THE KNICKERBOCKER MUSIC CENTER
35 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891 (Misquamicut) | (401) 315-5070
Closed Today
The club thrived as one of the leading entertainment centers in southern New England, hosting regional and national bands with an emphasis on the blues. Some of the greats that played on the Knickerbocker stage included, Big Joe Turner, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Johnny Nicholas, Leon Russell, Eric Burdon and Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 1967, Roomful of Blues was born in Westerly, when guitarist Duke Robillard and pianist Al Copley started a band that played tough, no-holds barred Chicago blues. Making the Knickerbocker Café their home club, it did not take long before they started exploring swinging, jumping blues and added a horn section. Roomful would pack the house every Sunday and still plays their great brand of blues today.
Fast forward and the Café has become the Knickerbocker Music Center, a non-profit organization formed in partnership with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School. The mission of the Knickerbocker Music Center is to preserve, cultivate and grow the “Knick’s” unique brand of blues, as well as expanding access to music of all genres, by transforming the Knick into both an exciting performance venue and an exceptional center for music education.
Gary ’Guitar’ Gramolini and the Grinders
7:30pm – 10pm
Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at 7:30pm to 10:00pm
The Knickerbocker Music Center. 35 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, RI 02891
knickmusic.com/events/2019/4/24/gary-guitar-gramolini-and-the-grinders
Live Music
Let's Dance Wednesdays!
Gary ’Guitar’ Gramolini and the Grinders
Free Dance Lessons starting at 7p.
Music from 7:30pm-10pm.
$10 Cover
GARY 'GUITAR' GRAMOLINI AND THE GRINDERS formed late in 2000 and has been rocking the house on the Rhode Island/Southern New England music scene ever since. The band features Gary G. (well known as the lead guitarist for John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band) on lead vocals and lead guitar, and they play a wide and eclectic variety of music steeped in Classic and Contemporary Blues, Classic 60's Soul R & B, and roots Rock and Roll, Classic Rock. A guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer with a lifetime of playing and performing experience, Gary draws upon all music as an influence. The Grinders, Dean Cassell on bass, DC Culp on drums (both members of the Beaver Brown Band as well) and Roomful of Blues alumnus Hank Walther on keyboards, support him with crack musicianship backed by years of experience as well.
Gary Gramolini, in addition to leading the Grinders, has been the lead guitarist for John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band since they formed in 1972. They’ve headlined internationally for decades, shared the spotlight with Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Bob Seeger and others too numerous to list, and performed many times on live TV and radio. Gary G. recorded six major-label albums with Beaver Brown, including the triple-platinum soundtrack from the hit film “Eddie and the Cruisers.” The theme song “On the Dark Side” reached #7 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It was also MTV’s #1 video and won BMI’s prestigious Million-Air Citation for more than a million broadcast plays. Gary collaborated with Beaver Brown on eight charting singles and four more movie soundtracks. A fiery player and fine singer, Gary also writes and produces original material and has won many distinguished music awards.
