BowTie Fridays

Jake Simonson (vocals/keyboard) and Joe Corrado (bass), co-founders of BowTie Fridays, met at Hofstra University in 2014 after being randomly assigned as roommates. They realized their shared interest in music and started jamming out in the dorm room. The band was officially started in 2016 when Simonson and Corrado performed a few cover songs together at Vivo’s Bar and Grille in Danbury, Connecticut. Around the same time was when Simonson began writing original songs. April of 2016 was when James Young (guitar) joined the band. Young went to the same high school as Corrado.


With the songs that Simonson had written, the band started playing originals more often. There were several opportunities to play shows on Hofstra’s campus and as time went on they played at several venues in the Long Island, Manhattan, and Connecticut areas. The band experienced several lineup changes with its drummer role, but since early 2018 Brian Blanco was brought on to take over on drums. Simonson and Corrado both knew Blanco through mutual friends. The band continues to bring it’s new wave/synthpop music to New York and Connecticut venues, delivering energetic performances that guarantee to keep the crowd engaged and wanting more.