When: Sunday at 8:00PM
Web: savannahjack.com
From playing honky-tonks on lower Broadway in Nashville, to opening arena dates for John Fogerty, Vince Gill, and the legendary Kenny Rogers, Savannah Jack has honed their skills as outstanding live entertainers who captivate audiences from the very first note. The trio’s extraordinary three-part vocal harmonies, superior musicianship, and fresh, new sound is poised to take country music by storm.
Hard work, determination and sacrifice have paved the way for Savannah Jack’s launch. The trio, comprised of Don Gatlin, Mike Ulvila, and Jay Darby, formed in 2004 and has toured both nationally and abroad ever since. Each member of Savannah Jack fronted other bands in Pennsylvania, Montana and Florida, respectively, prior to casting aside individual aspirations and hitting the road hard as Savannah Jack.
Exceptional songwriters as well as versatile musicians, all three members infuse their individual style to collectively create Savannah Jack’s unique sound. Easily taking the lead on vocals in their live shows, each comes from a musical family and has been singing and playing their individual instruments from a very young age. Their musical influences range from Ronnie Milsap, The Gatlin Brothers, Kenny Rogers, and Restless Heart to The Beatles, Tom Petty, and The Eagles.
“It’s kind of funny how each of us have all come from different areas to arrive at the same place at the same time,” said Ulvila. “We all get along really well, and we’re like brothers.” A native of Kalispell, Montana, Ulvila is an extremely talented and diverse musician, who is proficient on a myriad of instruments including drums, saxophone, fiddle, bango, mandolin, guitar, and keyboards. Ulvila co-wrote four songs on the new album.
“Being on the road with these guys is really a blast,” mentioned Darby, who plays both bass and acoustic guitar. “Don is like a light switch that’s always on – there’s never a dull moment.” Born and raised in Florida, Darby started out playing the drums at age ten, while his brother played the guitar. He sold his drum set to buy his first guitar but continued playing percussion in the high-school band.
“We truly are like family…we have a lot of fun on the road and you never know what we’ll do next,” said Gatlin, also a gifted songwriter. Gatlin grew up in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, where he started singing for his neighbors for twenty-five cents or a piece of bubble gum. His mother was a talented singer who had the opportunity to open for her heroes – Kitty Wells and Wilma Lee Cooper. Gatlin co-wrote nine of the album’s twelve tracks.
Savannah Jack’s self-titled debut album was recorded at the famed Blackbird Studio in Nashville with such-world class musicians as Steve Ferrone, John Jorgensen, David Santos, Paul Franklin and Steve Nathan. For several of these musicians, this album was the first Nashville project they have been associated with. An incredible line up of songwriters contributed to the debut disc including Billy Montana, Tim Johnson, Will Robison, Rhean Boyer, Steve Dean, and Rob Crosby.
The first single from the record, “I Know,” is one of its crowning glories. Co-written by band member, Don Gatlin, with hit writers Billy Montana and Rob Crosby, the song says what every man wants to say, and what every woman wants to hear. “The first time we played “I Know” live and exploded into the first chorus, we knew this song was special,” commented Gatlin.
Recently signed to Nashville-based McMurry Records, Savannah Jack possesses the tightest harmony of any group to come along in recent memory. It is obvious that the band loves making music and is having a blast, whether they are performing in a small venue in Nashville or playing in front of thousands of people in sold out amphitheaters across the country.
If you haven’t heard them yet, better get on board and get ready for a ride. If you don’t, you don’t know “Jack” . . . SAVANNAH JACK.
When: Wednesday at 4:30PM
Web: facebook.com
Cam, Max, Mike and Nick met at the Jam Session School in Kent, Ohio. They clicked because they all can't get enough REAL rock and roll. Nick and Mike are skilled guitarists, whil Max and Cam make up the rhythm section. Cam stays behind the drum set, but his voice takes center stage. NoMoJo succeeded Stimulus and has been together in different forms since 1008. Mike and Nick joined the band and immediately saw success as NoMoJo earned its way to the Final Exam of the Tri-C high School Rockoff at the Cleveland House of Blues! They currently feature covers of Aerosmith, ,Led Seppelin, Queen, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cream, The Who, and more plus their own killer original tunes.
In the past year, NoMoJo has played large festivals and auditoriums, small clubs, outdoor events, fundraisers, weddings, private parties and Lock 3 Park in downtonw Akron!
