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You are here: Home / Archives for things to do punta gorda

Inspired By The Talent Around Us

August 15, 2022 by Gary Cardillo

I have often been amazed at the talent all around us, and if you’re like me, you often ask yourself, “How do they do it?” Sometimes those with these unique gifts make it look so easy we think, “I can do that.” I remember when the Beatles first came to the states and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. While many artists appeared years before the Beatles, they were credited with ushering in what is referred to as the “British Invasion.” There was something extraordinary about them that everyone wanted to emulate and ride their coattails to success, including us kids. I was in elementary school then, and my father thought it would be a grand idea for my brother and me to learn the accordion. So periodically, we would bring our accordions into school and play for our classmates.

Unfortunately for me, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Doors ruined my career on the accordion as my classmates didn’t want to hear me play “Fascination,” or “The Volga Boatman;” they wanted to hear “She Loves You,” “Satisfaction” or “Light My Fire.” Despite my father’s urgings, I quickly ditched the accordion for the more popular guitar and later got into a band. My father said I could take guitar lessons only if I continued with the accordion. I guess he wanted to carry on the rich musical tradition of his father, who attained fame as a composer of opera and was the voice coach of world-renowned opera singer Enrico Caruso. After a half dozen lessons, my accordion/guitar teacher said, “It is very apparent you are no longer practicing the accordion. What puzzles me is you can’t play “Little Brown Jug,” which I gave you to learn on the guitar, but somehow you can play “Light My Fire.” I knew I had reached my right of passage and was on a journey with my friends to a musical career as a rock and roll band guitarist. My bandmates and I thought fame and fortune were just around the corner, as we could now tell our classmates we were in a rock n roll band called “The Illusion.” I never realized how fitting that name was until my father, after hearing one of our band practices in our basement, came down and said, “If my father was still alive and heard this trash you call music, he would destroy the instruments.” I guess it was an illusion; we just didn’t realize it at the time. For someone like myself who was pretty much self-taught how to play the guitar, I compare myself to some musicians today who are self-taught and think, “I would have been better off picking up a rake.

To me, nothing sings more to my soul than music from those British Invasion years and the groups who followed them. However, when I hear some bands cover these songs, I want to listen to them played like the original artists who recorded them. Perhaps I have some of my father in me, as he wasn’t so interested in hearing the interpretation as much as how the song was originally performed. Don’t get me wrong; many artists have done excellent jobs covering songs written and performed by the original artist. Still, when it comes to rock and roll, I love to hear it performed as close to how it was originally written. Two groups come to mind where the members were self-taught on several instruments or took their skills to a higher level that went well beyond the lessons learned. They are “The Alter Eagles” and “Mike Imbasciani and his Bluez Rockerz.”

I’ve followed Mike since he was a solo act and so young they had to pass around a hat for people to tip him for his performance. Over the years, this guitar virtuoso astounds me each time I see him. Talented and highly personable, I find it amazing that he can play lead guitar solo riffs without missing a note, all while walking through the crowd and periodically stopping to engage people in the audience in a short conversation. Most people haven’t mastered the art of walking and chewing gum at the same time, yet Mike can hold a conversation with you while entertaining the rest of the audience. And if you have enjoyed the music of Eric Clapton over the years, Mike’s tribute to this famed artist takes you on a historical journey where he masterfully weaves the inspiring moments of Clapton’s career with the music of that time.

Over the years, I’ve learned the difference between a “cover band” and a “tribute band,” The Alter Eagles are a tribute band that vocally and instrumentally sound precisely like the original Eagles. Todd Pitts, the founder of the band, is self-taught on multiple instruments and has an exceptional vocal range. To read the bios of band members Todd McNamee, Ken Custalow, Tim McMaster, Guy Ruvolo, and Michael Beattie, you will quickly appreciate how they execute each song. Equally engaging and entertaining, I’m amazed at how not one but an entire group of individuals can come together with such precision yet make it look so easy and not just on their instruments. Guy slides over from his drums to keyboard, and guitarists Todd Pitts and Ken Custalow take turns putting aside their guitars to move on to the drums without missing a beat, leaving the audience astounded at the talent on display. I then think of my father’s comments and realize he wasn’t trying to discourage us but to let us know in his way that there is a great deal of passion and innate ability that create those pieces that move us, whether it is in the form of a painting, writing or song. I also realize that we are all born with unique gifts.

