Music filled the streets of downtown Jamestown on Saturday night from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Eight downtown venues participated in the ninth annual Local Music Showcase featuring 40 musical acts. For a mere $10, attendees could acquire a neon wristband allowing them to enter each concert, provided they had appropriate I.D. for the over-21 venues. All proceeds benefited the programs at Infinity Visual and Performing Arts Inc.
Participating venues included Mojo's, The Pub, Labyrinth Press Company, Forte, The Wine Cellar, Suburban Blend, The Reg Studio Theater and Infinity Arts Cafe. Though it originated in Bemus Point, the Local Music Showcase has been held in downtown Jamestown since 2006. In 2011, the Local Music Showcase raised $8,000 for Infinity, and it constitutes the primary source of fundraising for Infinity, which is located at 115 E. Third St., Jamestown. Infinity offers a variety of music lessons and other arts related programs for local youth, or anyone who loves music.
Article Photos
Above, Hi-Fidelity plays at Suburban Blend while skaters practice their tricks in the bowl.
P-J photos by Nicholena Moon
Vanessa Weinert, board member of the Arts Council for Chautauqua County, has been volunteering for the showcase for two years.
"The Infinity program is a great program that helps our area youth in a way that a lot of the other programs don't meet their needs," she said.
Hi-Fidelity, a four-piece rock group founded in Jamestown, has been participating in the showcase for three consecutive years. The group, whose members consist of Dave Meger, Aaron Young, Colin Braeger and Kenny Hultin have been playing together for six years, with the exception of Hultin, who is relatively new to the band. The musicians had only good things to say about Jamestown's music scene and the showcase, praising the friendly atmosphere and musical variety.
"It's cool to see people just walking back and forth to different venues, friends seeing each other, it's just great," said Hultin.
"It gets a lot of bands a lot of exposure that they might not normally see, just because there is a lot of people walking around downtown," added Meger.
The band, which mainly plays shows in the Jamestown area, expressed gratitude towards and fondness for the area.
"I would say that the Jamestown music scene has been overall very giving and very gracious to us, and we really enjoy playing here," said Braeger.
Overall, the atmosphere was a positive one on Saturday night. Businesses threw open their doors and neon signs lit up the street.
"What I love about this is you see all these people around you walking around downtown for a great cause," said Weinert. "It's going to just keep getting bigger and bigger each and every year."
"It's the one night that music can take over Jamestown," said Meger.