Today's edition of The Batavian Sessions features Delano Steele performing "By My Side."

If you're in a band and would like to be included in The Batavian Sessions, email [email protected]

Today we're officially launching a new series, "The Batavian Sessions."

Though I've recorded a couple of live performances in the past few months and called those videos "The Batavian Sessions," those were really tests of the concept. Last month, we started recording area bands for the launch of this new series. 

I'm a big rockabilly fan and a year or so ago I discovered a series on YouTube called "The Bopflix Sessions." I've watched all 200-plus of those videos, many multiple times. I loved the kind of web-native, intimate and immediate vibe of the videos and those videos, as much as anything, are why you've been seeing a lot more video on The Batavian since November.

We kick off the series with "A" Blues Band performing their original composition, "Shelby Swamp Boogie." 

Here's an invitation to all bands in the region: If you can meet me at an appropriate venue (well lit and quiet) somewhere in Genesee County ready for a live recording of two or three songs, we will include you in "The Batavian Sessions." If you're able and willing, email [email protected]

Press release:

On Tuesday, April 9, Byron-Bergen students in grades three through seven gathered for a surprise assembly at the Jr./Sr. High School. They were treated to a special performance and conversation with Rochester-based electro hip-hop violinist Svet Radoslavof, or Svet, as he is known professionally, demonstrated his considerable talents on his electric violin, shared some of his experiences including his performance on "America’s Got Talent," answered student questions, and gave out lots of high fives.

As the assembly commenced, Beethoven’s "Fur Elise" filled the room. Then, from behind the curtain, Svet emerged and performed a modern interpretation of the iconic piece. Next, he performed a medley of pop rock hits during which he jumped off the stage and danced through the audience to cheers and applause. After this performance, Svet shared his story with the students emphasizing the importance of education and hard work.

“You have to go to school,” said Svet, who chose to skip his initial opportunity to appear on "America’s Got Talent" to take a final exam. “Study hard because, one day, you guys are going to succeed. You guys are the leaders of tomorrow so school is the most important thing.”

Svet was not the only one performing on the stage that day. He was invited to be a judge along with Elementary Music teachers Bob Lancia and Karen Tischer in a Byron-Bergen’s Got Talent skit. Hosted by sixth-grade teacher Megan Wahl, several faculty members took to the stage to demonstrate their talents. Christopher Chapman, Lara Ezard, Taylor Haupt, Heather Painting, Ken Rogoyski, and Heather Young delivered comedic talent routines before making way for two very talented students. Genevieve and Solomon Smith performed a contemporary dance to Keala Settle’s "This is Me" from "The Greatest Showman" to uproarious applause from their peers.

For a finale, Svet performed an original composition accompanied by a group of Byron-Bergen faculty commonly referred to as the Byron-Bergen House Band or The Hives. The Hives consists of Christopher Chapman, Bob Lancia, and Karen Tischer with a special guest appearance from Jr./Sr. High School Band teacher Kevin Bleiler.

“The assembly generated lots of enthusiasm,” said Byron-Bergen Jr./Sr. High Assistant Principal Scott Bradley. “Svet is very engaging and delivered a good message to our students.”

“It was an amazing experience for everyone,” said Elementary Assistant Principal Betsy Brown. “I want to thank fourth-grade teacher Alyson Tardy for taking the initiative to reach out and invite Svet to share his music and story with our students. I’m so glad she did!”

Svet is a native of Bulgaria but immigrated to Rochester with his family at the age of 11. He began playing violin at 3 and continued his studies at the Eastman School of Music. He went on to study Economics at the University of Rochester.

Eric Zwieg reads one of his poems during a poetry reading Thursday night at Moon Java Cafe on Harvester Avenue in Batavia.

The "Four Poets in Search of An Answer" reading also featured Jen Ashburn, Jason Irwin, and Scott W. Williams.

Jason Irwin

The annual All-County Music Festival is underway and began with a performance this afternoon by the Elementary Chorus, Middle School Band, and Senior High Chorus at Batavia High School.

The performances followed rehearsals yesterday and this morning at the high school.

Next Saturday, April 6, at 2 p.m. there will be performances by the Elementary Band, Middle School Chorus, and Senior High Band at Attica High School. It is located at 3338 E. Main St. in Attica.

Le Roy High School presents the musical "Once On This Island" this weekend.

