IN A POWERFUL TRIBUTE TO THEIR DEAR FRIEND AND LONGSTANDING PILLAR OF THE STATEN ISLAND COMMUNITY, A BAND OF LOCAL MUSICIANS AND LIFELONG FRIENDS ARE TAKING THE STAGE OF THE SPRINGER CONCERT HALL FOR CLASSIC PLAYBACK, A ROCK-AND-ROLL-PACKED BENEFIT SHOW TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE FLORINA CANCER CENTER
BY AMANDA McCOY • PHOTOS BY AMESSE PHOTOGRAPHY
Over a decade had passed since local rock band Project 19 played the final chords in its second annual benefit show for Staten Island University Hospital (raising an impressive $40,000 for cancer research for the second year in a row), and show organizer/band leader Steven Line was feeling the pull once again. Line knew exactly who to call next. Frank Provenzano, owner of the full-service production company ProSho Sound and a close friend of Line’s since high school, was a key driving force behind the scenes of the Project 19 shows in 2008 and 2009. “In every show I’ve organized, he was my counselor,” said Line. “He was on the Project 19 committee with me and managed the production for both benefit concerts. We went over an outline for the new show, and I got the thumbs up from him and his fiancée, Allison Hellow, lead singer of the local wedding band Paris New York.”
Devastatingly, Provenzano was diagnosed with cancer shortly thereafter, and he passed away in March of 2022. Described by his loved ones as a gregarious, lifelong Islander as passionate about community service as he was music, Provenzano’s loss shook the borough.
After the call with Frank and Allison, Line noted that he gathered musicians from different bands from New York and New Jersey to form his newest music project, Classic Playback. T hen he invited Exit 12 to join the show. As time went on, they wanted to pay special tribute to Frank so two past members from Pressure Point, Anthony D’Antuono and Andrew Napoli, decided to put the old band back together, adding Allison Hellow on vocals and Carl Rizzo on guitar. All of the pieces were now in place for one amazing show.
The benefit concert took on a new meaning for Line and his bandmates. Hellow, Provenzano’s partner of 25 years, stepped in to fill her fiancé’s shoes on the project committee. Over the next two years, the team worked tirelessly to put all the pieces together, securing sponsorships and organizing rehearsals for more than a dozen musicians, many who lived out of state. “Everyone was all in,” noted Line. “All the musicians are in different bands and have busy schedules, but no one was looking for money. This one was for giving back. In musician ship, when you have that tight bond growing up you can miss a few years but you never skip a beat when you see each other again.”
Bill Spiezia, co-owner of the local land surveying firm Rogers Surveying and a longtime friend of Provenzano, took the lead on crowdfunding, immediately blown away by the outpouring of support. Within the first month, the team had raised $20,000 in sponsorships (the current tally sits around $40,000, plus ticket sales). “Staten Island is a tight-knit community, and everyone was eager to help,” noted Spiezia, who will also be playing guitar in the show. “More than 95% of the people we reached out to pledged to contribute in some way. It was incredible.”
On July 20, the team’s vast efforts will hit a crescendo when the crowd fills the Springer Concert Hall at the College of Staten Island for Classic Playback Rock Show 2024, a dance-packed evening of rock and roll in honor of Provenzano’s life and memory. Proceeds will directly benefit SIUH’s recently opened Florina Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art, 40,000-square foot oncology center that offers Staten Islanders access to the most advanced medical therapies and clinical trials available in cancer care.
“This has truly been a labor of love for us,” noted Hellow, who met Provenzano as a singer in the early ‘90s when his produc tion company took over sound for her events. “Frank dedicated his life to music and giving back to the community, so this show felt like the most fitting way to honor him and everything he’s done for Staten Island.”
Three bands are on the ticket: Classic Playback, Exit 12, and Pressure Point, two of which are fronted by Hellow’s power house vocals. The setlist will be stacked with legendary rock and roll lore of the ‘70s and ‘80s, from Fleetwood Mac and The Doobie Brothers to Journey and Styx. “There will be two different views of classic rock,” added Line. “It’ll be a nice variety package throughout the night.”
One set will be particularly meaningful. In his 20s, Provenzano was the lead singer and guitarist of Pressure Point, a local rock band that regularly brought down the house in venues throughout the borough. On the night of the show, his former band members will reunite on stage, joined by Hellow, to play their greatest hits, all original songs written by Provenzano. “I used to go see Pressure Point play back in the day,” said Line. “It’s so special that Allison will be singing Frank’s songs. She’s been the strong point throughout this entire journey. This night would not be possible without her.”
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t run into someone from the community who tells me how special Frank was to them,” added Hellow. “He was so great at giving advice, and I think that’s what people miss the most. He wasn’t a spotlight guy; he lived his life behind the scenes. I don’t know that he would love all this attention, but I can tell you one thing, he would love the production and the music.”
Classic Playback
All proceeds benefit the Florina Cancer Center at Staten Island University Hospital