Uprooted

Michael Glabicki is no stranger to Jamestown.

The founder of Rusted Root, a worldbeat band, traveled from Pittsburgh to perform frequently in the early 1990s at Joyce’s Keg Room. Saturday, Glabicki will again perform in Jamestown with his new band Uprooted as part of the inaugural Best Day Ever event.

Glabicki said it was time to move on and he formed Uprooted. “Well it was time to leave behind the old ways of thinking about Rusted Root music, plus it was time to meld that with a brand new album,” he said.

Rusted Root developed a following after releasing “When I Woke,” which garnered the popular songs “Ecstasy,” and “Send Me On My Way,” which has been featured in many commercials and films.

Glabicki added that Uprooted does mirror Rusted Root in some ways. “Rusted Root would be a face looking in the mirror and the reflection would be the dream and soul behind the face.”

Glabicki said he gets his musical ideas from everywhere, including events in his past and present, and he attributed his longevity in the music business as being able to let go of ideas that don’t work.

And as part of the Best Day Ever event, Uprooted will headline a free concert in front of the National Comedy Center.

According to organizer Doug Sitler, the event was fully made possible by the Fund for Downtown Programming grant administered by Jamestown Local Development Corp.

“Due to my special events background, I was encouraged by a few prominent members of the Jamestown community to create an event or concert that would help attract people to downtown. Over the past few years, there have been many new improvements to downtown, such as the RiverWalk, the National Comedy Center, McCrea Point and new businesses like The Beer Snob and the DoubleTree Hilton. I thought it would be fun to create experiential events that would bring attention to these types of places. It’s an attempt to introduce or reintroduce downtown Jamestown to both local residents and out-of-towners,” Sitler said.

Sitler also remembers seeing Rusted Root perform at Joyce’s Keg Room, and chose to bring Uprooted to headline the event. “Michael and Rusted Root have a long history with the Chautauqua County area and have many fans here. Some of us fondly remember their early 1990s shows at Joyce’s Keg Room and at the Great Blue Heron Music Festival. The other reason is that Uprooted’s music is very family-friendly and fun. They will definitely get people up dancing,” he said.

Sitler said the event is sort of a trial run to see if there is community interest. “This year’s event was mostly planned by my wife Anna and I. Judging from the positive feedback we’ve already received, it appears that there is all sorts of room to grow and get downtown Jamestown more involved. We fully expect to gather downtown stakeholders together after the event to see how we can further expand this event into an annual affair,” he said.

Sitler added that the goal is to get local residents, out-of-town guests and visitors to Chautauqua Lake area to come enjoy and embrace Downtown Jamestown as a fun place to visit. Sitler hopes BDE will bring visitors to Downtown Jamestown’s hotels and downtown businesses and will create an economic impact to the entire region.

FREE SATURDAY EVENTS

¯ 9 a.m.– Yoga on the RiverWalk. A free yoga class taught by Samsara Yoga Center will take place on the RiverWalk behind RiverWalk Self Storage.

¯ 10 a.m. — RiverWalk Bike Ride. Departing from the parking lot at RiverWalk Self Storage at 20 Steele St., riders will ride the entire RiverWalk trail system from downtown Jamestown to the trail’s end in Fluvanna.

¯ 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Evergreen Outfitters kayaking at Panzarella Park. Parking is available behind Jamestown BPU on Steele Street. A group paddle to McCrea Point will take place at 1 p.m. Safety floatation devices are required.

¯ 1 p.m. — Free Tour of the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. Meet in the lobby of Jamestown’s 1,200 seat theater and receive a 45 minute tour of this local treasure. The theater is located at 116 E. Third St., Jamestown.

¯ 2 p.m. — Drum Circle at Keelboat Landing. Led by percussion instructor TR McKotch on the banks of the Chadakoin River. The event is open to drummers of all skill levels, including first-timers. Participants are encouraged to bring their own drums or use drums that will be provided. Keelboat Landing is located on Main Street at the Chadakoin River bridge.

¯ 3 p.m. — Pre-concert party at The Beer Snob.

¯ 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. — Concert in front of the National Comedy Center, featuring Uprooted, Sly Boots Circus (African drum and dance outfit), Qwister and Amanda Barton’s Shenanigans.

¯ 9 p.m. to midnight — Post-Concert Party at Pearl City Hops at the DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown. After the Uprooted concert, a post-event gathering will take place. The event will feature live music on the patio, food and drink specials. The DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown is located at 150 W. Fourth St.