Meet: Stretch & The Armstrongs
- Cha Cha Cherry
- Aug 21
- 4 min read
You may have seen me plugging away on social media and here some extra love for Stretch & The Armstrongs - one of the newest cover bands to hit the NJ bar scene. That's because these guys deserve it. They are so talented and energetic and as their tagline goes - play the songs you forgot you love. And The Flying Garter just hearts them (especially when they play Radio Gaga for Jtweets).
So let's get to know the guys a little better...We got the tea from Rocco Monterosso, lead guitar and backing vocals.
Who are Stretch & The Armstrongs (SATA)?
Stretch & The Armstrongs is a NJ-based band comprised of seasoned musicians who have played and toured the world with bands such as Alice Cooper, Ace Frehley, Night Ranger as well as local acts such as Big Hix and Coming Alive. They've opened for Super Trans AM to a sold-out crowd at the legendary Stone Pony! They cover your favorite rock hits from the 70s and 80s including Top 10 Radio Rock, Yacht Rock and even some Disco!
Stretch & The Armstrongs...that name....wait a sec! That's a toy from the 70s! What's the deets?!
Picking a band name is always a difficult task. We wanted to have something that was indicative of the eras of music that we were playing. Stretch Armstrong was really the first thing that came to mind. I figured rather than just using the name the way it is, I’d put a little spin on it.
How did the band come together?
Frankie (bass), Eddie (drums) and myself have been playing together since we were teenagers. Eddie has always been a monster drummer. Great time and pocket with the ability to know when to pull back and then let loose. Frankie is one of my oldest and dearest friends. We’ve done so many projects together for so long I’ve lost count lol… His sound and feel is incomparable. He’s an awesome bassist. When I started putting SATA together, it was a no-brainer to have them on board. I saw Tommy filling in for a friend of mine back in 2018. My first thought was, “I need this guy in my band." Totally blown away by his vocal ability. I approached him back then about doing something, but at the time he wasn’t available. I approached him again in 2021. We jammed and it was awesome! He’s truly the definition of a versatile singer. We were a four-piece for a little while, but because of my hectic schedule, I wanted to have a backup for myself in case I couldn’t make gigs. I knew exactly who I needed and asked my buddy Glenn if he was interested. He came down to a few rehearsals and we knew we needed to have him on full-time. He’s an excellent guitarist and singer with an impeccable ear. The rest is history.
Who are the band's biggest musical influences?
Damn… there are so many. So, with the exception of Tommy, the rest of the band grew up in the 70’s & 80’s. So we’ve really been exposed to the best decades of music in my opinion. Tommy grew up in a very musical family so he was listening to 70s music even in the 90s. We were listening to “yacht rock” when it was just called rock and top 40 lol…
Everything that Stretch does, was and is music that we continue to listen to.
How do you decide which songs to cover?
I try to pick songs that have a “wow“ factor. Not so much wow in the sense that they’re technically difficult to play or anthemic, but more in the vain of “wow, I can’t believe they did that song” or “wow, I forgot how much I loved that song." We just want to take it back to a time that you knew and loved. I think we achieve that with our catalog of music.
What’s the crowd favorite song you play?
Hard to just pick one. When we cover Queen, it really seems to hit home. We do quite a few Queen songs.
What's been the most memorable gig so far?
We’ve had a few, but our show at the Stone Pony with Super Trans Am was awesome!
What's next for SATA?
Whatever comes our way and brings joy to our current and new fans.
You can catch SATA this Friday, August 22nd at their debut show at Bar A in Belmar at 9:30 pm. Additionally, they have a show coming up Labor Day weekend at Proving Ground in Highlands on September 7th at 5 pm.
Check out all of their social media and give them a follow.
If you are interested in booking SATA for your bar, venue, special event, music festival or any event just reach out to Cha Cha at theflyinggarter@gmail.com and I'll hook you up ya kool kats.
See you at a SATA show! Cuz I know I'll be at ALLLLLLLL of them. Stop by Bar A tomorrow and grab a SATA sticker from Cha Cha!
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