ELLICOTTVILLE ENTERTAINMENT
(04/10/2009)
Checking Out the Tunes and Other Stuff In Ellicottville
By Robby & Sherm Wilkens

Wow the Ellicottville music scene will have a new addition on July 19th at Holiday Valley. Rumor has it that the Rotary Foundation for Youth will be hosting the Americana Folk Art & Music Fair. Part of the weekend includes an outdoor concert on the slopes at Yodeler Lodge on Sunday July 19th from noon to 7:00 PM. This family event will feature some great acts like Old Dawg and Country Jam with National recording artists The Doerfels and Canadian Juno award winner Tom Wilson. Stayed tuned to this column for more information on this event which is part of the evolution of the Antique Farm Fair that will take place on Saturday July 18th in front of the town hall.

Here we go, in the height of Mud Season, Holiday Valley is closed for skiing. Holimont is still open. We are still getting snow so golf is delayed. However this weekend it is supposed to warm up. We shall see. All I know for sure, right now it is beautiful outside with temps in the forties and lots of sun. Therefore things could be a lot worse. We could have gotten all the snow we were promised last week. The music scene, however, is reflecting April. The quality is still there while the quantity is down.

Starting today Friday April 10, 2009 through next Thursday there will be just seven bands, two DJs and one Music Crunch in and around Ellicottville.

Like last week, we get started 9:00 PM tonight with “Personable DJ John Barry” showing off his fluent verbiage, which is directed by his friendly personality, LIVE from Balloons Sound Booth. John, his personality and tune selection along with Toms’ excellent kitchen creations will create a pretty neat party environment for a fun time this Friday night in Balloons.

Just down Monroe Street at 9:30 PM Tonight “The Tripper Harrison Band” will be playing in The Double Diamond. This is a local group of “Classic Rockers” who have come a long way with their music. It’s been a while since these guys have played here. From my notes and what I remember, they created a fun Rockin time when they last played The Double Diamond. One last note, you may want check in early this evening for dinner. Because with Noel The King of Fiction in-charge of The Double Diamonds kitchen, the food served is really VERY GOOD.

Moving back to Washington Street some time after 9:30 PM tonight “Connors Music Crunch” will be going on in Madigans. This is a Friday and Saturday night event that is originated and orchestrated by Connor and includes his music selection played through Madigans Excellent Sound System. Until the weather breaks and Madigans Upstairs Patio Bar can be open, this fun time will be held downstairs on both Friday and Saturday night.

Saturday will have three bands playing here in the Village. Beginning about 5:00 PM Saturday one of Ellicottville’s favorites “The Strangers” will be in Balloons. Mitch, Joel, Jerry, Dirty Kenny and Clean Peter will be doing one of the best cover gigs we get to see here in Ellicottville. Everything from the forties to today, as long as it is music, these guys can do it. They will even do a little bit of country. My favorite era, that they do, is the seventies to the eighties. Balloons, an all ages friendly place, that families may enjoy wonderful music and food, this and every Saturday evening. Following “The Strangers” “Chatty Frank” THE PARTY MONSTER will take things over with his all ages’ sense of humor and tune selection from Balloons Sound Booth.

The first of the two later Saturday shows “Rabbitfoot” will begin 9:00 PM in The Gin Mill. This is another of Buffalo’s wonderful Classic Blues Bands that plays here on a regular basis. I saw them last June and can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the show. Yes Ruthie, you can really feel their version of The Blues. With The Gin Mill serving their excellent menu till midnight, you can enjoy a late dinner and catch superb Blues show. All of this is enhanced by The Gin Mills user-friendly prices.

The final gig of the weekend will be “Victims of Fate” beginning at 9:30 PM Saturday in The Double Diamond. Joey Gilroy and this very high-energy trio of Classic Rockers are crowd pleasing and fun. They have played The Double Diamond several times this past winter and have created a fun show. I would expect nothing less from them this Saturday.

After a quiet Easter Sunday, that being no music, just warm and sunny weather, plus vacations and the like going on, we will have only three regular gigs this coming week. MONDO MONDAY will, however, be one of them. Starting around 10:00 PM Monday in The Double Diamond this extremely fun All Original Music Event will commence. Jack Darvazette on guitar, The DuWop brothers on percussion consisting of Lil Joey on Spoons and Frankie Da Drums on the Tip Jug, Basser Brandon and maybe like last week Fritz The Kat on trumpet and harmonica create one of The Double Diamond’s most fun music experiences of the week.

The Gin Mill will host the last two gigs of the week. Joe Wagner and John Winston will put on The Wings, Wagner and Winston Show 9:00 PM Wednesday in The Gin Mill. This fun Folk to Southern Rock event enhanced by The Gin Mills wonderful thirty-five cent wings and the antic of Mr. Chorny from behind the bar make for a fun time in The Gin Mill this and every Wednesday night.

Thursday 7:00 PM in The Gin Mill rounds out the music week with “Kuk & Freddie” and more than likely “Lil Joey” doing what has become A FUN ROCKIN TIME in The Gin Mill. Yes it is Rockin Roll; still their version of early Grateful Dead is the best. That is the beauty of this wonderful group, you get to hear it all and that is really GOOD STUFF.