Photo credit to Joe Gustafson

Chautauqua Lake Pops

Bemus Bay Pops Migrates to Mayville 

The article below, in part, was written and published in the Lakeside Ledger by Judy Shuler on 04/19/2019.

Music is transforming; it can carry us to another time and place. Can music also transform an entire community? Dan Dalpra believes it is so.

After a year hiatus, Bemus Bay Pops has migrated around the lake to Mayville and has become Chautauqua Lake Pops. Their summer season opens on June 29 with a return performance by the Absolute Journey Tribute Show.

Dalpra and his wife, Sue launched the Pops in 1998 to celebrate Labor Day with a concert on the roof of their restaurant, the Italian Fisherman. The Bemus Bay Pops Orchestra performed and an estimated 4,000 showed up on lawns, decks and boats. After five years they moved off the roof and onto a floating stage.

In 2003, the summer concert season was expanded from one major Labor Day concert to a summer concert series on Saturdays and Sundays. Over the years it continued to add weekly events.

When Dalpra sold the Italian Fisherman he sold only the property and assets, but kept his Italian Fisherman corporate brand.   The Pops Organization is a separate not-for-profit 501C3 corporation. The new owner didn’t see it as part of their business plan. Dan spent the subsequent year scouting new locations. This year the floating stage will reopen behind the Mayville Depot Museum.

"Destination Mayville will be our new theme .. Home to the Chautauqua Lake Pops!"

"It won’t affect access to the community Lakeside Park. Mayville is really poised for expansion and development. They will become the new gateway to the lake. I think the Village of Mayville will be a great partner. The Mayor and Village board have worked hard helping to bring this to fruition", said Dalpra.

Chautauqua Lake Pops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. “We’re looking forward down the road to showcasing our great local talent. It will be called Locals on the Lake.” He also envisions making the floating stage available for local events like weddings and graduations.

There will continue to be free programs. The M&T Bank “Lake Night at the Movies” returns Tuesdays at dusk. Bemus Point United Methodist Church will continue to lead Praise on the lake on Sunday mornings throughout the summer season.

For the Pops concerts there will be different tier pricing. Sponsor seating will be available for people or companies sponsoring a show. There will be a limited amount of reserved seats at $20. For the bring-your-own-chair general admission open area at $15.  All shows are professionally produced by Raven Sound of Erie who has worked with the Pops for many years.

Dan encourages people to patronize nearby restaurants, but they are also starting out with food trucks for those wanting a snack at a concert. Mazza Chautauqua Cellars will offer wine and beer. While he seeks to provide “an affordable way to bring the family out,” ticket prices do not begin to cover costs so they continue to seek contributions and sponsorships.

“It’s interesting that many of our summer visitors are very supportive and generous with financial support. They get it and realize the important value culturally and economically this program brings to the region", says Dalpra.

As more funds become available he’d like to bring ever-bigger performers. And he’d like to get a sponsor to bring back the water ski show .. “That’s on our bucket list!"

The arts are widely recognized as good for business for creating jobs generating business revenues and making communities tourist destinations. “Good attractions draw people.” That creates need for hotels, shops, restaurants, and businesses. And that’s how you revitalize and rebuild communities, Dalpra believes.

Many tribute bands like Brass Transit are making a return appearance this summer. “They have connected with all of us in a way like a close friend .. coming home", said Dalpra.

For years the Bemus Bay Pops has had their own orchestra made up of professional musicians gathered from Chautauqua Institution, Buffalo, Atlanta, Cleveland and Pittsburgh for just a day. They come together Saturday morning rehearse for a few hours and play the show that night. John Marcellus, Professor Emeritus of Trombone at Eastman School of Music and principal trombonist for the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra has been the Pops musical director since 2012.

The Labor Day weekend symphony concert will be topped off with massive fireworks. “If you get a good night with the night sky full of stars and boats in the foreground, it’s magical,” said Dalpra.

I witnessed this in Bemus Point on many Pops summer evenings.  It was truly .. magical.

MAKE IT MAYVILLE .. 2021

Be Safe.

Pat Locke

Maestro Muse

                                                           

Jackson Rohm was a guest judge for the Chautauqua Lake Idol singing contest at the Bemus Bay Pops in 2008. I recently reached out to Jackson and he kindly gave me this beautiful quote.


"I had such a fantastic time judging the Chautauqua Lake Idol and was pleasantly surprised by the talent of the contestants, particularly the younger singers.  The crowds came out in force for those events on the floating stage.  The heart of Bemus Point was the ideal summertime place for friends and families to gather.  It was wonderful to get together on a warm Monday evening to enjoy an entertaining show as the sun went down in the background over our beautiful lake."

