entertainment

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced that they will be donating 800 tickets to the upcoming Lee Greenwood concert to local Veteran Organizations. The concert takes place on Friday, July 21st.

“Lee Greenwood and his song 'God Bless the USA' are synonymous with our great country and we’re honored to have him play here," stated Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel President & CEO, Henry Wojtaszek.

“We work closely with other veteran agencies in the area and wanted to give back to all the local veterans who have fought to defend our freedoms.”

The tickets will be handed to representatives from various local Veterans agencies in a brief ceremony on Monday, July 17th, at 10:30 a.m. in the Batavia Downs Lobby by their Made in America satellite store.

Tickets to the Lee Greenwood show can be purchased at Bataviaconcerts.com or in person at the Made in America store in the Batavia Downs Lobby.

Three opening acts will play beginning at 5 p.m., including country recording artist Ricky Lee, Alyssa Trahan, and the band Gypsy Souls. Doors open at 4 p.m.

"To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan." (Abraham Lincoln)

Because of the rain, the Batavia Concert Band's regular Wednesday evening show at Centennial Park has been moved inside to the auditorium at Batavia High School.

Downbeat is 7 p.m.

Rochester native Lou Gramm packed in a large crowd of fans in Western New York at Batavia Downs racetrack last evening. 

On this warm summer night people gathered all around the local area to hear “Lou Gramm the Original Voice of Foreigner” and his band play classic hits like, "Cold as Ice," "Double Vision," "Midnight Blue" and "Juke Box Hero," plus many more from his days with his former band Foreigner.

Fans were singing from their lawn chairs, dancing on the lawn and jamming out those classic revival tunes from many years since the 1970s to now.

This was the fourth outdoor summer concert part of Batavia Downs concert series with two remaining, Marshall Tucker band next Friday, July 14^th, and Lee Greenwood on July 21^st.

The trio Something Else played Jackson Square yesterday evening as part of the summer concert series downtown. There's live music in Jackson Square each Friday at 7 p.m. through August.

The Batavia Ramble and Arts Fest is tomorrow in Downtown Batavia.

In the case of rain, performances will take place inside Center Street Smoke House.

Here's the lineups for both stages:

• 11 – 11:15 a.m. -- **Opening Ceremony**
• 11:15 – 11:45 a.m. --  Steve Kruppner
• 11:50 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. -- Kruppner Brothers
• 12:25 – 12:55 p.m. -- Mark Grover
• 1  – 1:30 p.m.  -- Ryan Consiglio
• 1:35 – 2:05 p.m. -- Dave Holnbeck
• 2:10 – 2:40 p.m. -- Kevin Moyles
• 2:45 – 3:15 p.m. -- Paul Almeter
• 3:20 – 3:50 p.m. -- Jim Luttrell
• 3:50 – 4:05 p.m.  --  * * * Memorial * * *
• 4:05 – 4:35 p.m. -- Red Creek
• 4:40 – 5:10 p.m.  -- Mitty & The followers
• 5:15 – 5:45 p.m. -- Rock Soulgers
• 5:50 – 6:20 p.m.  -- Bad Luck
• 6:25 – 6:55 p.m.  -- Audibull
• 7 – 7:30 p.m. -- Rhythm Collision
• 7:35 – 8:05 p.m.  -- Eagle Creek
• 8:10 – 8:40 p.m. -- Nichols Brothers Band
• 8:45 – 9:15 p.m. -- Open Jam

The Batavia Concert Band opened its 2017 season Wednesday evening in Centennial Park with John Bailey conducting.

The season continues with outdoor concerts at the park every Wednesday at 7 p.m. through Aug. 9.

The Ramble Music & Arts Festival will be held on July 1 this year on Center Street, with music, vendors and activities.

The Ramble is an annual reunion of musicians and artists that at one time or another, called Batavia or the nearby areas, their home. The event includes craft vendors, food vendors, a designated kid zone with rides and activities, and music.

This year, there will be 33 bands and performers at the Jackson Square and Center Street Stage.

Paul Draper III, the event coordinator, said there will be a larger, second stage to look forward to.

“There have also been major expansions for vendors this year,” Draper said. “There’s a duck pond and a dedicated kid zone. It is very family oriented.”

The performers include Audibull, Bad Luck, Batavia All Stars, Bluesway, Dave Holnbeck, Driven, Eagle Creek, Genesee Ted, Ghost Riders, Kevin Moyles, KoKo & The Moon Crickets, Kruppner Brothers, Loosely Tight, Mark Grover, Me & Red, Mitty & The followers, Nichols Brothers Band, Noah's Reign, Steve Kruppner, Paul Almeter, PD3 & Co., Red Creek, Rhythm Collision, Rich Lullo Band, Rock Soulgers, Ryan & Scott, Ryan Consiglio, Savage Cabbage, Sierra, Soul Craft, TONK!, Trolls, Unruly, and Zero.

Draper said they are still accepting vendors and sponsorship opportunities. If anyone is interested, contact thebataviaramble@gmail.com

For the first time since 2011, Marty Stuart was back at The Ridge tonight along with his band, The Superlatives.

The Superlatives are:

• Kenny Vaughan, lead guitar
• Chris Scruggs, bass
• Harry Stinson, drums

To kick off the third annual Battle of the Bands at the Smokin' Eagle BBQ and Brew in Le Roy last night, the owners and management presented a check for $2,600 to the Golisano Children's Hospital in honor the White Family.