A description of the story:

Ti Moune, a peasant girl, rescues a wealthy boy from the other side of the island, Daniel, with whom she falls in love. Unbeknownst to Ti Moune, the pompous gods who preside over the island make a bet with one another over which is stronger, love or death, the stakes being Ti Moune's life.

When she pursues Daniel, who has returned to his people, Ti Moune is shunned because of her lowly status. Her determination and capacity to love, though, is not enough to win Daniel's heart, and Ti Moune pays the ultimate price; but the gods turn Ti Moune into a tree that grows so strong and so tall, it breaks the wall that separates the societies and ultimately unites them.

Lead cast members:

• Ti Moune -- Marlena Pencille
• Daniel -- Lukas Austin
• Agwe -- Xach Carr
• Asaka -- Alexis Pfendler
• Erzulie -- Hailey Grasso
• Papa Ge -- Megan Privatera
• Mama Euralie -- Emily Overacker
• Ton Ton Julian -- Daniel Ferrara
• Little Ti Moune -- Ashlyn Puccio

All show times are at 7 p.m., opening tomorrow with shows on Friday and Saturday.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at leroycsd.org or at the door.

Members of Human Services Committee expressed satisfaction with the job Gregory Hallock has done as director of GO ART! since being appointed to the job in July 2017.

Since Hallock was promoted, he's instituted a number of new and innovative programs, expanded gallery shows, acquired a liquor license for beer and wine sales at Seymore Place, instituted profitable fundraisers, and generally raised the profile of GO ART! in the community.

"We've had a new philosophy," Hallock said. "In the past, the philosophy was just to stay alive so they stopped doing some things to save money. Now we do things so people see us doing things and then they support what we're doing."

In each of the past year, GO ART! has taken in more money than it has spent but because of depreciation on Seymore Place, the organization officially lost money, at least until 2018, when GO ART! was in the black by $40,000.

All of the organization's debts, except for a mortgage on Seymore Place, taken out for building maintenance, have been paid off.

One of the most successful fundraisers for GO ART! over the past year was the celebrity bartender challenge. Various prominent community members competed as celebrity bartenders with tips going to GO ART! as donations. The series of nights with celebrity bartenders bought in $13,000.

Hallock said he wants to continue the concept by bringing in a celebrity bartender every Thursday. One of the benefits is the guest bartenders invite a bunch of their friends. 

Nearly 40 percent of the people who attended these events last year had never been to GO ART! before, Hallock said, and the events also helped attract a younger audience, which has been hard for GO ART! to reach in recent years.

The director is continuing to pursue big plans. He wants to get an elevator installed in the building and wants to expand the art garden behind the building. He is seeking grants for both projects.

"You've done an excellent job to bring exposure to GO ART! and the building," said Andrew Young, chairman of the committee. "It's heads and shoulders above what we've seen in recent years. I see and hear about GO ART! activities everywhere and it seems to be paying dividends for you."

Hallock said the credit doesn't belong to just him alone.

"We have an awesome board and staff," Hallock said. "I'm the only one with a degree but everyone is passionate about it."

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced the lineup for their third annual Rockin’ the Downs concert series, which take place outside on the racetrack, with eight consecutive Friday dates, starting in June and running into August.

Kicking off the series on Friday, June 21^st is Grammy Award-winning rock band Survivor. Best known for the double-platinum-certified song "Eye of the Tiger," Survivor’s massive hits also include "Burning Heart," "The Search Is Over," "High On You," "Is This Love," and "I Can’t Hold Back." This Academy Award-nominated band has had 18 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 during their storied career.

Next up, on Friday, June 28^th is classic rock band Queensrÿche. With more than 30 million albums sold worldwide, Queensrÿche continues to tour the globe to sold-out audiences. The band has earned multiple Grammy Award nominations, and won the MTV “Viewer’s Choice” award for the #1 chart-topping hit "Silent Lucidity." Even with 11 gold and platinum plaques and several Top 10 hard rock anthems under their belt, Queensrÿche consistently delivers high-octane live shows combining the hungry fire of a new band with the tempered experience of master showmen.

