“Stars & Promises” comes to Holiday Valley

Written for The Villager

On December 8, Ellicottville will be getting a rare visit from one of music’s most historic legends – Peter Mayer.

Mayer, from the Peter Mayer Group, is most commonly known for being the guitarist in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, but has since expanded into a music world of his own.

The Stars & Promises concert, which Mayer heads, will be held at the Yodeler Lodge at the Holiday Valley Resort at 7:30 p.m.

All proceeds from the concert go to benefit the Rotary Club of Ellicottville Foundation for Youth and Family Services, said Mark Szpaicher, event chairperson and rotary club member.

The Stars & Promises concert is celebrating its 10^th anniversary, but this is its first time in Ellicottville.

“It’s a good companion to all the good Christmas events Ellicottville already has to offer people,” said Maribeth Rick, co-owner of the Gin Mill and sponsor.

Without the multitude of sponsors (15 as of now), tickets would usually cost $40, but will only cost you $15 to see the wonderful array of musicians that will be filling the Yodeler Lodge with music.

The Stars & Promises concert not only has Mayer, but other great artists as well: R. Scott Bryan, who toured with Sheryl Crow and co-authored the 1996 Top Ten U.K. Single “Hard to Make a Stand”; Maggie Estes, violinist; Mark Holland, Native American flutist; Marc Torlina, bass, has performed with artists such as Chuck Berry, Neil Sedaka, Treme Terra and The Sessions Big Band; Chris Walter, pianist, was the music director for Barbara Mandrell until she retired; Chad Stewart, sound engineer; and Dave Champange, sound engineer.

The band will be playing for 50 minutes, take a 20-minute break and then resume playing for another 50 minutes.

Some local talent will even have the spotlight on them along side the band. An Ellicottville music teacher will be taking eight to 10 students from the high school over to the 4 p.m. rehearsal where they will later sing with the band at the concert.

The Stars & Promises concert will be featuring original Christmas songs as well as some holiday classics with Mayer’s own spin on it.

To commemorate the evening, Stars & Promises will be selling a previously recorded DVD, T-shirts and two different CDs – a studio version and a live version.

Straight from one of Mayer’s songs, “Blue Guitar” off of his “Romeo’s Garage” album, they will be raffling off a blue guitar signed by Mayer himself. Raffle tickets will be sold at the Gin Mill, as well as at the concert. All proceeds from this raffle will go to Mercy Flight.

All the money raised goes to a good cause; “Not a dime goes into a pocket,” Szpaicher said.

So Ellicottville, get ready to kick-off your holiday season by donating to a good cause while getting some live holiday entertainment.

“If you don’t have the Christmas spirit before, you’ll have it by the time you leave!” Rick said.

For more information or tickets, call Mark Szpaicher at 716-244-3240.