The money was raised during last year's Battle of the Bands.

Trisha White, holding the check, credits Golisano's with saving the life of her daughter, Jamie, left, who was born at 25 1/2 weeks and weighed just one pound, seven ounces. Now 12 and doing well in middle school, she's holding a picture of herself at birth with her father's wedding band around her ankle.

"That's how tiny she was," Trisha said.

The Battle of the Bands runs all summer and into October with performances every Wednesday night at the Eagle. Last night, Invictra kicked off the series.

The Batavia High School Drama Club is staging a showcase concert featuring songs from the musical "Les Miserables" at 7 p.m., Thursday, at John Kennedy School on Vine Street. Free-will donations will be accepted at the door.

Dan Clor, a military veteran, and frontman for Los Angeles-based Weapon-X, took the stage this afternoon with D-ZL, the band he started his career with in 1997 when it played its first show at the Eagle Hotel in Le Roy. 

Clor and Weapon-X have been holding an annual music festival in Southern California for five years and this year, Clor brought it home, to Le Roy, and The Ridge Campground.

The American Warrior Concert, with more than 60 musical acts taking the stage, opened today and continues tomorrow (for tickets, click here).

The music starts at noon tomorrow, on two stages, with Weapon-X scheduled to play at 8:15 p.m.

The Red Osier Landmark Restaurant in Stafford is sponsoring the weekend of music.

Proceeds benefit the Warrior House, which supports wounded veterans.

Joey Belladonna and his band Chief Big Way play the Paddock Room at Batavia Downs tonight.

The lead singer with Anthrax, nominated five times for Grammy awards, Belladonna is playing in Batavia for the second time this year. The show is free and starts at 9 p.m.

Pictured with Belladonna are his friend Tom Mazurkiewicz and band members Dave Michelson and Joe Precourt.

GO ART! opened two shows at Seymore Place last night -- the member's show, with the theme, "Summer of Love," in honor of the 50th anniversary of the hippies' heyday --summer of 1967, and "The Dream of America."

"The Dream of America: Separation & Sacrifice in the Lives of North Country Latino Immigrants," is a display of the photography and writing of Lisa Catalfamo Flores. It originally was on display at the Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls. GO ART! is its first stop on a statewide tour. The show will be on display through July 7.

Amy Martin and Joe Kusmierczak star in the Batavia Player's production of "The Last Five Years," a musical written and composed by Jason Robert Brown and produced and directed by Kathy White, with performances this weekend at the Harvester 56 Theater.

Show times are 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m., Sunday.

The Elba Central School Drama Club performs a Broadway musical review they've dubbed "Spotlight" at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 13, in the school's auditorium.

Drama Club members past and present were invited to audition for the show, performing show tunes of their choosing so long as they numbers hadn't been part of a past or an upcoming show.

After the performance, audience members will be invited to participate in a mega game of musical chairs in the gym.

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra performs in Elba Central School at 4 p.m., Sunday, in its final concert of the season.

The program is called "Escaping Gravity: A Journey Through the Stars," and features "And God Created Great Whales," by Hovhaness, "Music from Apollo 13," arranged by John Moss and featuring the String Workshop, "Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind," by John Williams, and "The Planets," by Holst.

Musical Director S. Shade Zajac conducts.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $7 for students, $10 for seniors and families are $35. Tickets can be purchased online at GeneseeSymphony.com.

Photos are from Monday's rehearsal.

A new show opened at the Genesee Community College Roz Steiner Art Gallery yesterday featuring the work of students. The show, called Vision, runs through May 21.

Press release:

Genesee Community College’s Stuart Steiner Theatre will be transformed into the deep jungle, allowing audiences to follow three cheeky monkeys. Seeno, Hearno and Sayno journey toward wisdom as they swing through the trees without a care, learning to survive as humans encroach upon their idyllic world.

Three Wise Monkeys is presented by GCC’s Forum Players Children’s Theatre Ensemble and features one show only at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 28. Audiences of all ages will enjoy watching Seeno, Hearno and Sayno in their quest to find their lost baby monkey, Dono, and return him to his rightful place—all while eating bananas, of course!

Tickets are $8 for adults, and $5 for seniors (55+) and students (16+) and GCC faculty/ staff. GCC students with ID are $3, and GCC alumni with ID will receive a $2 discount on adult ticket. To reserve seats contact the GCC box office at boxoffice@genesee.edu or (585) 345-6814.

Cast and crew:

• Maryanne Arena, artistic supervising director, Le Roy
• Jessica Skehan, “Dono,” Holley
• Taylor Renee Wilson, narrator, Cheektowaga
• Mikayla Godleski, stage manager
• Benjamin Martis, "Sayno," Curacao
• Pedro Phellipe, "Seeno," Jundiai, Brazil
• Valentine Strange, costume designer, Alden 
• Becka Naber, dancer
• Xochitl Rosario, dancer
• Tillison Pease, sound designer, York
• Emily Carey, narrator
• Spencer Henley, "Hearno"/Tiger, Akron
• Kaylee Koch, lighting designer, Alexander
• Celeste Brownell, "Hearno"/Tiger, Batavia
• Brie Cummings, backstage/projections, Bath
• Gabriel Grey, backstage, Batavia
• Robert Reiss, director, Batavia
• Ed Hallborg, technical director
• Tara Pocock, choreographer
• Clare Francis, narrator, Alexander
• Kandice Green, backstage

Photos by Maureen Spindler.