Thursday, January 17, 2008

Chautauqua County Music Scene

Cab Drivers To Debut In Sherman This Weekend
 The Cab Drivers will debut at the Grill in Sherman on Friday night. The new band is a combination of the Porcelain Bus Drivers and the Velvet Caabbies. Submitted photo
1/17/2008 - There are parties-a-plenty in Chautauqua County this weekend. Thrill-seekers should have no trouble finding a rock show or other celebration in most any municipality.

Whether it's the Lakeview's anniversary in Mayville, the Cab Drivers debut in Sherman or the countless rock shows happening in the greater Jamestown area, don't miss what's sure to be a memorable weekend because being a couch potato requires less effort.

¯ SPOTLIGHT ON THE CAB DRIVERS — A side project of a side project, the Cab Drivers will debut this Friday night at the Grill in Sherman.

Though seemingly new to the local music scene, the Cab Drivers includes members of both the Porcelain Bus Drivers and the Velvet Cabbies — which itself is an offshoot of the Porcelain Bus Drivers.

''Jamie Smith and I have been doing the Velvet Cabbies for about a year and a half now,'' said former Porcelain Bus Driver Andy Conti in a recent e-mail to Late Night Spotlight. ''It's a good time and you get personal with the audience because you're right there and it's quiet. However, once in a while I get an itch to be plugged in and loud again, so that's where I proposed the Cab Drivers.''

An acoustic act, the Velvet Cabbies are known for playing intimate venues like the Pub and the Good Time Saloon. Inversely, the Porcelain Bus Drivers have developed a dedicated following as a party band during the last six years and continue to play large clubs in the area regularly.

Joining Conti and Smith as Cab Drivers will be Porcelain Bus Drivers members Mark Scapelite on drums and Chris Raffa on bass.

''The Cab Drivers is more like the Porcelain Bus Drivers in the early days. It's classic rock on the pop side, with a few originals sprinkled in,'' Conti said. ''From the Beatles to Weezer, there is quite a variety that we do — as we have been playing together for more than 10 years and know countless songs.''

¯ THE PLACE TO BE THIS WEEKEND — Chautauqua County residents have two chances to see a genuine Nashville star this weekend, as Dunkirk native Sean Patrick McGraw will play Mojo's in Jamestown tonight and the Lakeview in Mayville on Friday.

A 1989 graduate of the Fredonia School of Music, McGraw has been making a living as a singer/guitarist and bandleader in recent years. In 2004, McGraw made it to the semifinals as a contestant on the USA Network's ''Nashville Star'' and more recently, his work caught the attention of Country Music Television — which made him the focus of the short-length documentary ''Ten Days On Tour'' in 2006.

Though a regular at places like the Lakeview this past summer, McGraw is playing new venues throughout Chautauqua County. Tonight's show at Mojo's will be his first time playing the East Second Street bar.

''It's kind of a weird venue for us because they certainly don't think of themselves as a country bar,'' McGraw said about Mojo's. ''But they absolutely do think of themselves as a place for original music, so we're going to go in there and play two hours of my music without all the country covers.

''We play venues as often as we can that aren't country venues,'' McGraw continued. ''We're not especially alternative county. I like to think that we're a little bit more mainstream than that, but we're not the lowest common denominator either. People who just like any kind of good rock 'n' roll or good pop are going to like what we do.''

Both tonight's show at Mojo's and Friday's show at the Lakeview will feature McGraw's full band. For the Lakeview, McGraw's Friday performance is only one in a series of performances celebrating the hotel, restaurant and bar's second anniversary. Kicking off the weekend with a performance by Bill Ward tonight, the Lakewood will have sets by DJ Felony throughout the weekend, McGraw on Friday and That 80s Hairband on Saturday.

¯ METAL AT THE MOOSE — Five area bands will play the Falconer Moose Lodge on Saturday. The all-ages show begins at 3:15 p.m. and will feature Mighty Fine Stab Wound, First Step Fall, Kaeolyn and Everything & You. Admission is $5 or $3 with a canned good donation. The Falconer Moose Lodge is located at 11 South Dow St. in Falconer. For more information, visit MySpace.com/TheAviators69.