Jackson is an American country/pop musician.  His music is best described as acoustic-based pop/rock with hook-laden melodies. Jackson was born in Jamestown, New York and currently lives in the San Francisco area.  Though he lives on the West coast he returns home each summer to perform for his family and lifelong fans/friends in Chautauqua County.  In fact, he wrote a song that is my favorite entitled Blow Off the Afternoon.  In the song's lyrics reference is made to a bay on Chautauqua Lake called Dewittville Bay and a boat which is an antique wooden vessel made by the Century Boat Company.  The company was founded in 1926 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  In 1928, the company moved to Manistee, Michigan where it stayed for more than 60 years.

Rohm graduated from Southwestern High School.  He considered attending Cornell University and the University of Virginia before accepting a track scholarship to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where he became a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity as an undergraduate.

With 7 albums and with over 4,000 gigs under his belt, Jackson is your top San Francisco Bay area acoustic guitar performer and artist.  He released his first CD, Twisted & Misguided in 2000.  His second CD in 2002, Sink or Swim had a modern rock sound.  In 2003, Rohm released his album Red Light Fever.  Included in the album are 2 songs entitled Snug Harbor Lounge and One More Fourth of July.  The lounge was an iconic bar located a mile South of the Chautauqua Institution which closed its doors a couple decades ago.  A fourth CD, Four on the Floor was released in 2006.  The title track was written as a tribute to a fellow musician, Rod Welling who tragically lost his life in a 2004 motor vehicle accident.

In 2008, Rohm released his fifth CD, Long Way From Moving On.  This represented a departure from the pop/rock feel of his first four releases and a venture into the country music genre.  It was described as "Rohm's best work yet" as he seems most comfortable in the country music mode.

In 2010, his Nashville recorded album Acoustic Sessions was released containing acoustic renditions of some of his previously released songs as well as five new songs.

Returning to his rock roots with producer Aaron Thompson, Rohm in 2012 recorded the 12-song compliation Blindsided in Atlanta, GA featuring upbeat tracks Blue Skies and Butterflies and Superglue as well as the title track, a ballard written for his wife, Theresa whom he married that same year.  They met at the Ellicottville Fall Festival and now have a 3 year old son named Asher.

A deeply heartwrenching yet beautiful song Jackson wrote was entitled To Amy With Love.  Amy King was Jackson's friend and a United Airlines flight attendant.  Sadly, she perished at the World Trade Center on 9/11.  Amy grew up in Chautauqua County and was in high school with Jackson .. Class of '89.  RIP Amy on this day, September 11 when we all pause to remember your life and all you meant to so many especially your friend, Jackson.    

To Amy With Love Lyrics

I'm writing you this letter, so sorry I haven't been better at this, but you know how our lives can change while some things stay the same, so you finally found the one, a guy who's in for the long run, I never saw you smile that way, at the Fourth of July parade.

How could this happen, to an angel so warm and tame, you never wanted to be part of some madman's game, I'm lost and can't accept it, and I just can't get clear, would someone please explain, how you could be on that plane.

If we could just get back to, the Celeron Park in June, it doesn't seem so long ago, that we were 12 years old, but look how far you've come, from those days of bikes and bubblegum, and you're too good to be killed so young, by a coward behind a gun, on that plane.

I really must be going now, I hope this letter finds you well, in your place among the stars above, to Amy with love.

These lyrics were written on September 11, 2001 and set to music by Jackson Rohm.  I have heard him sing this heartwrenching song several times though it never gets any easier hearing this song of remembrance to Amy King.

Amy and her fiance, Michael

"Good music is hard to come by.  We are flooded with junk on the radio and those terrible songs lead to the summer's best concerts.  It is brainwashing and makes me have little hope for quality music in our future.  But, that was before I met this man.  He brings heartfelt and honest lyrics with toes in the sand kind of grooves that makes you want to grab your woman and hold her tight. His voice is unique and polished and he plays the guitar as if he was born to do so.  Not to mention he is one of the nicest guys I have met in a long time.  I am excited that I got the chance to sit down with him today and it is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Jackson Rohm."

Ricky Lee Potts


Is Jackson Rohm your real name?

"Robert Jackson Rohm is my full name, but I've been called Jackson since the first week I was born by my parents.  Robert is my Dad."


How long have you been performing?

