact Inc.
This year, Wyandanch will feature four shows in three locations.
THE STOOP COOP
Singer Olutayo Bosede, 38, who grew up in Amityville, will front The Stoop Coop on July 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Delano Stewart Plaza in Wyandanch.
Broadway performer Olutayo Bosede (“Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” “The Wiz Live!”), who grew up in Amityville, kept his artistry going during the pandemic by putting together a band that performed on his stoop in Sugar Hill, Harlem. Hence the birth of The Stoop Coop.
“It’s very all improvisational, blending pop, funk and R&B,” says Bosede, 38. “The band sort of plays like a DJ because we medley a lot of songs together and sometimes even make up tunes on the spot.”
Bosede, who is nicknamed “The Mad Hatter” because of his colorful headgear, says he hopes to “bring people together and allow their inner child to come out any play” with his Long Island performance.
WHEN | WHERE 7:30 p.m., July 16, Delano Stewart Plaza, 40 Station Dr.
MORE INFO 516-455-3179, wyandanchplaza.org
THE NEXT LEVEL BAND
The Next Level Band will perform at Wyandanch Park in Wyandanch on July 20.
Get ready for a nonstop freight train of reggae, calypso, pop and R&B with The Next Level Band, led by Anderson Tyrone Parris of North Bellport, who sings and plays steel drums and guitar.
“Our show is high energy from start to finish,” says Parris, 66, who regularly gigs at Dublin Deck in Patchogue, the Village Idiot Pub in Patchogue and Dirty Taco in Smithtown. “I purposely play songs that make people move.”
Parris is diversified, playing music from reggae legends Bob Marley and Peter Tosh plus calypso artists like Mighty Sparrow and Machel Montano. He also includes pop artists such as Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars and Britney Spears as well as R & greats Earth, Wind & Fire and Chaka Khan.
“I want people to remember who gave them a good time,” says Parris, who dresses the band in all whites.
WHEN | WHERE 7:30 p.m., July 20, Wyandanch Park, Mount Avenue
MORE INFO 516-455-3179, wyandanchplaza.org
THE HARLEM BLUES & JAZZ BAND
The Harlem Blues & Jazz Band will perform in Geiger Park in Wyandanch on Aug. 13.
Go deep into the roots of American music with the Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, which is celebrating its 51st anniversary. The band’s legacy was the focus of the 2004 film “The Last of the First,” which won Best Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival.
“We cover early jazz from the '20s and '30s into swing plus modern and Latin jazz,” says percussionist Michael Dawson, 79, of Suffolk County. “It will be a history lesson for Long Island showing how music was created before the era of hip-hop.”
The set list consists of songs like Dizzy Gillespie’s “Manteca,” as well as Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues.”
“You’ll want to take your hat off your head, put your dancing shoes on and swing the night away,” says Dawson. “We want people to realize that jazz still lives and that it is important. This is the real thing.”
WHEN | WHERE 7:30 p.m., Aug. 13, Geiger Park, Grand Blvd.
MORE INFO 516-455-3179, wyandanchplaza.org
AJADA REIGNS
Ajada Reigns & Alignment will perform at Delano Stewart Plaza in Wyandanch on Aug. 24.
Reigns, who has been professionally singing since age 12, can be found performing with her band, Alignment at her Friday night residency at the Tempo Hotel in Times Square.
“We’re not a wedding band, therefore we like to pick more obscure covers and put a spin on them,” says Reigns, 34, who graduated from Five Towns College. “We make each song our own by using unique arrangements. It’s an experience.”
Expect to hear tunes like “Creep” by Radiohead, “Come Together” by The Beatles, “Neither One of Us” by Gladys Knight & The Pips, “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross, “How Deep is Your Love” by the Bee Gees and “Rock With You” by Michael Jackson. Reigns will even toss in some originals like hip-hop/R&B vibe of “Power” and reggae jam, “Revelation.”
“I want people to leave with a full soul and having been touched by the lyrics,” says Reigns. “They should feel like they just had a four-course meal.”
WHEN | WHERE 7:30 p.m., Aug. 24, Delano Stewart Plaza, 40 Station Dr.
MORE INFO 516-455-3179, wyandanchplaza.org
David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.
