Canton Symphony to Present Yankee Bravo, 3/18

Fans who have missed local roots band Yankee Bravo will have an opportunity to see them perform soon. Officially on hiatus, Yankee Bravo will be part of the entertainment at the Canton Symphony Orchestra's Blue Jean Ball on March 18 at Brookside Farms in Louisville, Ohio. The Blue Jean Ball is a pre-cursor to the CSO's MasterWorks concert on March 19 featuring the World Premiere of Grammy nominee Béla Fleck's second banjo concerto. "We are honored and looking forward to coming out of our hibernation to be part of such a great event celebrating Béla Fleck and the Canton Symphony," noted Yankee Bravo's Benjamin Payne. Celebrating the Americana roots genre, the casual "Ball" will include a picnic-style menu, cash bar, guest bartenders, entertainment, silent auction and a special non-musical appearance by Mr. Fleck.

Yankee Bravo started performing together in winter of 2011. The band consists of Benjamin Payne (guitar/banjo/vocals), Robert Austin (mandolin/guitar/vocals), Brandon Covey (upright/electric bass) and Charles "Rick" Sills (electric guitar). They are known for their unique blend of Americana-folk and Alt-country with honesty and emotional melody added in. They have performed throughout the Canton area at venues such as Gervasi Vineyard, The Auricle, Buzzbin, the Canton Museum of Art as well as other regional venues. "We knew Yankee Bravo was on hiatus, but they are a perfect fit for our event so we reached out to them," notes Barb Mucci, Director of Development for the Canton Symphony Orchestra (CSO). "They were eager to partner with us and we are extremely grateful!"

Also on the entertainment docket will be Red Brick Rhoades. The duo consists of guitarist Red Chrosniak and Becca Rhoades on fiddle. Rhoades is also a violinist for the Canton Symphony Orchestra. Red and Becca started playing together upon discovering their shared love of heart-free dancing, getting lost, and making both mischief and music. Red Brick Rhoades offers original songs about the permutations of love, the trials and tribulations of life, and the joys of moonlight, moonshine, and being moonstruck.

The menu will consist of traditional American barbeque selections including pulled pork, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw and desserts provided by Kennedy's Barbeque and Taggart's Ice Cream. Guest bartenders will be serving refreshments, provided in part by Canton Brewing Company, throughout the evening. Some of the bartenders lined up so far include Ally Bussey, Interim Director of Visit Canton; David Beule, Owner of Canton Brewing Company; Vicky Sterling, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Pinnacle Press; and Robb Hankins, President & CEO of Arts in Stark.

Tickets for the Blue Jean Ball are $40 per person and available online atcantonsymphony.org or by phone at the CSO box office at 330-452-2094(weekdays 9am to 5pm).

Founded in 1937, the Canton Symphony Orchestra is a fully professional ensemble and organization dedicated to performing concerts that enrich, educate and entertain. Under the direction of Gerhardt Zimmermann, the orchestra performs classical, pops, holiday, and educational programs. Most performances are in Umstattd Performing Arts Hall, adjacent to the Zimmermann Symphony Center 2331 17th Street NW, Canton, Ohio. Parking at the Zimmermann Symphony Center is free. For more information, please visitwww.CantonSymphony.org.

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