Ramble Music & Arts Fest

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

The Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District has partnered with The Batavia Ramble this year to bring a summer festival to downtown. Anyone interested in being a vendor, the Business Improvement District is still taking applications until next Friday, June 23rd. Contact Beth Kemp at bkemp@downtownbataviany.com or 585.344.0900.

Hundreds of music fans and musicians swarmed into Downtown Batavia today for the annual Batavia Ramble Music and Arts Fest, held in Jackson Square and at a stage set up at School and Center streets.

In all, 40 music acts were scheduled to perform. The last act goes on at 8:40 p.m., so there's still time to see the show.

Paul Draper is used to being a musician for the Ramble, a musical event hosted in Batavia, but this year, he’s experiencing the event from another angle. Bill McDonald and the rest of the Ramble Posse have decided to pass the organizational and promotional torch on to Draper. He couldn’t be more excited.

“When Bill asked if I would like to be involved with the Batavia Ramble, my answer was, ‘yes. 100 percent,’ ” Draper said. “I’m the lucky one to take the hand-off.”

This year, Draper worked on filling the band rosters, organizing information and he even created a Facebook group.

“Batavia Ramble Facebook group is a local hub for all things Ramble,” he said. “In the group, you can find the band lineups, schedules for each stage as well as pictures from previous years.”

 Next year, he’s taking the lead on the event.

It would be impossible to get better conditions for an outdoor music festival than the blue skies, mild temperature and gentle breeze we experienced in Batavia on Saturday.

Two stages jammed with tunes and hundreds of music fans turned out for the annual event.

Sue Cappiello Copp and Anne Crotzer were collecting donations in support of Paul Tydelski, a local business and music booster, who has been ill.  The guitar, signed by Ramble musicians, was donated by Roxy's Music and will be given to Tydelski as a gift.

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Press release:

The Batavia Business Improvement District (BID) is releasing its Summer 2014 lineup for the free “Friday Night in the Square” Jackson Square Concerts, June 27th – Aug. 29th. For more than 14 years, the BID has provided free concerts in the Downtown for the Western New York community.

This year we have Greg Docencko and members of  Genesee Symphony Orchestra opening for three of the scheduled concerts in conjunction with the featured groups. This is most exciting and we think everyone should enjoy this new addition to our series.

The following is the schedule of events for “Friday Night in the Square,” located in Jackson Square, in the alleyways off of Jackson or Center Streets, from 7 to 9 p.m.:

• Friday, June 27^th – Opening Group: GSO – Greg Docencko

                                            Featured Act: Stone Row (Celtic/Folk)

• Friday, July 4^th – Northbound Rebels (Southern Rock)
• Friday, July 11^th -- Mitty & The Followers (MoTown)
• Friday, July 25^th  – Opening Group:  GSO – Greg Docencko

                                            Featured Act:  Bonnie & Collide (R & B)

• Friday, Aug. 1st –  It’s My Party ('60s)
• Friday, Aug. 8^th –  Ghost Riders (Country) & Ghost Riders Drum & Bugle
• Friday, Aug. 15^th – OHMS Band (Soft Rock)
   
• Friday, Aug. 22nd – Opening Group:  GSO – Greg Docencko

                                             Featured Group: C’est Bon All Girl Cajun Band (Cajun)

• Friday, Aug. 29^th  – Bluesway Band (Blues / Classic Rock)
• Saturday, July 5^th --  The Ramble Music & Art Fest from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Bring your own chairs. Rain Days – Concerts move into Batavia City Centre. Food & refreshments are available from Sweet Ecstasy during the events.

The 2013 Ramble Music and Arts Fest was again a success with hundreds of music fans enjoying performances by three dozen bands.

Several bands put in great performances and one of the most impressive was from a band called Verse (top photo and third photo).

Bill Kauffman (second photo) opened the event with these remarks:

What is Batavia? It’s Centennial Park in the autumn, all red and orange and melancholy. It’s Dwyer Stadium as the sun sets behind the left-field wall. It’s gamblers watching the longshot they bet on at Batavia Downs come in dead last, as it always—almost—does. It’s three on three basketball at Williams Park, or the Little Leaguer in right field at MacArthur Park praying “please don’t hit it to me.” It’s the St. Joe’s lawn fete. It’s Adam Miller’s. It’s beef on weck at the Pok-a-Dot. It’s 20-year-olds talking and laughing through the night in a corner booth at Sport of Kings. It’s reading about old classmates in the police blotter. Then in the obituaries. It’s drinking and dancing in Jackson Square. It’s Billy Walker walking down Main Street. It’s Wayne Fuller’s voice. It’s Bill McDonald with his guitar.

And it is the Ramble. Now in its eighth year, this annual gathering of musicians and people who love music has become a part of the score of Batavia. We have such a rich and varied musical history in this city, this county. We have the oldest community orchestra in the country. We were the Motown of the accordion. We’ve had thriving garage rock and folk music scenes. We’ve had, and have, alternative and heavy metal and country and rap musicians and bands, as well as gospel singers and crooners of the standards. We have church choirs and we have kids banging away at thrash and metal music in their basements. Discordant and harmonious…peaceful and angry…traditional and twisted…It’s the soundtrack of Batavia.

