When the “Rock to the Top” music competition resumes at the Stone Pony, Asbury Park, in a few weeks, a band that includes four cousins will be playing in the second round.
The “Rock to the Top” competition is open to all New Jersey bands and all styles of music. The competition is judged by a sponsor, the Stone Pony, and local media and rated on talent, stage presence and audience response.
The Bellas are sisters Izzy DeFabritus and Giul DeFabritus, the daughters of Yvette and Rich DeFabritus of Freehold Township, and their cousins, Abby White, the daughter of Shannon and Chris White of Monroe Township, and Linds McCabe, the daughter of Kristin and Jason McCabe of Brick Township.
Bands in “Rock to the Top” compete in rounds of six and the top three bands from each round advance to the semifinals.
In the first round, the Bellas showed their musical acumen by performing classics like the Ramones’ “Rockaway Beach,” the Go-Gos’ “We Got The Beat” and AC/DC’s “Long Way to the Top” to advance in the competition.
In addition to covering classics from the 1970s and the 1980s, the Bellas have been writing and recording their own music. They have a single on iTunes called “Teenage Dropout.”
Izzy, 18, is the band’s guitarist and primary songwriter. She considers the Ramones, Joan Jett, the Cars and Cheap Trick as her biggest influences. Izzy has been playing guitar for more than four years. She is a graduate of Howell High School and attends Monmouth University in West Long Branch.
Giul, 15, keeps the beat for the Bellas behind the drum kit. She has made guest appearances with the John Luckenbill Pops Band. Giul is a student at Communications High School, Wall Township, and plays drums for the Freehold High School marching band. She has been named to the All-Shore band twice and is a big fan of AC/DC, the Ramones and Van Halen.
Abby, 16, is the Bellas’ lead singer. Abby is a cheerleader at Monroe Township High School and she coaches Pop Warner cheer. She cites Joan Jett and the Go-Gos as big influences.
Linds, 18, is the band’s bass player. She has been playing bass for about two years and is preparing to enter the U.S. Marine Corps.
Rich DeFabritus said his daughters have been playing music for awhile. He said Izzy and Giul and their cousins got together about a year ago and decided to go live with their appreciation for 1970s and 1980s rock and roll.
“I was over the moon. I can’t believe they discovered this music,” DeFabritus said. “They decided to try this contest. They felt tapped into something. They are continuing to practice and waiting for the call about when the next round will be.”
Asked what it was like to perform at the Stone Pony, where so many legendary musicians have played over the years, Abby said, “Playing at the Stone Pony was an awesome experience. I never thought I would be singing on the same stage that legends like Bruce Springsteen, Joan Jett and The Ramones performed on. The whole experience was surreal.”
In response to a question about whether there is something specific about the music the Bellas play from the 1970s and 1980s that makes it most enjoyable for them to perform, Izzy said, “Music, especially rock, from the 1970s and 1980s is often fast and loud; it’s music you can bob your head to and it makes you feel good. Not much music nowadays has that same feeling, so performing music from that era definitely makes performing that much better, and the crowd gets pumped up, too.”
Asked if she had ever attended a show at the Stone Pony or thought she might be playing on the stage one day, Linds said, “I had never been to the Stone Pony before and never dreamed I would be playing on the stage there! The experience was priceless and will always be a time to remember.”
And how did four young ladies between the ages of 15 and 18 discover music that is more than 40 years old?
Giul said, “I have always grown up listening to older music. Since I was very young, my parents exposed me to music from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980’s, and even the 1990s. But rock from the 1970s and 1980s has always stuck with me.
“Now that I’m older, I still love to listen to this kind of music and I like to branch out to bands I never knew before through the internet. I even own a vinyl record collection of my own and continue to look for more classics to listen to,” she said.
