By Robby & Sherman Wilkens
By: Robbie & Sherman Wilkens - Our Ellicottville Entertainment Writers
For the last weekend of August, we will have Another Day in Paradise, a tribute to Michael Kerns, which is one of the best parties Ellicottville experience’s every year. This is a Rotary sponsored Gourmet Cocktail Party event taking place at 6:00 PM this Saturday by the John Harvard/ Cabana Bar/ Holiday Valley Pool Complex between The Tamarack Club and Holiday Valley’s Club House Chalet. The food is sponsored and produced by most all or our local restaurants and clubs. There will be music by The Pirate Dreams Band producing warm thoughts and warm breezes. Tickets are available at $65.00 each from any Rotary member or at the front desk of The Inn at Holiday Valley. This will truly be a very FUN time. We also have some very sad news for this coming week. From an Email we received it appears that The Double Diamond may be shutting down. So what we have listed in this article may not happen. We shall see.
With the dog days of summer winding down, also remember we still have really fun golf available at both Holiday Valley and Elkdale Country Club. Just call either course, make a tee time, then get out and enjoy what our summer time has to offer.
Moving on to the music and other fun stuff; starting today Friday August 26, 2011 through Thursday September 1, 2011 we will have thirteen bands, three DJ’s two sound system events plus several food and beverage specials happening here in our neighborhood. The sound system music events will be going in Madigans and The Depot all the hours both are open. In Madigans the bartender on duty will be making the tune selections. The Depot is still encouraging their customers to bring their personal recorded music and if it works in The Depot’s system, all will get to hear it.
Our live music parade begins at 7:00 PM Friday in Balloons with The Stevie Project, Joseph Michael Mahfoud, who is The Stevie Project, does this really fine tribute show featuring the music of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Besides the excellent cover tunes of Stevie Ray, Mr. Mahfoud does several more smokin blues tunes. Therefore, if the blues are your thing, Balloons will be the place to be this Friday evening. Following The Stevie Project, DJ Curly Haired Mad Mike Brady, The Music Magician will be calling the music shots in his normally fun way from Balloons sound booth, complete with his version of user friendly chitter-chatter.
Returning to 9:00 PM on Washington Street, The Gin Mill will have RT Live in house. RT is Rod Tucker from The FAR Band version of The Weekly Notice Band that performs in The Gin Mill every other Thursday. For this gig, Rod will again be solo and will feature tunes that have a country music sound or flavor.
Friday’s music rounds out with Victims of Fate doing a 9:30 PM gig in The Double Diamond. Normally this is a three-piece contemporary, classic, blues to pop rock band playing some original with select cover tunes in a very hi-energy and crowd friendly style. For many of their Double Diamond Gigs, Joey Gilroy has been a band member. They are fun and will create another wonderful Double Diamond music night.
Moving on to Saturday, which will be a six band evening, we begin at 5:00 PM in Balloons with The Tommy Z Band. Tommy Z, one of Buffalo’s most recognized blues singer, songwriter and guitarists along with his band will be playing many original tunes that carry the true meaning and feel of the blues along with the stories that accompany them. Tommy has been a Balloons regular for many years and he just seems to get better each time. This will be another wonderful Balloons Saturday show. Following The Tommy Z Band, the world’s most disoriented DJ Chatty Frank Watson, The Party Monster” will be set up in Balloons sound booth doing his version of party continuation with his off the wall sense of humor, endless chatter and fun tune selection creating even more good times in Balloons till close.
Then at 6:00 PM Another Day in Paradise, which was noted earlier in this article and featuring Pirate Dreams Band will begin at Holiday Valley’s Cabana Bar.
An hour later, 7:00 PM Saturday, Chris Maloney, an acoustic folk rock to country singer, will be performing in The Silver Fox Steak House. Chris is a new act for Ellicottville and will be a neat addition to the venue of The Silver Fox.
Moving to 9:00 PM Saturday we will have two bands performing. First The PUB in Great Valley will have a very neat performance by Roll The Dice. Brian and Freddie of The BFD version of The Weekly Notice Band are part of this country to classic rock band that is fun and will be good time listening for The PUB patrons.
Also at 9:00 PM back in the village The Gin Mill will have The Blue Rocket Trio, another new one for Ellicottville, on their music stage. A quote from Blue Rocket’s web site, “their music style is a blend of rockabilly, country, blues, swing and surf sounds that come together in one of the most spirited sets of good time rockin’ music you will hear”. Wow The Gin Mill will be jumpin, for sure, this Saturday night.
As is usually the case The Double Diamond will round out the weekends music at 9:30 PM Saturday with Shakey Ray and The Cobalt Blues Band. Shakey Ray, has been in the past, an acoustic delta blues duo, doing an excellent slide guitar and harp blues show. Their music and sound has always been blues you can feel all the way to your soul. This will be another wonderful Double Diamond blues Saturday night.
After a quiet Sunday, we now move to our regular weekly fun stuff line up. The fun starts at 6:30 PM Monday on the Ellicottville Brewing Company’s out door patio with The Blue Mule Band doing their blue grass with heart show.
Monday is also the evening of a couple of dinner specials like The Gin Mill’s all u can eat spaghetti and garlic toast dinner for only $6.99. An excellent meal that Big Ray and all of The Gin Mill spaghetti fans really enjoy.
Around the corner on Monroe Street, Mike Brady will be hosting Balloons Monday evening of pizza & twenty-five cent wings. Stop in Balloons say “Hi Mike”, then enjoy the dinner specials and maybe even throw some darts.
Monday evenings’ good times continue on Monroe Street in The Double Diamond where MONDO MONDAY, Ellicottville’s only All Original Music Experience, usually begins around 10:00 PM. The Reverend Jack Darfazet, The Polish guru of foolishness & silliness creates this night of original music, frolic and general fun. As usual, the guru will be joined by the golden child, Craig Dwyer, on drums making this Double Diamond night even more fun.
Also at 10:PM Monday, depending on the weather and character availability, Madigans up-stairs party & patio bar will have Punk Rock Patio Monday” happening. Pat Morgan of DJ wrong crowd usually calls the shots and tune selection for this interesting Madigans evening of punk rock Music.
With Trivia Tuesday over we now move to Wednesday at 8:00 PM, when The Gin Mill will have Joe Wagner and John Winston doing their acoustic folk to southern rock music show featuring tunes from the folk era of sixties through the eighties and beyond done in their own folk rock style. Joe and John’s music, plus The Gin Mill’s Wednesday super food & drink specials, will create an excellent mid-week break.
Thursday rounds out our week, at 8:00 PM, with The Weekly Notice Band rockin The Gin Mill. This weeks version of The Weekly Notice Band will be The Brian & Fred Duo or if you wish The BFD Band. This fun duo really puts on an excellent Gin Mill Music Show. So, as we say every week, Brian and Rod may alternate or occasionally both join Freddie, There by, making The Weekly Notice Band unique, and fun every Thursday.
C U Round The Music Scene Good Stuff No Worries