When: Tuesday at 8:30PM
Web: myspace.com/zivus
Ziv (the person/group founder) was born in Israel and moved to LA when he was 5. He has been writing songs his whole life. He sings, plays piano and plays guitar. As a former solo artist, Ziv worked mostly alone to write, produce and record 2 studio albums and 1 acoustic album startingt with the release of Fearless (2005). He has sold nearly 15,000 CD's independently. In the midst of that workload, he would find time to set up his battery powered PA and perform solo acoustic sets all around LA>
After a 2 year recovery from severely overused vocal cords, Ziv slowly trained his voice back to health and released his second studio album Paper and Sound (2008). Not long after, Ziv started looking for a steady group of musicians that would stay with him instead of the hired guns he had been working with up till then. A tough task in the notoriously jaded LA music scene. After juggling spots for a bit, a group of talented, dedicated and mostly sane musicians fell into place. Josh, from SOuthern Califormia, plays bass an dinsgs backgruond, and Mark a recent transplant to LA from Croswell, MI, plays drums. Together they form the alternative rock band that resides in Los Angeles when not on tour.
ZIV is now working on their third and highly anticipated album being released June 1, 2011 and is soon to be heading off on a four month tour across the central US.
When: Friday at 8:00PM
Web: brightersideband.com
The Brighter Side Band consists of four young, multi talented musicians. They play beyond their years and like to start off each show by letting the audience know “We’re No Boy Band…”. The quality of music they produce is exceptional given the limited time they have been playing together. The band has been playing venues throughout NE Ohio since June 2010. Members range in age from 14 to 18. The youngest is an 8th grade middleschooler; the oldest a freshman in college. Fuad Farah at age 14 is the second youngest of the group but only by three months; he plays lead guitar and saxophone. Fuad is followed by Jake Friel, also 14, who handles the vocals and plays harmonica. Noah Simionides, bass player, age 15 also plays upright bass, cello and piano. The oldest musician of the group, Keith Wilson II, age 18 plays piano and drums. All of them attend different schools in the Stark County area. The group met in 2010while participating in a music education program sponsored by the Canton Chamber of Commerce of Ohio, “Blues in Schools”.
The band came together because each of them shares a mutual love of the blues. To the band, the blues has a tone and a style like no other form of music. They remain true to the blues genre while putting their own stamp on each and every song they perform. The Brighter Side version of “Room to Move,” by John Mayhall, has numerous other blues classics buried in it. The band has composed an original, “The 755.” It is a slow blues grind with hot guitar and a train-like harmonica riff.
Jake’s harmonica skills and soulful vocals are unexpected in someone so young. When he starts to sing it is difficult to remember he is only 14 years old. His deep feel for the blues is apparent in his harmonica playing and gruff vocals as well as his knowledge of the artist and history of the tunes. He puts his personality into the music with harp riffs and solos in unexpected places. The vocals alternate with hard blasts of harmonica over the steadily chugging guitar, bass and drums. Fuad has only been playing guitar for two years, but it sounds more like twenty. He freely admits that playing guitar “is the most fun I can possibly have”. Fuad is featured on almost every song and he goes into “the zone” every time. Noah is a skilled musician in classical and jazz bands and loves taking everything he knows from the piano, cello, upright bass and packing it into the bass guitar. At 18 years, Keith is the oldest band member and the only member with a driver’s license! Keith is an accomplished drummer and has been awarded a percussion scholarship at the University of Mount Union. He keeps the boys in line with a steady hand and smooth beat. Keith says “ I love driving the bus and watching these kids go crazy!” These four entertainers have formed a very deep fun-loving friendship. It is obvious that they like each other and enjoy playing together. Their attitude is contagious to the audience.
The Brighter Side has many influences, soulful blues, boogie blues and rock-n-roll. Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, J.J. Cale and the Blues Brothers are some of the artists that the band admires. The Brighter Side has played professionally throughout NE Ohio months during the past year. They back to the community by playing for veteran’s groups and charity events. They have been an opening band for several local blues bands as well.
Vocalist and Harmonica Player - Jake James Friel age 14
Lead Guitar Fuad Farah, age 14
Keyboard & Drums - Keith Wilson Jr., age 18
Bass - Noah Simionides age 15
When: Saturday at 7:30PM
Web: mattstillwell.net
Matt Stillwell has managed, in this age of American Idol and viral videos, to build his following the old-fashioned way--one city, one club, one crowd at a time. Now, with the release of his new CD, Shine, fans nationwide can experience the magic that Matt brings to bear every time he steps in front of a microphone.
