The Long Island Sound passed on as The Vietnam War ran out of steam. It was all over by the time disco and The Me Generation arrived. Stages were ripped out to make way for dancing bodies. DJ booths were constructed just large enough to hold the turntables and one seat. Times were hard for live music. Upon moving to Nassau County from Brooklyn during this period, Gary U.S. Bonds said: "You know times are bad when you have to go to a Holiday Inn to hear live music!"
Working bands found few homes. Those clubs that still regarded live music as the only viable act to present, swelled with hospitality and eager fans. My Father's Place in Roslyn was the grandest.
In the quaint
village of Roslyn, a local entrepreneur by the name of Michael "Eppy" Epstein
convinced the owner of a dingy bar to allow him to promote a Memorial Day,
1971 concert featuring Richie Havens. "He told me I was nuts. He said I was
wasting my time as Memorial Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve were dead
bar days. But I knew...I knew."
My Father's Place became the premier venue on Long Island nearly overnight when "Eppy" began to advertise on WLIR. According to former station-manager, Denis McNamara, "It was an ideally symbiotic relationship. Our ratings went through the roof and Eppy filled his room every night. Outside, in the parking lot, the kids had 'LIR on the radio up until the time we told them to go into the club!" Presenting live, on-the-air concerts increased the attraction of national bands toward Long Island and many classic performances were caught on tape, most notably Little Feat in 1974.
"Eppy" Epstein recalls many stories involving the great ones, like the time Mick Jagger and Peter Tosh stretched out on Reggae Night. There are lots of stories. "The old owner of the club was Jay Lenihan. His wife had a relative who managed an unknown folksinger from New Jersey. He had no label, no records out and was virtually a nobody. Jay asked me to do him a favor, to get his wife off his back. I contacted the manager and since he had no tapes nor pictures, he described the act to me. Based on his explanation, I booked the act to open for The Paul Winter Consort, a soft melodic contemporary jazz group. The act showed up late, in a filled Greyhound bus, with every seat taken up by Asbury Park hippies. The E Street Band set up quickly and quietly and performed to a screaming crowd of ninety fans who accompanied them through each song. Although the mix of the two acts was a bust, I was astonished at the magic of Bruce Springsteen. Of course, the four hundred in the audience who had come to see The Paul Winter Consort were disappointed and Paul Winter never spoke to me again. Bruce, however, returned to the club many times until he became too big to play there."
Eppy Epstein
was a most amiable host to the creative surge reacting to the disco onslaught.
- Peppy Castro, who played there with Wiggy Bits: "Of all the clubs and all the stages, My Father's Place was the top. Whenever I played there, with whatever group, those gigs were the best."
- Mike Ricciardella, who performed with The Illusion, Wiggy Bits and Network: "My Father's Place was a place to hear music. It was a safe place and it had a cool crowd."
- Howard
Emerson, besides appearing with The Billy Joel Band also performed in
the popular acoustic duet, Emerson And Lambiase: "My Father's Place was
the best spot on the Island. Eppy kept the room filled with great acts.
I used to bring my guitar with me just in case someone needed backup. I
got to play with many terrific pickers." Said David Bromberg: "...damn fine
guitarist. Howie and I played in a lot of dressing rooms together--he was
my 'sittin'-in' specialist at My Father's Place...damn fine guitarist!"
