Ed Smith Benefit at The Nutty Irishman
Photos courtesy of John and Thomas Spoltore
Imagine life as a successful soundboard operator, working the best venues New York has to offer. You have seen and become friends with musicians you admire. You purchase a home, have a beautiful family, cars and all the creature comforts most of us desire. Then it is all taken away with one bite of a tick.
Lyme disease is a nasty illness to deal with. It is an imitating disease, meaning it takes the forms of many others, making it hard to detect. Many people who suffer from Chronic Lyme Disease (CLD) are often misdiagnosed with other illnesses such as Parkinson’s, manic depression or even heart disease.
Edward “Smitty” Smith was the longtime sound engineer for Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge. Smith lead a long and acclaimed career – until one bite of a tick changed everything! One day he noted he was slurring his words and had general muscle soreness. His family checked him into a hospital, fearing a stroke. The results were much, much worse. In a few short months he went from an able bodied, talented man to wheelchair bound. To make matters worse his insurance company refuses to pay for treatment. The Smith Family has been paying their medical expenses out of pocket.
Enter the music industry that gave this man his profession. The guys from The Nutty Irishman in Bay Shore rolled up their sleeves and hosted a benefit concert for Smitty. The Irishman was packed near capacity for this event. Music was provided by a very entertaining Billboard Live and Smitty’s old running mates, The Brooklyn Bridge.
Billboard Live (pictured below) performed high-octane songs of the 70s. We really enjoyed their rendition of The Stones “Paint It Black” and The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”. I was especially intrigued because neither song is the type of track typically made into a cover song. Usually if I hear a Rolling Stones cover, it’s either “Sympathy for the Devil” or “Gimme Shelter”. Yes “Paint it Black” is a rock standard, but a little off the cuff as a cover. Same thing goes for “Hey Jude”. Covers are fantastic because it gives the crowd a chance to interact with music they know and love.
We had a chance to catch up with Billboard Live after the show. As lead vocalist John Golden put it, “A show like this means a lot to us. Its for a good cause. There is a lot of people here and we want them to leave happy.” Drummer Steve Stewart added “This sound [70s rock] is the music we grew up on. Before mortgages and other responsibilities.” If you missed this event, you can still catch the band at the Sayville Seafood Festival on August 24.
Smitty’s old running mates brought the house down. I haven’t heard Bridge since the passing of Johnny Maestro a few years ago. The sound is different, maybe because of the lack of the Maestro or as the optimist inside me hopes, the lack of Smitty on the boards, but the energy remains. They opened their set with old school, smile on your face doo-wop; classic New York sound. The doo-wop blended beautifully to some rhythm and blues and finally, rock. I guess we would expect nothing less from a group whose career spans almost 50 years!
If there is a silver lining to Edward Smith’s tragedy it’s this: He is still around, but needs our help. We are all one unfortunate occurrence away from hardship. My couple of dollars I waste on coffee at 711 along with someone’s disposable income can help the family of a talented man. Also for all of us that enjoy walking paths in the summer, be on the look out for bites, rashes, or anything else that looks different. Always get checked out by your doctor when in doubt. It can save your life.
Photos of the entire Edward Smith Benefit will be posted on swedephoto.com to view or purchase in a few days. All sales will go directly to the Smith Family. To donate directly please visit www.gofundme.com/9n62dg
