Wall High School band director to play at Sea.Hear.Now. this weekend in Asbury Park
"Status Green" once opened for Bon Jovi, but since then the musicians have focused on their careers.
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This weekend's Sea.Hear.Now. festival in Asbury Park will feature some local talent including the new band director from Wall High School.
"Status Green" once opened for Bon Jovi, but since then the musicians have focused on their careers.
“We did many events from 2005 to 2011. We toured and did many great concerts in the area and nationally, and then we called it quits for a few years and now we're back,” said Michael Montalto, director of bands at Wall High School and the drummer from Status Green.
You can say Michael Montalto certainly got his groove back, a groove that never fully left. After a nine-year hiatus, the band Status Green and their style of fun-loving-rock-and-roll played only a handful of one-off shows at The Stone Pony to crowds that never forgot the magic.
“We did two Stone pony shows the past two years and sold the venue out and then the opportunity to play Sea.Hear.Now. came about,” said Montalto.
Band manager Christian Boho and show organizers helped solidify the reunion and Status Green will be featured with other local talent like Blaise and Jarod Clemons.
“Our singer Lou Montesano, his dad actually thought of the name, and said to Lou if you ever have another band name you should name it Status Green but, unfortunately, Lou’s dad passed away before Status Green became a thing.”
Montalto is in his 17th year of band directing, his third at Wall High School. His influence on his students never goes unnoticed.
“Seeing me as a musician I think was good for them to see because as an educator it's important to practice what you preach,” he said.
“If you have a dream and inspire to do something you can do it and you can do all sorts of things you can be a teacher and be a rockstar Mike Montalto proves that,” said Wall High School principal Kevin Davis.
“It was just unfortunate we couldn't get over that last hump, getting a record deal like we wanted. I think if another opportunity arose to play another big show, we would be on top of that we are not discounting any opportunities,” said Montalto.
Catch Michael Montalto on his Dark Horse Percussion drum set keeping the beat to Status Green this Sunday at Sea.Hear.Now. In Asbury Park on the Park Stage at 12:30 p.m.
