Write a commentC's Beverage Center returns in 2013 to again sponsor the C's Beverage Center "Veteran's Stage" at River Walk West. Plenty of additions are being brought to River Walk West in 2013, which has been a staple venue at Harborfest for over two decades.
C's Beverage Center and Farm Market, located in Oswego, has been a longtime supporter of the festival and will welcome some of the best local and regional acts to the "Veterans Stage" again in 2013.
Things get under way at 11 a.m., Friday morning, with the return of the "Battle of the Bands" concluding at 2:30 p.m.. There will be categories for groups and single artists and all contestants must have been younger than 21 years of age as of December 31, 2012. In addition to posted cash prizes, the winning group will perform a 45-minute set on the C's Beverage Center "Veteran's Stage" at 11:45 a.m., Saturday, and the winning solo act will perform a 30-minute set at 12 p.m., Saturday, on the Labatt Blue Light Jazz & Blues Stage. Complete guidelines will be loaded to the Harborfest website by May 1.
After the "Battle of the Bands" competition ends, things get underway Friday afternoon at the C's Beverage Center "Veteran's Stage" with the local group, the Brian Wheat Band. This Indie folk rock group has been influenced by distinctive writings of such groups as Credence Clearwater Revival and Neil Young.
Next up on the stage will be Amanda Lee Peers and The Driftwood Sailors. This group plays with a rock 'n roll swagger and a raw edged honkey-tonk groove. They have been compared to the Black Crowes and opened for Bruce Hormsby in 2012.
The final act of the day will be Pete Witham and The Cozmic Zombies, with their rockabilly / psychobilly blazing original root music. Witham's songs combine witty lyrics, theatrical delivery and a heavy dose of chicken plucking stomp.
The line-up of acts Saturday on the C's Beverage Center "Veteran's Stage" is also made possible by the sponsorship of Community Bank, which opened a new branch in Oswego in July of 2012 and quickly became an Historic Trolley Sponsor at last year's festival.
The first act to take to the stage Saturday will be Colleen Kattau and Some Guys. Kattau is a bi-lingual singer-songwriter with Latin American roots along with rock and folk. Along with sax and bass accompaniment, Kattau and Some Guys deliver the goods in concert.
Next up is Williams Road, a group composed of members with different musical backgrounds, from the classically trained to the self-taught. Together they produce a solid and distinctive blend of folk, roots, indie and Americana music.
The next group to take the stage is Dapp, who is the singer, songwriter, bassist and front man for his four piece "frunk" band. In a relatively short time, he has built a reputation for the spontaneous and improvisational style of his funk/rock and jam-pop songs and performances. Their free-style jam sessions, brought together by tight arrangements, have made Dapp a crowd favorite wherever they perform.
The fourth and final group courtesy of Community Bank on the C's Beverage Center "Veteran's Stage" Saturday will be Von Shakes. They are a Dublin Indie rock and roll band with a bit of punk edge and a lot of furious guitar and hard pelting drums in their sound. With their gloriously impassioned sound, great vocals and catchy lyrics, they have been busy touring the northeastern United States since spring of 2012 when they came to New York City from Dublin after a history of playing the best venues in their native land.
Harborfest winds down on Sunday but there are still two great acts on the C's Beverage Center "Veteran's Stage."
First up is Bread and Circuses. This Indie American rock band formed by singer/songwriter John Axtell, has a rotating cast of musicians both live and in the studio. The group with roots in the southwest has expanded their appearances to include west coast and east coast destinations. The band plays a unique hybrid of musical styles, with songs that run the gamut from up-tempo stomps and gritty rockers, to down-tempo desert blues jams.
The busy weekend on the stage concludes with regional rock band powerhouse Stone Soul Foundation. With dynamic and powerful lyrics, guitar riffs and heart pounding drums, the group creates original blues injected with heavy rock and metal. Their sound is familiar to Black Sabbath with elements of funk. Their sound is a relatable on many levels with a style reminiscent of the great 70s classic rock and metal, yet maintaining a fresh and relevant sound for today's music enthusiasts.
Any updates in acts or show times will be posted when they are finalized. Harborfest takes place July 25-28, 2013.
