Joe Riotta
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Joe Riotta *
Joe was born in Argentina and started playing drums at age 14, after his father “bribed” him with a drum set so he would come to the USA. While he has switched to singing, he still enjoys playing many percussion instruments such as bongos, tambourine, etc. making sure that our fans get to dance and have a great time at our shows.
He carefully crafts The Time Travelers’ set lists to include music from all different decades, making sure that today’s hits are as well represented as yesterday's, ensuring that fans of all ages get to hear what they like.
Joe considers himself very fortunate to be able to play in such an amazing band, with such talented people, bringing the joy of music to audiences throughout Long Island!
Dr. Joe Corrado
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Dr. Joe Corrado *
Joe has always had an interest in music. From a young age, his Dad shared with him an extensive musical catalog of vinyl ranging from Procol Harum, to CCR, to Mountain, and many other artists that would inspire Joe to learn an instrument. His musical journey began in full force toward the end of middle school when he began playing Spanish flamenco guitar, as well as the electric guitar. Joe transitioned to learning the bass guitar in high school after playing his friend, Giancarlo’s, newly-purchased Squier Jazz Bass. Joe immediately took a liking to the bass, and it became his primary instrument.
During this time, Joe began to play music with James Young, and the two would perform in various bands together from high school to present day, along with Brian Blanco and Joe Riotta.
Joe also plays other instruments including the dulcimer, fretless banjo, balalaika, accordion, strumstick, keyboard, and several others.
Joe has always enjoyed playing in bands that cover a wide range of music, appealing to all ages and generations, making The Time Travelers the perfect band for him!
James Young
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James Young *
James is the guitarist and one of the vocalists for Time Travelers. He has been playing guitar since his teenage years, developing his style through years of practice, performance, and a deep love of classic rock and pop music. Early on, James nearly gave up the instrument after only a few months of lessons in middle school. However, an English teacher who had once been a musician encouraged him to stick with it, even sending him CDs of his favorite guitarists: an act that helped spark a lifelong passion for music.
Before joining The Time Travelers, James performed from 2016 to 2022 with the alternative-rock band BowTie Fridays alongside current Time Travelers bandmates Brian and Joe. During his time with the group, he contributed original songs and helped shape the band’s sound. Offstage, James has spent the past decade working as a guitar and piano instructor, teaching both private and group lessons. As someone who is neurodivergent, he views music as an important outlet for managing anxiety and connecting with others, and he brings that same sense of passion and communication to every performance.
Brian Blanco
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Brian Blanco *
Brian started out his music career in about 5th grade playing percussion in band. He continued until high school where he spent a few years playing guitar before going to college. While he didn’t play at all in college he did meet his future bandmates Joe Corrado and Jake Simonson, who later recruited him to play drums for their band BowTie Fridays. After years of playing together the band took a break as their lead singer moved down south.
Fortunately, Joe Corrado and James Young were getting a new band together and asked Brian to join! This was the spawn of the Chili Poppers! After playing together for a while as the number one RHCP cover band on the island, the chili poppers took a turn into the Time Travelers to further diversify their catalog and play a wider range of music.
Brian loves music from all aspects of rock! Especially 90’s and early 2000’s Pop-Punk. Some of his favorite bands include Linkin Park, Shinedown, Rise Against, Blink 182, and basically anyone else you would see at Warped Tour. Brian also has a large appreciation for classic rock as that is what he was raised on. Bands like the Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kansas, Boston and Aerosmith. This is why Brian loves playing with the Time Travelers, because it gives him the amazing opportunity to play songs from all decades and genres!