The Windsor Terrors meet the(ir) 60s head-on

By Meredith Deliso

When you’re a British invasion band and there’s a birthday, it’s only natural that you play The Beatles “Birthday.”

The Windsor Terrors will be doing this thrice over this fall, as three of the quartet’s members mark their 60th birthday with gigs at their regular haunt, the Greenhouse Cafe in Bay Ridge.

First up, with a show on September 11 (his birthday is four days prior) is keyboardist and vocalist Kenee Lee.

“It always beats the alternative — I’d rather be turning 60 than turning over in my grave,” says Lee, laughing. “I’d rather be 24 again, but that’s not going to happen.”

Lee met Windsor Terrors bassist and vocalist Jim Kiernan when they were just about that age, both working as teachers at Stephen Decatur JHS 35 in Bedford-Stuyvestant. Over the years they’ve worked in various bands together, including Midlife Crisis, the Union Jacks and Forever Young, until they reached their current lineup of The Windsor Terrors, with John O’Dea on guitar and vocals and Gregg Masiello of the Groove on drums and vocals.

Out of the gang, only one – O’Dea – actually lives in Windsor Terrace.

“When we were forming the band, we had to come up with a name. That was something I came up with, and it stuck,” says Lee, who lives nearby in Park Slope, as does Kiernan, with Masiello in Bay Ridge.

After the September gig, O’Dea celebrates his 60th birthday next, with a show at the Greenhouse Cafe on October 16, followed by Kiernan’s, with a show there December 18.

“The person who’s birthday it is will probably have more say about what songs we’re going to do,” says Lee, who, if they’re able to get it in in time, was itching to do some new songs. “Maybe we’ll throw in some Traffic songs. We do ‘Dear Mr. Fantasy,’ which is a song I used to love to do back in the day.”

Beyond the Greenhouse Cafe, the band’s looking forward to returning to the Atlantic Antic, this year on October 4. For the fifth year running, they’ll be playing in front of, naturally, Chip Shop near Henry Street.

“The connection of course is it’s a fish and chip shop,” says Lee. “We specialize in British invasion, they sell British food. That’s part of the gig – to get the fish and chips.”

Get your own British fix when the Windsor Terrors play the Greenhouse Cafe (7717 Third Avenue) September 11, October 16 and December 18. For more information, call 718-833-8200.