An audience of around 600 people cheered, screamed, and shouted as WAR took to the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater’s stage in Peekskill on March 23.

Lead singer Leroy “Lonnie” Jordan danced around the orchestra and picked out members of the audience to sing along with him as he performed some of their award-winning songs like “The World is a Ghetto”, “Why Can’t We Be Friends”, “Slippin’ Into Darkness”, and “The Cisco Kid”

“I loved how WAR interacted with the audience and passed the microphone around, I always think it’s a cool thing when bands do that,” Manhattan Beer Distributors Sales Representative Mike Grabowiecki said.

The audience also stood in solidarity and put their hands over their hearts when harmonica player Stanley “The Baron” Behrens played the national anthem.

“From the minute they started to the end of the show it was absolutely fabulous,” Paramount Patron Eileen said.

Grabowiecki hosted a pre-game party at The Eagle Saloon in Peekskill and raffled off tickets to the show, which he says was a great success. Grabowiecki himself is a long-time fan of war.

“The show was a great time, just awesome. I’ve been following WAR since I was a kid, my dad kind of put me onto WAR. I’ve been a fan for a long time,” Grabowiecki said. “They sound great, they looked like they were having fun out there, they haven’t lost a step.”

Despite the band existing since 1969, the audience felt like they were still at the top of their game.

“From back then to now nothing has changed,” Paramount Patron Reul said.

The band was introduced by Shadows of the 60’s performer Lawrence Anthony.
To see some of the highlights from the concert check out our YouTube channel!

Country artist and fiddle player Charlie Daniels, and his band played their greatest hits as well as paid tribute to the United States military at the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater on March 17.

Throughout the show, the band showed off their adept instrumental skills. Daniels played his famous fiddle as well as guitar throughout the show, and his drummer Pat McDonald played on the drums. During one part of the show, McDonald performed a five-minute drum solo, much to the audience’s amazement.

“Overall the show was amazing, the musicians were amazing all around. The guitar player, the piano player, the bass players, and Charlie was good of course,” Paramount patron Jay Dean said.

The band performed some of their most well-known songs including “Long Haired Country Boy”, “Simple Man”, and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”. The band also performed a rendition of Elvis Presley’s “It Hurts Me”.

Daniels dedicated the show to the United States armed forces, calling upon the audience to identify if they served, drawing loud cheers from the audience. Daniels personally thanked the theater for using the VetTix program to give 50 tickets to the military.

“I want to thank the management [of the Paramount] for giving 50 tickets to the military. I think everyone ought to do that,” Daniels said.

The crowd for the show was around 700 people according to the theater.

Enjoy a video of the highlights of the performance on YouTube channel!

American rock group Three Dog Night performed their song “Prayer of the Children” in honor of the 17 victims of the shooting in Parkland Fla. at the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater on Feb. 22, in Peekskill NY.

Despite the policy debate on gun ownership surrounding the Parkland shooting, Lead singer Danny Hutton said that there was no political agenda behind the song, only to honor those who died and the hope for a better world.

Many members of the around 800-member audience stood in silence as the song played out of respect, however, some got emotional and cried during the end of the performance. They also appreciated Three Dog Night’s ability to harmonize and produce a gospel-like song.

“I liked that new song about the children, it was really good, the harmonies were unbelievable,” Three Dog Night fan Chris Marconi said during the concert.

The song was originally released in 2009 as a single, and it was popularized in 2012 after the Massacre in Sandy Hook elementary school victims

The lyrics to the song are:

Can you hear the prayer of the children?
On bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown room
Empty eyes with no more tears to cry
Turning heavenward toward the light

Will someone help me
To see the morning light of one more day
But if I should die before I wake,
I pray my soul to take

Can you feel the hearts of the children?
Aching for home, for something of their very own
Reaching hands, with nothing to hold on to,
But hope for a better day a better day

Will someone help me
To feel the love again in my own land
But if unknown roads lead away from home,
Give me loving arms, away from harm

Can you hear the voice of the children?
Softly pleading for silence in a shattered world?
Angry guns send a message full of hate,
Blood of the innocent on their hands

Will someone help me
To feel the sun again upon my face,
For when darkness clears and someone’s hear
Bringing peace again

Can you hear the prayer of the children?