JEWEL DELIVERS ACCOUSTICALLY By Melanie Hulick Singer-songwriter, Jewel, made a one night stop at the Seneca Niagara Casino Saturday, March 16th as part of her 2013 Greatest Hits Tour. Playing to a sold out crowd, the singer took the stage alone with only her guitar… well actually 4 guitars, which she changed up depending on the song she was performing. I’ve seen other acoustic concerts, which seemed to drag on, and quite frankly I was expecting the same from Jewel. But what we got was an evening of poignant personal stories of the songwriter’s life, telling us the meaning behind the songs she’s written and at times where she was in her life that created the song ideas. Somehow we all witnessed... more

BRINGING IT… BON JOVI STYLE By Melanie Hulick Thousands of die hard Bon Jovi fans packed the First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo to help the band raise the roof. Sunday, February 24th was tagged Bon Jovi day by concert goers and that night’s concert was done in the style that Jon Bon Jovi and his band mates have been known for since they exploded on the scene 30 years ago. Guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboard player David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres along with the groups leader showed why they continue to be listed among the top touring acts every time they hit the road. Standing in line outside the First Niagara Center in a cold Buffalo wind the crowd was buzzing about what they have... more

MORE WITH BOBBY RYDELL HULICK: Was there someone you had the chance to meet that was a “wow” moment for you? RYDELL: Yes. It was with Frank Sinatra. The first time I met him I was 19 years old and it was at the Copacabana in New York City. He came in to see Joe E. Lewis, who I had come to see, not knowing Sinatra was in the room. After the show was over he got up to leave and I saw him, and thought… geez, I just wanted to shake his hand. Before the place closed for the night I went to say good night to Jules Badell, the owner, and through the kitchen doors in the lounge, here comes Sinatra. I said to Jules, “All I want to do is shake his hand.” So we walk over to his table and he is sitting... more

A Conversation with Bobby Rydell By Melanie Hulick HULICK: Hi Bobby. You’re returning to Seneca Niagara Casino for one show on Saturday, February 16th. RYDELL: Yes! I’m coming back! I like playing that venue. It’s called the Bears Den right? HULICK: Yes. I’ve never seen your show. What can we expect? RYDELL: A lot of singing! (laughs) I do some comedy, and just have a lot of fun. Of course I do a lot of the hits and I do a “Bye, Bye, Birdie” medley, which is from the movie I did with Ann Margret. I also do a tribute to Bobby Darin, who I adored. HULICK: Have you always wanted to be a singer? RYDELL: As long as I can remember Melanie. As a matter of fact, I still have a letter that my... more

BON JOVI BACK ON TOUR SET FOR NEW ALBUM RELEASE By Melanie Hulick The anticipation is over. Bon Jovi, one of the highest grossing concert tours every time they hit the road, are back out there with their 2013 “Because We Can Tour”. Promoting their new album, “What About Now”, set for a March 12th release date, the band is selling out arenas and stadiums all over North America, and will head to Africa and Europe the first part of May, with a return to the U.S. mid July, before playing the Far East, Latin America and Australia. The excitement for the return of one of the biggest rock band in music history started building in the summer of 2011, when they announced they were going to take... more

Matchbox Twenty Is Heading “North’ of the Border For Two Shows at Fallsview Casino Resort By Melanie Hulick   Rock group Matchbox Twenty will be taking the stage in the Avalon Ballroom at Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Canada. Playing a two night stand, February 19th and February 20th, the band will be doing material from their current album, “North”, including the first two hits off the album, “She’s So Mean” and the ballad that is getting a lot of radio exposure, “Overjoyed”. They will also give the audience a string of their hits and fan favorites from their three previous albums.   “North” has brought the band something they had yet to achieve,... more

HULICK: It’s good to hear your voice again. How are you? MATHIS: Yes, you too! Are you doing alright? HULICK: Yes, I’m doing well. Happy New Year! MATHIS: Yes! We made it through another one, thank goodness. (laughs) HULICK: (laughs) I am so looking forward to you coming this way again. MATHIS: Me too. I remember years ago I played a venue that was a summer type of venue with a park. HULICK: There used to be a place called Melody Fair. MATHIS: That’s it… Melody Fair. They had a park called Wurlitzer Park we used to have a picnic in. HULICK: I’m sorry to say that Melody Fair is no more. MATHIS: They finally gave up then? Well it was old when I played there, but I enjoyed it. HULICK: You will... more