¯ FIVE MORE THINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND — In need of entertainment ideas for the coming weekend? Dig the following suggestions:

5. Two For Flinching will play the Bullfrog Hotel on Friday. 4. New Orleans musician Larry Dillon will play the Docks in Mayville from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday. 3. Midas will play Yesterday's in Lakewood on Saturday. 2. Pressure Sensitive will play Carol's Silver Dollar on Saturday. 1. Lazlo Hollyfeld will play Mojo's on Saturday.

¯ MOVIE(S) OF THE WEEK — The Reg Lenna Civic Center will show ''Lars and the Real Girl'' at 8 p.m. on Saturday, while the 1891 Fredonia Opera House will screen ''August Rush'' at the same time.

Written by Six Feet Under scribe Nancy Oliver, ''Lars and the Real Girl'' stars Academy Award-nominated Ryan Gosling as a loveable introvert unable to fully embrace life. When he confuses a blow up doll with a real woman, his friends and family play along.

Starring Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, ''August Rush'' is a modern fairy tale of sorts about two lovestruck musicians separated by a disapproving parent and reunited by their wunderkind offspring.

A second screening of ''August Rush'' will be shown in Fredonia at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The 1891 Fredonia Opera House is located 9 Church St. and can be reached by calling 679-0891. The Opera House Cinema Series with ''Lars and the Real Girl'' on Jan. 26 and 29. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.

Other films to be screened at the Reg this winter include ''For the Bible Tells Me So,'' ''Hunting Part,'' ''Gone Baby Gone'' and ''Bella.'' For specific dates and times, visit www.reglenna.com. Movies at the Center is a series sponsored by J.W. Reality & Development. To contact the Reg Lenna, call 484-7070.

¯ DELICIOUS DRINK(S) OF THE WEEK — Three Olives Vodka comes in a variety of interesting flavors (chocolate, watermelon), but bar none the best is its grape — which is best when mixed with Sierra Mist and cranberry juice.

However for a shot, try chilling the vodka and mixing with a Splash of triple sec, a splash of lime and a splash of cranberry. In terms of proportions, the vodka should outweigh the three other ingredients combined in a three-to-one fashion. So, if you and three friends are going to try the shot, combine three full shots of the vodka with a shot of triple sec, lime juice and cranberry combined.

Dubbed ''Whiff of Grapeshot'' by my most-trusted mixologist, Dan the Man, the mixture takes its name from a high school history lecture about Napoleon. In 1795, Bonaparte was serving in Paris when royalists and counter-revolutionaries organized an armed protest against the National Convention. He repelled the attackers, later boasting that he had cleared the streets with a ''whiff of grapeshot'' — which is a type of anti-personnel ammunition used in cannons. Instead of solid shot, a mass of loosely packed metal slugs is loaded into a canvas bag. Grapeshot can also be improvised from chain links, shards of glass, rocks and other items. There's really no relation to it being an alcoholic drink.

¯ COMING NEXT WEEK — Next Saturday may be the last time the Mayville Shows crew holds a hardcore concert at the Hartfield Bay Cafe. ''We are in desperate need of a good turnout to lift our morale about booking shows,'' the group said in a recent MySpace posting. ''This could be the last Mayville show ever. It's sad to say, but true.'' Beginning at 5 p.m., next week's all-ages show will feature Bearathon, Stillframe Sky, Everything & You, Kaeolyn, Alexandria and Mighty Fine Stab Wound. Admission is $6, The Hartfield Bay Cafe is located at 6040 East Lake Road in Mayville.

¯ QUESTION(S) OF THE WEEK — Tori Spelling played nerdy girlfriend Violet Bickerstaff on what late 80s and early 90s sitcom about high school students? Or name the ''Golden Girls'' cast member who was born on this day in 1922. In answer to last week's questions, Bill Kirchenbauer played Coach Graham Lubbock on ''Just the Ten Of Us'' — a late 80s ''Growing Pains'' spin-off. And Pat Benatar celebrated her birthday last week, born Jan. 10, 1953 as Patricia Mae Andrzejewski.

///

Nick Dean is a staff reporter at The Post-Journal. Comments on this column can be sent to ndean@post-journal.com. Suggestions and items for submission can be sent via e-mail or by calling the newsroom at 487-1111, ext. 251.
 
For more information on Chautauqua Lake Real Estate & Living visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com

 

No comments: