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CARLY KNASZAK
Assistant Reverb Editor
Music is a big part of Fredonia’s culture. Every weekend there are live bands playing at local bars spanning all types of genres. Last weekend was dedicated to blues music as Fredonia hosted its 20th annual Red, White and Blues Festival.
Friday night only gave a taste of what music was in store for the festival. Saturday, the events started early in the afternoon and continued late into the evening.
But the headliner of the event was who everyone came to see. Tinsley Ellis played in Barker Commons in a tiny pavilion as fans waited under tents in the pouring rain.
Ellis is well-known in the blues genre. He has released 17 albums and has played thousands of shows. Ellis has been featured in Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times.
How could a small town get such a big name to come play at a local blues festival? Co-chairperson of the festival Larry Fiorella said it was one of the easiest things he has done for this year’s festival.
“I was sitting in my desk working at my office on a Saturday morning, and I just emailed his booking agency, and Sunday I got a response. It was so easy,” Fiorella said. “The agency was like, ‘Ellis is available that weekend; why don’t you just get in contact with him because he will do it directly with you.’”
Fiorella booked Ellis in less than a week.
The event featured over ten bands, and they were all booked through the bars.
“Usually the bars will connect with the bands directly and a lot of them are repeat bands. They have been playing here for years. Two or three of them are new this year. Old Main Inn hasn’t been involved in years, and I got them back this year,” Fiorella said.
Mother Nature decided to run her course on the festival; it downpoured for the whole day. But that did not stop Ellis. He and his three-piece band played two sets. Fans were dancing in the rain and cheering him on.
For such a small setting, Ellis sounded like he was playing for thousands of people. He and his band powered on through the storm.
Ellis took a moment to notice the distance between the crowd and the pavilion, joking, “I feel so far away,” since there was a mini flood between the band and audience.
“You come down here!” a fan shouted.
Ellis laughed and said “I’ll have to cross the moat to get to you.”
The funding for the headliner came from the local businesses that the festival solicits as well as the Fredonia Chamber of Commerce.
Even though the festival is huge for Fredonia, many college students do not attend.
“The only time we get a lot of student traffic here is if a professor requires it for a course. Typically the Red, White and Blues Festival is for the older crowds,” said Mary-Jane Starks, who is also co-chairperson for the festival.
“It is about bringing the community together and putting on a good show,” Starks said.