Arts & Entertainment
Billy Joel Tribute Band and Astronomy Exhibit Appear at Levittown’s East Village Green
Henry Haid sings Billy Joel and Dr. Donald Lubowich runs an astronomy exhibit at the Levittown concert.
On Wednesday, a Billy Joel tribute band, Glass Houses, performed on the East Village Green in Levittown.
The band featured Henry Haid, who was the “piano man” in the Broadway play Movin’ Out, a play set to Joel's music. During the concert the group covered such songs as “Angry Young Man”, “Big Shot”, “Captain Jack” and “Only The Good Die Young.” The crowd clapped and whistled as each song began.
Glass Houses was introduced by Councilman Gary Hudes, who also invited people to visit an exhibit that was at the concert called Astronomy and Music Under the Stars. Dr. Donald Lubowich, who is the coordinator of the Astronomy Outreach Program at Hofstra University, was on site to tell anyone who stopped over about which stars they could see that night. He had four expensive telescopes that could be used by anyone.
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“Our aim is to give telescopes and astronomy to the public,” Dr. Lubowich said. “It’s a hands on activity for the kids.”
Astronomy and Music Under the Stars was started by Dr. Lubowich after he received a grant from NASA. His group has appeared at concerts all over New York as well as at the Smithsonian and the White House. “It’s great because you don’t have to spend money to see this,” Dr. Lubowich said.
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Lubowich hopes to have the exhibit travel nationwide as opposed to mostly in New York. “We are coordinated out of New York,” he said. “But having it go nationwide is our ultimate goal.”
Before the concert began, Lubowich set up posters on the field that had information on astronomy. He also had a couple of games for people to play. One had players compare the sizes of planets, moons and galaxies and asked them to guess which was bigger.
David Rosen, a concertgoer, was one of the people checking out the exhibit. “I’m a proponent of NASA,” said Rosen.” I’ve seen this exhibit at other concerts like in Freeport. I come for the music but also to use the telescopes.”
The concert is the last one affiliated with the Town of Hempstead Music Under the Stars series that will appear in Levittown for the summer.