"I started playing quitar in middle school and sang in a metal band with some friends when we were fourteen.  We played our first paid gig in 1984 performing for our middle school dance.  I never considered myself a professional musician until I bagged law school and started playing full time in 1995."


Who is Aaron Thompson and how did you meet him?

"Aaron is a very talented producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist that I met in the late 90s when I lived in Atlanta.  He's produced five of my six records and he's mixed all of them.  He and I work very well together and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with him." 


Do you  write all of your own lyrics?

"I wrote all of the music and lyrics for the fourteen songs that I recorded for the Acoustic Sessions album."  


What is your favorite venue?

"I love playing The Village Casino on Chautauqua Lake. It's not really a casino, but it's a cool, laid back wing and beer joint right on the water that I grew up hanging out at since I was a kid. I usually pack the place and lots of old friends always seem to be there.  It's my kind of place."


What was it like when you first heard one of your songs on the radio?

"That was an incredible feeling.  I still could not believe it.  When I recorded my first record, I had no idea if people would like my original music.  They liked it so I became more focused on writing music."


What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?


"I hope to be remembered as a guy that was a hell of a lot of fun to see play live.  And I'd like to be remembered for writing some songs that told some great stories that moved people.  If my stuff moves them to dance, cry, sing along, that's all fine with me.  I just hope that they are not moved to hit the eject button!"

I have met Jackson Rohm many times and find him to be a very talented vocalist and an all-around nice guy who truly loves life, loves his family and appreciates his friends and fans.  See you the next time you return home to Chautauqua County, Chautauqua Lake and its scenic .. Dewittville Bay. 

Be Safe.

Pat Locke

Maestro Muse 

Chautauqua Lake Idol

The judges were Tom Torbjornsen, Tim Edborg, Sue Jones, Jeanine Zimmer, Steve Swanson and guest judge, Jackson Rohm though others did join the judging table throughout the years.  Jackson now lives and entertains in the San Francisco Bay area though Chautauqua County will always be in his heart.  He continues to visit us each summer with concert appearances throughout the county in Lakewood, Bemus Point and Mayville.

Sadly, since those years in Bemus Point we lost both Steve and Tom in the same year only four months apart.  Steve on May 20th and Tom on September 16th.  

Steve Swanson

1956-2016

Tom Torbjornsen

1956-2016

"Tom Torbjornsen was so well known for his great knowledge of cars, but I was even more impressed with his extensive knowledge of music and performance whether it be in a good running car's performance on the road or a singer's quality performance on the stage. He was funny, yet kind and uplifting to every performer who ever stepped to the microphone.

The first few years of Idol the judges went to the tryouts.  I remember sitting on the floating stage one Saturday with the other judges on an overcast and chilly day. Once the competition began and the contestants were picked I remember walking back to my car.  The mother of a contestant who had been voted off berated my every step of that walk because her daughter wouldn't be returning the following week.  I couldn't get a word in .. until I got in my car.  I, then, turned to the mother and said .. "My friend, I voted FOR your daughter!  Everyone thought being a judge was "a walk in the park".  It was not "a piece of cake" because the competition was intense yet looking back .. overall, it was a fun and memorable experience!

Thank you, Dan Dalpra for giving so many young artists the opportunity to share their talents with the rest of us during those beautiful summers in Bemus Point. It was a shame there could only be one winner as I was amazed, week after week, with the talent we all witnessed on the floating stage.  Thank you to everyone who was involved with the Idol program and for giving so many contestants the chance .. to shine!

"Each of the judges gave their ALL to support Dan and the Pops, but none with more energy and pizazz than our Steve Swanson.  He was an extremely talented musician  when singing, playing piano or composing, but most importantly when teaching .. not only in his classroom, but when helping performers hone their own craft, as well.  His passing was a shock and a shame."

Sue Jones, Chautauqua Lake Idol Judge


"Steve Swanson loved the Bemus Bay Pops with all his being and coined the name, Captain Dan for his dear friend, Dan Dalpra.  I will always remember his Louie Armstrong rendtion of What a Wonderful World at each Pops season finale night.  Hearing Steve pour his heart and soul into that song and every song he ever sang usually brought tears to my eyes.  Steve was an extraordinary talent who loved being on a stage though particularly, the Bemus Bay Pops floating stage .. giving his all to each and every performance.  Thank you, Steve."

Pat Locke



"I enjoyed my three seasons as a Chautauqua Lake Idol judge immensely.  As one of the first judges, I was able to see the competition grow over the years.  The contestants were really into their performances and the energy showed.  It was the brainchild of a great promoter and entertain, it did!  Hoping to see the singing competition return as it's great for the Pops and the community, at large. The contest gave the singers a chance to let their stars shine!  Thanks for the fun opportunity to be a judge and witness such talent on the floating stage."

