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| Mojo Hand Blues Band |
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| Want to book a private party, corporate bash, or other function? Own a tavern that's just yearning for some quality entertainment? Now's the time! We are literally swingin' with the blues! We're often booked far off into the future... Call 716-373-8880 or email the band at [email protected]m |
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| "Traditional rhythm and blues, blues, soul, and funky stuff, played by folks who be diggin' the music, for folks who be catchin' the groove." |
| Highlights: The Band has been performing regularly since October 1989. Currently, the Band plays a schedule of "Wonderland Bistros," festivals, and private parties in southwestern New York, Buffalo, and northwestern Pennsylvania, playing out of Olean, New York. The Band has opened for Johnny Clyde Copeland, Little Charlie and the Night Cats, and Earl King. The Band won WBFO's multi-round Battle of the Blues Bands Contest in Niagara Falls in 1992, competing against 23 other bands from Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Rochester, New York, as well as Hamilton and Toronto Canada. The Band's magic is defintely in the live performance - 5 cats having a good ol' time playing some great tunes with soul, dynamite lead vocals, tight ensemble playing, pocket grooves, and inspired improvisation. On the bandstand, the Band varies the feels and genres of blues, soul, and trad r&b that it plays from song-to-song, so as to provide an engaging, danceable groove that builds in intensity in each set. The Band just looks like it's having fun onstage - and it is! Words of praise: "Blistering" - Buffalo News. "Southern Tier's Best Band" - Moonwinks. "Adult professionals" - WNYMusic.com ( yikes! ). Highlight gigs include regular gigs at The Hickey Tavern (Allegany, NY, home base for Mojo Hand and home of Lou's Perpetual Birthday) and recurring gigs at the numerous festival weekends in Ellicottville, NY and other western New York communities. Come get your ya ya's out! Former band members: Bruce Monroe, Gary Guckert, John McMullen, Verdun Manross, Vince Oliverio, Jason Wedlock - thanks for the memories, guys! In fond memory of Gary Guckert (1954-2007). |
| Links to Other Places: A member of The Blues Society of Western New York. Visit the Society's web site for mucho info on the WNY Blues Scene, including a calendar of blues events and the Mojo Hand Blues Band gig schedule. WNYMusic.com = http://www.wnymusic.com/ = now has morphed into a WNY and general music forum page, with other WNY music resources, gig announcements, gear 4 sale, gigs offered / wanted etc. Bands of Western New York State = http://www.yrbook.com/music/western.htm = web page index for WNY bands Nickel City Blues, a grassroots audience-based group of blues-and-good-times-lovers! Dinosaur BBQ = http://dinosaurbarbque.com/Calendars/calendar_main.htm = the gig schedule for Rochester's and Syracuse's top blues and BBQ restaurant, the Dinosaur The Tralf - historically has been Buffalo's (upstate NY's?) premier club, featuring music and other stage events of all sorts (including, you guessed it, blues). The Tralf has been re-opened under new management, and we're looking forward to more great times here! Check the list above or check the Tralf link for the Tralf gig calendar. Well, the 25th Annual Chicago Blues Festival (June 2008 in Grant Park in downtown Chicago), the grandaddy of all of the blues festivals, is history. Here's the link to the main festival page, from which you can see performer schedules, etc. for past festivals, and planning info for this year's festival (June 11 - 14, 2009). Four days of blues on 6 stages in downtown Grant Park! Admission is free and the City blues clubs really rock with blues at night, too! Check out what's happening and make plans for a blues road trip to Grant Park! The world's biggest blues festival. To sample festival history, here's a quick link to the 2005 Official Mayor's Office Blues Festival Page. Want to know about a specific Blues Festival - Check this out - They're everywhere! Pollstar Touring Info = http:www.pollstar.com = searchable index for major musical artist touring schedules - search by artist, venue, and city The Blue Highway = http://www.thebluehighway.com/ = great site for mucho blues knowledge and links - immerse yourself in the music! Living Blues Magazine = http://www.livingblues.com = blues in a magazine format, available online or delivered to your door! Blues Revue = http://www.bluesrevue.com = the "world's largest blues magazine," available online or delivered to your door The Blues Foundation = http://blues.org = the non-profit group whose mission is to promote and preserve blues music worldwide - join 'em and vote for the Handy Award! Check out About.com's Blues Page (mucho links and stuff!) Enchanted Mountain Studio = http://www.enchantedmountainstudio.com/ Check out Chautauqua AMP for Chautauqua County entertainment. Need more? Still confused? What is a Mojo? How about a Mojo Hand? There's a great discussion with lots of lore and lyrics at Lucky Mojo...and some great blues lingo at About.com's Blues Glossary Page |
