Let Us Entertain You
Bryen O’Boyle
If you aren’t too tired after a day on the beach or playing out in the boat, there are plenty of things to do at night here on Seven Mile Beach. With an abundance of restaurants to choose from, you can find whatever you are looking for right here. After dinner, the nightlife is booming! Whether you want to relax with a glass of wine or dance until your feet hurt, there are plenty of options to choose from in both Avalon and Stone Harbor.
We will start at the north end of Avalon where you find Bobby Dee’s Rock ’N Chair, 2409 Dune Drive. First thing you need to do when you are there is enjoy a nice dinner. Then you can continue the evening at the bar. Sunday through Wednesday at 7pm, you will be entertained by the sounds of Johnny’s Cousin Steve, Rob Lipkin and Ann Oswald. Every Thursday night, Dan Ryan hosts Quizzo, beginning at 8. Throughout the summer, live bands play every weekend. Some of the highlights include: Almost Free on July 3, the full Marquee Band on July 7, and the Juicy Band on Aug. 25. The Juicy Trio is in the house July 6, Aug. 3 and
Aug. 17 and the Marquee Trio returns on July 27, Aug. 10 and Aug. 24. Other bands you will find here include: All Tuned Up, The Boatloads, Cornerboys, and Steve and the UBees.
Head down toward the bay and you will find The Whitebrier, 260 20th St., on the same block with a few other establishments. The Whitebrier has a great outdoor area to enjoy on those warm summer nights and two main inside areas (the Mermaid bar and the Motorboat) with various entertainment playing and drink specials all summer long. Monday nights, it’s Quizzo! Tuesday night, the kids are invited to join everyone in the Mermaid Bar from 5-9pm for Kids’ Karaoke. Wednesday nights, wear your green attire for Irish Night and listen to the sounds of an Irish Band from 8pm to midnight. You can’t miss Philly Philly Thursday with live acoustic music starting at 8pm. Kick off the weekend on Friday night with live acoustic music outdoors from 5-8pm. Then head inside for live acoustic music from Nick Horn from 10pm-2am. Saturday, the party lasts all day with the DJ spinning the tunes and then live music starting at 10pm. Finally, on Sunday nights the Dueling Pianos will entertain you from 8pm-midnight. There is something worth coming in for every night of the week!
If you head south, just before you get to Stone Harbor, located right on the beach is the Windrift, 105 80th St. The Windrift has always been popular for its Wing Night (which is still every Tuesday, by the way). You can find various entertainment happening throughout the resort all week long. Every Thursday, The Exceptions play at the Beach Bar at 8pm. Dr. Thunder is there on Wednesdays and Jimmy Doran plays on Thursday nights. Friday and Saturday nights starting at 9:30pm, live bands play at the Blue Wave and at Level 2. Highlights include Love Seed Mama Jump on July 21 and Aug. 4.
The Chatterband is in the house July 20, Aug. 3, Aug. 18 and Sept. 1. Stellar Mojo entertains on July 7, Aug. 11 and Aug. 31.
At Level 2, DJ Jules is spinning the tunes every night except Monday and Wednesday. Jimmy Doran is there on Sundays, John Anthony on Mondays and Chris Huff on Tuesdays. Every night at 6 in the Signature Lounge, the piano is hopping. Darin McDonald is there Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. Jim Bannach plays Monday, Thursday and Saturday, and Doug Jennings is in the house on Wednesdays. Whether you are looking to relax with a glass of wine or dance the night away with your friends, the Windrift has a little something for everyone.
The absolutely gorgeous ICONA Avalon, 78th Street and the beach, was completely redone two years ago. This luxury resort is an incredible place to spend your vacation. But if you are staying somewhere else, you can still join the fun and play right along the beach. The Sandbar Village Beach Bar and Lounge features food, cocktails, fire pits and live music every night of the week. Every Monday night, Robin Gazzara is playing. Tuesday night, listen to the sounds of Atley Moon. On Wednesday, Avalon local MJ Nestor is in the house and Alexis Cunningham plays every Thursday night. On Fridays, highlights include the Les Duo on July 6,
Zodiak Jack on July 27, and the Dom Grasso Duo on Aug. 3. Sean Loosh plays every Saturday. Sundays are for Raggae! The Raggamuffins are playing on July 1, 15, 29, Aug. 12 and Aug. 26. Every other Sunday night it’s Cheezy & Crackers. So grab a cocktail, put your toes in the sand, kick back and relax!
