Chicago was his kind of town, and New York was where his vagabond shoes longed to stray, but Hoboken will always be Frank Sinatra’s hometown, and never more so than in the month of June, when the city celebrates the “Sinatra Centennial,” with a host of events commemorating the singer’s birthday.
Sinatra’s actual birthday isn’t until Dec. 12, but for the past eight years, the city has marked his half-birthday in June with Sinatra Idol, an annual singing contest set to his tunes alone. This year, Sinatra Idol will be accompanied by five days of outdoor movies, concerts, and performances inspired by “Old Blue Eyes.”
Sinatra’s family lived at 415 Monroe St. at the time he was born.
Let’s be frank
This year’s Sinatra Idol promises to be the most bombastic edition yet. For one, it will take place outdoors on the Hoboken waterfront, in Sinatra Park, appropriately. The DeBaun Auditorium at Stevens Institute of Technology, the venue for the competition last year, will serve as the back-up location in case of rain.
Out of around 80 applicants, Hoboken Administrator of Cultural Affairs Geri Fallo has selected 16 contestants for this year’s Sinatra Idol, hailing mostly from New Jersey but from as far away as Nevada and British Columbia, Canada (Fallo will also host the event along with Gary Simpson).
Several Sinatra Idol veterans are among this year’s hopefuls, including Rory “Hawkeye” Aylward of Queens, N.Y., who got third in 2010, and Charles Stayduhar Jr. of Pittsburgh, Pa., the runner up at last year’s contest.
Like Christmas carolers in fedoras and suits, miniature Rat Packs of three or four will traverse Hoboken
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Prizes for the best singers have been provided by restaurants, barbershops, and other local stores, from Arthur’s Tavern from W. Kodak Jewelers.
The Sinatra Idol contest will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 11 and admission is free. Sinatra Park is located on Sinatra Drive between Fourth and Fifth streets. The DeBaun Auditorium is located at the corner of Fifth & Hudson streets on the campus of Stevens Institute of Technology.
Traveling troubadours
Where do singers go once they’ve won the Hoboken Sinatra Idol contest? Back to Hoboken, of course, to light up the Sounds of Sinatra weekend, a string of serenades that will take place around the mile-square city on Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13. Like Christmas carolers in fedoras and suits, miniature Rat Packs of three or four will traverse Hoboken, singing for free at various restaurants, bars, and outdoor locales.
Fallo said several past Sinatra Idol contestants will be among the approximately 35 professional and semi-professional singers participating in the rolling sing-a-thon. In particular, past winners James Anthony, Greg Myers, and Gabriel Russo, the incumbent 2014 Sinatra Idol, will make appearances.
Several of the shows deserve special mention. On Friday, June 12 from 8 to 10 p.m., a full band led by Dave McLaughlin will perform Sinatra songs at Maxwell’s Tavern. The group will call itself the Hoboken Four, after Sinatra’s first band, formed in 1935 when he teamed up with a local trio known as The Three Flashes (Sinatra went on to sing with Tommy Dorsey’s orchestra, while the Three Flashes stayed in the pan).
On Saturday, June 13, from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Leo’s Grandevous, the legendary Sinatra-obsessed Italian restaurant at 200 Grand St., will host the Sounds of Sinatra Cabaret, also sure to feature past Sinatra Idol contestants. Tickets are $25 and must be purchased in advance at Leo’s.
The big finale of the weekend will take place at Sinatra Park on Sunday, June 14, from 6 to 8 p.m., when all of the singers from all of the weekend’s shows, including as many as six past Sinatra Idol winners, will come together to sing “New York, New York” and other classics with the backing of the Swingadelic Big Band.
The locations of the Sounds of Sinatra shows on Saturday, June 12 will be as follows: Multi Service Center, 124 Grand St., 1 to 3 p.m.; Choc O Pain Bakery, 157 First St., 2 to 4 p.m.; Hoboken Historical Museum, 1300 Hudson St., 5 to 7 p.m.; Pier A Park Walkway, 100 Sinatra Dr., 5 to 7:30 p.m.; Teak on the Hudson, 16 Hudson Place, 5 to 8 p.m.; Church Square Park, Park Avenue & Fourth Street, 6 to 8:30 p.m.; Sinatra Park, 525 Sinatra Dr., 6 to 9:30 p.m.; City Hall, 94 Washington St., 6:30 to 9 p.m.; Columbian Arms, 514 Madison St., 7 to 9 p.m.; Wicked Wolf Tavern, 120 Sinatra Dr., 7 to 10 p.m.; Finnegan’s Pub, 734 Willow Ave., 7 to 10 p.m.; Little City Books, 100 Bloomfield St., 8 to 10 p.m.; Pilsener Haus & Biergarten, 1422 Grand St., 8 to 10 p.m.; Maxwell’s Tavern, 1039 Washington St., 8 to 10 p.m.; Willie McBride’s Irish Pub, 616 Grand St., 8 to 11 p.m.
On June 13, the Sounds of Sinatra singers can be found at the following locations: Hoboken Historical Museum, noon to 3 p.m.; Pier A Park Walkway, noon to 3 p.m. & 6 to 8 p.m.; Church Square Park, 2 to 5 p.m. & 7 to 9 p.m.; Teak on the Hudson, 6 to 8 p.m.; Sinatra Park, 6 to 9:30 p.m.; The Brass Rail, 135 Washington St., 7 to 10 p.m.; Finnegan’s Pub, 8 to 10 p.m.; Willie McBride’s Irish Pub, 8 to 11 p.m.
Other Sinatra-related events
The Sinatra Idol contest and the Sounds of Sinatra weekend are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to events commemorating the centennial of Hoboken’s favorite son.
The city has selected two movies starring Sinatra for its summer Movies Under the Stars series in Pier A Park – the original “Ocean’s 11” on June 10 and “The Manchurian Candidate” on July 15. Both will be shown at 9 p.m. and are free of charge.
In addition, Hoboken has organized a reunion concert for Skanatra, a Hoboken-based band that performs solely Sinatra songs in the style of ska, an easy-going precursor to reggae music. The show will take place on Thursday, Aug. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Sinatra Park.
Fallo is also planning a birthday concert for Sinatra on Saturday, Dec. 12, though the details have yet to be ironed out.
The Hoboken Historical Museum will devote its summer and fall Main Gallery exhibition to “Frank Sinatra: The Man, The Voice, and The Fans,” opening on Aug. 2. There are even rumors that Mile Square Theater will put on a Rat Pack-themed rendition of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on the waterfront in August.
Last but certainly not least, Hoboken City Clerk and Sinatra superfan Jimmy Farina will hold his annual birthday celebration for Ol’ Blue Eyes on the crooner’s birthday at City Hall.
Carlo Davis may be reached at cdavis@hudsonreporter.com.