ASPIRING MUSICIANS Mia Daly (left) and Katy Morelli performed a cover of “My Church” by Maren Morris with Funbucket during the Rotary Club’s Concert on the Common July 26. (Dan Tomasello Photo)
Published in the August 2, 2017 edition.
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The next generation of Lynnfield musicians took the stage and rocked out during the Rotary Club’s Concert on the Common last week.
Funbucket, featuring Lynnfield’s own Kook Lawry on bass as well as vocalist Chris O’Connor, guitarist Mike “Mr. Bogus” McMahon and drummer Greg Dann, welcomed several aspiring musicians to the stage during last week’s concert.
Twenty-one-year-old Katy Morelli and Lynnfield High School sophomore Mia Daly joined Funbucket on stage halfway through the band’s set. Morelli sang and played electric guitar, and Daly played acoustic guitar.
Morelli and Daly played three songs with Funbucket, beginning with a cover of “My Church” by Maren Morris. The band also performed covers of “Million Years Ago” by Adele and “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton.
“It was so much fun,” said Morelli in an interview with the Villager. “I have been going to the concerts for years, and I used to work there while I was in the Rotary Club in high school. It was fun to be on stage.”
Daly agreed.
“It was really exciting,” said Daly. “It was kind of nerve-racking, but we practiced a bunch and got it down. I played with Funbucket last year at one of Kook’s pool parties and I loved it. It’s a great experience.”
Morelli has been singing for the past 10 years and has been playing guitar for five years. She is a former Lynnfield Idol winner.
“I absolutely love it,” said Morelli. “It’s my favorite thing to do.”
Daly first started playing guitar four years ago.
“I started taking lessons from Kook,” said Daly. “I love learning how to play different chords. I often go to Kook when I want to learn how to play a song, and he can figure out how to play it after listening to the song once.”
Morelli has enjoyed taking lessons with Lawry as well.
“Kook is the best teacher I have ever had,” said Morelli. “He is so encouraging and makes it so easy.”
Charing Cross
In addition to Morelli and Daly performing with Funbucket, a high school band called Charing Cross performed at the concert as well. The band consists of one of Lawry’s students, Cole Fitzemeyer, on vocals and guitar in addition to local bassist Andrew Bond and drummer Chris Deschenes.
Charing Cross performed a cover of Stone Temple Pilots’ “Plush” as well as Sublime’s “Santeria” and Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life.”
“It felt good,” said Fitzemeyer in an interview with the Villager. “We have been working hard this summer. It’s tough to find places to play in this area, and playing the Common was a pretty good gig for us.”
Fitzemeyer credited his love of music to his father, who introduced rock music to his son at a young age.
“My dad got me a guitar for Christmas when I was 10-years-old,” said Fitzemeyer, an incoming junior at LHS. “It wasn’t a priority of mine until I won tickets to a Van Halen concert. Ever since then, I have been practicing because I want to be on stage like them.”
Fitzemeyer said Lawry has played a key role in helping him become a better guitar player.
“I have only had two teachers, and I think Kook is the best teacher around,” said Fitzemeyer. “I have learned everything I know from him.”
Lawry said he enjoyed watching his students’ rock out in front of the hometown crowd.
“They did a great job,” said Lawry. “They are all great kids.”
