In an effort to bring fresh new talent to the Astoria and LIC Area, MyAstoria.com, in association with Community Board 1, will be holding a free concert this Saturday, September 4th, 2004 at Athens Square Park, 6PM-9PM. The concert will feature a 3 hour performance by the enormously talented Cecilia The Band.

Something of a modern day real-life Partridge Family, Cecilia is comprised of five members of the Veltz family and NYC bassist Kevin Jacoby. Kenneth, the father, plays drums and guitar; matriarch, Jeannie, provides background vocal harmonies and percussion; daughters Allison and Laura front the band on lead vocals; and Drew, the son, is the lead guitarist. A product of their circumstances and genealogy, Cecilia breaks ground by fusing the feel-good qualities of pop/rock without sacrificing any musical integrity. Elaborate percussion and vocal melodies exist side-by-side with crisp contemporary lead female vocals and lyrics you can relate to and understand.

But don't take our word for it. Click here to listen to some of their tracks. They even have a song about... guess what ... Astoria!

Listen to Some Tracks by Cecilia Every Day Dream 4:12 Falling 4:01 Astoria 5:52 For More Info on the Band & Music, Visit www.ceciliatheband.com You'll Need Real Player to Listen to These Tracks. Get it Now

Named after the Patron Saint of music and musicians, Cecilia the Band was officially born in late 1998 in the Washington DC Area. While father Kenneth was employed as a professional composer for television such as the Discovery Channel, a key contract had fallen through, and his son, Drew, and daughters, Allison and Laura started singing at open mics in the DC area to help financially support their family. Soon after, Kenneth had joined them as their drummer and songwriter, and finally, their mother Jeannie jumped aboard as the third voice in Cecilia's three-part vocal harmony.

After realizing their true potential of family as band, they sold the house in 1998, travelled to Nashville, TN, and signed with a manager. The manager brought Cecilia to New York every weekend, and soon after, the band was regularly booking shows in the DC and NY area, and gradually building a very supportive fan-base.

In 2000, Cecilia moved to NYC and bassist, Kevin Jacoby, joined the band while they were in the process of finalizing a major record deal with Blackbird Records, an affiliate of Atlantic Records. Moments before signing off on the deal, the AOL/Time Warner merger was approved and Blackbird was severed from Atlantic. Instead of being severed with the label, Cecilia was offered an opportunity to perform a private showcase for Atlantic Records and was signed to a major record deal in early 2001. After the tragedy of September 11th, the climate of the music industry at the time caused a trend of frantic processed pop makeovers, and Cecilia would not submit to AOL's newfound demands. By the end of 2002, Cecilia welcomed being dropped from Atlantic. And in doing so, they managed to retain their unique spirit and integrity.

Cecilia's musical journey has had an impact few families can share. "We've gone from being a family, to being a band, to being a family again," said Allison Veltz, "It's rare you'll find us talking about something that doesn't have to do with music in some way."

	What People Are Saying About Cecilia: "If you want to let music do what it's supposed to do (fill your heart and soul and make you glad to be alive), you must go see Cecilia." - Eric Brace, Washington Post "I was blown away by Cecilia every time I saw them. Their energy, their presence, their harmonies, and man, their SONGS! No matter who they played in front of, they could capture a crowd and hold them in. It's rare to book opening bands that people pay attention to, much less get excited by. I just wanna keep booking them." - Jake Szufnarowski, Wetlands Preserve, NYC "The group's intoxicating sound, a combination of richly arranged pop songs indebted to classic Top 40, a 90's jam band ethos, and a female harmony lineage quickly drew attention. Coupled with an energetic, often rapturous live show, the group effortlessly established itself as a lively club draw." - John Duffy, AllMusic.com

Striving to stay afloat, Cecilia independently released Live @ The Source, recorded at a venue in the West Village, NYC, and accomplished a very successful four month national tour. In early 2004, thanks to their huge growing fan-base, Cecilia raised enough money to begin production of their latest and long-awaited studio release. The album, This, took 7 months to record at Manhattan's Dumbo studios and includes 13 beautifully produced and eloquently performed original tracks. Currently available in pre-release form, the official release date is set for the fall of 2004. Three tracks from This are available to preview on this page. You will need Real Media, so if you don't have it installed, get it - it's free.

For the time being, Cecilia's success is growing thanks to the support of its fans and the acclaim of their high-energy performances, the meat and potatoes of a successful rock band. They have regular shows at Alphabet Lounge in the East Village every Friday Night, typically drawing a packed house. In an era when popular music is processed, prepackaged, and over-produced, Cecilia is a refreshing burst of rhythmic nuances, fusing the old and the new. And unlike other bands that share their genre, Cecilia writes all their own material. They are a band you not only can enjoy, but can respect.

See Cecilia perform live at Athens Square Park, this Saturday, September 4th (6PM - 9PM)! A tentaive Rain Date has been scheduled for Sunday, September 5th, at 6pm.

The concert is FREE to the public, and if you are a Registered MyAstoria.com Member and bring your Membership Card, you'll get an extra dollar off their CD pre-release, This.

MyAstoria.com, in conjuction with George Delis, District Manager for Community Board 1, have organized this special event. Many thanks to Pavillion Florals, Saloon Hair, and the 30th Avenue Business Association for sponsoring the concert! . . . Please support our sponsors. They truly make events like this possible.

After Party: There will be an After Party at Plaza Cafe Lounge (across the street from Athens Square Park). Meet the band, relax, and have some drinks!

Directions: Athens Square Park is located on the corner of 30th Avenue and 30th Street, in the heart of Astoria. Take the N or W train to 30th Avenue, walk one block west toward Manhattan, and the park is on your right-hand side.

To quote Cecilia's song, Astoria:

I bet you'd like to hear the stories too
From the Kikis, Ruebens, Glorias and Lous
I can't tell you what this places puts me though
Maybe we'll be a part of it's history soon

We couldn't have said it better about Cecilia ourselves, except to put less emphasis on the "maybe" and more emphasis on the "soon". We'll see you on Saturday at Athens Square Park! It will be an extraordinary show, and it's free.

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