The band performs at Maspeth Federal Bank’s Forest Hills Branch.
By Carmo Moniz | news@queensledger.com
Fans of boybands ranging from the Beach Boys all the way to One Direction gathered in the parking lot at Maspeth Federal Savings’ Forest Hills branch for a concert Wednesday evening, with many dancing through the night to iconic songs like “End Of The Road” and “I Want It That Way.”
The concert, which is one of a series being hosted by the bank this summer, featured Larger Than Life, a cover band calling itself the “#1 Boyband Experience.” The band delivered on that promise during the concert, performing elaborate choreographed dances to some of the most popular songs of the last few decades, clad in sparkly silver vests to boot.
The concert series has been a tradition for the bank for over 50 years, according to Maspeth Federal spokesperson Gloria Benfari.
“The summer concert series here at Maspeth Federal Savings is a long-standing tradition,” Benfari said. “We’re happy year over year to always give back to the community and provide wonderful entertainment to both customers and the surrounding community.”
Local favorite Mamita’s Ices was also present at the event, and offered iced treats free of charge to the crowd of more than a hundred concertgoers.
“Mamita’s Ices is a family, women and minority owned business, which loves to support and help communities!” the dessert shop’s owners said. “We are honored to support and give back to the community with our participation in the Maspeth Federal Savings concert series.”
The crowd was filled with people of all ages, many of whom stood up to dance near the stage as the concert progressed. Warisa Hossain, who attended the event with a friend who had seen the band perform five years ago, was among the dancing concertgoers.
“It was amazing, starting from the drummer, the bassist, the vocalists — they were so amazing,” Hossain, who especially enjoyed the band’s Backstreet Boys numbers, said. “They’re a people pleaser, they kept the crowd pumped up.”
Near the entrance of the parking lot was a small orange booth operated by Big Reuse, an organization that runs composting sites in Queens and Brooklyn. The organization is partnering with the the City of New York Department of Sanitation to educate New Yorkers on how to compost before the practice becomes mandated in October.
“I’m giving away yard waste bags because now we’re going to have to separate them for the fall,” Natalie Seow, a member of the organization who was working at the booth, said. “We have information to help people understand how to compost and what is going into their compost.”
Carrie Lee, another concertgoer and a Forest Hills resident, said it was her first time attending the concert series.
“I know every single song they’re singing,” Lee said. “They have high energy, it’s great for the community. There’s a really great crowd here and the music is terrific.”