Jeanine Zimmer, Chautauqua Lake Idol Judge and President, Zimmer Media LLC



"I had such a fantastic time judging the Chautauqua Lake Idol and was pleasantly surprised by the talent of the contestants, particularly the younger singers.  The crowds came out in force for those events on the floating stage.  The heart of Bemus Point was the ideal summertime place for friends and families to gather.  It was wonderful to get together on a warm Monday evening to enjoy an entertaining show as the sun went down in the background over our beautiful lake."

Jackson Rohm, Recording Artist

"I can't believe the Chautauqua Lake Idol singing contest began as a simple vocal competition and it soon became an eleven year program that showcased so many talented singers from across the region. SE93 is most proud it was not becoming the usual karaoke competition, but rather an amazing group of local musicians who worked with the competing singers before each show to help make sure they all put forth the best entertainment on the floating stage for our audiences each week throughout the summer season. This invaluable experience was given to each singer allowing them to perform each week with a live band headed by talented musician, John Cross and his Babalu Band. 

As MC I saw many familiar faces in the audience each week from my vantage point on the stage.  Folks who showed their enthusiastic support for the singers and it was especially fun to see new audience members each week, as well.

I think the Chautauqua Lake Idol program was something the arts community was very proud of throughout the course of the Idol competition each summer. As Master of Ceremonies it was an honor for me to be involved with such a fun contest for eleven Bemus Point summers.  I only missed one show due to an injured knee so a heartfelt thank you to John Erickson for filling in for me as MC, back then."

Andrew Hill, MC

The Chautauqua Lake Idol Title Winners:

Susan Waite, 2004 

Marla Harris, 2005

Lauren Cecchini, 2006

Ben Blood, 2007

Billy Thomas, 2008

Marc Nupp, 2009

Heather Pawlak, 2010

Shawn Wilder, 2011

Samantha DeJesus, 2012

The Chautauqua Lake Voices Title Winners:

Michael Nugent, 2013 

Ashley Reefer, 2014 

"Being part of the Chautauqua Lake Voices competition was a wonderful experience.  I made many great friends and it stretched me as a vocalist. It was fun to perform songs from different music genres each week.  Winning was such an honor.  Thank you." 

Ashley Reefer

"The combined memories that we all hold dear from those singing competition years whether being a judge, an MC or someone in the audience each week cheering on a family member or friend are so special as were all the years of the Bemus Bay Pops in Bemus Point NY.  Bemus Point will never quite be the same .. ever again.  Thanks for the memories, Dan.  We appreciate them all .. like finely aged wine."

Be Safe.

Pat Locke

Maestro Muse

The History of Labor Day

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

More than a century after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has changed in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics, and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership – the American worker.

I could not complete a story about Labor Day without mentioning a silly rule that many have adopted with no idea where it came from in our history.

I found this explanation though 'beautiful brides in white after Labor Day' are excluded!

The "you can't wear white after Labor Day," rule was created to separate the old money elitists from the new money group. For those who had money and could leave the city during warmer months, white was considered vacation attire.


Be Safe.

Pat Locke
Maestro Muse 

This is Shadow of the 60s.  They pay tribute to the tremendous legacy of Motown's Super Groups, in a salute to the legendary stars of Motown such as The Supremes, The Four Tops and The Temptations.  In this highly interactive and visually stunning production, the Shadows of the 60s perform the hits that span several decades.  Featuring top industry musicians and singers dressed in exquisitely designed costumes and dazzling choreography, this dynamic group presents Motown with the intensity of the original recorded performances!  Each singer and musician was chosen because they embodied the spirit, style and excitement of the original artists in concert.  Below is the song list from a truly Motown evening in 2019!

Close your eyes and you'll hear the magic that is Motown then open your eyes and you'll see and feel the raw "front row" experience of attending a live Motown concert, circa 1964!

The evening is capped off with a jaw dropping grand finale featuring music of Motown's Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Marvelettes, Junior Walker & The Allstars, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Contours and more!

Shadow of the 60s is truly a concert for everyone whether you danced to the music back then or now!  They have performed on the floating stage in Bemus Point and in Mayville.

This tribute to the music of Motown would have appeared this evening, September 5 accompanied by the Chautauqua Lake Pops Symphony Orchestra and capped off with an evening of beautiful fireworks .. Pops style!

See you in 2021.

Be safe.

Pat Locke
Maestro Muse