The Sea Cliff community packed the village’s General Store on Sunday for live music and hot chocolate, despite the cold weather.
Local band LovePeace performed as well as Frank & Friends.
When Laura and Ralph Bonelli bought the property and opened the General Store, they chose to preserve its bar and stage. Both had been parts of Woodpecker Hall, the private event space that previously occupied the building.
“We really wanted to keep the integrity of the place,” Laura said. “and just allow the community to be able to come in.”
The General Store opened in November and offers gifts and toys for children along with other merchandise like leather bound books. The Bonellis utilize the preexisting features, hosting musicians on the stage and keeping locally source kombucha and Sylvester’s cold brew on tap at the bar.
Laura described herself and her husband as being “very community driven.” They moved to Sea Cliff roughly three years ago and have two children in the North Shore School District.
“We want to give back,” Laura said. “and we want people to have a place to go, and that’s why we incorporate things for children. And even just to have people come and sing on stage, we think is great. They can do poetry. There’s so much opportunity there.”
Roughly 40 people attended Sunday’s performance, according to Laura, and she and Ralph provided complementary hot chocolate. Local musician Frank Ferrara performed with both groups and was joined on stage briefly by his three-year-old granddaughter.
Musicians Leanne Luce and Katharine Colgan both performed after hiatuses, and it was Luce’s first time playing guitar and singing.
“A lot of really wonderful things happened,” Ferrara said. “People are more aware of the store, which hasn’t been around that long. The place was absolutely packed.”
When the store opened, Ferrara helped the Bonellis get the sound system operational again. He also introduced them to Mark Sobel, village trustee and Sea Cliff Arts Council producer at large, so they could get a permit to host live music. Ferrara said meeting the couple for the first time was “a wonderful interaction.”
The General Store has joined places like Still Partners and the arts council as live music venues in the village.
“I think that’s what’s special about Sea Cliff,” Ferrara said. “is that there’s both this wonderful, supportive audience and people willing to provide venues for this to happen.”
