One month until the official day of Summer...We know it doesn't seem like it but it's true!

Celebrate Erie 2010 Headliners Announced

Celebrate Erie is the biggest event of the year. People play their year around the weekend of food, shows and mostly he music that comes into town…the announcement of weekend’s headliners is talked about predictions are made around dinner tables and bar stools and people send their wishes to the mayor’s office hoping that their favorite band will be chosen.

This week, event organizers announced the musical lineup for Celebrate Erie 2010 which is scheduled for August 19th through 22nd

On Friday night the 1980’s will be on stage with the founder and former lead singer of the legendary band Styx, Dennis DeYoung takes the stage. After leaving Styx, due to creative differences, DeYoung toured on his own with a new band including Tom Sharpe, August Zadra, Jimmy Leahey, John Balsucci and Craig Carter. He also released a new CD titled One Hundred Years From Now in 2009.

Saturday night the Gin Blossoms will be taking center stage. Fueled by mega-hits including "Hey Jealousy," "Found Out About You" and "Til I Hear It From You," Gin Blossoms completed the classic crossover from college-circuit heroes to multi-platinum album sellers. Congratulations I'm Sorry, which was released in 1996, was the Blossom's final original album of the decade bringing them two more hits … "Follow You Down" which spent ten weeks in the Top Ten and "As Long As It Matters" which earned the group a Grammy nomination for "Best Performance by a Duo or Group." The album debuted in Billboard's Top Ten and a year of touring helped put the record past 1,500,000 units sold.

Lastly on Sunday the originator of the Red Neck Yacht Club, Craig Morgan, will be filling out the weekend. Morgan’s full-on personality made him well-suited for the military. He spent 10 years on active duty in the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions, and goes overseas to perform USO shows every chance he gets. "Sometimes you walk away feeling regret: that I should be there with them still," he says. "But I’m starting to appreciate what I can do now for those men and women outside of being a soldier. Doing stuff for the USO will always be a priority for me." Morgan received the 2006 USO Merit Award for his involvement, joining the likes of Steven Spielberg, Elizabeth Taylor, and Bob Hope as a recipient.

Theatre Returns To The Renaissance Building
Mrs. Markham promises to be a hit

By Rob Taylor

This last weekend I had the chance, rather let me say the pleasure, to go down to the Renaissance Theatre, formerly the Director’s Circle Theatre, located on the second floor of the Renaissance Building at the corner of 10th and State Streets. The United We Stand Theatre Troupe took over the room and set up a very, very, very funny play called Move Over Mrs. Markham.

Mrs. Markham is a British comedy (They do seem to do a lot of those in Erie) which means that there is a very dirty underside to the humor and it doesn’t take a lot of effort to find it.

Well, here is a brief idea what the play is about. It takes place in the apartment of Joanna and Philip Markham (Dorothy Pawlowski and Brent Catherman). They have a slightly “poofy” (although he denies it) interior decorator named Alistair (Jeffrey Schroeder) who wants to sleep with the maid, a business partner and his wife (Tom Hinman and Heidi Pecoraro) who want to sleep with other people and lastly a virgin author (Christine Pawlowski) who thinks that sex is disgusting….all that and that isn’t counting the two other people who show up for sex.

To put it simply if you try to keep track of who’s trying to sleep with who, who everyone is pretending to be and who is trying to get dressed…you have just GOT to see Alistair’s underwear… you will get the whole gist of the play and it will be impossible to keep from laughing and I mean laughing hard. You’ll probably end up with a headache but I could not think of a better way to get one.

For those of you who have read my reviews over the years you know that I think that A3’s actor Dave DiCola is the best funny man in town, especially when it comes to British humor. Well, guess what! There is a new challenger to DiCola’s title and he is Jeffrey Schroeder who played Alistair. I have got to say that his timing, physical acting and humor and his talent were every bit as good as DiCola’s. My dream, or maybe fear, would be if someone casts the two of them together. I don’t think the world could survive.

Another actress to watch in this production is Mrs. Markham…Dorothy Pawlowski. I don’t know what it is about her but she is a joy to watch, her energy was constant, her timing was perfect and she made me smile every time she opened her mouth. Yes, her performance was THAT bloody good!

Now, the production wasn’t perfect….a theatre performance never is and the worst thing I can say about Move Over Mrs. Markham is that one person’s accent bit the big one. I am not going to ID the person here. I would not want to embarrass them but, as a fan of British theatre, to me it was annoying. Other than that it was an excellent show, the cast was enjoyable, I laughed my arse off and for the first time I actually heard real British slang in a show!!!! What more could you ask for?

