“Rockaway Summer Music Spotlight” is a series by The Rockaway Times highlighting the movers and shakers behind the local music scene. In this installation, we kickoff with Squid and an interview with founder, Guy Nevirs.
From Rockaway, NY to Rincón, PR—Squid is tentacle-ly yours. Like its namesake, Rockaway-based band, Squid, has extended its tentacles into the local music scene for over four decades and counting. Like a squid, the band adapts to its environment. Drastically transforming from a deep-sea giant with an 11-piece group named, Big Squid, playing at the Caracas Beach 106th Concession, to pygmy-sized groups: four piece, Squid Squad, and Squid Trio playing at Callie’s and even, Nacho Libre in Rincòn a.k.a Rockaway South in Puerto Rico. However, according to the band’s founder, Guy Nevirs, and even their followers—from Nawlins, reggae, R&B, blues, rock ’n’ roll in all its varied genres—whatever the size of the band, the sound is always the same—big, unique and even more significantly, unrehearsed. And every Tuesday night during the summer, Nevirs a.k.a. Professa Squid hosts Connollystock, an open mic night at Rockaway’s landmark pub, Connolly’s, giving other musicians a chance to shine.
Unabashedly, Nevirs, a former high school football and rugby elite school athlete, then NYC Department of Education special education teacher, professed that since his teens, he’s been a lover of everything beach and music. And that love affair began in Rockaway.
He shared, “I lived in Woodhaven, and as a kid would always hitchhike to Rockaway Beach all the time. Then, when I was maybe 19 or 20 years old, I decided to move to Rockaway for the summer. I got one of those SROs (single-room occupancy housing) on 120th Street they used to have on the beach block. I was working at Fort Tilden selling beers on Bay 1 and 2.”
According to Nevirs, this was circa late 1970s, a time when the music scene in Rockaway was not as eclectic, and much less widespread throughout the peninsula as today.
“After moving here, I wound up playing music at the Raintower Tavern on Beach 108th, the same street where The Rockaway Hotel stands today. It was on the second floor next to Healy’s. It was just a cool spot to listen and perform music,” Nevirs recalled.
As for how his love affair with music started, Nevirs said it began with the guitar. And a muse—girls.
“My brother had a guitar. I was more an athlete when I was growing up. Since I was 10 years old, I played football until I graduated from high school. Plus, I played rugby in both high school and college. So, when I started picking up the guitar in high school, I said to myself, ‘My football career is over, so I need to find something else to do to get girls, so I might as well play guitar.’ And I got hooked,” he said.
Nevirs shared that he would huddle in his bedroom for hours practicing the guitar.
“When I first started playing, I stayed in my room, practicing three to four hours a day,” he said.
However, like many musicians, he knew he had to have a day job. Thus, began his career in special education with the DOE.
“I taught special ed for 32 years in junior high school,” Nevirs said.
As for how Squid has evolved since Nevirs’ jump-off to music in his teens, working on Riis Beach and freelancing as a musician at places like the Raintower Tavern, he said that he’s grateful for the musicians and vocalists who made Squid what it is today.
“Dingy Dan’s was on the corner of Beach 102nd Street, and every Thursday night in the summer was 10-cent beers. I was walking on the beach with my guitar, and I saw some other guy playing his guitar on the boardwalk stairs, surrounded by people. So I went over and introduced myself. It wound up being Gary Colter, Squid’s bass player today. Gary had a band in Middle Village called Keystone, and we became good friends. And to this day, we’re in Squid together. So gathering him and my friends, Lou and Patty Diantoni; other people just wound up filling in. For example, Ayumi Ishito, the tenor sax player I met while I was playing jazz at Whit’s End, way back when Squid was just a foursome. I asked her if she’d like to come and play with us, and she did. For some reason she loves playing with us even though Ayumi’s got four or five albums out, and she’s straight jazz-free playing.”
Other members of Squid include local award-winning multi-instrumentalist, Chris Tedesco on fiddle; Bill Fleming, guitar; Brian Senders, drums; Aquiles Navarro, trumpet; and of course Guy and his wife, Karen Nevirs (Mr. and Mrs. Squid) on guitars, percussion, and vocals. Plus, other musicians who come in.
According to Nevirs the band never rehearses.
He said, “Everyone’s in multiple bands. The only time I see everybody is when we have a gig. Whatever songs— sometimes people don’t even know what song we’re playing until we start singing and playing. We never try to sound like a record or try to regurgitate a song. It’s always our interpretation.”
Squid always draws big crowds at the beach, and other localities such as Callie’s, Sayra’s Wine Bar and more.
Nevirs said, “Big Squid plays four or five times a year in the summer in Rockaway. We play other areas, but really just concentrate on the beach in Rockaway.
“Everybody in Squid loves playing for people in Rockaway because locals and those down for the day (DFDs) are very receptive to music; not just for us, but all the other bands.”
And as the Rockaway music scene evolves, Nevirs shared that he’s grateful for the businesses that give them a shot.
From Maribel Araujo of Caracas at the Beach 106th Concession, Tom Callahan of Callie’s, Rashida Voorhies of Sayra’s Wine Bar, and so much more—Nevirs said that he’s appreciative of their platforms.
As for the younger generation of musicians—what’s Nevirs’ advice? “Definitely know and practice your craft, and try to be as unique as possible,” he said.
Mark your calendars! On Friday, July 10 at 6 p.m., check out Big Squid at the Beach 106th Concession, and on Sunday, July 12, Squid Squad will be performing their acoustic magic at Callie’s (410 Beach 129th Street). Plus, every Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Connolly’s (155 Beach 95th Street), don’t miss Connollystock Open Mic Night.
Stay tuned by following: guynev6106 on Instagram.
