This year’s festival will feature over 60 artists and will be celebrating local, regional and international talent across several venues, including Jamestown Brewing Company, Winter Garden Plaza, Shawbucks, Jamestown Wine Cellar, Labyrinth Press Company,  the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, and 3rd on 3rd Gallery. 

This year’s festivities include multi-genre musical performances by internationally touring bands, including the high energy reggae/funk rock of  Tropidelic, fresh off 311’s Caribbean Cruise. Other acts include After Funk, LeSpecial, Funktional Flow, Witty Tarbox, Company Townes, Space Junk, Qwister, Cold Lazarus, Wanyama, Vibe Supply, The LEC, Bill Ward, Cindy & the Loves, Amanda Lynn’s Shenanigans, Smilo & the Ghost, Phantasm, Feverhawk, Trip the Deuce and the special reunion show of Jamestown’s The Audience – plus many more.

Whirlybird 2019’s comedy program will be headlined by Steven Rogers. Known for his clever, clean and hilarious comedy, Steven recently appeared on The Late Show with Steven Colbert and regularly opens for Brian Regan. Local comedy team Karate Sleepover will feature a regional comedy showcase and open for Steven along with Buffalo’s up and comer Jesse Winterhalter.

Whirlybird 2019 features a FREE, all age and family friendly Street Festival taking place on 3rd street between Main Street and City Hall as well as Winter Garden Plaza, Saturday July 20 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Whirlybird Street Fest will feature four outdoor stages, 25 musical acts, the Jamestown Public Market Farmer’s Market, love painting, carving and crafting, arts and craft vendors, a beer garden, local food, kids activities, a hooping workshop and more.

According to organizer Miki Girts, Whirlybird’s mission is to strengthen the thriving creative culture of Jamestown, New York through organization and inspiration.

“Whirly brings out the best in our city in collaboration with a community of incredible people, local organizations, venues and businesses for a good cause and a great time,” Girts said.

Along with spearheading a summer music program at YMCA Camp Onyahsa, Whirlybird is also partnering with local arts events including Third Thursday at Winter Garden Plaza, Karate Sleepover Open Mic, Wine Cellar Open Mic and Pulse Poetry Slam, and Jamestown Public Market.

Whirlybird 2018 succeeded in raising and donating over one thousand dollars to local non-profit youth organizations. Whirlybird 2019 is aiming to double that donation to raise funds for the Jamestown Skate Park Project & YMCA Camp Onyahsa music and scholarship programs.

For more information, including the complete schedule of events, visit www.whirlybirdmusicfestival.com.

• MOBILE APP USERS: LISTEN HERE

Originally airing Friday, March 1, 2019.

WRFA’s Jason Sample welcomes the members of Qwister in the studio for an interview and live performance.

Qwister is:
Ryan Melquist – Lead Vocals / Harmonicas / Rhythm Gtrs / Science
Nate Mahaffey – Lead Guitar / Bass Guitar / Vocals
Alexander Devereaux – Drums / Percussion

More info:
www.facebook.com/qwister/

Qwister (from L to R) Alexander Devereaux, Nate Mahaffey and Ryan Melquist

PAST ARTS ON FIRE LOCAL ARTIST FEATURES

• [LISTEN] Arts on Fire – Cold Lazarus in the Studio – Feb. 22, 2019
• [LISTEN] Arts on Fire – Musician Mike Brunacini – Feb. 15, 2019
• [LISTEN] Arts on Fire – Amanda Barton w/Benny Ernewein – Feb. 8, 2019
• [LISTEN] Arts on Fire – Kings Express in the Studio – Feb. 1, 2019
• [LISTEN] Arts on Fire – Musician Will Russell – Jan 25, 2019
• [LISTEN] Arts on Fire – Chris Lee of Desecrator – Jan. 18, 2019
• [LISTEN] Arts on Fire – Sean Lander from The Hallow Society – Jan 11, 2019
• [LISTEN] Arts on Fire – Juli Bessey from Flossie & the Gunslingers – Jan. 4, 2019

Image courtesy of Great Blue Heron Music Festival website, http://greatblueheron.com/wp/.

SHERMAN, NY – The Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman will get underway on Friday with thousands of music fans expected to be on hand.

In recent years the Heron has featured more local acts from Chautauqua County and that continues this year.

Local performers scheduled to be on hand include Big Leg Emma, Smackdab, Sean Patrick McGraw, Bill Ward and Amanda Barton, Ken Hardley, The Bogarts, Uncle Claude’s Band, SYMBA, Qwister, the Elektra Kings and more.

Other featured acts include Donna the Buffalo, the Town Pants, Driftwood, Los Straitjackets, Jimkata, and Big Mean Sound Machine – which is making its Great Blue Heron Debut.

A complete lineup of musical acts can be found online at the Blue Heron website.

The great blue heron begins Friday and wraps up on Sunday.

Weekend passes are $80 through Thursday, and $90 at the gate. Daily tickets are available at the gate only: $40 for Friday or Saturday and $30 for Sunday.

For online tickets and more info: http://greatblueheron.com/wp/

The Bogarts

JAMESTOWN – The final Third Thursday concert of the season will take place Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Winter Garden Plaza on North Main Street.

The final installment of the free outdoor concert series will feature local bands Qwister and the Bogarts with support from the Buffalo-based band Aircraft. Third Thursday is made possible through a collaboration between the Active Artist Alliance and the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation.

