Thursday night will resonate with soft music, the clink of wine glasses and the excited murmur of a crowd enjoying the work of the region’s best chefs.
SavorSyracuse, the premier tasting gala to benefit Food Bank of Central New York, returns to the Holiday Inn at 441 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26.
A dozen local wineries will pour several vintages each and area restaurants will be on hand including the 201 Bistro at Wise Guys, Phoebe’s, Francesca’s and the world-famous Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Sweet teeth be satisfied by Sweet Endings Bakeshop and Yummies Cheesecakes, complemented by Paul deLima Coffee.
Varied vendors will offer plenty of choices for guests, and each winery, restaurant, caterer and baker participates in a joint effort to combat hunger in our community.
Tickets cost $70; savorsyracuse.org; 437-1899, ext. 247.
Pro Baseball: Chiefs vs. Charlotte
The International League’s Syracuse Chiefs return from mid-week games in Rochester to play a four-game homestand against the Charlotte Knights at Alliance Bank Stadium starting at 7 p.m. Friday, April 27. Games are slated for 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 28 and 29, and the series ends with a final game at 6 p.m. Monday, April 30.
With rookie hitting phenom Bryce Harper in the lineup and delicious new menu items at the concession stands, the Chiefs hope to draw thousands of new baseball fans to the North Side stadium this season.
Syracuse is the top farm club of the Washington Nationals while Charlotte is affiliated with the Chicago White Sox.
Field-level ticket prices range from $9 to $20, while upper-deck seats cost $8, and $4 for kids and seniors. Parking costs $5 per vehicle; 474-7833; syracusechiefs.com.
Music: Nancy Kelly on the Hill
Sitrus on the Hill, the recently renovated lounge at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel, will host the Jazz @ Sitrus season of 15 club dates, featuring the region’s favorite artists, touring musicians and new faces on the scene.
Presented by CNY Jazz Central, all shows will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on selected Fridays: Nancy Kelly appears April 27, and guitarist Tom Bronzetti and his sister, singer Aliacia Bronzetti, perform on May 25. Sitrus shows continue June 1 and June 15.
The Sheraton University Hotel is located at 801 University Ave., in the SU Hill. Admission is free; 475-3000.
Jazzuits Fest April 28
Le Moyne College’s choral combo, The Jazzuits, hosts a free “Vocal Jazz Fest” at 7:30 p.m. April 28, at James Commons, on the college campus off 1419 Salt Springs Road, on Syracuse’s East Side. High school vocal jazz ensembles from around the state will perform along with The Jazzuits. Free and open to the public; 445-4100.
Cat Russell at Palace
Cat Russell’s jazz pedigree is impressive indeed. The daughter of 1930s bandleader Luis Russell and bassist-vocalist Carline Ray, Cat sings here at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Palace Theater, 2384 James St., in Eastwood; $20/general, $15/WAER members, SU staff and students; 463-9240. Russell’s appearance here is hosted by WAER-FM 88.3.
The NYC singer is touring in support of her new disc, Strictly Romancin.’ Her backing band will include pianist Mark Shane, guitarist Matt Munisteri and bassist Lee Hudson.
Two Hour Delay at Hoyne’s
Two Hour Delay, the musical brainchild of songwriter Tim Burns, has emerged over the past year as one of Central New York’s top rock bands. The band, which is named after a familiar local wintertime idiom, will plug in at 9 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at Kitty Hoyne’s Irish Pub & Restaurant 301 W. Fayette St., on the edge of Armory Square, downtown. Admission is free; 424-1974.
The quartet features guitarist Bob Gaus, drummer Brian Welch, bassist Tom Mattern and guitarist-songwriter Tim Burns. Their “Americana” style encompasses blues, folk, country-western and, of course, classic rock’n’roll. The band’s songs include titles such as “Back to the Flatlands,” “Reading the Obits” and “Tell Your Ride.”
Two Hour Delay returns to downtown Syracuse at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 246 W. Willow St., at the corner of North Franklin Street. Admission is free and the food is Dixie-fried; 476-4937.
Men of Note in Fayetteville
The Men of Note from the Oasis Chorus, under the direction of Karen Retchless, will perform a concert for the Motto Archive Sunday Musicale, at 2 p.m. April 28, at Fayetteville Free Library’s reading room, 300 Orchard St., in Fayetteville. Admission is free.
For info, call 637-6374, ext. 328; or visit fayettevillefreelibrary.org.
Disco Dance Party
One of Central New York’s best-loved entertainers – Letizia – will sing her heart out at a rocking Disco Dance Party from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at the Goodtime Banquet Hall, 526 Teall Ave., in Syracuse.
Letizia will be accompanied by her Z Band, an experienced quartet voted Best Band in local readers polls. The Z Band features keyboardist and saxophonist Mark Angiolillo, keyboardist Al Dunn, drummer John Mangicaro and bassist Bill Weiss.
Letizia herself is also an award-winner. Central New Yorkers have repeatedly voted her Best Vocalist, and her 2001 CD, “Let it Go,” won a Syracuse Area Music Award. At the April 28 Disco Dance Party, Letizia and the Z Band will showcase 1970s’ songs such as “Boogie Oogie Oogie,” “Last Dance”and “Le Freak.”
Admission to the Disco Dance Party costs $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and that includes a buffet dinner. Legal beverages will be available for sale at the Goodtime Banquet Hall bar, located on the top floor of the venue long known as Klub Polski, the Polish-American Citizens Club.
For tickets to the April 28 Disco Dance Party, call 345-1002.
Film: ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’
Forget the Three Stooges! Before Larry, Moe and Curly Joe were Stan and Ollie – Laurel and Hardy! The comic duo’s 1932 film “Pack Up Your Troubles” will be screened at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 30, as the Syracuse Cinephile Society continues its spring film series at the Spaghetti Warehouse, 689 N. Clinton St., near Syracuse’s Inner Harbor.
The comedy features Stan and Ollie as WWI vets in charge of their deceased war buddy’s young daughter, and mishaps ensue as the boys try to deliver the little girl to her grandfather. “Pack Up Your Troubles” will be preceded by at 1931 Charley Chase-Thelma Todd short, “The Pip from Pittsburgh.”
On May 23, the Cinephiles will show “The Great Barrier,” a 1939 Western starring Lilli Palmer; syracusecinefest.com.
Admission costs $3, or $2.50 for Cinephile members. For dinner reservations, call Spaghetti Warehouse at 475-1807.
