I knew full well when I found out what the theme of the WRFA’s Great American Picnic would be this year that I was going to have fun with this one.

As someone who was raised on classic rock, and who particularly enjoys music from the genre’s earlier stages, how could I not be more than excited to have the opportunity to play songs from the “summer of love”?

If you’re not already aware, Cold Lazarus will be playing the annual WRFA fundraiser at Southern Tier Brewing Company on Tuesday, along with a host of other groups and solo performers. Every year, the picnic invites area musicians to play on the condition that they learn songs that fit within a specific category or theme for the occasion.

When I saw that the 2017 theme would entail learning and arranging music released in 1967, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, my head began spinning with all the possibilities. If you took some time to explore the subject, you’d quickly come to find just how many groundbreaking, timeless and generally influential albums were released that year. That’s a quite a pool to draw from.

However, the most amazing thing about preparing for this year’s show is that my excitement at the theme has been overshadowed by the rush I get from actually playing our selected songs alongside my talented bandmates.

With 1967 being the approximate advent of psychedelic rock, suffice to say that a number of these tunes aren’t the easiest to recreate in a live setting. After rehearsing our chosen set over the past few weeks, though, my reservations were quickly diminished by the amazing aptness of the group’s other members for crafting soundscapes of all varieties — weaving a complex web of tones and effects that I initially was uncertain we could achieve.

All that has gone by the wayside, now. We’re going to be ready for this. And I believe that we’ve done the songs justice while also injecting a bit of our own style into them. Additional information about the WRFA picnic next week is printed elsewhere on this page, in the full-length article I wrote previewing the event as a whole.

From a personal standpoint, I’d like to add that I’m glad for the opportunity to be a part of this year’s event, and I would encourage any and all readers here to consider stopping by the Southern Tier brewery any time from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday. I believe Cold Lazarus will take the stage at approximately 8 p.m. or a little after, but everyone included in this year’s lineup will be worth seeing.

I hope to see you at the brewery! Good tunes, good food and good brews: who could really ask for more?

And now, here’s some of what you can expect to find in the area this week.

HIGHLIGHTS

Chautauqua Institution To Host Jay Leno In Saturday Performance: The 2017 Chautauqua Institution season will commence Saturday, featuring a performance by comedian Jay Leno at the amphitheater beginning at 8:15 p.m. Leno is an acclaimed TV late night show host, stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, much-in-demand corporate speaker, lovable TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car builder, philanthropist, and Emmy Award winner. He spent more than two decades as host of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and has been widely characterized as “the hardest working man in show business.” Leno’s appearance at the institution is in lieu of the scheduled performance of Aretha Franklin, which was canceled due to illness. All tickets to the sold-out Aretha Franklin concert will be honored for the Jay Leno performance.

Tickets are $69 for general admission, and can be purchased by calling 357-6250 or visiting chq.org.

Boz Scaggs To Perform At Seneca Allegany Events Center Saturday: The Seneca Allegany Events Center will host singer, songwriter and guitarist Boz Scaggs in a 7 p.m. concert Saturday. Scaggs gained fame in the 1960s as a guitarist and one-time lead singer with the Steve Miller Band, and in the 1970s with several solo Top 20 hit singles in the U.S., including the hits “Lido Shuffle” and “Lowdown” from the critically acclaimed 1976 album “Silk Degrees” — which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Tickets start at $25.

The Seneca Allegany Events Center is located at 777 Seneca Allegany Blvd. in Salamanca. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 1-877-873-6322 or visit senecaalleganycasino.com/entertainment/events-center/.

The Q To Host ‘A Night Of Laughs’ Saturday: The Q will host nationally touring comedians Tim Joyce and Mike Bova in its “A Night of Laughs” event Saturday from 8-9:30 p.m. The event will be hosted by Uriel Isaacovich, rabbi at Jewish Understanding. Tickets are $10, or two for $15.

The Q is located at 104 W. Second St. in Jamestown. For more information, call 969-1422.

HAPPENINGS

To include an upcoming show or event in this column, email gpaterniti@post-journal.com or call 487-1111, ext. 243 by Monday.

Tonight

Sean Patrick McGraw: 6 p.m., Southern Tier Brewing Company, 2072 Stoneman Circle in Lakewood

Comedy open mic: 8 p.m., The Q, 104 W. Second St. in Jamestown

Karaoke with DJ Xcite: 9 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Karaoke with Felony Entertainment: 10 p.m., Forte, 114 E. Third St. in Jamestown

The Scarecrow Show: 10 p.m., Mojo’s Music Bar, 104 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Friday

Greg Ford: 6 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

Jeremiah Weatherley: 6 p.m., The Wine Cellar, 309 N. Main St. in Jamestown

Festivus for the Restivus: 7 p.m., The Cooler, 114 W. Main St. in Sherman

Jules-R-Us Karaoke: 7 p.m., Lakewood Legion, 174 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood

Sean Patrick McGraw with Derek Davis Band: 7 p.m., Nickel Plate Depot, 131 Central Ave. in Brocton

Still Grinning: 9 p.m., Big Shots, 674 Route 394 in Kennedy

Karaoke with Felony Entertainment: 9 p.m., Shawbucks, 212 W. Second St. in Jamestown

Splitfoot: 10 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

DJ Goodrich: 10 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

Saturday

Qwister: 2 p.m., Southern Tier Brewing Company, 2072 Stoneman Circle in Lakewood

The Kokomo Time Band: 2 p.m., Midway State Park, 4859 Route 430 in Maple Springs

Bill Ward: 6 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

Alex Kates: 7 p.m., Celoron Moose, 52 Dunham Ave. in Celoron

The Probables: 7 p.m., 21 Brix Winery, 6654 W. Main Road in Portland

DJ & Karaoke: 9 p.m., Big Shots, 674 Route 394 in Kennedy

Jules-R-Us Karaoke featuring Tami T: 9 p.m., Good Time Saloon, 590 Fairmount Ave. in Jamestown

Tyler Pearce Project with Seann Clark Trio: 10 p.m., Mojo’s Music Bar, 104 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Pressure Sensitive: 10 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

A Strange Kind of Sunshine: 10 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Sunday

Sean Patrick McGraw: 2 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

Bill Ward: 4 p.m., Hadley House, 3328 Hadley Bay Road in Stow

Open Jam: 9 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Tuesday

“The Gold Rush” screening: 6 p.m., Chapel Theater, 316 E. Fourth St. in Jamestown

Wednesday

“The Lost City of Z” screening: 7 p.m., Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, 116 E. Third St. in Jamestown.