Skyfactor Maintains its Musical Mojo Despite Pandemic Challenges

The members of the locally-based band Skyfactor have been waiting for this Saturday night for more than two years.

That’s when they’ll return to what can be considered their Westchester home base, Lucy’s in Pleasantville, for their first show at the now remodeled club since Dec. 7, 2019.

It’s not like the band’s been idle since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, despite the many challenges that performers have faced since live audiences were discontinued until fairly recently.

But Skyfactor’s loyal following was made for a traditional rock club, said its lead guitarist Jon Rubin. Playing at places such as Lucy’s and at The Bitter End in the city is what the band was built for and maybe where it has its greatest appeal.

“The intimacy of a rock club, that’s the last bastion to come back,” Rubin said. “When can you pile a hundred people in a room and no one get sick? I think the majority of our fans, we reached out to people, hey, what if we rescheduled it for March instead of April or May? Is that too soon or are you dying to see live music?”

The show was a go when a friend of Rubin’s, who has been extremely cautious about exposing himself to COVID-19, told Rubin that he’ll be there – wearing an N-95 mask with a hole cut out to sip his beer.

On Saturday, Skyfactor will perform songs from its most recent album, “A Thousand Sounds,” from 2019 as well as older selections from its catalog that has made it a rock club favorite in Westchester and Manhattan for more than a decade.

“We’ve always been a live band, that’s where we thrive, feed off the energy of the crowd, and that’s tangible when you can feel that and get that back,” said lead singer Bob Ziegler. “That’s what we’re real excited to get back to at this point.”

Rubin said since the start of the pandemic, Skyfactor managed to play four backyard concerts in 2020 at the Hastings-on-Hudson home of his brother, Cliff, the band’s bass player. Three of those engagements were for various charitable causes, including a virtual benefit for the Tarrytown Music Hall. The band members donated their fee for the night back to the music hall.

Another performance was for the charity Code Red, an organization created by Rubin’s niece, Charlotte, and a friend of hers to help raise money for feminine hygiene products for homeless women. Yet another virtual concert was their scheduled appearance for what was supposed to be Ossining’s summer concert series at Louis Engel Waterfront Park in 2020.

In each case, Skyfactor had about 20 people attend, socially distanced and wearing masks, of course. While the virtual performances had its drawbacks, they were able to expand their exposure.

“We got like 3,000 or 4,000 people (tuning in),” Rubin said. “When we pack a club for 150 people, we’re excited.”

Skyfactor was also able to play outdoor concerts in Connecticut, which had loosened some of its restrictions on outdoor crowds faster than New York.

But there’s been some new music put out by the band. The pandemic-inspired “Streets of New York” pays tribute to the healthcare heroes and first responders who put their lives on the line in 2020 to help others.

Most recently, Skyfactor was contacted by filmmaker David Seth Cohen to write and perform the song for Cohen’s upcoming documentary “Finding Sandler.” The film is about Cohen’s search to reconnect with comedic actor Adam Sandler after turning down a chance to hang out with him when he was 22 years old while working as a production assistant on the set of a movie.

The song, “Hey Adam,” is featured in the film, which will be screened on Mar. 26 at the Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park, N.J. The recorded the song at a Woodstock studio, a location they plan on recording at again, Rubin said.

A local cover band, Your Welcome, will open for Skyfactor this Saturday evening at what is now called The Garage at Lucy’s at 8:15 p.m. Skyfactor is scheduled to begin its performance at about 9:30 p.m. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Rubin said he and his bandmates are amped about returning to one of their favorite venues.

“I think the number one thing for people to expect would be a lot of pent-up energy from the band and the crowd in a healthy way,” he said.

Tickets are $12 in advance through Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/skyfactor-with-special-guests-your-welcome-tickets-276088717787 and $15 at the door. The Garage at Lucy’s is located at 446 Bedford Rd. in Pleasantville.

Martin Wilbur

Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/