By Tony Farina
The exciting and up-and-coming rock band SoleTurn will kick off its summer concert series this Friday, June 21, at the warm and inviting Blueberry Treehouse Café in West Falls beginning at 6 p.m. and then follow that up with a beachside show at the vintage bar Marge’s Lakeside Inn on Culver Rd. in nearby Rochester, also starting at 6 p.m.
These are two terrific venues for SoleTurn to launch their summer concert series as they prepare to release their debut album “The Soundtrack of Our Youth” later this year, which promises to be an exciting musical experience.
Regarding the concert series, leading vocalist Vik Bhargava said “we are ready to go, bringing the notion of ‘the song’ back to front and center and performing many classics from the 1980s and beyond in our own special way, sounds that have captivated our audiences at several sold out events this year.”
The Blueberry Treehouse Café, created by owners Jyl and Rico Rivera in the rural yet vibrant community of West Falls, a short drive from Buffalo, is a picturesque, fun, and family-friendly event space that has something for all to experience and enjoy. It is designed for visitors to connect with nature and it does just that.
The second stop in the concert series, Marge’s Lakeside Inn, is a vintage watering hole featuring three bars, an old-time juke box, and a scenic beachfront patio on Lake Ontario.
“We are very excited and looking forward to SoleTurn on Saturday night at Marge’s Lakeside Inn,” said owner Francine Beth. The Inn opened in 1960 and still attracts big crowds to enjoy the beachfront atmosphere.
As it says on its website, Marge’s History, the inn has been “lifting spirits & glasses since 1960,” and Francine says it is still going strong and looking forward to an exciting visit from SoleTurn.
“I’ve listened to them and they just delight audiences,” said Francine. “We look forward to them having a great show at our lakeside inn. And I know folks around here are looking forward to hearing their mix of old and new-old music.”
There are several more stops on the SoleTurn summer concert schedule, including the Public House at 4914 Lake Shore Rd., in Hamburg, on Saturday, June 29, an upbeat watering locale featuring happy hour food and a fantastic view of Lake Erie and the Buffalo skyline. The SoleTurn musical magic will begin at 7 p.m.
There will be a private party on July 6 on Lake Erie and the concert series ends on Saturday, on Aug. 3, at Cuba Rocks the Dock, Cuba Lake. We’ll have more on those closing events in future stories.
Meanwhile, the group SoleTurn, with lead vocalist Vik Bhargava joined by Zachary Michael, bass/vocals, Rob Helms, drums/vocals, and Patrick Mudd, keyboards/vocals, is putting the finishing touches on their first album coming out soon. This is a group that began the season with a rousing sell-out performance at the legendary Sportsmen’s Tavern which is about to open its new addition, according to owner Dwayne Hall, and we’ll have more on that expansion in the coming days.
We should also note that SoleTurn was invited to play Williamsville’s music on Main St. at the One Eyed Cat Brewing on Thursday, Aug. 22. The band is delighted to accept the invitation.
SoleTurn will also have a few special guests join the band for the concert tour: Donny Frauenhofer on piano, Patrick O’Connell, drums, and Matt Young, keyboards.
It has been a great year for music and SoleTurn is playing the right songs for their followers who are showing up to see and hear their sounds.
“Remember,” says Bhargava, “it is about the song. And connecting with the audience is what we’re all about.”