It all began in 1963. Three kids in Brooklyn, N.Y. riding on the Ave R bus beginning their first year at James Madison High. Matty Cann and Ron Palermo, classmates from elementary school, and new neighbor Mickey Maisano rode the bus every Monday morning painstakingly and methodically
discussing the performance of whatever group appeared on Ed Sullivan the night before...which songs they sang, what equipment they used (Dave Clark was rumored to have 20 foot tall amplifiers)
and wondering why Robert Goulet had to perform a 3-song medley that took valuable time away from their idols. They watched it all on TV and bought just about every record that the British invasion
and San Fransisco groups released. You have to understand.....music didn't exist until 1963-1964. This was the birth! The Beatles and all the rest represented the beginning of "music".....these bands were their salvation. And it became obvious very quickly that school was no longer a priority.
Ron, Mickey and Matty decided that they had to form a band....and it would be called "The Iridescents". They did, however, forget one small detail....none of them had ever even held an instrument much less played one.
So they recruited a young friend named Peter Conn as the fourth member and set out to learn to play. Peter was the closest to being a musician....after all, his two older brothers played guitar and Peter actually owned a snare drum.
He was practically a pro.
Amazingly enough, they actually did learn to play and with the help of Matt and Peter's dads (the band wasn't old enough to drive) they played in local bars, such as "The Gallery" and "Whaley Lake", private parties
and most importantly confraternity dances. In those days Jack Spector, the famous radio D.J., would put on shows at local high schools. Luckily, Peter Conn had a relative who had a friend of a cousin who knew someone who knew Jack Spector's secretary.
Next thing they knew, the Iridescents were onstage doing shows with the likes of The Young Rascals, Left Banke, McCoys, Ronettes, Leslie Gore and J.J. Jackson.....Unbelievable!
After a few years of playing during high school, and a name-change to "Cheez" they decided to go their separate ways. Their last gig together was Christmas week 1969 and that was it.......until.........
Band Bios
It all began in 1963. Three kids in Brooklyn, N.Y. riding on the Ave R bus beginning their first year at James Madison High. Matty Cann and Ron Palermo, classmates from elementary school, and new neighbor Mickey Maisano rode the bus every Monday morning painstakingly and methodically
discussing the performance of whatever group appeared on Ed Sullivan the night before...which songs they sang, what equipment they used (Dave Clark was rumored to have 20 foot tall amplifiers)
and wondering why Robert Goulet had to perform a 3-song medley that took valuable time away from their idols. They watched it all on TV and bought just about every record that the British invasion
and San Fransisco groups released. You have to understand.....music didn't exist until 1963-1964. This was the birth! The Beatles and all the rest represented the beginning of "music".....these bands were their salvation. And it became obvious very quickly that school was no longer a priority.