BINGHAMTON LIVE SERIES OPENS DOWNTOWN THIS FIRST FRIDAY WITH JEN CHAPIN

MUSIC IS AN INTEGRAL PART of any celebration. Without the thud and the thump, the twang and the thwack of music - live or otherwise - a wedding, or party, or even a car ride would be considerably duller. With the return of warmer weather, Binghamton doesn’t seem so gray, and on First Fridays, live music will return to State Street.

Binghamton Live is a gathering of kindred spirits, of folks who have dedicated their lives to the production and promotion - as well as the performance - of music. John Kanazawich, the promoter and producer of the group, hopes that he can create an atmosphere of live music which will organically sprout up around town.

“Our show is going on at Atomic Tom’s because it’s right in the heart of the arts district,” says Kanazawich.

His lifelong commitment to helping original music get the recognition it deserves has led him to the creation of Binghamton Live, the next step in creating a home for original music downtown. As a promoter, Kanazawich has helped scores of songwriters perform in the area. He hosted the Songwriter Showcase for nine nine years at Cyber Cafe West, which was very successful. He hopes that by creating an event downtown on First Friday, he can increase exposure for talented local and national songwriters.

It’s an all-night affair. Opening up the evening (for free!) will be Devinne Meyers, Tim Ruffo, and Sonny Weeks, three of our area’s most active singer-songwriters. They’ll split up the night on the veranda of Atomic Tom’s from 6-9pm during the First Friday Art Walk. Devinne’s music is intimate, and dives into the depths of her soul. As she sings and plays with a shining personality, the listener is swept up into her stories, and transported to another world.

Tim Ruffo is the outlaw countryman of the local music scene. His influences range from Waylon Jennings to Pink Floyd, and through his experiences traveling across the country, he has learned how to “live hard, work hard, and play hard.”

Sonny Weeks is the front man for local party band Wreckless Marci, and has been playing and writing songs for the last 16 years.

At 9pm, a $20 ticketed show begins, presenting Jen Chapin, who describes her music as “jazz tinged urban folk soul.” Hailing from Brooklyn, she will be accompanied by her guitarist Jamie Fox, from the Rosetta Trio. Her songs are personal, and her lyrical sensibilities recall that of her late father, Harry Chapin (the folksinger best known for his ubiquitous “Cat’s in the Cradle”). Chapin, however, does have a distinctly different voice than her father. She sings from her heart, and from her experiences raising her two children. Her brand of urban folk soul searches to bring together the hearts and minds of people, and to explore what we can learn from our shared meaning.

She is also an activist, and sits on the board of directors of her late father’s charity organization, WhyHunger, which looks to bring social justice and awareness to the cause of nutritious food for all. Chapin has worked her whole life traveling the world to bring social justice to all through education.

So add amazing music every month to your ever-growing list of reasons to come out on First Friday, and help create a Binghamton that is brighter than ever. The Songwriter Series will occur every First Friday through October. The night will open up with local singer-songwriters from 6-9pm on the veranda at Atomic Tom’s, 196 State St in Binghamton. At 9pm, Jen Chapin takes the stage. More info on her performance at jenchapin.com.