By Tom Ossa
Nyack, NY – Sunday started off for us at 6 am at Boxer Donut and Espresso Bar, with CBS News’ John Elliot, interviewing some of the superfans of the hometown band, Coheed and Cambria.
Soon, we headed to Olive’s Bar, where Elliot interviewed Claudio Sanchez, the band’s frontman.
Shortly thereafter, Rockland News sat down with Sanchez in one of the side booths, to conduct a brief 12-minute interview with Sanchez.
We started with one simple question: “How does the key to the city work, exactly?”
That slightly absurd beginning was the jumpoff point to a very insightful conversation with a man that takes music, artwork, writings…and pure passion, and somehow also adds to it all with drive and organization – reportedly starting at 5 am most mornings.
The key to the city question was indeed relevant to what occurred later that day – a historic hometown celebration at the Nyack SpringFest Street Fair. The Village of Nyack officially declared April 13 as “Coheed and Cambria Day,” honoring the band’s enduring legacy and deep connection to the community. Thousands attended the fair for the food, music and vendor tables that lined Broadway and Main Street, but by 4 pm most were focused on the Village square’s presentation to Coheed, as well as three performances by musical acts from several beloved local bands, including the honorees.
A Band with Rockland Roots and International Recognition
Lead vocalist and primary songwriter Claudio Sanchez, born in Suffern and a graduate of Nyack High School, joined the rest of the band to accept the Key to the Village. The symbolic gesture was presented by Nyack Mayor Joe Rand and Nyack Chamber of Commerce trustee Tristan Dunnigan, who is also part of the family behind the beloved local bookstore, Pickwick Bookshop.
The presentation was followed by a special acoustic set performed by the band at 4 p.m., bringing a festive close to the day’s celebration. Live and Unplugged, another well known Rockland band, as well as Claudio’s own son, performed during the festivities as well.
“It’s surreal,” Sanchez shared in the interview earlier in the day at Olives, one of the village’s cherished local spots. “When I started playing music over 30 years ago, I never imagined being honored like this in my hometown.”
Coheed and Cambria’s journey began in the 1990s at Nyack Center’s Backdoor Café, a youth program that provided a platform for emerging artists. It was a jumpoff point for numerous grunge, rock and punk acts of the 90’s and early 00’s, as well as progressive rock bands such as Coheed and Cambria. Sanchez and guitarist Travis Stever found early support there, performing for audiences of teenagers from across the tri-state area.
After several early lineup and name changes, the band found cohesion and momentum with the release of their 2002 album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade. Since then, the band has fused science fiction, art, lyrics, heavy and light music riffs with Claudio’s signature vocals, and have created a fanbase that clearly showed up on Sunday to watch Coheed receive their key.
People were in attendance from California, amongst other places to view the show and presentation. The band has achieved global acclaim (they’re about to embark on a 52-location tour across the world – not their first). Yet, here they were – in their hometown for honors, interviews, a performance, and an appreciation for local roots.
A Deeply Personal 11th Album: The Father of Make Believe
The timing of the honor coincides with the recent release of the band’s eleventh studio album, Vaxis – Act III: The Father of Make Believe, which dropped onto most digital platforms (iTunes, Spotify, more) in March. The record continues the saga of the band’s elaborate science fiction universe, The Amory Wars (Originated from the 2002 record and remains the theme through their previous 10 albums), and is informed by deeply personal themes including family, mortality, and self-reflection.
“This record comes from a personal standpoint,” Sanchez noted. “Not just because it’s the newest, but because it’s the most honest. It’s informed by real loss, and by asking big questions about life.” Sanchez revealed that he lost his Grandfather and his Grandfather’s son during the COVID days. “That became the nucleus of The Father of Make Believe.”
Sanchez, who co-writes the Amory Wars comic series with his wife Chondra Echert, also emphasized the balance between artistic ambition and family life. “My wife is my creative partner, and when school’s out, our son joins us on tour,” he explained. “When he’s in school, she holds it all together. None of this would be possible without her.”
The album’s lead single, “Someone Who Can,” has even closer ties to the village — its music video was filmed in Nyack, with scenes shot at Olives and Nyack High School, grounding the story in the real-world setting that shaped the band’s origin.
The video dropped onto YouTube just 3 months ago, and at the time of this writing at 814k views, thus far.
Nyack Street Fair Culminates in 4 pm Key to the City Presentation
Tristan Dunnigan, speaking prior to Mayor Rand on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce (and as a Nyack native and Nyack High School alumnus), opened his remarks with gratitude to village officials and local organizations that helped make the event possible.
Dunnigan shared his personal history with Coheed and Cambria, recalling how he first saw them perform as a teenager at the Backdoor Café and emphasized the deep connection the band has with the local community.
Tristan also highlighted the impact of the late Bert Hughes, a legendary music teacher at Nyack High School, who inspired many students — including Claudio Sanchez – who earlier in the day at Olive’s, had revealed to CBS News that Burt was an important figure in his early music life.
Addressing younger attendees, Dunnigan encouraged them to cherish and learn from inspiring educators. He closed by urging the crowd to continue supporting local artists, noting how such support can spark lifelong passion and careers in the arts, as exemplified by Coheed and Cambria.
Mayor Joe Rand followed to present its first-ever key to the city — a handcrafted piece by local artist Peter Cheney. The mayor proudly tied Coheed and Cambria to Nyack’s legacy of cultural icons like Edward Hopper and Helen Hayes, celebrating the band as part of that distinguished lineage.
Claudio Dedicates Key to the City Event to Bert Hughes, Nyack Music Teacher
Claudio, accepting the honor, expressed heartfelt gratitude. He reminisced about his teenage years in Nyack, the friendships formed, and how those relationships — particularly with his friend Patrick — helped shape the beginnings of Coheed and Cambria. He spoke movingly about receiving an award for “Most Creative Musicianship” from Bert Hughes in 1996, a recognition created especially for him. Sanchez dedicated the key to the late teacher, acknowledging the profound impact Hughes had on his life and career.
The ceremony concluded with applause and a special acoustic performance by Coheed and Cambria. At this point, we were in the audience, enjoying:
An hour after the performance, we were back at Olive’s, speaking with to several people who gave us more insight into the late Burt Hughes. “He was a good dude. He motivated a lot of people with his teaching style,” one local Nyack High School graduate reminisced. I can see how Claudio really took to him, and how it helped him to conquer the early days that we all go through.”
The recognition in Nyack also came just weeks before Coheed and Cambria embarks on a major North American tour with Mastodon and special guest Periphery, kicking off May 10. Local fans can catch them live at Saratoga Springs on May 26, Syracuse on May 30, and the PNC Bank Arts Center on August 29.
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