Another Conversation with Jack Hanna; By Melanie Hulick Animal expert Jack Hanna brings his “Into the Wild” show to the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, NY for one show only on Friday, January 18th. Hanna, who is the Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio, has spent his life working with wild animals and bringing awareness to the urgency of many endangered species from the time he knew he wanted to be a zookeeper at the age of 16. His passion has led him to Rwanda many times to study and spend time with the Mountain Gorillas. His love for the gorillas set the stage for he and his wife, Suzi to purchase a home there, where they also get to spend time with the children... more

For several thousand years, Chinese medicine has emphasized the importance of looking below the surface. In the treatment room, acupuncturists and herbalists are trying to understand where symptoms are coming from rather than only treating the symptoms themselves. The clinical importance of this holistic perspective is that when the root causes of a condition are addressed not only can a wide variety of symptoms be resolved, but there is a much greater possibility of understanding the origins of the condition. In addition to it’s effectiveness in treating individuals, Chinese medicine’s emphasis on looking for where symptoms are coming from can also provide insights into the condition of our... more

Country Music Singer Ronnie Milsap To Play Erie County Fair By Melanie Hulick Country Singer, Ronnie Milsap, will make a stop at the Erie County Fair Grandstand for a free show on Thursday, August 9th. Milsap, who was once considered a cross-over artist has returned to his simple, classic country roots with his latest release, “Country Again”, in 2011- his first country oriented album in six years. I caught up with the country legend recently and we talked about the album and he clued me in on his next album, which he is currently working on. A four time Country Music Association Male Vocalist of the Year and a six time Grammy winner, Milsap still plays to sell out crowds and admits he... more

LARRY THE CABLE GUY BRINGING THE LAUGHS TO SENECA NIAGARA CASINO EVENT CENTER By Melanie Hulick Recently I had the chance to talk with the hilarious Larry the Cable Guy, who will be part of Seneca Casino’s Summer Rush Event, performing two shows on August 18th at the Seneca Niagara Event Center. To say it was the funniest conversation I’ve ever had is an understatement. Larry has been in the business now for over 20 years and shows no signs of slowing down. Family is very important to him and he speaks of his family with tremendous love; yet he still injected that “Larry” humor when he spoke of his daughter Reagan (named after his favorite President by the way), saying she was four years... more

Rock Legend Stevie Nicks Wows Seneca Niagara Casino By Melanie Hulick The stage was set to receive one of Rock and Rolls best female vocalists at Seneca Niagara Events Center Saturday, July 7th, 2012.The sold out crowd was already in a frenzy before Nicks even took to the stage, as the lights went down and Nicks began singing a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” from backstage while the band members, one by one, took their places, followed by Nicks, to flashing strobe lights and cheers loud enough to bring the house down. As the song went on, images of some of rock music’s greatest appeared on a floor to ceiling screen as the backdrop. The faces that only require a last name like Joplin,... more

Michael Bolton to play Seneca Niagara Casino By Melanie Hulick Singer-songwriter Michael Bolton will play one show only at Seneca Niagara Casino on Saturday, June 9th, 2012 as part of his worldwide 115 city tour. When you hear the name Michael Bolton most people’s first thoughts would be of the music… of the trademark unmistakable voice on songs like “Soul Provider”, “How Can We Be Lovers”, the soulful rendition of “When A Man Loves A Woman” and “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You”, which incidentally won him his first Grammy award. Some will think of the staggering number of over 53 million albums and singles sold worldwide. Some will think of the songwriter who has written #1 singles... more

HULICK: When did you join the band, Norton? BUFFALO: Well I started recording and hanging out with Steve in the fall of 1975. Steve had taken a couple of years off after “The Joker,” which was a big hit, and he was in the studio recording “Fly Like An Eagle.” We met at a club; Steve knew some of the guys that ran it. There was a jam session and I went there with Bill Kirsch and the guitar player from Commander Cody…Boz Scaggs was there, Tommy Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, Les Dudak, Doug Clifford from Creedence Clearwater Revival was playing… HULICK: Wow! Quite a group. BUFFALO: Yeah… quite an eclectic collection of musicians. We had a great time jamming and about a week later Steve... more

SUN: You have a new album called “Playin’ Favorites” that was released in stores everywhere June 27? WHITE: Yes! SUN: We’ve listened to it and it’s terrifi c! WHITE: Well thank you very much! SUN: We’ve been putting it on as background music while we work on our articles and during dinner. WHITE: That’s great! So it’s not just work then for you, there’s actual pleasure involved in listening to it. SUN: Yes, defi nitely! In reading your bio you seem to love interacting with your audience and watching them dancing and having fun while you are playing. WHITE: You’re right. That is sort of my reward you could say. With all the hours you spend putting the music together, and you go... more