Rain and humidity were a recurring theme, but the shows still came off as projected.

It was a long weekend for this reporter/traveling musician, much of it spent out of town. Danger Bird had me abroad in the faraway land of Pennsylvania — first in Erie, then in the Kinzua region — for a good chunk of my Saturday and Sunday.

But I’ve no qualms. The fact that I can travel freely on weekends to do the one thing in my life I’m truly passionate about is a blessing. Sure, there are times when it can be overwhelming; but all it takes in those moments is a reminder that the alternative is sitting around the apartment doing nothing or potentially going out for an unfulfilling evening on the town.

No, at this point in my journey playing music is pretty much my life’s ambition.

Thankfully, I’ve placed myself in a position where doing just that is practically a weekly guarantee. Only rarely do I come across a weekend where I’m not playing at least one night; and though occasionally a welcome opportunity for rest and relaxation, my wanderlust soon overtakes me and I’ll often wish I were elsewhere doing something more with myself.

Danger Bird has been a staple in my regular performance career for just over two years now. It wasn’t something that I actively pursued, but rather naturally fell into my lap after playing with the drummer, Jim Sturdevant, for years prior in The Elektra Kings.

As regular readers of this column probably can gather on their own, much of my heart and soul has been invested in playing original music with Cold Lazarus these past few months. The momentum we’ve built up in such a short time has made it easy for me to transfer much of my energy and attention to a project that is not only fulfilling from a creative standpoint, but also appears to have far-reaching and long-term potential given certain consistencies in motivation and productive output.

It is my intention to make Cold Lazarus a full-time project that will have my undivided attention at some point down the line — sooner than later, ideally, but it doesn’t do to force these things along without proper planning. I’d love nothing more than to establish a regional presence and eventually take the band on the road for some seasonal tours. That’s the next step, and a goal that I’ve yearned to achieve for some time now.

But until then, it’s been nice to have Danger Bird as a reliable standby. True, my passion for playing my own original songs and bass lines outweighs that of playing cover songs, but there is definitely a purpose being fulfilled with consistent performance on my instrument.

There is no doubt that I’ve benefited immensely from playing out at such a regular pace. My overall aptitude and skill as a bassist is probably the biggest benefit to have come from these past couple years, and essentially playing out all the time has allowed me to become much more comfortable with performing for live audiences.

Additionally, playing out at least once a week, coupled with a consistent biweekly rehearsal schedule with Cold Lazarus, has essentially made the necessity to practice on my own time obsolete. Besides, it’s so much more fun to play in a band environment than for my ears only.

Up next is a brief appearance by Cold Lazarus at the largely unpublicized (except for probably here) Light-Fest VI in Westfield. The lineup looks solid and we’re looking forward to another out-of-town show with some good people in what should be a pretty laid-back atmosphere.

As always, thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week!

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

HIGHLIGHTS

RTPI To Hold Thursday Artist Reception For Annual Bird Exhibition: The Roger Tory Peterson Institute will host an opening reception to celebrate its “Birds in Art” exhibit today from 5-7 p.m. Varied, mesmerizing perspectives and artistic insights into avian life are featured in the 41st annual “Birds in Art” exhibition. Artwork marvels incorporating vivid colors, remarkable compositions and striking poses — from whimsical to regal — by some of the world’s most talented artists comprise this year’s “Birds in Art” show. RTPI will feature this exhibition through Aug. 27.

Each fall at the Woodson Art Museum, the “Birds in Art” exhibition presents original paintings, sculptures, and graphics created within the last three years by artists from the world over. More than 500 artists annually — 581 in 2016 — submit their work for consideration by a jury of three professionals who winnow the field to about 100 works. The subsequent “Birds in Art” touring exhibition, which comprises 60 artworks from the annual exhibition, travels to locations throughout the country. Learn more about the “Birds in Art” exhibition at lywam.org.

Today’s reception is a free, public event, and will feature wine and cheese from Bag & String Wine Merchants and Reverie Creamery. For more information about this or other exhibits at RTPI call 665-2473 or visit rtpi.org.

