Can’t get enough of the Super Bowl even on Super Bowl Sunday? Centereach singer/songwriter Mike the Rodgers is kicking off gameday with the best of halftime highlights on Feb. 8 at Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook.
The hour-long event begins at 3 p.m., which gets football fans back for gametime.
“The key is going to be featuring songs from different halftime shows throughout the past 20-30 years of the Super Bowl,” said Michael Rodgers. “It was a way to make it a little more enjoyable, a little more engaging and a little more fun, and hopefully, get some people out on Super Bowl Sunday to check it out and enjoy some great music.”
Among the highlights, he’ll call to mind Prince, performing Foo Fighters’ “Best of You”, as well as The Temptations with “My Girl,” a special favorite because “my mom and dad were big doo wop fans.”
Rodgers will also introduce originals, including “A Few Rooms Away” inspired by the recent birth of his son Gabriel, which he’ll perform for the first time.
Rodgers grew up in Hicksville, a few blocks from the home of Billy Joel. Bicycling on those storied streets brought inspiration, so much so that he jokingly calls himself Long Island’s second greatest pianist.
Not just Joel, but an ophthalmologist sparked his devotion to piano. Rodgers explained that around age 7 he needed a hobby to strengthen his eyes, and “From the minute I sat down (at the piano), I loved it.” That passion later encompassed other instruments, as he developed a “very, very eclectic style” often driven by emotions.
When not on stage, or enjoying fatherhood, Rodgers directs music and performing arts at Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District.
“I always said I wanted to be a rock star, Music teacher was the backup plan, but it ended up being a pretty good backup plan,” he said. His ongoing dedication to performing reflects his belief that “to be the best music educator you have to be the best performer you can be.”
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