Chautauqua Star April 18, 2014

Your Weekly Community Magazine | Week of April 18, 2014 FREDstock | Vol. 7, No. 16 – FREE STORER’S CONTAINER SERVICE COMMERICAL, SMALL BUSINESS & RESIDENTIAL SERVICES LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED FOR OVER 25 YEARS 20, 30, 40 YDS CONTAINERS 2, 4, 6, 8 YDS FRONT LOAD CONTAINERS 716.595.3186 NEW NAME, NEW IMAGE, SAME INTENTIONS By Hanna Neumann 7534 ROUTE 380, STOCKTON, NY Special to the Chautauqua Star FREDstock is a new initiative that aims to restore Fredonia’s annual tradition of Fred Fest to its roots. Unlike its predecessor, FREDstock is not affi liated with SUNY Fredonia, although it is planned and organized by current students. “We are working together to keep the legacy of Fred Fest alive,” said Matthew Mincin, founder and president of FREDstock. The organizers want people to know that the main focus is to give SUNY Fredonia students and the local community a proper way to celebrate the end of the semester and the revival of spring. They stress that this will support the local community while keeping the students and the village of Fredonia residents safe. “This is going to be something that is going to be a legacy, something that people will be able to do for ideally, who knows, the rest of Fredonia’s existence. You know, that’s a dream. So was this idea,” said Mincin. According to fredstock.org, Fred Fest originated in the year 1980 as the Fredonia CALL US FOR YOUR NEXT Festival and was intended to celebrate “warmth, two days of Frisbee slinging, beer swallowing, bike riding, skateboarding and live music along with singing, dancing, and laughter.” However, there is a growing group that feel Fred Fest has turned away from these original intentions and moved toward an underground house party scene. “FREDstock is supposed to be all about the music. Basically, people are caught up on the drinking and the partying and they forget that the real meaning of Fred Fest. What FREDstock really is there for is the music: to listen to bands and to get local bands from places like Buffalo to perform and just to listen to music,” said Makayla Santiago, senior music business and art administration major of SUNY Fredonia. Comparing FREDstock to Fred Fest, FREDstock’s mission seems to exemplify the original principles of Fred Fest, yet it also seeks to expand on those principles. According to David Neimanis the co-founder and booking agent of FREDstock, FREDstock will be “two days of peace, music, and good vibes.” The organizers want to highlight the quality of music that there is in Western NY. They have booked bands from Fredonia, Rochester, Buffalo, Jamestown, and Syracuse. “FREDStock is going to bring awareness to the talent that WNY holds musically and artistically. We’re giving a lot of local bands, businesses, vendors, and artists a great opportunity for exposure,” said Neimanis. This year’s festival will feature Sophistafunk, a national act hailing from Syracuse, as the headliner. Sophistafunk is a multi-genre band rooted by old school funk and hip-hop and is scheduled to close the night on Saturday, May 3rd. According to their band website, Sophistafunk is known for their huge sound, which is created by only three members. The band has won over crowds across the nation with their stage presence and tight musicianship. Other featured bands include: Honey Spine, CONTINUED ON PG 2 HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECT WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED! 38 TEMPLE ST., FREDONIA 679.0300 332 FLUVANNA AVE., JAMESTOWN 338.0300 DFTCOMMUNICATIONS.COM/ELECTRICAL Visit us online for all your community news www.starnewsdaily.com