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With A Little Help From Our Friends

BI really don’t know that Tuesday’s event at Southern Tier Brewing Company to benefit WRFA-LP 107.9 FM could have gone any better.

For starters, the weather finally worked in favor of the station’s annual Great American Picnic benefit. For those who haven’t attended one of these events, bad weather has been of constant concern and a frequent vexation for those coordinating and performing in it for the past several years.

The 2017 show, however, was a success in this arena, along with several others.

I was impressed by the turnout and the enthusiasm of the crowd. As I’d mentioned in last week’s column, the theme of this year’s show was “Music from the Summer of Love,” and we certainly heard a healthy heaping taken from the wide variety of well-known and influential music to be released in 1967.

This year’s picnic was my third in attendance and second performing, and for the all the reasons laid out here it was the best yet as far as I’m concerned.

My pervasive good mood throughout the event was further buoyed when I took the stage with Cold Lazarus to play our selection of tunes that we’d been preparing for over a month. We were the last act to perform before the musicians’ finale, preceded by excellent performances from John Merino, Steve Strickland, Bill Ward, Sgt. Peters’ Lonely Hearts Club Band and Ken Hardley and the Moose Club.

All throughout the evening I caught people singing along and tapping in time. But that still didn’t prepare me for the overwhelming crowd reaction we got after each song we played. People were genuinely enjoying the show just as much as we were, and that was a truly magical moment to be a part of.

I want to thank those who captured video and photos of these performances and posted them online. A clip of Cold Lazarus’ set can be seen on my personal Facebook page along with that of WRFA-LP 107.9 FM — which also includes footage of other performances as well.

I also want to thank Ken Hardley, Jason Sample, Dennis Drew and the other WRFA and Reg Lenna Center for the Arts staff for bringing us on board and allowing us to be a part of the fabulous WRFA Great American Picnic. There’s always something incomparably gratifying about playing music, but when we get to do what we love for a great cause it just makes the experience that much sweeter.

It’s been an honor to participate and serve the good of our locally owned and supported radio station — which has always been a bastion of support for the local music scene — and I’m already looking forward to the 2018 edition of the Great American Picnic.

Until next year, WRFA! Low power to the people!

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

HIGHLIGHTS

26th Annual Great Blue Heron Music Festival Is This Weekend: The 26th annual Great Blue Heron Music Festival is right around the corner, and attendees of all ages and experience levels are feeling the anticipation of experiencing their own “Happy Heron.” The festival will take place over a three-day period, running Friday through Sunday.

Live music will be the featured component of the festival, being held each day of the festival on three separate stages: the main stage, the dance tent and at the Tiger Maple Stage located in the woods adjacent to the main area. Of note among performers this year are Donna the Buffalo, who have performed at the festival every single year since the latter’s conception. This year, the band will play two sets drawn from their own catalog of original songs, as well as backing up Compass recording artist and two-time GRAMMY Award-winner Jim Lauderdale — with whom Donna the Buffalo collaborated on the 2003 album “Wait ‘Til Spring.”

Among the acts making their Great Blue Heron debut are: Signature Sounds recording artist The Suitcase Junket, a one-man tour de force out of Amherst, Mass.; the rowdy Texas roots trio The Urban Pioneers; country supergroup Western Centuries; Cleveland swamp pop band Cats on Holiday; and the spirited sounds of South Carolina’s Reggae Infinity.

Other bands making return visits include Pittsburgh’s Rusted Root, who celebrated the release of their debut CD “Cruel Sun” at the first Great Blue Heron festival. Three veteran bands from Ithaca make command performances, as well: The Gunpoets, Sim Redmond Band and Big Mean Sound Machine. Local favorites Smackdab, The Probables and Funktional Flow represent the Chautauqua region, along with many others.

