by Rachel Hunter
Frankie & The Moonlighters will offer sweet sounds from the ‘50s and ‘60s, on Saturday, May 18, 7-10 p.m. at the Gouverneur Elks Lodge No. 2035, 1419 US Highway 11, Gouverneur.
Admission to the sock hop is $3 (single) or $5 (couple). Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, there will be a $100 prize for the best outfit, and judging will be at 8 p.m. Food will be available for purchase from 5 to 6 p.m. The Gouverneur Elks will offer the classic food options cheeseburger with French fries and shake, or hot dog with French fries and shake at a nominal $5 cost. The public is encouraged to attend.
Frankie & The Moonlighters, based in Bloomingdale, NY, is a nostalgia band with music from the ‘50s and 60s. Each band member has a day-job, thus the name “moonlighters.”
The “chief crooner” is Frank Whitelaw, 63, who currently serves as the Town of St. Armand Town Justice. He retired from the New York State Police after 24 years of service, and also served as Essex County Coroner for over seven years. “Music has always been my go-to throughout life,” Mr. Whitelaw said in an interview with the Gouverneur Tribune Press. “It was even my major in high school. It’s been a driving force. After I retired, I co-founded heavy metal band Sonic Boom with a friend. Eight years later, I wanted to try something different. Fifties doo-wop music has always resonated with me, so I decided to venture out and find a whole new group.”
Frankie & The Moonlighters consists of the following: Frank Whitelaw as primary lead vocalist, Donna Fortune, Melissa Nugent, and Jessica Kemp as backing and lead vocals, Mike Harrington on lead guitar, Barb Curtis on upright bass, Sue Grimm on keyboards, and Kevin McLaughlin on drums. The group formed in November of 2022, and was finalized in January of 2023.
“Everyone in the group is passionate about music and they give 100 percent,” Frank Whitelaw said. “The music is all from the ‘50s and ‘60s. We all have period-correct wardrobe, and our stage set is reminiscent of a performance stage from the ‘50s or early ‘60s. We give a high-energy show with a smattering of crooning ballads. We even have our audience play along on one of our songs, when the ladies hand out percussion instruments, so the audience can play along and sing along with us. Our shows are rated G, so we are family-friendly. The band has been evolving since forming. For only being a little over a year old, we are getting lots of great feedback. We tend to honestly self-critique, so this serves as the medium for growth and improvement. It’s rewarding when we see our audiences singing along, dancing and just having fun. The goal is, to let you leave your troubles at the door and just have a good time. No other agenda. Just rock around the clock.”
Frankie & The Moonlighters is booked around the North Country in 2024. The Gouverneur Elks Lodge No. 2035 will feature Frankie & The Moonlights during the sock hop on Saturday, May 18, and during the Elks’ Annual Car Show on Saturday, June 8. The band will also be playing the Clinton County Fair in July, Music on the Green at Riverside Park in Saranac Lake, Tupper Arts Sunset Music Series in August, Port Henry Farmers Market, The Battle of Plattsburgh celebration in September, a North Country Hospice benefit show in October, among others. The band is taking November off to hit the studio, to record their first EP.
Anticipation is high throughout to community for North Country’s ‘50s-‘60s nostalgia band, Frankie & The Moonlighters, to come to Gouverneur on Saturday, May 18. Organizers encourage residents to arrive early to enjoy the sock-hop fun! For more information, call the Gouverneur Elks at 315-287-1630.