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Phil Vassar praises Frostridge as a unique and special venue

By Howard B. Owens

One night you're playing the Grand Ole Opry. A few nights later, you're playing a campground. That's the life of a touring country star.

But Phil Vassar made it clear last night that he couldn't be happier playing Frostride in Le Roy.

He praised the setting. He praised the hospitality. He praised the acoustics of the venue.

"This is a special place," Vassar told the crowd after his fourth song. "We play a lot of places around the country and there's no place else like this."

On Tuesday, Vassar played at the Opry in Nashville and two days ago a 13,000-seat theater in Memphis on Thursday, but on Tuesday he said he was thrilled to be back at Frostridge, meeting with fans before the show and playing in the open air.

Vassar has 19 hit singles, including two number ones, "Just Another Day in Paradise" and "In a Real Love."

The opening acts included Rochester's Johnny Bauer, Jordan Diggory and Madeleine Snyder, a talented 15-year-old from Pittsford.

Hutchins Street Blues Brothers to join the show in Jackson Square tonight

By Howard B. Owens

Val Zinni and Carmen Del Plato will perform in Jackson Square tonight as part of the Over the Hill Musicians Society show.

Performing as the Hutchins Street Blues Brothers Rhythm and Blue Review, Zinni and Del Plato will reprise a performance they've staged a few times over the years since 1981. That year they entered the talent show -- which was right after "The Blue Brothers" movie came out -- at the St. Anthony's Lawn Fete. 

Del Plato said after winning the talent show, Zinni kissed Monsignor Aquavia "right on top of his bald head," John Belushi-style, Del Plato said.

At first, Zinni and Del Plato performed to recorded music, but a few years ago they started performing with Del Plato's brother's band.

"We'll be performing two songs because the band won't let us do any more than that!" Del Plato said.

Show time is 7 p.m.

Photo by Shelley Zinni.

Photos: Elvis at the Genesee County Fair

By Howard B. Owens

After hamming it up with Tom Mazerbo during his performance Thursday at the Genesee County Fair, Elvis impersonator Patrick Johnson said, "I better not see that on the front page of the paper."

OK, it's not on the front page of the paper.

Mazerbo was quiet happy with the scarf he got from Elvis.

Photos: Brad Paisley, Chris Young and Lee Brice at Darien Lake

By Howard B. Owens

The concert season at Darien Lakes Performing Arts Center continued Friday with country superstar Brad Paisley headlinging another one of his annual shows locally, with opening acts Lee Brice and Chris Young.

Brad Paisley.

Lee Brice.

Guitarist Travis Bettis with Lee Brice.

Chris Young.

Chris Young's bass player, Shane Chilton.

Bandmates kept the faith for more than 40 years

By Howard B. Owens

Before the gray hair, before the jobs, the mortgages, the children, they were the boys in the band.

At age 15 and 16, from about 1967 to 1969, Geno Ceccato, Greg Deck, Andrew Martorana, Jerry Keating, Bob Baker and Tim Martin (top photo, in that order) were known in Western New York as The Middle Class and later, after a change in sound and Tim leaving the band, Faith.

The boys stayed in touch and the families always heard the stories of those glory days, but the former bandmates had nothing from that pre-digital time that showed "this is what we did."

No long ago, Martorana decided maybe a reunion was in order so there could be a little more documentation that they once were a band.

"We realized we didn’t have any kind of legacy to leave our families," Martorana said. "They would hear these stories, but there were no recordings, no videos, just a couple of snapshots here and there."

All week The Middle Class/Faith have been rehearsing in space at the Harvester Center and tomorrow they will go in the studio to record a CD.

Martorana's wife has been making a video, interviewing band members and taking snapshots to include on a DVD of this week's "reunion tour."

None of this is for any commercial/public release. It's just a family thing, a living memento that these six men were once, in fact, a band.