Shine showcases the qualities that have brought him to the threshold of national attention--the songwriter's knack for finding the truth in any situation, the vocal chops to do justice to the joy and passion in each song, and the ability to take an audience on a roller-coaster of emotion and leave them better for the ride.
Matt, best known as a performer with a rowdy sense of fun, opens his sophomore album with the title-track "Shine," an anthem to the joys of the Mason jar and the moonshine produced in places like Matt's beloved western North Carolina. It's a song in a league with some of modern country's best sing-along anthems, and it is the perfect starting point. There is also "Whiskey Well," about the process of turning heartache into a party, and "Dirt Road Dancing," celebrating the outlook that says the music should be loud, the drinks cold and the men and women single and rowdy.
Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll find Matt's keen eye for the nuances of love and loss, and the twists and turns of a good story. There is "Somewhere Between Me And You," with its unblinking look at a relationship gone wrong, "Go Away," dealing with the aftermath of lost love, and "Moment Of Weakness," a harrowing look at temptation and the decisions that change everything. Matt, who wrote five of the album’s ten cuts, also demonstrates his ability to make a song his own, as he captures all the longing in Ryan Adams' "Oh My Sweet Carolina."
Shine showcases a performer who can be rowdy and side-splittingly funny as well as passionately engaging, and for whom music is simply an extension of his personality.
His lifestyle at first was a Spartan one--just him, his car, his guitar, and the couches of friends in towns across the southeast. Soon word spread, the crowds got bigger, and he began opening for acts like Luke Bryan, Lee Brice, Chris Knight, Zac Brown and Corey Smith, and working festivals with the likes of Trent Tomlinson and Jake Owen.
Matt’s recent affiliation, however, is not with an artist but with Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine. The marriage has given Matt the opportunity to headline “field parties” that help him and his fans live out his rowdier material. "I want to do the big field parties and the intimate little clubs,” says Matt.
“I want to do the me-and-a-guitar thing and I want to work more with a full band.” His big dream brings it all full circle. “Someday I'd like to sell out the Ryman for a gig that was just me and my acoustic guitar,” he says. “I think that would be the ultimate gig ever."
Gig-to-gig and night-after-night, Matt continues to attract followers with his charming good looks and earnest passion for entertaining. Without a doubt, Matt is as simple, smooth and pure as the moonshine he sings about. So sit back, take a seat or take a sip, and get ready to watch Matt Stillwell truly shine.
When: Sunday at 4:30PM
Web: spectra-entertainment.com
Introducing "OLD SKOOL" Motown Sound Explosion!
Five entertaining men from Dayton, Ohio. The same city that gave the music world Ohio Players, Heatwave, Shirley Murdock, Lakeside and Roger Troutman.
TOUCH is Dayton, Ohio and the Midwest's number one "Old Skool" and "Motown Sound" vocal group, NO ONE DOES IT BETTER!
TOUCH has been entertaining and delighting audiences all over the country
for over a decade. Their energetic dance performances and engaging personalities have brought many an audience to their feet. TOUCH has shared center stage with Al Green, The Spinners, Percy Sledge, the Isley Brothers, Dennis Edwards' Temptations Revue and the legendary Ray Charles.
With TOUCH singing smash hits from artists such as: The Four Tops, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Marvin Gaye, The O' Jays, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, Luther Vandross, The Commodores, and much more!
The "Old Skool" Motown Sound Explosion featuring TOUCH!
When: Wednesday at 3:00PM
Web: singingangels.org
The Singing Angels, founded in 1964, is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to youth development through the highest level of artistic achievement in the performing arts. Proudly rooted in Cleveland, Ohio, and run by a committed Board of Directors, the group has traveled the world, visiting 31 countries on three continents. Thousands of young people have become youth ambassadors, star performers and stronger citizens as a result of their Angels training.
When: Thursday at 8:00PM
Web: acemolar.com
Featuring Fox News Channel 8 personality Todd Meany, Ace Molar plays a wide variety of covers from the fifties through the millenium, so you'll hear everything from Folsum Prison Blues to Paralyzer.
When: Sunday at 2:00PM
Web: voicesofohio.com
THE VOICES OF OHIO performs a wide variety of traditional, and contemporary choral music. Our repertoire includes music that celebrates the American heritage and spirit. With a variety of spiritual hymns, Broadway show tunes, pop, rock, blues, traditional and patriotic music are all included in THE VOICES OF OHIO songbook.
