ELLICOTTVILLE ENTERTAINMENT (12/19/08)
Checking Out the Tunes and Other Stuff In Ellicottville
By Robby & Sherm Wilkens

After a spring like first part of this past week, Ol Man Winter has returned. Both Holiday Valley and Holimont are back making snow and the skiing is back to where it should be this time of year. As we enter Christmas week the quantity of the music will slow down just a bit. However, the quality is right up to Ellicottville’s wonderful expectations.

For the week starting today, Friday December 19, 2008. through Christmas day we will have seven bands and two DJ’s for us all to enjoy. We start in the usually way, 9:00 PM tonight, with “Personable DJ John Barry” showing off his very LIVE personality with all the trimmings from Balloons Sound Booth. John creates a very fun party atmosphere that causes dancing, music enjoyment and conversation in the friendly surroundings of Balloons. With Balloons excellent menu served till 10:00 PM, you can add really good eats to the music, conversation and dancing we already mentioned.

Friday will also have “Two Guys Drinking Beer” performing at 9:30 PM just south on Monroe Street in The Double Diamond. Ron and Terry, who also make up the band “West”, are the “Two Guys”. Their music is more of an acoustic version of the “Classic Rock” tunes they do so well. The part of their show I enjoy the most is their audience encouragement to join in with what ever they are doing. If you enjoy the music found in The Double Diamond, you might also want arrive a little before 9:30 PM so as to try some of Noel’s Double Diamond kitchen creations. They are quite good.
Saturday, the first of a three-band evening, begins at 5:00 PM in Balloons with “All Jacked Up”. This group is one of the best “Eighties Cover” bands I’ve ever seen. Their emphasis is “Bon Jovi” which is excellent. They look the part and put on a show that is well worth seeing. Following “All Jacked up” “Chatty Frank Watson The DJ” will continue The Eighties Show or what ever pleases the audience from Balloons Sound Booth. The whole family can have a complete evening of music, food and fun. Because Balloons is, and always will be, an All Ages Friendly place to enjoy good food and wonderful music on Saturday evening.

The first of the two later Saturday gigs will be “Doug Yeomans and The Lo Blu Flame” 9:00 PM in The Gin Mill. Doug and his group continue to be one of The Gin Mill’s best drawing bands. Their music is mainly original with some cover here and there. Their unique sound has a “Blues Beat” with just a taste of “Country” in the mix. The only thing I know for sure is, for the last twelve years or more, they have been one of the best bands to play here in Ellicottville. With The Gin Mill Good Guys serving their wonderful food till midnight and Tracie and Jeff behind the bar till close, The Gin Mill will be an excellent place to have a Saturday dinner and catch this really good show.
The second of the later Saturday bands “Victims of Fate” starts at 9:30 PM in The Double Diamond. Joey Gilroy and his very high energy “Classic Rocker” band are fast becoming a Double Diamond regular show. Their music is very crowd involving and fun listening. With the expanded band area, Noels Kitchen Creations, Tammy and Nick on Bar Duty and the music of “Victims of Fate” all make The Double Diamond a really fun place to be this Saturday night.

For the second week in a row, The Double Diamond will have a Sunday band. Beginning around 8:00PM “Two Guys Drinking Beer” will be doing what they did so well last Friday, playing really fine acoustic tunes. This will be an excellent way to unwind from the weekend and enjoy some good music. The Double Diamond, all winter long will be home to this type of music on Sunday night. Believe me this is a good thing.

Because of Christmas on Thursday, this week’s regular stuff will be limited to only Monday. That will begin with “Pasta and Blue Grass” 7:00 PM in The Gin Mill. All of Ellicottville knows what that means, $5,95 for all the spaghetti and garlic toast U can eat plus the wonderful “Blue Grass with Heart” music preformed by “The Blue Mule Band. The Gin Mill also offers a $10.99 bottle of wine special with the order of two dinners. Excellent Music and a really fine Meal are what happens every Monday 7:00 PM in The Gin Mill.

Also around 10:00 PM most every Monday in The Double Diamond MONDO MONDAY, Ellicottville only all “Original Music Extravaganza” takes place. Mr. Jack Darvazatt, the leader of the wonderful function, takes the stage along with a sometime cast of characters including, but not limited to, “Lil Joey”, “Basser Brandon”, “Frankie Da Drummer”, “Fritz The Kat” and who knows else. The experience you will encounter by attending this function is total fun and smiles. The Double Diamond on a regular basis is home to this type of music experience.