Long Island Proud: Montauk's Nancy Atlas Rocks Jones Beach

There was Nancy Atlas singing Brown Eyed Girl with the legend Jimmy Buffett at the Jones Beach Amphitheater on Thursday night. Ken Grille's wonderful photo captures the magic of the moment proving that good things happen to good people. For the last 15 years I have watched Nancy play benefits for very sick people, for fire victims, to support summer concerts in Montauk, even to raise money to save FM 93.3 from going off the air, but last night the universe gave something back to her.

If you enjoy live music and you live on the East End, you know Nancy Atlas, a songwriter/performer who, along with her band the Nancy Atlas Project, never mails a performance in. They give every song their all every time they perform. She has rocked, almost every venue there is on the East End, and occasionally has gone on the road to points way out west. In Florida for a few years she was the energetic woman in the very popular supermarket commercial. And at the Montauk School she is a class mother. Married to Montauk's Thomas Muse, together, they have three beautiful wonderful Montauk children. However, last night was for Nancy.

For the last few years Jimmy Buffett has sprung up at the Surf Lodge to sing a tune or two with Nancy's band on Wednesday nights at least once a summer. I believe Jimmy even also showed up at the Surf Lodge to sing with Willie Nelson a few years back. Jimmy Buffett is no stranger to surfers at Ditch Plains. His generosity is the quiet helping hand type to all sorts of East End environmental groups and causes.

However on Tuesday night a Long Island girl stood next to the legend and nailed a wonderful Buffett styled version of Brown Eyed Girl at Jones Beach. All her friends and fans, including me, watched on Facebook as the video came through along with the photos. I am writing this because tonight we all stand, Long Island Proud, for Nancy.

T.J. Clemente is a Patch columnist.

Photo courtesy Ken Grille.