While Jerry, Tim and Greg all carried on with musical pursuits after the band split in 1969, Martorana, who lives in Le Roy, put away his drums, stowed his sticks and pursued a career as an electrician. Before starting to practice for the reunion, he hadn't played drums in 43 years.

After he had been practicing a while, he posted a couple of videos on YouTube of him playing and sent the link to a couple of drummer friends.

"They said, 'oh, man, you've gotta keep playing after this,' " Martorana said. "I talked with my wife and she said I should keep playing. So I'm shopping for a band."

It was Greg, he said, who made the point that the music never dies.

"You may have to relearn it, but it's always in your soul."

Photos: 2013 Ramble Music and Arts Fest

By Howard B. Owens

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.

To purchase prints of any of these photos, click here.

Photos: Penny Whiskey opens Jackson Square concert season

By Howard B. Owens

Irish folk band Penny Whiskey, always a crowd favorite, opened the Jackson Square concert season Friday with two hours of Celtic rhythms and melodies. The square was pretty jam-packed with local music fans for the show.

Penny Whiskey is: Kirk McWhorter, Jon Carlson (top photo), Dan Lelito, Paul Kneis (second photo).

The Ramble Music and Arts Fest starts Saturday at 11 a.m.

Natalie Muscarella uses mom's camera to get some pictures of the band.

Officers Mark Lawrence and Eric Dibble next to the mural portrait of a Batavia police officer in Jackson Square.

To purchase prints of these photos, click here.

Penny Whiskey kicks off Jackson Square concerts tonight

By Howard B. Owens

Penny Whiskey kicks off a new season of concerts in Jackson Square at 7 p.m.

If it's raining at 5 p.m. or looks like rain is coming, the show will be moved to City Centre.

The Batavian is sponsoring tonight's show and I'll be there with freebies (photo prints, T-shirts and gift cards to local businesses) for anybody who signs up for a new membership in The Batavian Club.

Here's a list of shows this season:

It's My Party ('60s Hits) -- July 12
Ghost Riders (Country) -- July 19
OHMS Band (Rock) -- July 26
Bonnie & Collide (R & B) -- Aug. 2
Skiffle Minstrels (Swing & Zydeco...) --  Aug. 9
Kelly's Old Timers (Country) -- Aug. 16
C'est Bon All Girl Cajun Band (Cajun) -- Aug. 23
Mitty & The Followers (MoTown) -- Aug. 30

Ramble returns to Batavia on Saturday

By Howard B. Owens

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.

Reviews starting to come in for Bill Kauffman's 'Copperhead'

By Howard B. Owens

"Copperhead," the movie with the screenplay by local author Bill Kauffman, opens in theaters around the United States today and the film has received mostly positive reviews so far.

A screening in Gettysburg, billed as the world premiere, earned director Ron Maxwell a standing ovation.

Writer James Simpson, in a piece of PJ Media, takes a detailed look at the historical and political context of the movie and concludes,

This is a movie well worth seeing; both for its accurate depiction of the times, its rich narrative, and the unique, rarely discussed subject matter, which was in fact a major component of the days’ controversies. It is also completely family friendly – a rarity in Hollywood these days.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the L.A. Times critic comes off as a bit of a snob and calls the film "lugubrious."

Another Hollywood-based critic says the film is purely for history buffs (while too narrowly constricting the scope of the audience, may be a bit of a left-handed compliment -- this isn't "Fast & Furious 6").

That writer, John DeFore, seems to believe only "Tea Party" types care about the Constitution, writing, "Beech is a dairy farmer who's opposed to slavery but, in language that will resonate with Tea Party-affiliated viewers, argues that Lincoln's war is unconstitutional."

Apparently, one must not color outside of the lines in Mr. DeFore's world.

Though, one of the more favorable reviews has come from Katie Kieffer, writing for the conservative Web site Town Hall.

Copperhead is worth seeing because it re-tells American history with an intimate, engaging and non-textbook approach.

