Music and poetry abound at 'Lewiston Arts Cafe''

The Lewiston Council on the Arts and Just Buffalo Literary Center will partner to launch a new regional poetry and music event in Niagara County. The "Lewiston Arts Café" will feature some of the finest poets and musicians in Western New York performing in a 1960s coffee house style setting.

All programs will begin at 7 p.m., and will be held every other month at the Lewiston Opera Hall, 732 Center St., Lewiston. 

The first presentation, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, will feature poet and author E.R. Baxter III. He is a Niagara County Community College professor emeritus of English, has been a fellow of a New York State Creative Service Award for fiction, and a recipient of a Just Buffalo Award for fiction. His "Niagara Digressions" won a Silver for the Book of The Year Award (2012) from ForeWord Reviews in the Adult Nonfiction, Ecology and Environment category. Baxter will read from his newly published book of poetry, "Niagara Lost and Found."

Alison Pipitone is well known on the local music scene. She has toured extensively and her band has opened for artists including Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, the Bacon Brothers, Martha Wainwright, Barenaked Ladies and Billy Bob Thornton, just to name a few. Sam Wereb of Rockzilla said, "Alison Pipitone writes poetry that rocks. She's one part cover girl, two parts Springsteen, one part Liz Phair, and a bucket-full of Kurt Cobain. Blended together with a whiskey-laced voice, she's a powerful concoction of lyric-driven, folky alternative rock with sharp, 100-proof melodies and scorching full-on performances."

Pipitone has won more than a dozen area music awards after touring the country and earning a national fanbase, which recently funded her next CD in full through an online campaign.

Future Presentations:

Tuesday, April 8:

Poetry: Perry Nicholas Music: Maria Sebastian/John Brady

Tuesday June 10:

Poetry: Jennifer Campbell Music: Tom Stahl

Tuesday, Sept. 9:

Poetry: Ken Feltges Music: Dee Adams

Tuesday Nov. 11:

TBA

Two circles of award-winning poets and musicians will present their original work one poem at a time, one song at a time.

This event is made possible in part with funds from the Arts Niagara Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by the Arts Services Initiative.