2007 – Lucky # 7
They say that the #7 is lucky and that sure was the case for the 7th annual WNED Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival! Buffalo/Niagara came alive with the power of the guitar in all its genres – classical, rock, blues, pop, folk – from June 16-19, 2007.
Highlights of 2007’s Guitar Festival include:
Barenaked Ladies kicked the festival off with a show that was clever, fun and fantastic! It was a beautiful summer evening at picturesque Artpark on June 16 and the sold-out audience of 4200 was entertained by the witty and fun band who played many of their hits as well as new material. The WNED camera crews joined forces with VH1 to tape their performance of “One Week” which will be used in VH1’s “Top 100 songs of the 90’s”…so stay tuned to see the Guitar Festival and Artpark in the program set to premier on VH1 in October.
Blues legend Robert Cray headlined a sunny Father’s Day concert at Gateway Park in North Tonawanda. The crowd of 10,000 celebrated the summer weather with Robert and his opening acts including Tommy and the Two Tones, North American Rock Guitar Competition host Queen V (with special guest Rock Guitar Competition judge Jude Gold) and Michelle Malone. The yachts were out in full force, lining the canal, and folks who were on land had the opportunity to take a tour through the Gibson tour bus. Father’s Day in Buffalo and the Guitar Festival has become intertwined – and this was another Father’s Day to remember.
The North American Rock Guitar Competition went international this year as six of the best unsigned guitarists arrived in Buffalo from all over the world to compete for the Tommy Tedesco Award. The 6 competitors Brian Davidson (Nashville, Tennessee), Rogerio Maudonnet (Sāo Paulo, Brazil), Dan Peters (Morton Grove, Illinois), Jamie Robinson (Pickering, Ontario), Anton Tsygankov (Moscow, Russia) and Rodney VerBrugge (San Carlos, California) battled it out on the UB Center for the Arts stage before an esteemed panel of judges that included Terry Lickona, Executive Producer of the acclaimed PBS music series “Austin City Limits” and Chairman of the Board of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, John 5, guitarist for Rob Zombie and formerly with Marilyn Manson, Jude Gold, associate editor of Guitar Player magazine; Beth Marlis, the director of the Guitar Institute of Technology, Gibson Guitars executive Frank Johns and music aficionado and audience representative Kevin O’Brien. NYC rocker Queen V returned for her third year to host the Competition and joined in the final jam session that rocked the house. In the end it was 17-year old Jamie Robinson that took 1st place, making him the 7th guitarist to take the title of winner of the North American Rock Guitar Competition.
Classical guitarist Eduardo Fernandez performed before an appreciative audience at Flickinger Center for the Arts on the Nichols School campus. At his performance Fernández demonstrated why he is recognized as one of today's leading guitarists. Our classical guitarist element is always in full swing during the Guitar Festival; the biennial JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition returns next year June 9-13, 2008.
Richard Thompson closed out the 7th Guitar Festival with a bang! Thompson was named by Rolling Stone Magazine one of the Top 20 Guitarists of all-time - and it was easy to see why at the Tralf on June 19. It was great having the Tralf return to our lineup of venues this year – we missed the great space and the stellar performers that come with it!
Artist Hugo Rodriguez joined the Festival team this year when, through his paintings, the guitar leapt out of the player’s arms and straight onto his canvas. With an art show installed at WNED’s Horizons Art Gallery, traveling exhibit to Flickinger Center for the Arts for the Eduardo Fernandez show and an installation at the Buffalo/Niagara International Airport, his contributions to the Festival were welcomed and appreciated. The inclusion of an art show demonstrated that the Guitar Festival is not just a bunch of concerts but an event that fully encompasses a range as diverse as the instrument deserves.
Keeping with tradition, the Guitar Festival also featured performances by local musicians. M & T Plaza Event Series performers included the Tommy Z Band, 1st ever Rock Guitar Competition winner Doug Yeomans and his band Lo Blue Flame, longtime Guitar Fest friends Hot Guitars, Blues Roots and the Dave Constantino Band. And the Stringed Edition Guitar Ensemble welcomed visitors to the Buffalo/Niagara region when they performed at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
The 7th annual WNED Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival was produced by ESI Concerts (david b. taylor). The festival continues to receive outstanding financial and community support.
Financial support provided by Gaines Kriner Elliot, LLP, Cricket Communications, Fichte-Endl Eye Associates and a grant from Explore, NY.
Community/event support provided by The Buffalo News, Star 102.5, 103.3 The Edge, Kiss 98.5, 107.7 The Lake, 97 Rock, Gibson Guitars, Guitar Player magazine, O Restaurant and Lounge, Smokehouse Grill and Peace Bridge Duty Free
Event partners included Artpark, Molson Canal Concert Series, M & T Plaza Event Series, UB Center for the Arts, Rockwell Hall and Flickinger Center.