It will be interesting to watch the different reactions to the film from America's various political factions -- especially the simple-minded red state/blue state divide -- to a film that challenges pat answers to questions about the Civil War.

Kauffman has said the movie isn't intended to be preachy or a message movie, except maybe to reinvigorate the lost notion in America of the value of dissent.

In his own lengthy piece about the film for Front Porch Republic, Kauffman writes about the constricting nature of political debate in the country these days.

We live in a time and in a country which finds principled dissent of the sort exercised by Eugene V. Debs and Abner Beech almost incomprehensible. In one sense, freedom of expression knows no bounds: Internet pornography, snuff-game videos, libelous tweets – laissez faire, man. But with respect to politics, art, culture…seldom in American history have the limits of permissible speech been so narrow, so constricting. True, our Eugene Debses aren’t usually thrown into gaols, but nor do they become cause célèbres, like Debs. Their prison is the red state-blue state idiocy under which the limits of acceptable opinion are demarcated by Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, and writers live in the fear (which, I can tell you as one who has long worked with members of the DC punditocracy, absolutely paralyzes careerists) of saying the wrong thing and running afoul of the hall monitors and tattletales who police American discourse.

In media coverage closer to home, Jay Moran interviews Kauffman for WBFO.

"Copperhead" is playing in Pittsford and Williamsville.

Previously:

'Copperhead' hits all of Kauffman's themes, and is a big hit with screening audience

By Howard B. Owens

If Bill Kauffman sat down to write a screenplay, the result would surely be the movie "Copperhead."

The ideal Kauffman film would take a look at a side of history that is little known and rarely discussed. The lead character would be a dissenter, the holder of unpopular opinions who won't bow to conformity. The major themes would be love of family, community before nation, and fealty to the Constitution. It would show how war rips asunder these values as brutally as it maims bodies and damages souls.

This is, indeed, the movie "Copperhead," based on the 1893 novel, "The Copperhead," by Utica-born Harold Frederic. The screenplay is by Batavia's (and Elba's) own Bill Kauffman.

A packed house at Genesee Community College's Stuart Steiner Theater of Kauffman partisans -- friends and family, mostly -- viewed a special screening Thursday night of "Copperhead." We applauded when Kauffman's first film credit rolled across the screen and clapped again for his daughter, Gretel, whose credit was for one of the two "giggling girls" at a barn dance.

We also all applauded in appreciation as the final scene faded to black and credits for all the grips and technicians and wardrobe staff rolled across the screen.

It is a very good movie.

The story line -- without trying to give away too much -- is about a small Upstate New York farm community in 1862. The town is largely Republican with a view of the war in line with the Lincoln Administration.

Abner Beech opposes the war. He's a Democrat. He's no "slaver" he says, but he considers Lincoln's war unlawful.

"It is Abraham Lincoln," Beech tells Avery (played by Peter Fonda), "and his Republicans tearing us apart, and the Constitution. Closing down newspapers, putting critics in prison, enlisting mere boys to fight in his unconstitutional war."

The scene is near the start of the film and Kauffman said during the Q&A after the screening that it's a critical scene. It sets the themes of the entire movie.

Avery's character wasn't included in Frederic's original novel, but Kauffman said one of the faults with the original story was it was rather one-sided in its point of view.

"He never gives the pro-Lincoln, the pro-war side a fair shake," Kauffman said. "It's only about Abner Beech and in the film we made the community more of a character, so I introduced the Fonda character to be an articulate advocate for that point of view."

Near the end of the exchange, Avery says, "The union, Abner, doesn't the union mean anything to you?"

Abner, played by Billy Campbell, looks at Avery with sad eyes, but also affection.

"It means something. It means more than something. But it doesn't mean everything. My family means more to me. The farm. The Corners means more. New York State means more to me. Though we disagree, Avery, ye mean more to me than any union."

A good portion of what Bill Kauffman has written in his nine books could be summed up in those eight sentences.