| Now, here's the straight story, from the five finger gang... |
| ( tell' em how cool it'd be if Olean were to hold an annual outdoor blues festival !!! ) |
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| Blues Quotes: "Love even after it hurts." -on the sign in front of Mt. Zion Christian Assembly Church, Olean, NY "You better start savin' up for the things that money can't buy." -from the song, "Savin' Up," by Bruce Springsteen |
| Also check the WNY Blues Society's Mojo Hand Blues Band Page for our gig calendar! |
| Band Members: Tom Barnes - The Doctor's growling tenor sax adds sass to the mix Drew Gaeta - The New Guy! Tasteful funky stylings and punchy groove guitar! So new he's still awaiting a nickname! Tim Sader - The Mighty One's precision backbeat keeps the train runnin' down the tracks Fontilla Timons - The Queen! How can sucha big sound come outa sucha small Lady? Andy Widger - The Funkmaster lays down the deep bass grooves for total blues satisfaction |
| By the way - check out the Tuesday Nite Blues Jam at the Hickey Tavern in Allegany, NY - a core of Terry Bellamy (guitar), Mojo Hand bassman Andy "Funkmeister" Widger and Mojo Hand drummer Tim Sader (the Mighty One) provide the foundation for an Open Blues Jam - regularly joined by numerous local musicians from all walks of life - musicians and non-musicians alike, bring your instruments, your ears, your dancin' feet, and your livers! Lou's probably thirsty... |
| Booking Information: |
| Upcoming Performance Schedule: |
| Messages from Mojo Hand: |
| Check out the new tunes that we've put in our set list! Is there a song you'd like to hear us play? Let us know! |
| New press photo coming soon (we hope) with the new lineup... |
| Also check out Fontilla's side project band (Smokin' Katz), gigging regularly in venues near you! |
| * * * Additional performance dates to be announced shortly!!! * * * Check back often - it's always the right time for some hot blues - come party with Mojo Hand! |
| WNY Music Events - Check back soon for updates to our choice selections from the WNY regional music calendar. Future file: Other acts TBA - check back soon! |
| Not only are we now booking club dates and private parties, we're also booking fesitvals and other events - we have a great bunch of tunes and we're confident that you'll like the current Mojo Hand Blues Band vibe ! So give us a call or an email and we'll see what we can do. We work with various-sized venues and your or our own events consultants and conractors to make your event a memorable one! Sound like a recipe for fun? |
| "Since 1990 - alive and kickin' it" |
| Not too long ago, we played a great private party catered by our friends from a local restaurant. What a great time! Enjoyed by party guests from 18 to 80! You know, if you're considering hosting a party, be it a family event, a social occasion, or a corporate shindig, we can work with you to find a caterer (all kinds of cuisine, we work with many caterers) and other party vendors (adult beverages, gifts, custom silk-screened shirts and hats, specialty DJ's to work the crowd when we're not playing, even legal fireworks with certified shooters) - now who else does that and brings the big R&B chops? Call your friends at Mojo Hand Blues Band for serious good times! |
| Well, we had a great time at the Community Festival at the Onoville Marina on Kinzua Reservoir on August 15. Mojo saxman Tom Barnes played with the band again, and opening acts Kuk & Freddie and The Hurricanes both were great, as were the closing fireworks! Mojo drummer Tim Sader filled in for The Hurricanes' absent drummer, and ex-Mojo harp player John McMullen also guested with The Hurricanes. Kudos to M&M Sound for the stage and PA. Also in the crowd was Keven Hulings (see Hugo's Home Run for details). We don't have any gigs booked currently - we'll be booking some more gigs as Tom's condition improves, and in the meantime you can go see Andy and Tim on Tuesday nights at the Hickey Tavern in Allegany, along with Terry Bellamy and a host of other musicians. |