By Paul Heimel
This weekend's third annual "Dam Show," a music festival
commemorating the ruins of the historic Austin Dam, is being shifted to a
new location.
Deteriorating road conditions and other issues at the Austin Dam
Memorial Park have prompted the Potter County Fine Arts Council to switch
this year's show to another venue: the Genesee Environmental Center near
Genesee in the northern part of the county.
That temporary site, known in prior years as Penn Valley Resort
and the Riverbend Inn, actually has some advantages over the usual festival
site at the foot of the tall concrete dam ruins.
Stars such as Chubby Checker and Charley Pride have performed there. There
is more parking space, better accessibility and ample level ground for those
who wish to enjoy primitive camping and make a weekend out of it.
Some nationally known musical performers will be appearing at
the Dam Show.
The only thing missing will be the dam itself, but the organizers are
bringing the next best thing.
Groovin' Lumens, which has presented the colorful light show on
the face of the dam in past years, will be back this year with their
"virtual dam." It's a backdrop of the dam ruins themselves, on which
colorful lights will play during some of the musical performances.

Talented lineup
There will be music, often simultaneously, on both an outdoor
stage and an indoor stage.
Among the features on Friday night will be the music of Larry Herbstritt.
Although he's better known for writing a string of contemporary and country
chart-toppers and movie scores, Herbstritt is a talented guitarist and
vocalist in his own right.
His "I Just Fall in Love Again" skyrocketed to the top of the charts after
Anne Murray released it and, soon afterwards, Herbstritt's "Cowboys and
Clowns" became a number one country hit by Ronnie Milsap.
Herbstritt's set starts at about 9:30 p.m. He has assembled
several area musicians, including some members of the 1960s pop band Ollie
and the Go Gos, to provide instrumental accompaniment and background vocals.
Emporium's Tim Wright will also appear as part of the Herbstritt set.
Mike Agranoff, an entertaining singer, songwriter and storyteller with a
wide following, is coming to the Dam Show on Saturday.
Also booked are Kate McDonnell, the Original Jazz Band, Red Headed
Stepchild, Hickory Project, a reunion appearance by the popular bluegrass
band Enchanted Mountain Green (with fiddler Spike Ludwig), Ska Na Na, Jack's
Little Big Band and Hazy Blue. The latter group includes former
Philadelphian Steve Quelet, a professional songwriter, guitarist and
vocalist now living in Potter County.
There will be a wide variety of refreshments on sale and other
vendors set up on the grounds.
"This is going to be an outstanding Dam Show and we're pleased to be able to
keep the tradition alive, even though we can't hold it at the dam itself,"
said Arthur Metzger, one of the driving forces behind this Arts Council
project. "The musicians may not be household names to many people, but they
are highly regarded on the bluegrass and eclectic music scenes."
Metzger added that the Dam Show will feature a wide variety of music, from
jazz, contemporary and bluegrass, to country, folk, gospel and a big band
dance set.
"We're expecting sort of a 'folk festival' atmosphere, with
music lovers coming from a wide area," he added. "We're encouraging people
to come for the weekend, camp out under the stars, and enjoy a wonderful
musical experience and summertime tradition."
One-day and two-day tickets are available at the entrance for
$10 a day, $15 for both days, or $25 for family (one day or both days).
Additional details on the Dam Show can be obtained by calling
814-274-8004 or 814-647-3318. For camping information and directions to the
Genesee Environmental Center, call the center at 814-228-3574 or
814-228-3200. There's also a website with more information.:
http://sunnyhill.biz