On Friday, July 5^th Canadian rock icon Kim Mitchell takes the stage in Batavia. A gifted and peer-respected guitar player as well as an acclaimed songwriter, Mitchell has recorded many hits, including "Go For Soda," "Rock 'N 'Roll Duty," "Patio Lanterns," "I am a Wild Party," "Easy To Tame," and "All We Are," to name just a few. Mitchell has achieved gold and multiplatinum sales status over a long and storied career that focused on “alternative” and "independent” long before the words became clichés.

Rocking the stage on Friday, July 12^th is singer Steve Augeri. Best known as the lead vocalist for the rock group Journey from 1998-2006, Augeri headlined an eight-year tenure that included three albums, and brought one of the world’s most accomplished melodic rock groups back to the stage for multiple world tours to millions of adoring fans. Augeri promises to bring his high-energy mix of new music as well as material from his career to the Downs.

Gin Blossoms performs on Friday, July 19^th. Hailing from Tempe, Ariz., the band hit the big time with their first major label album, "New Miserable Experience," which went quadruple platinum, and gave us the hit single "Hey Jealousy." Other hits from the Grammy-nominated band include "Follow You Down," "Mrs. Rita," "Found Out About You," "Pieces Of The Night," and "‘Til I Hear It From You." Gin Blossoms remain a rare breed, continuing to create, craft and perform their glorious catalog of material.

Friday, July 26^th sees Kenny Wayne Shepherd at the Downs. Synonymous with the phrase “young blues rock guitarist," Shepherd has established himself as an immensely popular recording artist, a consistently in-demand live act, and an influential force in the worldwide resurgence of interest in the blues. The Louisiana-born axeman and songsmith has sold millions of albums, shining a light on the rich blues of the past while forging ahead with his own twist on a classic sound he has embodied since his teens.

Country music royalty Tanya Tucker will rock the Downs on Friday, Aug. 2^nd. Named one of CMT’s 40 Greatest Women of Country Music, this Academy of Country Music Award-winning and Grammy-nominated singer’s number-one hits include "Delta Dawn," "Blood Red and Goin’ Down," "Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)," "Lizzie and the Rainman," "San Antonio Stroll," "Here’s Some Love," and "Strong Enough to Bend."

Closing out the series on Friday, Aug. 9^th is Theory of a Deadman. Hailing from Delta, British Columbia, Canada, Theory, as they are known, has turned their hard rock/alternative sound into eight top 10 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, including three number-one tracks in "Bad Girlfriend," "Lowlife" and "Rx (Medicate)."

Tickets for all eight concerts will be available at www.BataviaConcerts.com beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 8^th.

Individual presale tickets to each concert will remain at $10 for General Admission, while VIP tickets will again be $25. For the first time, concertgoers will be able to purchase tickets in the Premium Section directly in front of the stage. Premium tickets are $50 and will be very limited for each concert. General Admission tickets are $15 if purchased on the day of the concert. Tickets can also be purchased at Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel at the Lucky Treasures Gift Shop located in the lobby.

Concertgoers will once again have the option of purchasing a “Season Pass,” which includes admission to all eight concerts at a discounted rate. The Season Pass for 2019 is $60 for General Admission and $150 for VIP.

“We are very excited to once again host the region’s premier concert series, which includes another great lineup of musical icons,” said Henry Wojtaszek, CEO/president of Batavia Downs Gaming.

“We hope the community will continue to enjoy what has been an entertaining and affordable event each year. It’s great to see the community come together for a series that everyone can be a part of.”

Hotel room/ticket packages will be available for each concert. Purchase of a hotel room on the night of a concert using the code includes two VIP tickets to the show while supplies last. Each concert ticket is also redeemable once at Player’s Club in the three days following the concert for $10 Free Play to be used on one of Batavia Downs Gaming’s 800+ gaming machines.

Concerts are held Rain or Shine. Additional information may be found at www.BataviaDownsGaming.com.

Photo by Howard Owens.

Busking in Batavia is uncommon -- in fact, I've never seen it before and a couple of longtime residents I spoke to said they've never seen street musicians in the city before, so when I spotted Anthony Coco in front of Aldi yesterday evening, I had to stop and chat with him.

He wasn't too talkative, so no interview in the video. 

He said he's been in Batavia for three months. He's from Las Vegas. He's busking -- accepting donations while playing music -- because that's his only option to feed himself. He's lost his Social Security card and birth certificate so can't get help from any social services. He's been couch surfing since moving to Batavia.

Yes, "that would be the idea" to become a professional musician he said, but right now the best he can do is busk.