Macy’s Parade- Rising Musicians (Interview 2024)

Edition Sixty-Three- Week Sixty-Three:

Written by: Mercedes Barreto

What moment began the band Macy’s parade?

“I started to regularly attend open mics that are attended by local musicians, as well as local people who don’t perform but have a shared interest and passion for music. These open mics included venues like Paula’s Public House with Denny Blandino’s band, Mahoney’s Irish Pub hosted by Kirsten Lee and the Poughkeepsie Steakhouse with Mike Mendel’s band, as well as other local venues. In the course of this I realized that I really missed singing and performing. These events allowed me to meet other talented local musicians, some of whom I now call bandmates. This all came together over a course of months, and Macy’s Parade was formed.”

Why is the name unique or special in some way?

“It’s a whimsical play on the actual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that was watched every year by my family, who managed to convince me that it was “My parade”. It’s an inside joke in my family that we watch “my parade”. The name is of course derived from my name, and the word Parade to me suggests an event that is both a celebration and fun to watch. I was hopeful that when we founded the band and started to perform live that the audience and the band alike would find the shows joyful and fun to watch and be a part of.”

Where have the band members performed, and where would they like to play in the future?

“The band debuted at Paula’s Public House and has since had performances at JB’s Bar and Grill in Jaimes Baird State Park, Paula’s Runway Café at the Dutchess County Airport, Nooch’s in Millbrook, Joseph’s Italian Steakhouse in Hyde Park, La Puerta Azul in Millbrook, La Familgia in Lake Carmel, AJ’s Café and festivals including Poughkeepsie Riverfest and the Putnum County Fair.

In the future I’d love to play at other local venues like: Juan Murphy’s, Divine Wine Bar in Wappingers, Jason Patrick’s on 44 and the Station Grill in Poughquag, as well as branching out to venues outside of Dutchess County. I would also like to play at more spring and summer festivals, and at some of the beautiful orchards and wineries in the area.”

Why is music important to each band member? Why do they believe Macy’s Parade will be a hit success?

“All four of us rehearse and perform out of a shared passion for music and at this point for all of us, the band is our beloved hobby, not our living. So, all of us maintain other jobs and careers while dedicating a significant portion of what would be leisure time into delivering quality music to our audience and to expanding our repertoire. We have many different people in the band, and our love of music is something that unites us and spans the generations.

Speaking for myself only, Music originated from my childhood, both in singing in the church choir, and performing in the theatre, and very early on attending performances from my mother’s band. Some of my earliest and strongest memories are tied to a love and appreciation for music.”

Is there a music industry executive they would like to work with sometime soon?

“For me, at this point, that’s not a question that I can answer. My focus right now is on live performances in the local area, independently writing and producing some original music this year, and that’s a bridge that maybe I will be fortunate enough to cross in the future.”

What makes Macy’s Parade iconic, and why should we hear their music today?

“Macy’s Parade in it’s current form is a cover band, and I don’t believe that a cover band can be iconic.

While perhaps not iconic, one attribute of the band is different than many other local bands, and that is the range of music that we play, which spans generations. At a Macy’s Parade show it’s not uncommon to hear Johnny Cash, John Denver and Nancy Sinatra to Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga with bands like CCR, the Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac thrown in for good measure.

I have been writing a number of original songs, and it is a high priority for me this year to record and release some original music, so perhaps I can edit this answer next year.”

Anything to add here?

“Macy’s Parade is an ever-evolving concept and has many different configurations it performs in with me as the constant. I am incredibly lucky to continue to work with musicians who make me a better performer.

I am grateful for the strong and welcoming music community of the Hudson Valley, and look forward to facilitating more community events like the “Hudson Valley Women of Song” which I organized with the support of Paula and Paula’s Runway Café.”

Questions For The Photographer-

What made Macy’s Parade a treat and unique in style for your photo sessions with them?

“What was unique bout this shoot was it was held in a living room, we did performance shots, video and posed shots, I changed the background in the ones that were going to be used by the band they came out great and I was really afraid of the final product because of the location but in the end …perfect!”

Would you recommend?

“I do recommend the Band. The musicians were excellent, not overpowering and let the beautiful vocals of Macy Shine through.”