Now, the Renaissance Theatre is hard to get to…you have to find a place to park, walk to the building, take an elevator to the second floor and walk down a long hallway but trust me seeing Move Over Mrs. Markham is well worth all the effort.

Move Over Mrs. Markham is scheduled to run on May 21, 22, 28 and 29th at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and I would recommend calling early to get seats. I can pretty much promise that there are going to be a ton of people wanting to see this show. For tickets call 814-490-7933
 

Erie Children’s Museum Class Registration Open

Provide children the chance to explore the world around them by getting their hands dirty with science and art related topics. Each RAZZMA consists of mini-lessons based on the theme, hands-on activities, stories and a small snack. Each child will also receive a free RAZZMA KID t-shirt to wear!

All RAZZMA camps are for children ages 4-10.
Classes are from 9am - 12pm.
Pre-Registration is required. Register by calling 453-3743. Classes are $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Class fee includes a small snack.

Penguin Paluza
Monday, June 28th or Wednesday, July 21st
Penguins are more than just cuties in tuxedos! Did you know there are 16 types of penguins in the world? Come dive into the world of penguins as we discover what they eat, how they stay warm, places they live and more!

Forest Friends
Wednesday, June 30th or Monday, July 26th
What things live in the forest? We’ll learn about all living and non-living things that live in the forest. We’ll talk about our furry (and not so furry!) friends as well as animals that live below the ground. We’ll also explore the trees and plants that surround the forest.

Grossology
Monday, July 12th or Wednesday, July 28th
When you crack your knuckles are you really cracking anything? Are there hiccup cures that actually work? Based on the book series by Sylvia Branzei, we’ll explore really gross things about our bodies.

Express Yourself
Wednesday, July 14th or Monday August 2nd
Bring out the artist in your child! Children will explore many art mediums, textures and methods to express their inner artist. We’ll use paint, clay, fabric, tiles and more!

Puppet Power
Monday, July 19th or Wednesday, August 4th
Want to foster your child’s imagination? Puppets are a fun and great way to get those creative juices flowing! We’ll not only learn about and make different types of puppets but we’ll create our own puppet play using the expERIEnce Theater.

Kick off to Kindergarten
Wednesday, August 18th or Monday, August 23rd
Transitioning into Kindergarten can be very frightening for some children. We've decided to help them with the transition by helping them learn all about kinderten and what to expect. We'll practice forming lines, listening for teacher cues and we'll even practice getting on and off the bus and bus safety.

**Minimum of 5 kids required to hold the class. Please register at least 3 days in advance. If classes need to be canceled due to lack of enrollment, you will be refunded any deposits made. If you are registered for a class and must cancel for any reason, the expERIEnce Children’s Museum will keep $2 for every class registered.

For more info check out www.eriechildrensmuseum.org

Skate Or Buy 2 - Benefit for S.E.E.D.I.S ERIE

Date: Friday, May 21, 2010
Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm
Location: 2189 Skateshop 2601 Peach Street 2nd floor

The S.E.E.D.I.S Group’s mission is simple, neighborhood improvements brought forth by events, and activities geared toward young adults within Erie’s various communities. They believe there is a desire among many in our area that we could do more as a community to bring about positive changes in our city.

The S.E.E.D.I.S Group is comprised of several young adults with a common vision inspired by their collective backgrounds, experiences, and travels. Their plans include several events in the Erie area over the next few years with room for expansion in the future. Amongst their collective are local business owners, talented musicians and top notch visual artists.

They have several events planned for the coming months. All of which they feel pull from some of the strongest movements amongst young people today. They intend to inspire positive attitudes, creative expression, and pride for ones surroundings. They believe Erie has undiscovered talent growing right here at home waiting to break through the surface.

Their intent is to provide an avenue for local and regional talent to flourish.

For more info click here or email seedis@gmail.com

Downtown Bike Nights Start Thursday Night
By Rob Taylor

On Thursday May 20th Downtown Erie will resemble Sturgis rather that the city we know and love when State Street fills with Harleys, Hondas, Indians and every other kind of motorcycle you can imagine,

The annual bike night will stretch from 12th Street down to 4th Street and, going by past events both sides of the street will be lined with bikes. There will also be the sounds of bands, the smell of food and partying at every bar on the street and it will not be hard to save money while you are enjoying yourself since a large number of bars, clubs and restaurants on State Street are going to be offering specials throughout the event.