When asked how we can create the things we do, we often find ourselves at a loss for words in trying to explain what comes naturally to us but would be a challenge for others. I learned that lesson the hard way while building a deck with my son. While my father was not handy, somehow, I picked up an ability to see things and create them. Our son, who was helping me, asked, “Dad, how do you know how to do this? You make it look so easy?” I was at a loss for words and replied, “I don’t know, I just do.” Unfortunately for me, my wife was within close earshot of my response and, giving me “the look,” said, “That taught him absolutely nothing.” I then shared with him that there is often much thought before the project, making the result look more effortless. You have a mental image of how you want it to look, and then you mentally figure out how to accomplish it; almost like solving a puzzle in your mind.”
Recently I read an interview of a musician commenting on Paul McCartney’s success as a composer. He said, “McCartney’s lack of formal training not only allowed him to think outside the box but also kept him delightfully unaware there was a box in the first place.”
While I find music ignites the creativity in me, there are those among us whose special gift or vision inspires us and brings us a particular joy and satisfaction. Even if we can’t duplicate the works they have created, somehow our souls have been touched, and we gain the youthful desire to try. And that is what keeps us young in mind and spirit.

-Gary Cardillo

Filed Under: Community Information, Events & Activities Tagged With: alter eagles, bluez rockerz, florida, gary cardillo, mike imbasciani, music, punta gorda, things to do punta gorda

A Summer Full of Surprises

August 20, 2021 by Gary Cardillo

Over the past few years, the term “Staycation” has been used more frequently by people who most often didn’t have the time to get away for the traditional vacation. The thought was, “If we can’t get away, what things can we do within our community or at least within relatively close proximity that will give us the feeling we were on vacation?” After all, we do take what we have locally many times for granted. With our son and daughter in law having recently moved to Colorado to pursue furthering their medical careers, we thought we’d visit them for a few weeks after they were settled, then enjoy some time back home on eastern Long Island, NY where we could enjoy the last few weeks of summer visiting those charming farm stands, vineyards and historic waterfront towns. However, with more and more people coming to Florida this summer looking to relocate permanently, our mini-vacations seem to be in a holding pattern, and those opportunities to make lasting memories seem to be slipping away, or are they?

Like many, we were becoming creatures of habit in our community. We were always going to the same places to eat or getting in the car for an impromptu drive yet always finding ourselves winding up in the same place. I thought, “Why are we always hearing about the fun adventures everyone else is going on, yet we find ourselves tied to the computer or phone and only giving ourselves permission to steal just a few brief moments for ourselves?” Last month I mentioned how my wife Gail signed us up for a golf membership to force me to take a break and it has been a gift that keeps on giving. Unfortunately, while I’ve always heard practice makes perfect, I seem to be defying that logic. Those who bought homes along the golf course thinking they were going to enjoy those beautiful vistas are now running for their lives as I seemed to have purchased a box of golf balls that have a magnetic pull toward single-family homes. I’m even seeing less wildlife along the golf course as the word must have gotten out that I am out on the course! As frustrating as my game has been, I am constantly reminded of the words long-time friend, and nationally recognized golf professional Bob DeStefano, shared with us when we were in Junior Golf. He said, “The difference between adults and children, when asked how they played, an adult will complain about all the poor shots they made while a child may have had the same number of poor shots, but they will tell you about the good one they had.” So it is in pursuit of my one good shot that keeps me coming back for more. I don’t think that makes me a glutton for punishment, does it? The club has also been great to meet old friends and new ones. One of our friends we met asked us to join them for dinner at the Elk’s Lodge. If you don’t know the Elks, like many similar organizations, they self-fund many scholarships through the fun events they hold at the club. While we joined several years ago, we never seem to find time to go. Our friends mentioned they were invited to a prime rib special and asked us to join them. We were greeted with not only some of the friendliest people we ever met, but the food was outstanding. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was the entertainment by a duo known as “Hot Mix,” and that is exactly what they did. I don’t know what I enjoyed more, watching people dance as couples the way they did years ago, spinning each other around the dance floor to the tunes of the ’50s and ’60s, or my wife showing off her dance moves from the disco era! Maybe it was low expectations after seeing the number of Elk heads on the wall when we first walked in, but as I said to my wife, “We could have been back home in Little Italy where I’m sure the Elk Heads would have been replaced by the heads of members from the opposing crime family.” Of course, she just rolled her eyes in reply.

