Upstate New York Actor/Musician Featured in Super Bowl Commercial

Not only did a Hudson Valley actor and musician make it into a Super Bowl Half Time commercial, but he just so happens to be a friend of the station! I was blown away to see this guy on screen, and social media has been blowing up in support of this guy!

Local Actor/Musician Frank Palangi Featured in NYCM Super Bowl Commercial

First of all, the commercial in question is for New York Central Mutual Insurance, or NYCM for short. NYCM's Super Bowl commercial celebrates their 125th anniversary providing genuine care to their customers and communities across New York. The commercial recognizes the company's small-town upbringings starting in 1899 and shows an inspiring timeline to today, where it is an award-winning insurance company which now serves over 575,000 policy holders.

At NYCM Insurance, we believe in providing genuine care so that others can have the hope for a better tomorrow and the courage to persevere. We are proud to continue this long-standing commitment to our customers for years to come.

READ MORE: “Fall From Grace” from Frank Palangi Affirms Rock is a Lifestyle

Now let's talk about our man, Frank! Frank Palangi is no stranger to Townsquare Media of the Hudson Valley. Several of his singles have been featured on 92.7/96.9 WRRV, and I've had the pleasure of interviewing him a few times. Frank Palangi can be seen at the end of the NYCM commercial playing the role of the modern day insurance agent.

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A post shared by Frank Palangi | Rock Artist (@frankpalangimusic)

Frank Palangi is a rocker from Upstate New York who draws his inspiration from 80s and 90s rock and post grunge genres mixed with a taste of heavy metal. As a performer, Palangi has opened for the likes of 3 Doors Down, Buckcherry, Aaron Lewis of STAIND, and  Marcy Playground, and has played festivals alongside Shinedown, Coheed and Cambria, Alice in Chains and Jane's Addiction just to name a few.

When asked how Palangi got involved in this Super Bowl commercial, he said, "I've worked with a local agency and I get emails on new castings and roles that I may fit for. That was a role in the range of what they were looking for and I did an audition for the guy in the beginning of the commercial with the bucket, but they felt the modern office worker was the best fit. Those were all real employees of the company that were in the scene with me too. I remember I drove out near the speedway about 3 and half hours in the middle of nowhere to do this in Upstate NY!"

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Read More: Local New York Musician Rises From the Ashes After House Fire

Palangi wears many hats. He works all facets of the industry from recording, mixing, producing, video work, acting, interviewing, guitar lessons and more. He says the grind never ends, but he takes it one step at a time. "I’m an only child and I have a lot of patience," Palangi told Metal Digest. "When it’s all you do, you have more time to get a lot more done."

Frank Palangi's Latest Single "Dynamite"

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A post shared by Frank Palangi | Rock Artist (@frankpalangimusic)

Palangi's latest single "Dynamite" exploded onto the scene in October of 2023. "Dynamite" hit the SMR Secondary Market Rock Charts Most Added #3 the first week it was out. It went up to #36 on the Top 100, plus it was #6 on Mediabase in its first week. Palangi credits the chart success in part to Curtain Call Records who stepped in and took over the FM promotion. Palangi mixed and mastered the track himself under Palangi Studios.

Palangi sent that he thought it was finished originally when sending, but after hearing the track from Curtain Call and getting feedback, he knew he had to go back and push the mix/master further but still keep his own style. They told Palangi it was a bit of a gamble because it was a different mix sound than what's out there now and could either make it stand out or not. Palangi said, "I've always loved doing my own productions but I've learned a lot working on projects with producers over the years, as well. Sometimes that decision comes down to time and the budget you have."

In regard to what the song means to him, Palangi said,

"We had a house fire in 2021 and my life was redirected. I managed to record a song in my apartment master bedroom closet as I was putting my home recording studio/house back together.

 

Shortly after, I reached out and had the drums recorded by Lester Estelle (Pillar, Kelly Clarkson Drummer) and began to keep busy and work on ideas for this song. It took me a year with multiple versions to grow as a producer, mixing engineer do the whole production myself in a new space with new gear.

 

I had regained my will to write and record and wanted to explode, lol. So I figured was "Dynamite" perfect! It's all about breaking down doors and pushing boundaries in the music industry so that's what I wrote this about. Be you and stick with your vision and style and don't cookie cutter things."

NYCM Insurance - 125 Years of Genuine Care

NYCM Insurance celebrates 125 years of genuine care, protecting what matters most to our 575,000 customers across New York State. Join us in celebrating this milestone with a look back at our history. For more information about our 125th anniversary, visit: https://www.nycm.com/anniversary/

You can check out the full commercial below:

You can also watch my first interview with Frank Palangi from 2022 here! Frank is such an awesome guy and powerful artist, so it's amazing to see the opportunities that he creates!