Second Annual Chautauqua International Film Festival Is This Weekend: The second annual Chautauqua International Film Festival, “CIFF 2017,” sponsored by Royal Realm Productions, will be held Friday through Sunday at the Hotel Jamestown’s Crystal Ballroom. Forty films by award-winning filmmakers from around the world will be screened — including features, comedies, shorts, documentaries, music videos, animation and more. The festival will open with a red carpet reception at 5 p.m. Friday, where filmmakers can meet, network and make new friends. An award ceremony will be held Sunday, in which trophies will be awarded for the top winners and silver certificates and merit certificates for second- and third-place winners.

Tickets to the festival are $10 per day, including refreshments, or $25 for all three days. To purchase tickets to CIFF 2017, go to the Chautauqua International Film Festival website at ciff.us.

For additional information, contact Diana Lenska, CIFF 2017 executive director, at 214-7006.

National Comedy Center Kicks Off Week Of Comedy Monday: The National Comedy Center is presenting a week of comedy performances and dialogues during its annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, and partnering with world-renowned Chautauqua Institution on a week titled “Comedy and the Human Condition” beginning Monday.

Jim Gaffigan, Kevin James, Robert Klein, Lisa Lampanelli and more than 20 others, will perform in Lucille Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, while Lewis Black, David Steinberg, W. Kamau Bell, Kelly Carlin and more engage in dialogues in the 4,000-seat amphitheater that has welcomed nine U.S. Presidents, three Supreme Court justices and the world’s most significant thought-leaders in history at the Chautauqua Institution — which is among the oldest and most respected lecture platforms in the nation. The dialogues will take place in the form of morning lectures at the amphitheater, starting each day next week at 10:45 a.m.

The 2017 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival will also boast headlining performances by Jim Gaffigan on Thursday, Aug. 4; Kevin James on Friday, Aug. 5; and Lisa Lampanelli and Robert Klein on Saturday, Aug. 6.

For more information, and a complete lineup of events to be held throughout next week, visit lucycomedyfest.com.

Authors Books And Music To Hold Open Read Night Tuesday: Authors Books and Music — located at 227 Liberty St. in Warren, Pa. — is inviting aspiring writers, poets, lyricists and others to read their works before a live audience at its monthly open read night Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. Listeners are also encouraged to attend this free event held inside the book shop. These events are held the first Tuesday of each month through October.

For more information, call 814-688-3009, email authorsbooks@hotmail.com or visit authorsbookstore.com.

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

Jackson Rohm: 6 p.m., Richard O. Hartley Park in Lakewood

Michael Nugent: 7 p.m., Ellicottville Brewing on Chautauqua, 57 Lakeside Drive in Bemus Point

Comedy open mic: 8:30 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

Friday

Jamie Smith: 6 p.m., The Wine Cellar, 309 N. Main St. in Jamestown

Jackson Rohm: 6 p.m., Southern Tier Brewing Company, 2072 Stoneman Circle in Lakewood

Adam McKillip: 6 p.m., Brazil Craft Beer and Wine Lounge, 10 E. Fourth St. in Jamestown

DJs Unlimited: 8 p.m., Vikings Lake Lodge, 4923 Route 430 in Maple Springs

Rhiannon Giddens: 8:15 p.m., Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater, 1 Ames Ave. in Chautauqua

Irregardless with Noah Gokey: 10 p.m., Mojo’s Music Bar, 104 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Saturday

The Probables: 7 p.m., Craft Burgers and Brews, 60 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood

Afraid of Human: 10 p.m., Bullfrog Hotel, 1414 E. Second St. in Jamestown

The Blindspots with The Wildeyes: 10 p.m., Mojo’s Music Bar, 104 E. Second St. in Jamestown

Sunday

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

Monday

Bill Ward: 6 p.m., Andriaccio’s, 4837 W. Lake Road in Mayville

Wednesday

Bluegrass Jam: 7 p.m., Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Jamestown.