Bike Night runs from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM and there is no charge to attend. One thing though…get there early to make sure you find a place to park. This is a big event and it is very popular and if you get there too late it may be hard to find a place downtown to park.

Grammy Winner Set To Play Erie

On Wednesday June 2nd at 8:00pm Terrance Simien will bring everything that is Creole to Nelson's stage on 11th and state Street.

For more than 2 decades Grammy award winning artist Terrance Simien, 8th generation Louisiana Creole has been shattering the myths about what his indigenous Creole Zydeco music is and is not. Leading his Zydeco Experience Band, Simien has become one of the most respected and internationally recognized touring and recording artists in roots music today. He has performed over 5000 concerts, toured millions of miles to over 40 countries and reached at least a million people during his eventful 25 year career.

At the young age of 18 Simien began touring professionally and by 20 he was sharing the stage with Fats Domino and Sarah Vaughn at the Bern Jazz Festival. It just exploded from there and Terrance remains a pivotal part of Zydeco music history. When he began his career in the early 1980's there were only 2 emerging bands touring nationally: it was only the young Terrance and Sam Brothers who were perpetuating the traditional indigenous zydeco roots music of their forefathers. He is critical to the "renaissance" of a music genre that was in jeopardy of dying off. Clifton Chenier had passed away in 1987 and by the end of the 1990’s all of the Zydeco pioneers had also died, leaving Terrance as one of the most gifted and knowledgeable artists to carry the Zydeco music torch. His success is earned; not inherited.

Simien is blessed with an extraordinary talent that expresses the deepest human emotions through the original instrument: The Voice. His eclectic fusion of Zydeco takes you on a multicultural musical tour of the world. Incorporating diverse music styles he creates a hypnotic blend of Zydeco-roots-New Orleans funk-reggae-flavored-Afro-Caribbean-world music that will force you out of your seat and onto the dance floor. He has found a way to express himself as a relevant and evolving artist who remains reverent to his roots and musical legacy. His live performances have garnered him a level of international success and his fully engaged audiences around the globe have become more Zydeco Experienced than ever before!

During the past 25 years Simien has shared studio and stage with Robert Palmer, Stevie Wonder, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, the Meters, Alan Toussaint, Paul Simon and Dave Matthews Band to name a few. He has been featured in dozens of films, including the blockbuster hit “The Big Easy”, TV movies and commercials. His music has been heard on public radio, FM and NPR syndicated radio shows, Voice of American and satellite radio heard by millions worldwide. His recordings have been praised by Rolling Stone, Billboard, other notable music industry publications and major daily newspapers. His extensive discography dates back to vinyl 45’s! Since his debut on a major rock label in 1991, he now has a total of 7 full length CD’s and dozens of compilations and guest appearances.

In 2005 he became the first Zydeco artist to perform in Cuba for the US State Department. In 2006, Carnegie Hall sent him and his group to Mali, West Africa to present “Creole for Kidz & The History of Zydeco” as part of a unique distance learning program entitled Global Encounters. 2007 offered another global opportunity and a rare Creole cultural exchange and tour with the US State Department to Mauritius, Rodrigues and Seychelles where he connected his own Creole culture with the indigenous Creole population of these countries. He and his band were the first American artists to perform in Rodrigues, a country of 40,000 people with a Creole culture still in alive.

He has received countless awards, grants and recognition for his artistry as well as his contributions to help raise the professional standards by mentoring his fellow and emerging artists about the music industry. He worked closely with HBO producers on and was seen in the HBO documentary film “The Music in Me: Children’s Recitals from Classical to Latin, Jazz to Zydeco.” In 2008 Simien became a spokesperson for the State of Louisiana Office of Tourism and is featured in national television commercials and print ads. In December of 2009, Disney released a new Pixar animated film, “The Princess & The Frog”, set in New Orleans, featuring their first black princess, scored by Randy Newman and features the music of Simien, Terence Blanchard and Dr. John to name a few. 

Simien, along with business partner/wife was successful in establishing a new Grammy voting category in 2007. In 2008 he opened the Grammy pretelecast awards ceremony with a 10 minute performance. Later that day he received his own Grammy for “Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album” at the 50th annual awards!

Keep your eye out for more details about this event in upcoming issues of E R I  Jams.