Grand Central Station Band got their name from a TV advertisement. The story: a bandmate spotted the mailing address “Grand Central Station, NY” on screen and suggested it, and the name stuck. That was 1976. The brothers who founded the band in junior high, Paul DeBiase on drums and Frank DeBiase on bass, are still playing together fifty years later, and September 20 at Frog Alley Brewing in Schenectady is the party that marks it. If you’ve spent any time at Capital Region events over the last five decades, there’s a good chance you’ve already heard them.
About the Show
Over fifty years the band built a Capital Region institution around one idea: play whatever keeps people on the floor. Their range runs from Big Band era standards through country, rock, gospel, and current Top 40 — the kind of setlist that can work for any crowd in any room. Lead vocalists Kelly Nolan and James Menzies handle the front, alongside musicians Pete Zarillo and Larry Finke and the founding DeBiase brothers. The same core lineup plays every show, not an agency rotation, and that consistency shows in the reviews: “I heard this band from a distance and thought it was the original artists performing.”
Based in Albany, they’ve worked the region across weddings, corporate events, summer concert series, and festival stages, with a footprint that extends from Maine to Florida. Notable local credits include Capital Pride in Albany and the Freedom Park Summer Concert Series in Scotia; they’ve also opened for national acts. Times Union readers voted them Best of the Capital Region from 2015 through 2021. WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards cover that same stretch, and they added an Adirondack-Albany Wedding Association Regional Choice Award in 2023.
Venue & Logistics
Frog Alley Brewing sits on State Street in downtown Schenectady, part of the Capital Region circuit Grand Central Station Band has played for fifty years. The 50th anniversary party falls within the brewery’s Summer Concert Series, which means the show is outdoors. Admission is 21+, no exceptions. The outdoor space runs on a drink-ticket system: $10 per ticket, or four for $35, cash or card accepted. Worth sorting out before you arrive: no backpacks or large bags, no re-entry once you exit, and lawn chairs are permitted only in designated areas. The show is rain or shine.
Tickets
No admission ticket price was available from sources at the time of publication. Check the event page for current details. Buy tickets