WEEKLY UPDATE FOR OUR MUSIC FANS!

A great unofficial ending to summer with music! It started on Friday night at Brew and Brats and ended on Sunday at Rio Tomatlan.
When we are not playing our music, Siobhan and I like to get out to the venues that support us, and when possible, we also like to get out and support the songwriters who help us with our concert series. This past Friday, the stars were aligned for us to do both of these things in one spot. Creek’s Edge, a duo of Chad Ayers and Trevor Whiting, was hosting the open mic at Brew and Brats, and oh what a magic evening it was! Chad, who sometimes plays lead guitar for his brother, Brian, one of the songwriters in our series, was lighting it up with his partner Trevor. Brother Brian was there with his daughter, Jenna, and father and daughter joined Chad and brought the house down with Jenna’s unbelievably beautiful voice. Several other guests took the stage with some great music, and Siobhan and I got to jam with Chad and Brian, an absolute pleasure for us. Much thanks to Chad and Trevor for hosting a terrific open mic, and thanks to Brew and Brats for always delivering a good time to its customers and including us in its list of performers!
Saturday, we hooked up with the ubiquitous Perry Cleaveland for a high energy jam on the patio of the Canandaigua Yacht Club for its “Ring of Fire Party.” Perry, who always takes us to a higher level with our music, was right in the pocket once again. Playing our music and bantering with each other and members of the audience, we enjoyed a warm summer breeze and a beautiful vista of the lake from the hill of the club’s location. I’ve been in this situation in many spots around the lake, and it just never gets old. A big thanks to Perry for always delivering and a big thanks to the members of the club for having us so many, many times throughout the years!
Jeff Riales and Mike Wittek were our guests for our concert series for songwriters in Quiote at Rio Tomatlan on Sunday. Jeff is the quintessential songwriter of country music in our area, and he and his backup player Mike Wittek delivered another beauty for us. Although Jeff has lived in Rochester for a number of years, his song lyrics always take me back to his roots in Mississippi and other areas of the south. When I listen to Jeff’s music, I find myself meandering along a dusty country road, riding a train along the Mississippi, speeding down Highway 61 in a convertible, or listening to a sad love song by Elvis Presley. I took this journey once again, and Mike Wittek enhanced the trip with some beautiful licks on his guitar and mandolin. The audience must have been traveling with me because they responded enthusiastically after nearly every song. A big thanks to Jeff and Mike for another awesome show, Raf, Erin, Teresa, Brittany, Julie, Amy, Trevor, Chris, and the rest of the staff at Rio for helping us with our songwriters series, Scott Regan for promoting our concerts on WRUR’s “Open Tunings,” and you, the audience, for being there to support the venue!
Still reading? If so, have a great week and thanks for being in our lives!