During the past four decades, members of THE VOICES OF OHIO have entertained millions of people. They have delighted audiences throughout the world, be it the Grand Concert Halls of Europe, the White House Rose Garden, “The Great White Way” in New York City, or in the prestigious “Tournament of Roses Parade”.
Recently, The Voices of Ohio were featured performers on the "Kenny Rogers Christmas and Hits Tour", the Millersport Sweet Corn Festival, Barnesville Heritage Celebration, Willard, Ohio Summer Concert Series, Dynamite National Showcase, Ohio Department of Natural Resources at The Ohio State Fair and for Governor and Mrs. Ted Strickland at the Governor's Residence.
Our talented choir members represent several generations and come from all walks of life. As diverse as the music they sing and perform, their love of music, friendship and dedication have brought them together again for your entertainment pleasure.
It is due to our common history that we say:
“Come Hear Us Again, For the First Time!”
When: Tues.-Fri. at 6:30PM
Web: brianbrenner.com
Elvis Presley is more popular today than at any time in history. In the world of entertainment, Brian Brenner stands alone as the most authentic and exciting Elvis stylist in the business.
For over 15 years, Brian has thrilled audiences nationwide with his electrifying salute to the King of Rock & Roll. Brian is careful to portray Elvis in a manner that is dignified, respectful and historically accurate, paying strict attention to every detail. The result is as amazing as the image and illusion of Elvis comes alive in the most genuine creation ever staged!
Brian is an accomplished performer who has performed at venues across the country. From showrooms, corporate events, fairs, festivals, car shows and private events, Brian brings audiences a newfound sense of appreciation of Elvis' music. His carefully crafted tribute reminds us of why Elvis is America's best-loved icon.
When: Wednesday at 8:00PM
Web: tandrich.com
"T" and Rich (Theodore Dylewski and Rich Gallo) are a high-energy dueling piano team based out of Cleveland Ohio. "T" has been performing his dueling piano show since 1993, and Rich since 1999. Together, they have been performing at private parties, weddings, and corporate events as the "T" AND RICH DUELING PIANO SHOW since 1999.
We have one of the largest repertoires in the dueling piano business, and we pride ourselves on continually adding new songs!!! This show features the greatest popular songs from the 50's through today in a variety of musical genres. Along with all of the traditional classic sing-a-long songs such as "Brown Eyed Girl", "Margaritaville", "American Pie", "Piano Man", "Crocodile Rock" and "Old Time Rock and Roll", we also have an extensive repertoire of country, R&B, modern rock, polka, disco, classic rock, dance, alternative, hard rock, and even rap music. There is literally something in our bag of tricks for even the pickiest audience member, male or female, 8 through 80... ...And the audience always "steers" the direction of our show through their song requests and interaction.
We are not your typical party band!!! To say that "We play the pianos and sing songs" would simply be an understatement. Non-stop audience participation and interaction is the cornerstone of our dueling piano show! We encourage the audience to sing-a-long, clap-a-long, drink-a-long, and submit requests of their favorite songs and artists. Our dueling piano show itself consists mostly of high-energy party songs delivered with a comic twist. But there's even more - our show also includes a seemingly endless slew of comedy routines and novelty numbers. We even bring audience members (alone or in groups) to the stage for dancing or for some good-natured ribbing and roasts.
Unlike a typical band, we NEVER use a set list, and no two shows are ever the same - the show is created literally on-the-fly - using a combination of audience requests and our personal arsenal of songs - songs that will have everybody singing, partying, and drinking!!! Our rapport with our audiences insures that our show is always custom-tailored to the crowd's musical tastes.
When: Thursday at 1PM & 4PM
Web: recesskidsband.com
Recess is a classic rock kid's band from Cleveland OH, who gained worldwide recognition in April 2009, for a video performance of Journey's "Separate Ways" recorded at a performance at Great Lakes Mall in Mentor, Ohio for the 11th Annual Kids Show. Yahoo.com featured the video on its front page, and the video received over 700,000 views within a week, becoming a worldwide hit overnight. See the article in the Cleveland Plain dealer about Recess
here.
The video was mentioned on national TV and radio broadcasts such as Rachael Maddow of MSNBC, WABC TV in New York, 97ROCK in New York, and others stemming across the US. Locally on channel 19 Action News, Q104 with Wilde and Fee, and WDOK 102.1, as well as many other internet sharing sites.
The band features 10 yr old vocalist, Vincent Fondale, 12 yr old Alex Raz on guitar, 10 yr old Joey Samson on drums, 13 yr old Anthony Fondale on Keyboards, and 12 yr old Alexis Shook on bass. Vincent and Alex were also featured on Yahoo.com's front page in 2007, and their video's since then have had over 3 million views on youtube and yahoo video. Recess' live performances have shocked and amazed crowds all over Northeast Ohio in the summer of 2009.
