Problematic
Carmine’s Bar, Grill and Stage
East Hartford
June 8, 2026
I’m Vanessa Crowley’s biggest fan, even though I didn’t know her name until yesterday.
Three weeks ago, a friend was at Carmine’s Bar, Grill and Stage, enjoying some food, when the lady with the silvery bob and glasses took the stage. My friend texted me a video of her singing with the caption, “You’ve GOT to come check this lady out!”
So I finally made my way back to Carmine’s for the Wednesday night performance by the band Problematic, which features Crowley on lead vocals, Carmine Pellegrino and Larry Goldberg on guitar, father and son duo Mark and Chris Scheinberg on bass and keyboard respectively, and John Pell on drums.
How can I describe Crowley’s voice? In a word: powerful. Her sound is strong and clear, expanding to fill the entirety of the bar where she was performing. I mean Crowley can belt out the notes at full force, without losing any of her control over the music or the quality of her voice. She gave the audience an early taste with Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m the Only One”, and her voice soared over the rest of the band. I was impressed by the video I’d seen of her, but in person, I was completely blown away.
I thought there’s no way Crowley isn’t singing professionally. She told me she’s been performing with Carmine in various permutations of their band for more than 25 years. She’s an active singer in her church in Wethersfield. But no, Crowley does have a day job, as a fourth-grade teacher.
I’ve mentioned that I was a teacher many moons ago too, and it’s funny that kids think there’s nothing to your life besides teaching. Still, I don’t think any of Crowley’s students, past or present, could imagine that she’s a classic rocker, tearing through classics with the same skill and fervor as any professional. She’s that good.
“It’s such a rush,” she said when I asked her what makes her come out at night to perform. “The guys in the band are so creative, and the solos are never the same. It’s great to be able to hear new things every Wednesday.”
Speaking of the guys, they’re no slouches either. Everyone got a chance to perform vocals as the night progressed, and Carmine himself took the reins for “Like A Rock” by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. Carmine is a good singer in his own right, but I could feel my face melting off as he transitioned to his guitar solo. Carmine’s guitar play was electric, transforming the old Chevy theme song into a canvas for his musical talent.
It was a night of good time music performed by some really great musicians. And it makes me wonder what Mrs. Fink, my fourth grade teacher, was up to on her nights off.
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Jamil goes to see Huckleberry Finn– as a puppet.
