music

Press release:

Batavia Ramble Music & Arts Festival, in partnership with Eli Fish Brewing Co., will be held from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 6th.

The Batavia Ramble

In short: One day, two outdoor main stages, 30+ bands, food trucks, craft vendors, artist displays and much more!

Where: This will be held on Center Street and Jackson Square in Downtown Batavia.

Important Things to Note

This event is FREE to the public thanks to the generous donations from our sponsors.

Seating is festival style and B.Y.O.C. (bring your own chair)

Attractions

Music: Two outdoor main stages with more than 30 musical acts throughout the day! With a variety of music ranging from classic and modern rock to country to blues and everything in between!

Vendors: Lots of unique craft and art vendors to peruse while enjoying the sights and sounds of the Batavia Ramble.

Food: This year we are adding FOUR amazing food trucks to the event!

• Red Osier Landmark Restaurant -- We can do anything that is on our Red Osier menu, from prime rib sandwiches or prime rib dinners to lobsters!
• Over The Border -- Fresh, quality Mexican food sure to fill your stomach! From tacos, to burritos to taco bowls and churros!
• Buckaroos -- Specializing in Poutine! From original to varieties including Philly cheese steak, pulled pork and country-fried steak! They will also have some of your standard carnival favorites including fried dough!
• Center Street Smokehouse -- Real Southern BBQ, pulled pork,Texas BBQ beef brisket, and bacon mac & cheese!

Sponsors:

Eli Fish Brewing Co.

Cedar Street Rentals

L & L Transmission

R.A. Haitz Roofing & Siding

Bourbon & Burger Co.

T-shirts ETC

Center Street Smokehouse

Glenna's CBD

For additional information: contact us at TheBataviaRamble@gmail.com or leave us a message right on our facebook page at Facebook.com/TheBataviaRamble

Survivor opened the 2019 concert season at Batavia Downs on Friday night.

Here's the lineup for the rest of the summer:

• June 28 -- Queensrÿche
• July 5 -- Kim Mitchell
• July 12 -- Journey Former Lead Vocalist Steve Augeri
• July 19 -- Gin Blossoms
• July 26 -- Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
• Aug. 2 -- Tanya Tucker
• Aug. 9 -- Theory Of A Deadman

The annual Jackson Square Friday Night Concerts series opened last night with Genesee Ted.

The line up for the rest of the season:

• June 28 – The Skycats
• July 5 – It’s My Party
• July 7 – Downtown Batavia Music Ramble Festival -- Bands & Times for The Ramble will be announced soon!
• July 12 – Old Hippies
• July 19 – Red Creek
• July 26 – Mitty & the Followers
• Aug. 2 – Ohms Band
• Aug. 9 – The Ghost Riders

The Batavian Sessions: "A" Blues Band, Foolish Child

The Daniel King band playing ... for this episode of The Batavian Sessions.

Daniel now lives in Rochester but is from Batavia.

Bands interested in participating in The Batavian Sessions, email howard@thebatavian.com

Love and Theft and Eli Young Band will Jam At The Ridge this Friday and Saturday (6/14 and 6/15) from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. Modern country music with the stories of what "Love Is" and what "Love Ain't." Pre-Sale tickets are still available starting at $15 and $22 with VIP options available.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TODAY;
Love and Theft Tickets: https://2019jatrlt.bpt.me/
Eli Young Band Tickets: https://2019jatreyb.bpt.me/

Want to win a Meet & Greet Pass with Love and Theft & Eli Young Band? Make a video to tell us what "Love Is" and what "Love Ain't" to YOU. Then post it on Facebook with the Hashtags #JAMATTHERIDGE #LOVEANDTHEFT #ELIYOUNGBAND #LOVEIS #LOVEAINT.

Just a quick personal story of someone who showed you what Love Is and a story about someone who showed you what Love Ain't. 

A sample by The Ridge Girls is below, but make this your own. Get creative, have fun, and win a pair of nights to remember for a lifetime.

See the sample video:  https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=427551184469152.

Submitted Videos must be publicly viewable and family friendly. Additional prizes may be awarded. Come on out to Jam At The Ridge ... where the fun is! Jam At The Ridge is located at 8101 Conlon Road in Le Roy.

From Danny Allen:

Alexander High School's annual Jazz Invitational concert will be happening at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 14th.

They've had great attendance in the past, and are looking forward to a full house this year.

Come out and enjoy some awesome jazz music along with scrumptious treats and refreshments.

Evan Anstey performs his song, "Living in Reverse" in this edition of The Batavian Sessions.

Bands, to record for The Batavian Sessions, email howard@thebatavian.com

Our latest edition of The Batavian Sessions features Michael DiSanto, who is originally from Batavia and is now a full-time musician living in Buffalo.

If you would like your band featured on The Batavian Sessions, email howard@thebatavian.com.

To see previous videos click here (and subscribe to our YouTube channel to get free early access to our future releases).

Press release:

The Batavia Concert Band will be returning for their 94th season of public concerts in Batavia’s Centennial Park (rain venue is the Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College).

Concerts will be held on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. on June 26, July 3, July 10,  July 17, July 24, July 31 and Aug. 7, as well as the ever-popular July 4^th Picnic in the Park sponsored by GO ART!.

The July 3rd^h concert will feature The Byrne Brothers, as part of the Pam Frisby Memorial Concert Series. The Byrne Brothers, consisting of a father and his three sons, are an internationally known Irish band currently touring the United States with their home base being the Ragland Road Bar in Orlando, Fla.