Mini-celebrities in their own right, collectively the band has already racked up over three million plays on YouTube from their covers of Journey songs during live performances around Cleveland, including one which had Terry Stewart in the audience (President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame). Both Alex and Vince were involved in the heavily publicized "Cleveland's Got Talent" competition, with Alex taking the top nod... but Vince scored his own coup a couple of weeks ago, singing the National Anthem at a Cleveland Cavaliers game.
They also performed in front of thousands for ESPN 990 Radio at the Cruise-On-In & Dance Party in Massillon, The main stage at The 6th. Annual Rock N’ Resort Music Festival, Golardifest for Big Chuck & Little John and have amazed the crowd with their talent.
When: Friday at 4PM
Web: adamcalvert.com
Adam Calvert from MTV Taking The Stage grew up in Southeastern Ohio and moved to Tennessee at the age of 12 and was a youth performer at The Country Tonite Theatre for 3 years. He then became the host and singer at The Jukebox Junction Theatre in Chattanooga ,Tennessee at the age of 16. He moved to Cincinnati,Ohio to attend the School of Creative and Performing Arts as a vocal major. He was also on MTV Taking The Stage (season 2). He has been singing since the age of 5 at benefits ,fairs ,festivals and special events. He has opened for major recording artist like Martina McBride , James Otto, B.J.Thomas and more as well as being the headliner for events. He is a singer, and songwriter and is very happy about his latest song he wrote for his grandma with uterine cancer. The song he hopes can raise money for cancer research. Adam loves to help out at benefits. He plays piano and guitar.
He loves acting and modeling and music is his passion. He is the new face of Rue 21 Carbon Elements Cologne.
Adam is busy in the studio working on his new album.
Adam is doing limited shows during the summer of 2011. He has a talented band to back him up or he can do a acoustic set. Also new this year he has put together a great bluegrass band for special events.
When: Monday at 7PM
Web: newcenturybeatniks.com
The New Century Beatniks started out as a 3-piece band in 2000, playing many local venues and also traveling as far as Willoughby, Twinsburg and southern Ohio. Having periodic guest musicians throughout the years, they’ve recently expanded to a 5-piece band and continue to play as both the 3-piece and 5-piece bands for many various occasions. All of the members originally hail from Berea or surrounding cities and several of the members still call Berea home.
Most of the members have been in rock bands since the 70’s, including Stairway, Unknown Stranger, The Millionaires, The Cleveland Boys, and Love Affair, who had a regional hit with Mama Sez. The multi-talented musicians switch instruments throughout the evening, and all of the members sing lead and back-up vocals, and many songs are done with 4- and 5-part harmonies.
Most of their unique song selection is from the 60’s, but also includes music from the 70’s to today. Many of the songs make you sit back and say, “ahh, I remember that time in my life when that song was out”.
When: Saturday at 3PM and 6:30PM
Web: geaugafair.com
The Great Geauga County Fair Band is Ohio's oldest and only all-volunteer band. Formed in l938, the band performs everyday at the fair and throughout the summer at select venues.
The Band has a collection of trophies housed at the fairgrounds in Burton, OH, and still boasts two of its original charter members as active members. They are: Barbara Ricca of Newbury - 67 years - Trumpet and Betty Palmer of Aurora - 66 years - Trombone.
The Band was first organized by Cliff Rossiter after the 1936 Fair, under the direction of Azro Cheney, with high school band members and other musicians from around the county. The forerunner and inspiration was an All-County high school band, under the direction of Raymond Dehnbostle, which played during the 1930s until 1936.
The Band became known as the official Geauga County Fair Band and played at the Geauga County Fair in 1938 and has played at every fair since that time.
The band has had members from seven counties in northeast Ohio: Geauga, Lake, Portage, Ashtabula, Trumbull, Cuyahoga, Lorain, plus several other Ohio counties and states and has played in many area communities.
Over the years, more than one hundred members have participated in the band, including many members of area families, and in many ways the Fair Band has become like one large extended family. Today, the Band has about forty to fifty active members.
The band director is Greg Hillis, a member of the French horn section for ten years. Greg has music degrees including a Masters in Music from Kent State University and has taught band in public schools.
Other musical acts will include:
- Catholic School's Orchestra (Thursday at 1:30-PM)
- Voice Variations