While we reminisced with our friends on the complete surprise we just experienced, 24 hours later we found ourselves listening to the music of a Led Zeppelin tribute band whose lead singer was a personal friend of one of our friends. I don’t know about you but, tunes from Dion and the Belmonts the night before are about the polar opposite of Led Zeppelin, yet wouldn’t you know somehow one of the couples from the Elks must have gotten the wrong invitation and wound up on this dance floor ballroom dancing to Stairway to Heaven. While they were mesmerizing to watch, on the other side of the dance floor was a group of guys and gals who danced as if they were still under the influence from the party favors being handed out at Woodstock. I leaned over and said to Gail, “I feel like Lawrence Welk is being danced to on one side and from the body language of those on the other Star Wars must have some kind of lasting influence.” Again the roll of her eyes said it all. While the band, known as In The Light of Led Zeppelin was amazing, what I was watching on the dance floor was equally entertaining, and who would have ever thought right across the street was Port Charlotte’s guitar virtuoso Mike Imbasciani and his Bluez Rockerz. 
As if this wasn’t enough of a musical extravaganza, another great entertainment venue you have to visit is the Visani Italian Steakhouse and Comedy Theater. We’ve seen some of the best comedians, hypnotists, and tribute bands who have performed on some of the largest stages in the country as well as on T.V. Recently, we saw an Eagles tribute band with a group of friends that go by the name The Alter Eagles. If you closed your eyes you would swear this talented group of musicians was the original band as they have recreated the music note for note. To think you would have to drive to a major city to get this kind of entertainment is amazing in itself, but to experience it just minutes from home makes me appreciate our area even more.
So you don’t feel that our summer experiences have been all music-related, another great surprise was a trip to the Babcock Ranch Eco Tour. With so many people moving to Florida, finding a native Floridian is as challenging to me as finding a good New York bagel, but if you want an intimate experience with Florida’s rich history and wildlife in 90 minutes, this is a tour you don’t want to miss. Surprisingly we still have cowboys and Florida Cracker cattle, with some of the animals coming right up to our safari bus. To see the diversity of wildlife in its natural habitat is an experience second to none. In fact, the original telegraph lines connecting our area to the rest of the state still weave in and out of the woods, and I bet you didn’t know Punta Gorda was originally known for being one of the largest producers of Pineapples!
I often tell those looking to move to our area with high aspirations of boating, golfing, going to the beach, and experiencing all the outdoor activities Florida has to offer daily, “You never will, because you always can. We fall into complacency where the weather we experience daily somehow creates a mindset of what we don’t do today we can always do tomorrow, and before you know it you didn’t do the things you thought you were going to do.” Despite our goal in coming to Florida to live a more fulfilling lifestyle, we find we are busier than what we anticipated, and all the things we moved here for we somehow put on the back burner and took for granted. After living in the state for over 22 years I still find it amazing to think within a 2-3 hour drive we can attend professional sporting events in Tampa or Miami, the arts in a host of cities closer to home, and world-class beaches and golf within an hour’s drive. We can take overnight trips to a variety of different towns and cities where you can enjoy the fast pace and glitzy lifestyle of our state’s larger cities, or the downhome cooking and history found in many small towns that dot our state’s less traveled country roads. These are those surprises we overlook that are so close to homemaking our staycations so enjoyable. Now that I think about it, it may be time to revisit the charming ambiance of North Captiva’s Tween Waters Inn where we sailed to for a weekend stay so many years ago and where so many memories were made.

Filed Under: Community Information Tagged With: alter eagles, babcock ranch tours, charlotte county, florida, florida waterfront, gary cardillo, local spotlight, punta gorda activities, real estate, staycation, things to do punta gorda, visani, waterfront

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