A trip to Seven Mile Beach wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Fred’s Tavern, 314 96th St. An island landmark for more than six decades, people have been known to not leave town without picking up a T-shirt or two, and then wear them all over the world! While Fred’s has changed a lot over the years, one thing remains the same: It’s where the locals hang out for that small-town bar feeling. It’s the kind of place you feel just as welcome in January as you do in July. We have to add that you must grab a burger while you are there – yum! Another can’t-miss is the entertainment that plays throughout the summer. Every Monday night is Quizzo at 9pm. Every Tuesday stop in at 8:30pm for Name That Tune. There is live music every Friday and Saturday night. Some of the summer’s highlights include: Johnny Phatt on July 3, Bryen O’Boyle on July 13, The Seabillys on Aug. 3 and Rob Groden on Aug. 4. Fan favorite Where’s Bat is back on July 20-21 and again in August on the 17th and 18th.
Celebrating five years is The Reeds at Shelter Haven, 9601 Third Ave. This is the place you want to be when the sun sets over the bay. You won’t find a better view on the island. “Renowned for its breathtaking sunset views, The Reeds has quickly established itself as a live-entertainment haven, offering nightly musical performances that range from classic acoustic rock to soulful jazz vocals and everything in between,” says General Manager Justin Mogavero. The nice thing about The Reeds is that no matter what are you looking to listen to, you will find it there. With three venues hosting live entertainment, you can’t go wrong. In the SAX Lounge, there is live music every night from 8-11pm. Highlights include: Marnie and Nate on July 5 and 19, Alexis Cunningham on July 14 and Scott Gurney on July 4. Over at Buckets, there is also entertainment nightly from 8-11pm. Kevin Burns is in the house July 1, 2, and 4 and Wes Ochs is playing July 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31.
Finally, the Stone Harbor Pizza Pub has also joined in on the entertainment scene. Every Wednesday night is open-mic night where customers are invited to come up and perform! There is live music Thursday through Sunday nights and performers include Elizabeth McGovern, Escape Plan and Back 2 Life.
This summer, Chill Rooftop Grill, 224 96th St., will have live entertainment every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6-9:30pm. On Fridays, Bill Bittman is playing the steel drums. Listening to him will make you feel like you are on a tropical island! On Saturdays, Lane Simkins and Abbie & Sage alternate. Sundays is Sean Loosh, a true local favorite, or TQ Acoustic. The menu at Chill can’t be beat, so go in for dinner and stay for the entertainment. Don’t forget to take in the view of 96th Street from above!
Located on the second floor of Harbor Square, right in the middle of 96th Street, is The Watering Hull. This is another great place to head to for dinner and then stay for the entertainment afterward, especially during the week of the Fourth of July. After the July 2 fireworks, The Seabillys are in the house. Tom Mackell will be playing on July 4. If you really want to be entertained, come on July 5 from 10pm-2am for the Dueling DJs show. Rounding out the weekend on July 6, it’s the three-piece band, Mega Knight. Throughout the rest of the summer, there will be a live band every Friday night. Every Saturday night there is a DJ and every Sunday night, get your country on with Holdyn Barder playing live country music from 4-6pm. If you think you have what it takes, try your hand at karaoke every Tuesday night starting at 9:30. At The Watering Hull, there is a little something for everyone.
Once you have experienced the night life on Seven Mile Beach, you will never want to vacation anywhere else. If you want relaxing, we have it. Want to party? No problem. You’d rather sit back and laugh the night away? We can provide that, too. Nothing beats the talent you can see any night of the week. Don’t forget to drink responsibly!
