Troy’s Emerald City Band journey takes a ride to Eddie’s HOF

Beloved band left a lasting impact on music scene

TROY—In the ’70s and thereafter, the Emerald City Band was a highlight of the Capital Region music scene. Known for their eclectic blend of rock, pop and soulful grooves, the band earned a reputation for electrifying performances that captivated audiences throughout the ’70s and ’80s — and in a second successful run in the 2010s. Their vibrant presence in the local music scene over decades has earned them a spot in the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame.

Over the years the band has included many of the area’s most prominent musicians. Emerald City was formed in 1974 when guitarist Joe Mele, keyboardist/vocalist Gary Brooks and vocalist Nancy Kelly left their successful Merlin’s Minstrels project and joined drummer/vocalist Gary Sagendorf, bass player/vocalist Eddie Powers and guitarist Dave Costa. When Mele moved on to other projects out of state, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Gary Tash joined the band, as did sax and harmonica player/vocalist Rick Rourke shortly thereafter.

When Powers decided to leave the band in 1979, a young Jack Daley took over on bass. Daley is part of a preeminent Capital Region music family — his brother Joe is the drummer in local faves Super 400 and his late brother Frank remains beloved for his guitar playing in area bands as well with national artists such as Bo Diddley.

Jack Daley is without a doubt one of the most successful musicians the Capital Region has ever produced. Among other achievements, Daley was the bass player in Lenny Kravitz’s first touring band, and today plays with Little Steven’s Disciples of Soul and the Spin Doctors. Daley’s session credits are a mile long, and these days he produces and plays for numerous artists in his Asbury Park, NJ studio. (And speaking of Asbury Park, a couple years ago Daley subbed for an ailing Garry Tallent when Bruce Springsteen appeared with the E Street Band on Saturday Night Live.)

Emerald City decided to call it quits in 1983. However, after a nearly 30-year hiatus, Emerald City returned to the Capital Region music scene in 2011 with Mele, Brooks, Tash, Costa, Powers, Rourke and Sagendorf (who eventually split amicably and was replaced by drummer Chris Garabedian).

“We never lost track of each other. We always kept in contact all these years,” said Mele.

In the ‘70s, local nightlife was very different than it is now. With a younger drinking age and no cable TV, being in a band was the “thing to do,” Mele said. Emerald City would play at high school dances and throughout a vibrant bar scene. The band played just about every Friday and Saturday night.

Expanding their reach, the band also toured out of state. “We went out to Philadelphia, and we played in Rochester and Syracuse,” Tash said. They also played club gigs in New York City — including the legendary CBGBs and The Great Gildersleeves.

Tash recalls fans taking buses down to the City to support Emerald City shows. “You’d get free beers on the way down, free beers on the way back and get to see the show,” he said. “And in some of the shows we played, the first band who went on had almost nobody in the club. When we went on, it was like 350 people. It was really exciting to have happen.”

“The fan base is the most important thing that drives a band. Once you get in front of an audience — and the Troy fan base is where it all started — it’s how we learned to appreciate our fans,” said Garabedian.

The show that means the most to the Emerald City band members out of all their experiences is the Dustin Mele Memorial Concert, held annually at Revolution Hall in Troy. The concert, now in its 13th year, is a tribute to Mele’s late son, and the proceeds go to various suicide prevention programs. According to Mele, there’s been interest from other venues in other cities, but he chooses to keep it in Troy.

“Having grown up there, I can tell you that Troy’s a special place,” he added.

When Emerald City reunited in 2011 they played such local events as Troy’s Rockin’ on the River, Albany’s Alive at Five (where they opened for Dave Mason), the Troy Pig Out and the Schaghticoke and Brunswick Summer Concert series.

Although the band no longer plays gigs, and members Gary Brooks and Dave Costa have passed away in recent years, the members remain close, staying in touch and getting together once a month for lunch. Their friendships, always a major factor in the band’s success, journey on. “It was an honor to play with these guys,” said Tash.

“The music scene was just taking us on this ride. Bar gigs happened, then bigger clubs, and suddenly we got to ride into all these big places,” said Mele.

Join the Emerald City Band as they celebrate their long and well-deserved journey into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame.

Tickets are on sale now for the exceptional showcase of music in the Capital Region, sponsored by MLB Construction Services, LLC and media partner WEXT.  Visit the Box Office at Proctors in-person or via phone at (518) 346-6204 Tuesday-Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. or online by visiting atuph.org.

The Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards and Hall of Fame, as well as UPH, are part of Proctors Collaborative.