Asked how closely the Kauffman-esque polemic aligned with Frederic's own work, Kauffman laughed and said, "it's a seamless and harmonious melding."

Director Ron Maxwell, in Batavia for the screening, picked up the question.

"It's what we choose to do," said Maxwell, whose previous screen credits include "Gettysburg" and "Gods and Generals." "It's why this novel, instead of that novel.

"Having spent as much time as I have tilling these fields, going on 30 years of these Civil War movies, for myself, it was a completely different exploration. Where the previous two movies were, to generalize, they were cinematic meditations on what good, powerful, ethical men should be when they go to war. When you look at those films, you have a strong, full-throated point of view for the men who wore the blue or the men who wore the gray.

"Along the way," he continued, "the question is, what about the good, honorable, ethical men who chose not to go to war, and in fact, the very same war? This is one of the very few novels that raises that question about the Civil War."

Abner's opposition to the war is not without consequence. It becomes a wedge between him and his son. It leads to bitterness, hatred and violence among the townspeople.

The home front has rarely been portrayed by Hollywood, and certainly not from a dissenter's point of view during the commonly accepted "good wars" (the Civil War and World War II).

Maxwell and Kauffman have been friends since the mid-1990s and one day a few years ago they discovered they had both read "The Copperhead" and thought it an interesting and largely unexplored aspect of the Civil War. They agreed it might make a good movie, so Kauffman set about writing the screenplay.

It was no easy task -- and it never is -- getting the film funded, but eventually cast and crew were dispatched to a settlement town in New Brunswick, Canada, where all of the scenes take place.  It looks very much like Upstate New York.

Maxwell said in shooting a movie like this, you don't think about the politics of it. He doesn't like to make, he said, movies with overt political messages. He would rather explore questions and not give answers. When cast and crew are in production, they're in 1862. They're not even thinking about what happened in 1863, let alone 2013, but he knows others will apply today's current events to the issues raised in the movie.

Just the same day, he noted, President Obama has made a military commitment to Syria, so now the U.S. is involved in three wars.

"This movie is going to go into this world where we already have neighbors who are in Afghanistan," Maxwell said. "We all know military families who are suffering. This movie is to a large extent about the families who are home, worried about their relatives, so the context may be 1862, but it is relevant to our world and those kinds of inferences will be made and they probably should be made."

"Copperhead" opens nationwide June 28.

Top photo, Bill Kauffman; bottom, Ron Maxwell.

Stage production of Charlotte's Web opens Friday at GCC

By Howard B. Owens

GCC's Forum Players Theater Company presents "Charlotte's Web" this week, opening at 7 p.m. Friday in the Stuart Steiner Theater.

Alumna Jaime Arena directs the production, which also shows at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

From a press release:

The show is being produced with the support of The BEST Center at GCC by special arrangement with the Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Ill. Originally published in 1952, E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web” chronicles the life of Wilbur the pig  (played by 2010 GCC alumnus Robert Reiss). Born the runt of the litter, Wilbur is saved first by 8-year old Fern Arable (Brianna Jones of Batavia) who stops her father (played by GCC English Professor Norm Gayford) from killing the pig and nurses him to good health. In the barn at the Zuckerman farm, Wilbur encounters a spider named Charlotte (Margaret Gayford, of Warsaw High School), who spins magic when Wilbur’s life is again in danger. A timeless tale of bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship, the play is adapted for stage by Joseph Robinette.

Other cast members include: Kayli Wilson (Canastota) and Jordan Griffiths (Milford) as narrators; Sania Hyatt (New York City) as Templeton; Courtney Amesbury (Bergen) as Mrs. Arable; William Rupp (Batavia) as Avery; Christian Hoffman (Hilton) as Homer Zuckerman; Alayna Zimbrich (Hilton) as Edith Zuckerman; Tony E. Heard (Fillmore) as Lurvy; Emily Jones (Waterloo) as Goose; and Norm Gayford as Old Sheep. William Rupp, Norm Gayford and Emily Jones will play fairgoers while Brianna Jones, Tony E. Heard and William Rupp will appear as spiders.