The Concert Band is pleased to host them for a 20-minute preview concert, as they will be performing throughout Genesee and Orleans counties on July 3 and 4^th.

The Batavia Concert Band’s repertoire has something for everyone: marches, Big Band and swing numbers, popular songs from musicals and movies, rock favorites, classical adaptations, and everything in-between.  

The Band consists of 45-55 brass, woodwind and percussion players ranging from talented high school students to 60-year veterans. Many have professional experience, others are advanced amateur musicians, but one thing is for sure -- all love to play!

Returning for his seventh season as conductor is John Bailey, Instrumental Music teacher at Lyndonville Central School.

The July 3^rd and July 4^th Picnic in the Park concert will be conducted by Batavia native and resident Joshua Pacino.

Additionally, the Concert Band is pleased to announced that Mike Thaine, director of High School Bands at Albion High School, will the guest conductor on Aug. 7^th.

Founded in the early 1920s, the Batavia Concert Band has brought musical pleasure to the region every year except World War II.

Concerts are currently supported and funded in part by GO ART!, local businesses, program advertisers, and individual patrons. Genesee Community College generously donates rehearsal space and a rain venue.

The Band also sponsors 50-50 raffles at every concert, bake sales, and other fundraisers.

Individuals or businesses interested in supporting the Band should contact a band member at any concert. 

The Batavia Concert Band is also excited to announce the return of radio station WBTA (AM 1490 / FM 100.1) as the Official Media Sponsor for our 2019 summer concert series!

Be on the lookout for appearance by band members on WBTA’s “Main & Center” program, where we will go into some depth about the band’s makeup and its history. Also be listening for weekly radio ads promoting the musical selections for the upcoming concerts, and announcing our weekly sponsors.

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 howard@thebatavian.com.

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 howard@thebatavian.com.

It was 1924, a world-renowned musician had a dream of creating a band in Batavia. Angelo Colarusso, a famous conductor and baritone player, formed the first Batavia Boys’ Concert Band as the conductor and instrumental instructor.

Over the next two years, the band was reorganized and called the American Legion Band. Edward Sullivan conducted the band until 1933 and was followed by conductor Angelo Zimmarino.

During World War II the group disbanded and restarted in the late '40s under the direction of Gordon Cox. Daniel Martino and Joseph Puccio were original boys' band members and continued to play through the early 1980s.  

During this time the band consisted of only 15 to 20 professional musicians. Over the next 10 years, the band expanded to include qualified adults who enjoyed playing and added advanced high school and college music students. Now the band had 40 to 50 participants.

In the '90s, the band consisted of several music teachers throughout Genesee County, several adult amateurs, and students from area high schools and colleges. The Batavia Concert Band always welcomed community musicians to join the band.

Today the Batavia Concert Band is proud to have an equal number of men and women that includes players with ages that range from advanced high school players in their teens to musicians who have enjoyed playing for 50 to 60 or more years.

Instruments that make up the band are saxophones, French horns, trumpets, baritones, tubas, flutes, trombones, and percussion.   

Members of the band learn from each other. The main objective of the Batavia Concert Band is to bring quality live band music to an appreciative audience. The band’s goal has always been to give free concerts to the public in an outdoor family-oriented atmosphere and it remains the same today.

The Batavia Concert Band programs have varied. To name a few; Civil War Concert, Music from Around the World, Italian-American Night, Irish Folk Song Suite, Marches, Jazz, Show Tunes, Plays the Pops, Polka Fest, Baseball Hotdogs & Apple Pie, Sock Hop & Cruise Night, and Swing’s the Thing.

Every band needs an excellent conductor. Returning for his seventh season as conductor is John Dailey, Instrumental Music teacher at Lyndonville Central School.

Other conductors that have led the Batavia Concert Band are, in alphabetical order: Roger Bolton, Phil Briatico, Wayne Burlison, Frank Dow, Donna Flood, Jane Haggett, Gordon Hardy, Neil Hardwick, Ken Hay, Kevin McLaud, Josh Pacino, John Ranalli, Derek Reiss, Don Rogers, Mike Rudnicki, and Skip Taylor. 

The Batavia Concert Band’s main financial support is provided by a variety of sponsors. Their main sponsor is, in part, funds from the Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered locally by GO ART! In the past, local service organizations and local businesses have supported the Batavia Concert Band.

The Batavia Concert Band also offers a scholarship to a high school graduate. Preference is given to a student majoring in Music Education or a Music major, and they must also demonstrate a commitment to community bands and music.

Every Wednesday, beginning June 26  through Aug. 7, the Batavia Concert Band will be performing at 7 p.m. in Centennial Park. They will also be at the Picnic in the Park at 11 a.m. on July 4th.

This organization has purchased their own chairs and a trailer to haul them and their equipment. If you see a musician in a green shirt with the logo Batavia Concert Band, you are looking at a musician who has dedicated his or her talent to giving you a night of music.

During the summer if you are driving down Ellicott Avenue or Richmond Avenue and you hear beautiful band music coming from Centennial Park and notice many lawn chairs on the grass, you can thank the music teachers from the area and the very talented high school and college students who are performing for your pleasure.   

They hope to keep band music alive and to continue to generate interest in band music, inspire children to study music, and encourage students and adults to continue playing, and in doing so the band will have accomplished its worthwhile goal.

Lots has changed over the years, but the Batavia Concert Band has remained a wonderful addition to the music community of Batavia. Hope to see you at Music in the Park!

Photo: File photo.