Also included in this year’s lineup are: Jim Donovan and the Sun King Warriors; Preach Freedom and Connect; Sunny Weather; Tiger Maple String Band; Mt. Pleasant String Band; Laila Belle; Stewed Mulligan; Max Garcia Conover; Charlie Wheeler Band; Bryan Moore and DirtTrackRacing; Derek Davis Band; Bess Greenberg Music; Uncle Ben’s Remedy; Addison Moon; PA Line; The Bogarts; Ken Hardley Music and the Moose Club; The Stan Barton Trio; John Merino; Buffalo Zydeco; Jeb and Tara; Glabicki and Miller; Ezekiel’s Wheel; and Tyler Smilo.

Presale tickets are still available in the form of weekend passes for $95, which are $110 at the gate. Youth tickets are $50 and children under 12 are free. One-day passes are also available at $45, $50 and $40 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

For tickets or more information, visit greatblueheron.com or find “The Great Blue Heron Music Festival 2017” on Facebook.

Off The Beaten Path To Host Lissa Theisler In Saturday Book Signing: Off the Beaten Path Bookstore in Lakewood will host a book signing with Lissa Theisler from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Theisler will be sharing stories and signing copies of her book “Rags to Riches, Meet Royal.” The book tells the tell of Royal, Theisler’s dog, and how his life has taken a turn for the better since his adoption through the Chautauqua County Humane Society. The book also explores the significance of adoption and the meaning it holds for the animals that are adopted through the Humane Society. Subsequently, a portion of the proceeds from each book sold will be donated to the Humane Society in its ongoing efforts to find homes for animals in need.

Off the Beaten Path Bookstore is located at 28 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood. For more information, call 720-4917 or find the bookstore on Facebook.

Hank Williams Jr. To Perform In Salamanca Saturday: The Seneca Allegany Events Center will host world-renowned country musician Hank Williams Jr., in a special outdoor Saturday concert beginning at 7 p.m. For over 50 years, Williams has been one of country music’s living legends, having recorded and performed more than 40 albums with countless country hits. He’s been honored by the Country Music Association, the GRAMMYs, the Academy of Country Music, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and others. At Saturday’s show, Williams will perform favorite songs such as “All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin’ Over Tonight,” “Family Tradition,” “A Country Boy Can Survive,” and so many more.

The Seneca Allegany Events Center is located at 777 Seneca-Allegany Blvd. in Salamanca. For ticket information, call 1-877-873-6322, visit senecaalleganycasino.com/entertainment/events-center/, or find the event on Facebook.

Authors Books And Music To Reg Darling Monday: Authors Books and Music will host Reg Darling, author and former Warrenite, in a special appearance Monday at 6 p.m., in which Darling will read from his published works. The event will be free and open to the public.

Authors Books and Music is located at 227 Liberty St. in Warren, Pa. For more information, call 814-688-3009, email authorsbooks@gmail.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

Bob Campbell: 6 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

The Probables: 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

Friday

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

Acoustic Confusion: 6 p.m., Moon Brook Country Club, 2870 N. Main St. Ext. in Jamestown

Brian Hanna: 6 p.m., The Wine Cellar, 309 N. Main St. in Jamestown

TJ North: 7 p.m., Hadley House, 3328 Hadley Bay Road in Stow

Pressure Sensitive: 8 p.m., Vikings Lake Lodge, 4923 Route 430 in Maple Springs

Jules-R-Us Karaoke: 8 p.m., Lakewood Legion, 174 Chautauqua Ave. in Lakewood

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

Steel Horse: 9 p.m., Big Shots, 674 Route 394 in Kennedy

We Speak Canadian: 10 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

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

Porcelain Busdrivers: 10 p.m., Village Casino, 1 Lakeside Drive in Bemus Point

Saturday

Alex Cole: 7 p.m., Hadley House, 3328 Hadley Bay Road in Stow

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

Splitfoot: 9:30 p.m., Big Shots, 674 Route 394 in Kennedy

New Wave Nation: 10 p.m., Village Casino, 1 Lakeside Drive in Bemus Point

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

Sunday

Bob Campbell and Liz Osborn: 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

Monday

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

Tuesday

Greg Ford: noon, Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

Bob Campbell and Liz Osborn: 6 p.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville

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

Wednesday

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

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