And so I give you…the 2013 Ramble.

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It's Ramble time, so ramble on down to Jackson Square this Saturday for good music, good art, good friends and good food.

Batavia's premier music and art event opens at 11 a.m. with remarks by local author Bill Kauffman.

Here's the music schedule:

On the electric stage (in Jackson Square):

11:00 - 11:15    Opening Ceremonies
11:15 - 11:45    The Ghost Riders
11:50 - 12:20    Warren Skye and Friends
12:25 - 12:55    Bluesway
1:00 - 1:30    Dave Reynolds Band
1-35- 2:05    Get It Ensemble
2:10 - 2:40    Little Trolls
2:45 - 3:15    Verse
3:20 - 3:50    Rich Lullo Band
3:55 - 4:25    Pigeon Post Stringband
4:30 - 5:00    Sierra
5:00 - 5:15    Memorial Celebration
5:20 - 5:50    Buffalo Road Show    
5:55 – 6:25    Savage Cabbage
6:30 – 7:00    General Disarray
7:05 – 7:35    Russ Peters Group (RPG)
7:40 – 8:10    Double Image
8:15 – 8:45    Taken
8:50 – 9:20    Keaton

Acoustic stage (on Center Street, next to Adam Miller):

11:20 -11:50    Good Morning Helen
11:55 – 12:25    -1 (Minus One)
12:30 – 1:00    Rockabully’s
1:05 – 1:35    Uncle Rog
1:40 – 2:10    Not Far From The Tree
2:15 – 2:45    Sierra Unplugged
2:50 – 3:20    ADub and Timmy P
3:25 – 3:55    Michael Disanto
4:00 – 4:30    Dave Armatage
4.30 – 5:00    Kate Francis

5:25 – 5:55    Brent Persia
6:00 – 6:30    Old Hippies
6:35 – 7:05    Four Dead Trees
7:10 – 7:40    Shotgun and Gator
7:45 – 8:15    Crosstown
8:20 – 8:50    Apostle
8:55 – 9:25    Dave Hollenbeck & Friends

In the photo: Kauffman, Michael Murray, Bill Pitcher, Tim Pitcher, Bill McDonald, Kay McMahon, Tom Tescott and Kevin Moyles.

More than 40 bands and solo performers congregated downtown Saturday, the rain stayed away, and a good time was had by all at the annual Ramble & Arts Fest in Jackson Square.

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The Ramble Music & Arts Fest, scheduled to start at noon today in Jackson Square, will still take place today, despite this morning's thunderstorm.

The performance schedule will run about an hour behind because of the storm, but all performers are still expected to take the stage.

UPDATE: At 11:45 a.m., singer Brent Persia was already performing on the acoustic stage. The Ramble is under way.

The Ramble Music and Arts Festival is known as a celebration of the musical culture of Genesee County—but to many of the musicians participating, it means so much more.

“I think it’s a very popular event because all the people get to reminisce about the old times,” says Andy Hare, who will participate in the 7th annual festival for the third time this Saturday. “It’s almost like a class reunion for many of the musicians and the people who follow them—the old guys like us, chasing the Sixties.”

The “us” Hare is referring to are the members of the Moonshine Valley Band, his former group that will be reunited Saturday night. The band is one of several from the good old days that is coming together specifically for this occasion.  

“It’s a chance for guys like me to get out and show they’ve got a few kicks left in them,” Hare jokes.

Founder Bill McDonald says that the festival was started to serve that very purpose — to take a walk down memory lane by reuniting all those local musicians who had played together years ago. It has since grown from its humble beginnings — this year’s event will feature 37 acts, several artists, and “many ramblin’ revelers.”

“The purpose has always been to get the current community and folks who once called our area home involved, to share in the fun and keep the music and friendships vibrant,” he explains.

The Ramble is not strictly geared toward the middle-aged crowd — the event attracts people of all ages and generations.

“The festival day and the weeks pre and post have brought many friends, young and old, musical mates, and people in general, together for some fun,” says McDonald.

The festival-goers falling under the “young” category give the Ramble its charm, as the majority are the receivers of a passed torch.

“It shows the young people what’s coming, because many of them are offspring of the performers,” says Hare. “It’s generational entertainment.”

The Ramble Music and Arts Festival will take place from noon to 8 p.m. this Saturday, July 7, in Downtown Batavia. The 37 participating acts will perform on two different stages: the electric acts in Jackson Square, and the acoustic acts on Center Street. A remembrance of past musicians will take place at 4 pm. Admission is free.

Here's some pictures from the 2011 Batavia Ramble Music and Arts Fest held in downtown Batavia yesterday.

More pictures after the jump:

Kelly Kubala from Go Art! opened the 2011 Ramble Music and Arts Fest in Downtown Batavia shortly after 11 this morning.

The Ghost Riders followed and more musical acts will be performing throughout the day, plus there's food, crafts and arts.

