‘Little Rock Stars’

Plan To Steal Local Spotlight February 24

By Kendra Bobowick

“They’re little rock stars,” said music teacher Joe Proc of his two 13-year-old students Trevor Legeret and Devon Covert, who make up the recently named band Stretch.

Ready to get up on stage in front of a hometown audience on Friday, February 24, between 5 and 8 pm at The One-Eyed Pig, at 71 South Main Street, Devon said, “I feel pretty good about it.” He has been practicing and he feels his preparations are “coming together well.”

Trevor has played often in Westchester County and is now looking forward to playing in Newtown. “It will be great to have a local crowd for a change,” he said.

Stretch is branching out from a larger teen band, Wiped Out, whose members are also students of Mr Proc, a Newtown based musician. Speaking highly of Trevor and Devon, who have played together for about two years, Mr Proc said, “The thing about these two is they have the attitude and the talent. They sing, they play.”

Laughing, he called them both “exceptional little show-offs,” with long hair, an aptitude for playing to the crowd, and who “absolutely” love the stage, he said.

Stretch will be taking a spot at the local bar and restaurant’s Friday acoustic jams, which started late last year. Mr Proc is hoping the venue and performance will “open doors” for them, generating exposure and building experience. The boys have already played at My Place Restaurant and Proud Mary’s.

Mr Proc hopes the upcoming gig will be a stepping stone for the boys to perform at “numerous places, parties, events,” and more, he said.

For this show, the teen musicians will share the floor with Mr Proc and Trevor’s parents, Sheri and Dave Legeret — both musical talents. Mr Legeret will be on the drums, while Mr Proc, who may warm up for Stretch, will play guitar. “It will be a family affair,” Mr Proc said. Mr Legeret also performs with the band Shout, while his wife plays occasional acoustic sets with friends.

The set list will include works of Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, and Wild Cherry.

“They can pull it off,” Mr Proc said.

Jay Daly, partner and entertainment coordinator at The One-Eyed Pig thought the collaboration was “a great idea.”

“[Joe Proc] wanted to get students some exposure, so I took the chance,” said Mr Daly. “I heard they’re good,” he said of the young musicians. Also, patrons have been enjoying acoustic Fridays, and the young musicians will be “a new twist on it,” he said.

Trevor Legeret

Trevor Legeret, who has been performing since he was 7, likes being on stage.

“It’s like football players, they say the game is the biggest thing, but with a crowd watching, it’s a fun feeling,” he said.

Considering what Stretch could become, he said, “I will take it as it goes, whatever it turns into will be fun.”

Regarding his own future in music, Trevor said, “It’s is something I do best and something I want to keep doing for the rest of my life.”

Sheri Legeret is “thrilled” that her son and his friend will be playing locally. In a sports-oriented town like Newtown, she said, “His guitar, his long hair, nobody knew where he was coming from.” A Newtown performance will be a chance for his friends and their families to hear them play.

“They’re really good. They have this Lennon-McCartney thing going,” she said. “It’s really cute.”

Trevor has played for large audiences before with a previous band, Tailpipe, which opened for concerts on the green in Danbury, and also played a spot on local radio station i95. Moving away from the harder rock and preferring sounds from The Beatles, for one, Ms Legeret said, “He is definitely moving into his own taste.”

Devon Covert

Devon Covert has also played for crowds with Trevor before, both out of town and locally in places including Proud Mary’s, and looks forward to a packed house. Describing the feeling of taking the stage, he said, “you have the whole band to rely on,” which “definitely” makes the experience more exciting.

He has been playing bass for about 3½ years.

“I thought about guitar and I thought I would get a better slot in a band if I played bass,” he explained. So far his musical experience on bass is “a lot of fun. Maybe more than playing guitar.”

As far as the band Stretch’s future, he said the upcoming show “will kick us off pretty well,” gaining them local exposure.

Devon’s mother Laura Covert is also “pretty excited” about her son’s upcoming performance.

In the last few years Devon has found a strong interest in music, she said. “He started bass lessons and loved it, and has found himself interested in many instruments, including keyboard.”

Laughing, she said, “He would really love a drum set.”

In the last year and a half Devon switched instructors and has been working with Mr Proc who “encourages Devon, pushes him to challenge himself,” Ms Covert said. “It’s been a nice experience.”

Regarding the stage, she said her son is comfortable being in front of crowd. Devon and Trevor have both been practicing a lot for the upcoming performance, at least once a week, or more, she said.

The pair has played other small gigs, she said. “This is old hat for them, weird at this age, but it’s neat that they’re doing this so close to home.” She also hopes that her son’s friends and parents can come see his show.

The One-Eyed Pig, at 71 South Main Street in Newtown, welcomes families for dinner, drink, and entertainment. Guests under the age of 21 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Acoustic duos run from 5 to 8 pm on Fridays.