Keeping His Spirit Alive

By Elizabeth Fasolino

Dalene-on-drums Kristofer N. Dalene, 1982-2003
(09/12/2007) Kris Dalene always loved rock ’n’ roll, and in 2003 he had realized his dream of being part of a band with a recording contract. That August, at the end of a road trip on the way home to East Hampton from a gig in Kentucky, he was killed when his car veered off Route 27 and crossed the median, colliding with a tree. Devastated by the 21-year-old’s death, his family and friends wanted to find a way to keep his spirit alive.

On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Crossroads Music, NRO Photography, and the East Hampton Lions Club will present a festival of music and art to benefit the Kris Dalene Music Scholarship Fund for East Hampton High School students who are passionate about music. The event will take place at East Hampton Studios, 77 Industrial Road, in Wainscott. The audience will get to watch skateboarding exhibitions on a half-pipe constructed by Marcus Kouffman, while listening to some of the freshest music around. Also on view will be work by 16 visual artists.

Kris was a popular student, talented drummer, and the former captain of the East Hampton High School football team. He had postponed his matriculation at the Berklee College of Music in Boston to complete an album for a major label with his band, Blazed.

He loved music from an early age and began piano lessons with Mary Shambach when he was 6 years old. At 8 he had discovered his father’s vintage Slingerland drum kit, and four years later he was playing the drums for a hard rock band that toured Long Island. By 14 he recorded his first album, and continued to expand his repertoire by studying with Bobby Rondinelli, a drummer with Blue Oyster Cult, and Jim Chapin, the innovative jazz drummer and father of the late singer Harry Chapin.

Kris’s parents, Frank and Gwen Dalene, and his sister, Kat, hope the scholarship will help other young musicians follow their dreams of making music. Last year the fund gave money to Spencer Bambrick, a vocalist and bass player, and Jesse Jackson, a saxophone player.

This year, Tim Dalene, Kris’s cousin, and friends of the Dalene family, including Mr. Kouffman, Rich Sperber, and Casey Simonton, decided to harness some of the creative energy from the visual arts, music, and skateboarding community, to produce an event to honor Kris’s memory.

Tim Dalene went to Mike Clark at Crossroads Music and enlisted his assistance, and then the East Hampton Lions Club volunteered to help out with the concession stand. The Baldon Group in Patchogue donated insurance, and Frazier Dougherty, the owner of LTV Studios, agreed to rent them the space, and suddenly the project really had legs.

“A lot of the community has jumped out of the woodwork to help,” Ms. Simonton said.

The bands slated to play on Saturday are The Isles, Kiss Kiss, Jet Jaguar, Bastards of Boom, Tequila Mockingbird, Consent of Kings, Hot Lips Houlihan, Igniter, Dan Asselin, Telly, and surprise guest appearances.

In addition to the music, art, skateboarding, and food, there will be vendor booths. Tickets cost $20, $15 for students. Guests will be given bracelets so they can leave the event, and return later in the day.