Parking is available off School, Jackson and Center streets.

The event goes until 9 p.m.

UPDATE: Video shot by Steve Ognibene:

Despite its small size, Batavia has long been a hub of music and culture. Five years ago, Bill McDonald, Bill Pitcher, Mike Murray and Kay McMahon decided to celebrate the Batavia music scene with an all-day event featuring local musicians, many of whom have been playing together for years.

On July 2, some of these old friends and bandmates will reunite in Jackson Square for a day of jamming and seeing old friends at the 6th Annual Ramble Music and Arts Festival. 

"Our hometown area is so rich in artisitic heritage and we felt that we had the ability, resources, time and means to make a daylong musical arts event happen for folks in Batavia and surrounds," says McDonald of the first Ramble in 2006.

"There was nothing at the time to give our town and its musicians a chance to ramble around Jackson Square and downtown and bring many musicians together."

This year's festival will feature more than 30 local bands that range in genre from acoustic bluegrass to electric rock. The bands will be performing on two separate stages -- one acoustic and one electric -- throughout the day. (See below for the full schedule.) McDonald's own band, The Ghost Riders, will kick off the festival on the electric stage.

Although today McDonald performs mainly with The Ghost Riders and his other band, the Hips, over the past 50 years he has played in countless groups -- "way too many to remember, as 50 years of playing music is a long time." 

"It's in my heart and soul and it allows me to fly free over times when I play and sing," he explains. "If one person meets my eye during a song, smiles, sings along or makes contact with me, I feel I'm doing something good while giving great pleasure and purpose to my being."

There are fewer musical venues for young people in Batavia now than there were when McDonald began performing in the '60s, but the music scene has remained strong nevertheless.

"Our small community and the surrounding areas have always had great music with many places for musicians to perform," he says. "The folks in this area have been so supportive over the years. We've made so many friends with music and have tried to keep them entertained.

"You can call it civic spirit, as our hometown and its people have been good to us and we wanted to give something back with a music and arts event of sorts, have some fun, along with a purpose, because that's what we do."

The festival has grown substantially since its humble beginnings five years ago, but still remains a "work in progress with zero-dollars funding." 

"We work with what resources and lifelong area connections we've gathered to make it happen," McDonald explains. "It was a challenge and a yearlong effort to try and pull this free event off. We had a get-together attitude, as many did who've contributed. We succeeded with Ramble Number One and decided to make it a yearly event."

The "arts" aspect of the festival doesn't end at the music, as there will also be the opportunity to complete the beginning of a story prompt written by Batavia author Bill Kauffman. All in all, it will be a fun day of music for people of all ages.

The music schedule is as follows:

Electric Stage                                                       Acoustic Stage

10:50-11 - Intro                                                   11:10-11:40 - Steve Kruppner

11-11:30 - The Ghost Riders                             11:45-12:15 - Sebastian

11:35-12:05 - Bush Hogs                                   12:20-12:50 - Muggs

12:10-12:40 - Revival                                          12:55-1:25 - Good Morning

                                                                                                 Hellen

12:45-1:15 - Twilight Rangers                             1:30-2:00 - Uncle Rog

1:20-1:50 - Red Creek                                         2:05-2:35 - Dick Cantry

1:55-2:25 - The Fools                                          2:40-3:10 - The Hips

2:30-3:00 - Warren Skye and Friends                 3:15-3:45 - Gridder

3:05-3:35 - Destined                                            3:50-4:20 - Tim Pitcher and 

                                                                                                Friends

3:40-4:10 - Just Got Lucky                                   4:25-4:55 - Anthony DelPlato 

                                                                                              Memorial  Celebration 

 4:15 5-4:45 - Sierra                                                 5:05-5:35 - Erin Elizabeth

                                                                                                   Jeffords

4:45-5:00 - Memorial & Presentation to Rose     5:40-6:10 - Chris Humel

5:00-5:30 - Buffalo Road Show                           6:15-6:45 - Ken & Jeannie Veltz

5:35-6:05 - Julius                                                 6:50-7:20 - Tom Stamp

6:10-6:40 - The Dob Artists                                 7:25-7:55 - Tim Luttrell

6:45-7:15 - OSHA                                                8-8:30 - HoKoMo Dave Armat

7:20-7:50 - Taken                                                8:35-9:05 - Misty Mountain

7:55-8:25 - Ps100

8:30-9 - Bluesway Jam

It's just about time once again for Batavia's premier music and arts festival -- Ramble.

This year's Ramble is from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. next Saturday, July 2.

More than 30 music acts will perform on two stages (Jackson Square and T.F. Brown's), plus there will be the arts, crafts and fun for the kids.

Admission is free to this family friendly event.

Pictured above are local musicians Bill Pitcher, Kay McMahon, Jim Catino, Brian Garz, Charlie DelPlato, Bill McDonald and Tim Pitcher.

It was a beautiful day in Batavia, a beautiful day for the city's music and art lovers to come together for an afternoon and evening of music, art and games.

More photos after the jump: