By GREGORY ZELLER //
Like a band performing an endless concert tour, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame has long dreamed of home.
There have always been big names to enshrine, mounds of memorabilia to display, student musicians to support and plenty of progressive programming, including an innovative, COVID-approved New Year’s Eve 2020 clip show recalling the best of the hall’s biannual induction ceremonies, simulcast on television and online.
But a permanent brick-and-mortar base has proved elusive. A brief stay in downtown Port Jefferson during the 2010s didn’t really stick; basically, the hall has been on the road since launching in 2004, surviving primarily as a tour bus/mobile museum.
Not anymore. Following a Nov. 22 VIP preview event – attended by the founding members of Blue Öyster Cult, “The Magic Garden” veterans Paula Janis and Carole Demas and an otherwise jaw-dropping cross-section of amazing artists – the hall officially opened the doors of its permanent Stony Brook home Nov. 25.
The trustees of the 18-year-old 501(c)3 nonprofit organization announced this summer they’d signed a long-term lease with the Ward Melville Heritage Organization for 8,800 square feet inside the Stony Brook Village Center.
Ernie Canadeo: Excitable.
Located near The Long Island Museum, the Reboli Center for Art and History and other cultural centers, the two-story space is now filled with musical instruments, stage-worn outfits, antique automobiles, rare photos and handwritten song notes donated by Long Island-based artists including Billy Joel, Joan Jett, Debbie Gibson and many others.
A main Hall of Fame boasts more than 120 inductee plaques. There’s also a surround-sound theater, a memorabilia-rich gift shop, classroom and library spaces and room for rotating exhibitions.
First up: “Long Island’s Legendary Club Scene – 1960s-1980s,” a virtual “club crawl” through old-fashioned LI bars and other vintage venues featuring performance videos, classic posters, a replica 1960s-era stage and other blasts from the past.
That’s exactly the kind of attraction the LIMEHOF has always wanted to present, according to Chairman Ernie Canadeo, and finally can.
“We are thrilled our organization has found a permanent home in such a wonderful location,” Canadeo said. “We’re excited to be able to share our world-class displays and unique memorabilia collection that showcases Long Island’s rich and diverse musical and entertainment history in new and exciting ways.”
Musical residency: At last, Long Island’s greatest musicians have a home.
“Exciting” describes that lively and fun club-scene exhibition, which helped draw more than 500 visitors to the hall over its opening weekend, along with live performances by LIMEHOF inductee Richie Cannata (a frequent Joel collaborator) and others.
According to Canadeo, “exciting” also embodies the boundless possibilities for future exhibitions spotlighting Long Island’s abundant music and entertainment history.
“We feature different and exciting exhibits, displays, videos and education offerings,” the chairman said. “The [hall] is a dynamic place for people to visit on a regular basis.”
