City Gallery and PACA Present "Harmony and Blessings Music Weekend"
Blues and Jazz acts find a soft landing at local gallery
BEGINNING SATURDAY, AUG. 5
After the announcement that the 2023 Erie Blues & Jazz Festival would be canceled, local gallery and music venue City Gallery stepped up to host Blues & Jazz headliners Schleigho, along with some of the region's best musical talent. City Gallery is working with their neighbors at the Performing Artist Collective Alliance (PACA) to open up their building to host this large-scale event.
The open space on the ground floor of PACA will host the live music, with a capacity to fit a few hundred people. They are having a stage installed and have hired professional sound engineers to ensure that the whole weekend sounds just right. They are able to do this in part due to the generosity of Mark Tanenbaum and PACA, as well as some local sponsors who have already donated, including Adam Williams at Rust Belt Business Law, Brock Allen at Tech Tank, The Richard Chapman Family, and Dovetail Gallery.
City Gallery co-owner Stephen Trohoske said, "We had the opportunity to do this, and we've had the opportunity to host people from all over the world, so this seems like the right place to host this event." Along with live music the festival will feature food trucks, and drinks from Altered State Distillery and Erie Ale Works.
On Saturday Aug. 5, the festivities begin with the State St. Jazz Trio at 4 p.m., followed by Bobby Zankel's Wonderful Warriors of Sound from Philadelphia, and headliners Schleigho, the Acid-jazz/Funk ensemble, who announced a 30th anniversary tour with a stop in Erie (initially at the Blues & Jazz Fest) performing at the Harmony and Blessings Music Weekend.
Schleigho was formed in 1993 at the Berklee College of Music, drawing inspiration from a blend of acid-jazz and funk, while playing instrumental and improvisational jams. Schleigho made a name for themselves throughout the 90s by extensively touring, often making stops in Erie. They built a loyal fan base here, so it's no surprise that they added our city to their limited itinerary – stating "we love playing in Erie, we have always had some of our best shows there." Schleigho has played sporadically since 2004 with the only regional performance being just over a decade ago when they performed at Night Lights Music Festival in Sherman NY in 2012.
On Sunday Aug. 6, beginning at 2 p.m., there will be a Jazz/Poetry/Percussion session, followed by Erie's own Tony Grey Trio at 4 p.m. Wrapping up the festival will be the Buffalo Afrobeat Orchestra (Featuring Preach Freedom) at 7 p.m.. They are a diverse 14 piece ensemble that comprises members from the bands One World Tribe, Outer Circle Orchestra, The Rockaz, and many more.
While Saturday's performance has an admission price of $20, Sunday's performance is a suggested $10 donation. However, with City Gallery and PACA keeping the culture of blues and jazz alive in Erie, a higher donation could secure more events like these in the future.
Saturday, Aug. 5 at 4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 6 at 2 p.m. // PACA and City Gallery 1505-1507 State St. // Saturday, $20 // Sunday, $10 donation // All ages // For more info: facebook.com/citygalleryerie
