Tune In, Turn On
One of the better-known musical families at the Jersey Shore is the Berardos. Adam Berardo (also known by his stage name, 1adam12) is the longtime bassist for rock accordionist Malcolm Tent and has played in several notable bands, including Noise Museum with the late WLFR DJ, Paul Glaser.
Showing that the proverbial musical apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Adam’s two sons, Niko (guitar and vocals) and Desi (drums), both perform in a talented local rock group, Te Vista. The other band members are Ricky Hardin on guitar and vocals, and Grace Halter on bass.
Te Vista headlines a four-band bill at Anchor Rock Club in Atlantic City Saturday, Dec. 27, where they’ll be performing songs from their new album, “House.” Also taking the stage will be Fair Game, Frankie Mermaid and Roseheath.
“We started the initial tracking in November of 2024, but did a lot of tracking on and off all throughout 2025, whenever we could find time with our schedules,” Niko Berardo told Tune In Turn On recently.
“Desi, who played most of the drum tracks on the album, has a full-time job at the FAA; I’ve got a full-time job as an audio technician at Stockton University; Ricky worked part time at a local bar in Glassboro, but also works at a bowling alley in Philadelphia as a mechanic; and Grace was a full-time student at Rowan University, but also gigs regularly with her cover band, Sugar Rush Rocks, and teaches over at the School of Rock in Deptford.
“‘House’ is mostly a snapshot of what our live set is – jangly, twangy electric guitars, and three-part harmonies,” explained Niko, who’s also a DJ on area radio station WLFR, as is his dad, Adam.
“There’s also some folksy and rootsy acoustic guitar moments, which is how the band started out. Subject matter is all over the place – breakup songs, critiques on local indie music posers that go to house shows, divorce, unrequited love, egotistical drummers and power couples.
“All tunes were written by the four of us,” Niko added. “Ricky and I write the lyrics, but all the tunes go through the Te Vista filter, which is just Grace, Desi, Ricky and I. We try to decipher our four-track cassette demos or voice memos that Ricky and I will make independently or together. A lot of the time we just bring tunes to practice and hash them out in real time, too. We’re not afraid of suggestions from each other.
“The key word here is compromise – and trial by fire to see what sticks,” Niko continued. “That process can get hectic and overwhelming, but that’s how rock ‘n’ roll is, and rock ‘n’ roll is merely a reflection of life. In a way, it mirrors how our lives changed when Ricky, Desi and I moved into the house in Glassboro that we’re living in right now.”
We listened to the first two singles from “House,” – “Corpse” and “Didn’t Like.” Both have a nice flow and sound radio-ready. Meanwhile, Te Vista is primed and ready to hit the road.
“Aside from our jobs, Te Vista manages to gig often,” said Niko. “We’ll play anywhere, but have been very fortunate and grateful to play places like Anchor Rock Club, PhilaMoca, Ruba Club, Pet Shop in Jersey City and all the great house venues in between Philly and Atlantic County.”
Te Vista performs at Anchor Rock Club, 247 S. New York Ave., Saturday, Dec. 27. Tickets are $13.65 (includes fees). Info at www.anchorrockclub.com.
Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com
