Downtown Sounds will celebrate its 30th season this summer with a nine-concert lineup, a new second stage for emerging performers and a hometown band helping kick off the series on July 3.
The Friday night concert series, organized by the Glen Cove Downtown Business Improvement District, has grown from a modest gathering of local jazz musicians performing for small crowds at the corner of Glen and School streets in 1997 into one of the city’s signature summer attractions, drawing audiences large enough to require street closures.
Organizers say the milestone season reflects years of listening to audience feedback and adapting the series to changing musical tastes.
“In addition to enjoying the music, members of the Downtown Sounds Committee are on hand at concerts observing and listening to feedback from audience members,” Jill Nossa, executive director of the Glen Cove Downtown BID, said. “Doing so guides us as we choose the bands for our line-up each year.”
This year’s lineup leans heavily into genre-based tribute acts, a strategy that Downtown BID Assistant.
The season opens July 3 with Social Gold, a high-energy party band that performs contemporary Top 40, pop, hip-hop and country hits. Other featured acts include Dr. K’s Motown Revue on July 10, Decadia on July 17, Mission Prog on July 24, Pop Divas Through the Decades featuring The Chiclettes on July 31, Adrian Anthony’s Grupo Hipnosis on Aug. 7, The Incredible AM/FM Time Machine on Aug. 14, Head Over Heels on Aug. 21 and That ’70s Band on Aug. 28.
One of the biggest additions this year will be a second stage at the north end of School Street. The new performance area will showcase local solo artists, duos and small bands while encouraging concertgoers to explore downtown restaurants and businesses.
The inaugural act on the second stage will be Brake, a four-member rock band featuring Glen Cove natives and brothers Koorosh and Brandon Leibovitz.
Brake consists of Koorosh Leibovitz on drums, Brandon Leibovitz on lead guitar, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jake Levine of Plainview and bassist Nick Ripe of Massapequa. The band has been together since roughly 2020 and evolved from a trio into its current four-member lineup when Ripe joined in 2023.
According to Leibovitz, the group performs music spanning several decades and genres.
“We kind of hit every decade,” he said. “Our background is a lot like rock and roll. We do a little funk, some more contemporary stuff, like alternative rock.”
The original Brake lineup featured the Leibovitz brothers and Levine, who recorded several singles in 2020 before releasing their debut album, Breakfast, in spring 2022. Since adding Ripe, the band has performed at venues across Nassau and Suffolk counties while continuing to write and perform original music. Their setlists mix classic rock, blues, funk and modern alternative rock with original songs, including their fan-favorite single “Bacon, Egg and Cheese.”
For Leibovitz, the opportunity to perform at Downtown Sounds carries special significance.
“Just being a Glen Cove native and performing in my hometown, also just kicking off this new second stage thing going on downtown, I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “It’s sort of a dream come true.”
He said the addition of the second stage will help bring more activity to downtown Glen Cove and create opportunities for local musicians.
“It’s just really a privilege to kick off the summer concerts here and be part of that,” Leibovitz said. “We can’t really thank Jill enough and the downtown BID for giving us the opportunity to play.”
Leibovitz encouraged residents to support both the music and local businesses.
“We’d love to see people come down, support live music in Glen Cove, because that’s really what we need,” he said. “We want to activate our downtown. We want to bring the arts downtown, supplement that with our lovely restaurants and local businesses.”
Fred Guarino, owner of Tiki Recording Studios and longtime chairman of Downtown Sounds, said the combination of established crowd favorites, first-time performers and the new second stage could make the anniversary season one of the strongest in the series’ history.
“We’ve had some great seasons, but this one is shaping up to be the best one yet,” Guarino said. “With the variety of music that will be on display on two different stages, there is sure to be something for residents of all ages and musical tastes.”
The free concert series will run every Friday from July 3 through Aug. 28 in downtown Glen Cove.