All tickets for the show are $5. An autograph session will be held after each performance. Tickets can be purchased by cash, check or credit card from the GCC box office at (585) 345-6814 or boxoffice@genesee.edu.

Photos from today's dress rehearsal by Howard Owens.

'Sound sculpture' musician to perform at Masonic Temple, hosted by Blue Pearl Yoga

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

"Matt Venuti's performance opens the heart, quiets the mind, and deeply touches the soul" ~ Arun Gandhi, author, lecturer, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

Multi-instrumentalist/composer Matt Venuti is one of the world's premier players of the Hang, the most exciting new acoustic instrument of the 21st Century and one of the most captivating and versatile of all time. Better described as a sound sculpture than a typical instrument, Hang means hand in Swiss -- pure magic!

Matt's compositions and performances have been commended by worldwide fans of his original music. He has a history of performing at progressive happenings like the TED Conferences and gala events worldwide, either as a soloist or with his San Francisco based ensemble, The Venusians.

He tours throughout most of the year performing solo Hang concerts and FreeFlow Yoga events.

CLICK HERE to read a recent article written about Matt for the Huffington Post about FreeFlow.

CLICK HERE videos of him playing.

For pre-sale tickets buy on line or stop in the studio call : 585-230-5430​ or visit our Web site: www.bp-yoga.com

Thursday, June 20 | 7 p.m. | $15/ pre sale | $20/ door

Photos: Acoustic duo at Center Street Smokehouse

By Howard B. Owens

After covering Section V playoff baseball at Dwyer Stadium, I stopped in Center Street Smokehouse to warm up and found myself enjoying the acoustic duo the Steve Balisteri Band. Since I had my camera with me, I thought I'd make a couple of photos.

I'll have coverage of the baseball games in the morning. Batavia won 1-0 and Notre Dame won 2-0.

Harvester Artisan Market 56 Harvester Ave, Batavia

By lucie griffis

The Harvester Artisan Market will be a unique selection of local &regional artisans/ crafters, food, and entertainment varying Saturdays from 10am -4pm.

You never know what you might find at the market!

We are looking for artisans/crafters, food, and entertainment. For more information call 585-768-8147 or email griffewsclan@yahoo.com.

Event Date and Time
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Photo: Cast of 'On Broadway IV' presented by the Batavia Players

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia Players opened "On Broadway IV" tonight with a dinner theater production at Terry Hills.

The show offers selections from several Broadway musical hits, such as "The Heights," "Footloose," "Jersey Boys" and "Mamma Mia!"

The show continues this week at the 56 Theater, 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday.

"On Broadway IV" is directed by Scott Laird and choreographed by Nikki Lanich.

The cast includes Brenda Andrews, Shellene Bailey, Alex Balbi, Aryn Bielski, Gabrielle Henry, Teressa Hirsch, Nash Johns, Kim Laird, Scott Laird, Nikki Lanich, Trevor Lee, Andrew Magin, Amy Martin, Paul Spiotta, Erin Stamp, Brianna Strassner, Anita Strollo, Serena Strollo-Dicenso, Amanda Melissa Taylor and Keara Zerillo.

Big Time Rush and Victoria Justice added to Darien Lake concert line up.

By Howard B. Owens

Live Nation announced two more shows today for their annual summer concert series at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, with Big Time Rush and Victoria Justice performing locally July 28.

Big Time Rush will be touring in support of the band's third album, scheduled for release this summer.

Already announced for the season are:

  • Tim McGraw, May 26
  • Zac Brown, June 23
  • Dave Matthews, July 3
  • Vans Warped Tour, July 6
  • Train, July 13
  • Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, July 14
  • John Mayer, Aug. 13
  • Maroon 5, Sept. 4.

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