Just over five years ago, the JRC oversaw the demolition of the long-vacant Winter Garden Theater and the installation of the small urban park that has become a gathering space for a variety of community events including the Great Jamestown Chalk Walk and the Great Jamestown Sauce Off.

Funding for the Third Thursday concert series is coming this year from a newly launched JRC program, the Downtown and Riverfront Event Competition. The program accepts event proposals on a rolling basis “that draw visitors and local residents to enjoy community assets, patronize local businesses, and add vitality to public spaces” according to the program’s guidelines. More information about the program and how to apply can be found here on the JRC Web site.

[WRFA’s Jason Sample interviews Shane Hawkins from Infinity during a recent episode of Arts on Fire]

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. – Local music fans will once again descend upon downtown Jamestown to show their support for music and arts education in Chautauqua County. The eleventh annual Local Music Showcase (LMS) is set to take place on Saturday, Sept. 6 at ten participating venues with all proceeds once again going to Infinity Visual and Performing Arts.

“LMS is our biggest fundraiser of the year, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to support instruction costs at Infinity,” explains Infinity Executive Director Shane Hawkins.

This year, the fundraiser is even more important than any other year. In October 2014, Infinity plans to begin their new program year in a new, larger location in the ground floor of the Lynn Building, 301 E. 2nd St., Jamestown, NY. The renovation’s budget for the new Infinity Center is $222,000. Updates and more information about the progress and capital campaign for the renovation project can be found at wwww.Infinity2014.com.

Hawkins adds that each year LMS is only made possible through collaboration between local businesses, musicians and volunteers.

“This event would not be possible without the support of the local venues, business owners, local musicians, sound technicians and the team of over 60 volunteers that donate their time each year to make this event possible.” Hawkins says. “All of the ten participating venues this year and many of the performers and volunteers have been strong supporters of LMS every year. It’s a wonderful community effort to support arts education and local music, and a terrific night of local entertainment.”

Because LMS is the program’s single biggest fundraiser of the year, Hawkins says support from the entire community is crucial, especially with repeated and wide spread funding cuts to arts and youth programs the past few years.

“It’s important that the community understand that much of our program relies on donations and fundraising efforts like this one,” says Hawkins. “Currently, just .2 percent of our operating budget comes from government-related sources, while nearly ten percent comes from fundraising events like LMS. Attending fundraising events, or supporting Infinity with a tax-deductible donation helps us continue to make this wonderful program and network of mentors available to more of our community’s children.”

The cost to attend LMS is $10, which will pay for an all-access wristband that allows attendees admittance into any and all participating venues. Pre-sale event tickets can be purchased at Infinity Visual and Performing Arts Center at 115 3rd Street and exchanged for wristbands the evening of the event. Wristbands can also be purchased the evening of the event at participating venues.

Infinity is also seeking volunteers to help out for a couple of hours at various venues. Anyone who volunteers gets a pass for the entire event. For more information on the event or to volunteer, call (716) 664-0991 or visit www.infinityperformingarts.org.

THE LINEUP

Brazil
6:00- Alex Kates
7:00- Rob & Karen Suber
8:00- Doc & Bill
9:00- Davis & Eng
10:00- 6 to 12

Cibo
9:30- Bill Ward & Amanda Barton
10:30- The New Tenants
11:30- Skeletons
12:30- Ryan Kinal

Forte
10:30- Velvet Cabbies
11:40- John C. Merino
12:50- Gary & Jay

Infinity
6:15- Jake & Sarah
7:15- Infinity Saxophone Ensemble
8:00- Collective Groove

Jamestown Skate Products
6:00- Buddy McGrupp
7:15- DJ 80n3 feat. M-Dro
8:30- Little Sea Bird
9:45- WAKE
10:25- Plug

Mojo’s
6:00 – Reverend Adam and The Smooth Cruisers
7:15- The Distractions
8:30- The Elektra Kings
9:45- We Speak Canadian
11:15- Uncle Claud’s Band
12:45- Blind Society

Shawbucks
9:00- Qwister
10:00- Big Leg Emma
11:00- The Bogarts
12:00- Thee Audience
1:00- Smackdab

Studio Theater
6:00- Stephanie Benson
7:15- Amanda & Sara the Greatest
8:30- Sean Lander
9:45- Dalton Lanphere
11:00- Joshua Reuter

The Pub
6:15- Dave McDonald
7:10- Andy White
8:05- Steel Rails
9:00- Will & Sara
9:55- Adam Gould
10:50- Ben Bracey
11:45- Kris Meekins
12:40- Tony Flint

Wine Cellar
7:15- Ryan Melquist
8:30- Cindy Love
9:45- William Petransky
11:00- Brian Hanna and Scott Horton
12:15- Joey Cobra

ABOUT LMS: The Chautauqua Region Word newspaper organized the first Local Music Showcase, which was held in 2004 in Bemus Point, N.Y. In 2006, the event was moved to downtown Jamestown to accommodate the increased number of bands and musicians who were interested participating. All proceeds collected from the benefit have gone directly to fund arts education at Infinity Visual and Performing Arts, Inc.

ABOUT INFINITY: Infinity Visual and Performing Arts, Inc. is dedicated to building the resiliency of our community’s youth by providing unique opportunity through access to the arts. More than a place, more than a program, Infinity is a chance for youth to become immersed in arts and learning, to take creative risks, and to discover their infinite potential. To learn more or to donate, visit www.infinityperformingarts.org.