Aside from DelGuidice on lead vocals and piano, the band consisted of Nick Dimichino on bass, Mike Sorrentino on drums, Carmine Giglio on keys, John Scarpulla on saxophone and filling in on lead guitar was the exceptional Thomas Jordan (TJ).
DelGuidice kicked off his 2.5 hour set with “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” with its killer saxophone solo from John Scarpulla, as the fans were waving their hands up in the air. It was followed by “Movin’ Out,” as yellow lights dimmed from the stage, and “My Life.” He greeted the audience, wished them all a “Happy New Year” and gave a special shout out to Miller Place folks that were in the venue. He continued with a powerful rendition of “Vienna,” and when his special guest Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti took the stage, the Mulcahy’s crowd went nuts.
“Long Island, it’s good to be home,” Valentinetti said. “How you doing?” he asked, and he sang “New York State of Mind” with Big Shot. “The Voice” also sang Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” which was well-received. “On the keyboard solos and all the horn parts and piano parts, ladies and gentlemen, Carmine Giglio on the keys,” he said, praising his band-mate.
DelGuidice showed his tremendous range on Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” while the tear-jerker “Goodnight Saigon” was filled with raw emotions. After “Keeping the Faith,” DelGuidice showcased his gentle voice on “Don’t Ask Me Why.” “Thank you. Mulcahy’s. How are we doing?” “Happy 50th birthday, Paul,” he said, dedicating the song to a fan. “I’m only a few years away,” he admitted.
He threw a little John Mellencamp in the mix with a humorous version of “Jack & Diane.” He delivered a stunning solo segment on piano that included “She’s Always a Woman” “Alright, Mulcahy’s, let’s hear you,” he said. “There ya go!”
A lucky fan also had the distinct opportunity to propose to his girlfriend on stage tonight, which was an added treat to witness. DelGuidice dedicated the Billy Joel song “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)” to all of the children and parents out there. “Lullabye” was haunting yet soothing, that was simply too good to be mortal. “Thank you so much,” he said, and broke into a solo piano-driven version of “Tiny Dancer,” which he incorporated as a crowd singalong.
The band also teased him by playing Journey’s “Separate Ways” on their musical instruments. “Go have a drink, go smoke a joint,” he told them, jokingly. “What is this the dance version?” Eventually, DelGuidice gave in and delivered a soaring rendition of “Separate Ways.” “That’s Mr. Michael DelGuidice for you,” Giglio said. “Holy cow! He can sing!” Giglio exclaimed.
“Let’s pick it up. A little Billy Joel history lesson for you,” he said, and sang the Billy Joel signature song “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” which even included a medley of “Free Bird” towards the end. “Ladies and gentlemen, on guitar, Thomas Jordan (TJ),” he said, extolling the guitar player, and rightfully so.
It was followed by “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” and “Only the Good Die Young.”
“Let’s get Steven Fileti us here,” DelGuidice said. “Steven, where are you?” and they performed “Piano Man” together with Fileti on harmonica. This marks Fileti’s fifth consecutive year playing harmonica on this Billy Joel classic with Big Shot at Mulcahy’s, and hopefully many more to come for Fileti.
Singer-songwriter Toly Rod, who attended this show, remarked, “I always wanted to see Big Shot and I finally had the chance. The band blew my mind. They are so talented and professional, but most importantly they looked like they were having so much fun on stage. Mike Delguidice is unbelievable, his voice is amazing and has such a great presence on stage. The saxophone player, John Scarpulla, is also very impressive and can play other instruments. Mike and the band are very humble and genuine people. I had a great time and I would definitely go see them again.”
The Verdict
Despite the freezing temperatures outside, Big Shot was able to put on a fabulous show at Mulcahy’s. They performed for a packed venue for their first official show of 2018 at the Nassau County venue. Sal Valentinetti was terrific as well, and he blended right in with the band. The same holds true for guitarist Thomas Jordan. Their live concert garnered five out of five stars.
