After a two-year hiatus, the Shadyside Blues Band has returned as The Spellcasters.
The Spellcasters will play several live shows throughout the summer season including Thunder in the Streets and Blues for Hospice.
In 2012, guitarist Tony Flaminio, lead singer Charlie "Big C" Clark, bassist Mike Comitz and drummer Don Ross, all original members of the Shadyside Blues Band, joined forces with sax player and keyboardist, Katie Flaminio, to form The Spellcasters. And, according to Ross, the result has been magical.
Article Photos
The Spellcasters from left: Sax player and keyboardist Katie Flaminio, bassist Mike Comitz, lead singer Charlie “Big C” Clark, drummer Don Ross and guitar player, vocalist and songwriter Tony Flaminio.
"The Spellcasters is like a Louisiana-New Orleans-Voodoo-type of name," said Ross. "We're casting a spell on folks with our music to make them move and groove. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the time people are up dancing because they can relate to what we're doing. I don't care if you're sitting down, I guarantee you will be tapping your feet and maybe even get up to dance."
The Spellcasters are a blues-rock band that put an aggressive spin on danceable modern west coast blues, according to Ross. The band features a mix of originals and covers of rockin' blues standards by artists such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Healy, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Coco Montoya, Joe Cocker and Huey Lewis and the News.
"The Spellcasters are Western New York's hottest new entertainment sensation," said Ross. "We offer a high energy mix of the best in classic blues tunes with the newest new classics of blues today."
According to Ross, all the original content such as "Blues Heavyweight," "Bump," "Blues Beat," "Blues Outta Me," "Mellow Down Easy," and the newest song "Voodoo Child," is written by Flaminio. The songs can be found at myspace.com/ donrossjazzdrummer.
"Fans have responded to the new material very well, " said Ross. "When we did the show in Erie at the Avalon Hotel we played the new material for the first time, and people were up dancing to our music. That was a pretty good feeling."
There currently aren't plans to release a full-length album, but Ross is hopeful that it's a possibility in the near future.
"I would love to do numerous albums, play some bigger venues and get to the next level," said Ross. "We want to broaden our original material so that we can get people who like different genres to come listen to our stuff. Hopefully we can get up to seven or eight originals so we can do a full CD in the future."
The band's next scheduled show is set for Friday from noon to 3 p.m. during Thunder in the Streets in downtown Jamestown.
"This year we will be the opening act for Thunder in the Streets across from the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena," said Ross. "I know most people are working at that time but if you can stop by for a song or two it would be highly appreciated. Come check us out, and have a good time with us. If you have never seen us please do. Because it's going to be a blast."
Then they have a show on Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m., at Blues for Hospice, Fluvanna War Vets in Jamestown. Other bands include: Blue Magoo, Coal Train and Red Letter Blues Band.
"We started Blues for Hospice back in 2005," said Ross. "We raise a lot of money for Hospice with raffles, door prizes and have people come out to see three or four bands. It's a great outdoor event that we hope we will be doing every year because it's for a good cause, and we enjoy doing it. I would suggest any and everybody whose not doing anything on the Sunday afternoon to come out and see us play some of our good tunes."
"If you come see The Spellcasters you're gonna leave happy," added Clark. "It's a good, intense and high energy show. There is none of that cry in your beer blues. It's rockin' blues that will make your feet tap all the way home."
For more information visit facebook.com/Spellcasterserie.