Sentinel -
Check out this Talented Rock Band
Playing the most rockin' music from the 70s through today!
2/6 Chicks, 8196 Erie Rd, Angola, NY 14006
3/14 Hamburg Casino, 5820 South Park Avenue, Hamburg, NY 14075
4/25 Yings, 1460 French Rd., Depew, NY 14043
This band is full of talent that spans decades! We asked the 2 founding members to give a little history of the band. This is what they told us, a little window into the history of Buffalo's very own- "Sentinel"
Enjoy the following "Tales from Sentinel Band History " 🎸
From Nick Notaro:
Ok. So the band was started in 1986 with myself, Jimmy Blahowicz on guitar, Steve Caprio on bass and Rich (Dino) Fortune on vocals. We played a lot of Rock wars at Salty Dog and Sinbad's. We played one of our biggest shows at Carousel roller rink. Once, when we played at the old Skate Haven which became the Fun house and now Lucarelli's, we were doing an original instrumental. It was heavy double bass. Unbeknownst to me, the singer jumped on the drum riser the song before and caused the platform to separate. During the song, the front foot of my throne started to fall into the crack. I knew there was a break coming up so I stood up and turned the base. When I sat back down, the back foot went into the crack and caused me to fall backwards off the stage. Some little kid ran up to me yelling " mister, are you ok?" I jumped back on the stage to see Jimmy and Steve in hysterics. We finished the song and I got a standing ovation."
There were several lineup changes over the years which saw me replaced by Jim O'Donnel, Jay McGurrin and Darrin James. I will forward you a message from Jimmy with some stuff from those years. Jimmy eventually went on to some big area bands such as Silk and Steel and Nasty Habits. We had lost touch for over 20 years. But in 2016 I called all the original members to get together at my house and that started the reunion turning. We played the Exposure concerts for several years, each year with a different lineup. Dino found after the first show that his voice could no longer hold up. We went through several singers and lineups. Steve had to leave due to health reasons which brings us to today. The new lineup is 2 years old and ready to rock!
From Jimmy Blahowicz:
We were playing a place called Pete Piero’s Steak House that actually was more of a bar. The 2nd set we were opening with Sweet Emotion and you know how long the beginning of the song can be. We started the set playing the beginning of the song with no signs of the singer coming on stage. We must have played the beginning of the song for over 10 minutes with the audience starting to look around and making strange looks at the band. The singer finally ran in stage and went right into singing the song. It ends up he was banging one of the waitresses in the back kitchen with her sitting on the counter top. When he started singing the audience erupted cheering. I didn’t know if it was because they really liked the song or just glad he showed up and started singing. lol
We played in a bar that had a front room that I thought was a restaurant and when we finally hit the stage the girls started walking in the bar when we started playing and got up on the bar and tables and started dancing. They started taking off all their clothes and flung some of their bras and panties on stag. When we finished the song I asked my guitar tech what is going on? He said, how didn’t you notice the front of the bar was a strip club? To make it even better the whole side of the building was dirty motel rooms. We partied there for a while. Lol
We played at Darien Lake and after the show some of the audience had photos of the band that were available. Some gathered on the side of the stage and wanted me to sign it for them. I was thrilled. The last girl that was in line came to me and I put out my hand with a sharpie ready to sign the picture she had in her hand. She smiled and lifted her shirt up with no bra on and said I want you to sign this!!! I was shocked and just signed the area she wanted with my sharpie. We took a picture together like she wanted. I thought jeez, haven’t done that before!!! lol
I was playing a bar in a Buffalo and my roadie called me early the next morning and sounded out of breath. It was strange because we played and got back when the sun was coming up and it was like unlike him. He said, bud I can’t find your guitar!!! It was and remains my prized possession because it was the first “real” guitar my dad bought for me. I bothered him for months to get it for me because I seen an add in Guitar Player magazine and it was my idol Eddie Van Halen advertising hod Kramer guitar. I called the bar and they were closed. He called me up a couple of hours later and said, bud I found it. Oddly enough, I was so glad he found it that I didn’t ask him where it was? Back then our roadies got paid in pizza and beer. Well, he must have got paid well that night. Probably a party pizza and full case of beer!!! lol
The bass play cut his hand badly at work on a meat slicer at work and we had a big show that night. Well, our manager said you have to play the show or else!!! He wound it the best he could with gauze and started the show. About halfway through the show the gauze came off and he stated bleeding all over his bass. The audience went crazy cheering like it was a Gene Simmons trick!!! It wasn’t but the show went on!!!
We played a dive bar called the Ken Lounge and had a big crowd and during the 3rd set they ran out of most liquor. Gladly most of the audience stayed but I felt it odd when we finish that every person that was there was drinking out of a plastic cup with a small straw in it indicating the were all drinking pop!!! Those are real fans
We were playing a rock wars at the Salty Dog when we just started the band. The band was there with most of their gear in stage. I was too young to be at a bar and went with my parents. The bouncer asked me and my parents where my proof was? My mother who never lies said she ruined it in the washer doing laundry. The bouncer smiled and knew what we were up to but let it go. During the show somebody bought us shots and the waitress brought them up to us. I was nervous as I hadn’t been on stage much and didn’t know what to do. Of course I drank the shot thinking mine had ice tea, it wasn’t!!! After it put it down with my face cringing I looked up and seen him the bouncer watching me smiling!!! To this day, I think he bought me the shot.
There was this guy who would follow the band all over the place. He was like a male groupie. I used to wear a white leather fringe sleeve jack, something like you would see Ozzy wear. After one of our shows he told me if I give him my jacket he would give me his motorcycle. I didn’t believe him and said, ya right!!! He showed up to a show the next weekend and said, ya still want the bike? I smiled like he was kidding and said ya sure!!! After the show I was packing up and he dangled the key in front of me. I took them and gave him the jacket. He was there with a couple of friends so he had a ride home. I thought I could leave my car with the equipment inside of it overnight instead of leaving the motorcycle.
Thanks for all of that fun band history guys!!!
Here is a Vintage pic of the band from years ago!
These talented 716 Musicians have fun as they rock out!
Make sure and mark your calendars to check out the newest lineup!! ( see schedule above)
Featuring- Laura Mackey on Lead Vocals, Lisa Zurek on Keys, Mike Mackey on bass (yes they are married) and of course, Founding band members- Nick Notaro on Drums and Jimmy Blahowicz on Guitar!
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