This week, prepare to embark on a new musical journey that marks the exciting debut of "Rockabilly 2 Rachmaninoff," a captivating new series In the Flamingo Lounge dropping every two months on the second Saturday. Each episode promises unique insights, featuring a special guest from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

Joining us for the inaugural episode in the series, is Ron Spigelman, an acclaimed conductor with an impressive career spanning continents and genres. A native of Australia and an honors graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London, Ron begins the 25/26 season as the new Principal Pops Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

No stranger to the BPO, he previously served as their Associate Conductor, among other notable roles including Music Director for the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet and the Springfield Symphony. He’s also been Principal Pops Conductor for both the Fort Worth and Syracuse Symphonies.

Ron's conducted everything from symphonic works, ballet, and opera to musical theater and over 30 live-to-film productions, including all eight Harry Potter films! He's shared the stage with a diverse array of artists, from classical virtuosos to pop icons like James Taylor, Leslie Odom Jr., and Gladys Knight.

Beyond the baton, Ron is deeply committed to the community. He's board president of Harmony Project Tulsa, bringing music education to underSERVED youth. Ron recently graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University, receiving a prestigious dean's medal. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Laura, and their six children.

Savannah Swatland is a small-town farm girl pursuing a dream of singing and performing her own music. She spends her time training horses, working on trucks, and writing music. When she was 14, she won the Mountain Soul Vocal Competition in Sevierville, TN. This kickstarted her career in music leading to her singing the Nation Anthem for a Toby Keith concert, multiple appearances on radio stations, performing live music in both New York and Tennessee, writing and recording her own songs which she has out, and singing the Nation Anthem for many events from political gatherings to rodeos. Savannah is country through and through which shows in her choice of cover songs and her original music.

Savannah visited Rockabilly Greg In the Flamingo on June 18, 2025 for a great conversation as well as some of Savannah’s original tunes, performed and recorded live In the Flamingo Lounge.

This week’s guest In the Flamingo Lounge, Kevin Leary, is a pretty busy guy at the Kenan Center! He's not just the Arts & Culture Program Manager there, but he's also a talented director, choreographer, actor, and arts manager.

Throughout his career, Kevin has had some amazing experiences. He's toured nationally as an actor in shows like The Music Man, 42nd Street, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He also worked as an Assistant Director and Male Swing for Singin' in the Rain at the Goodspeed Opera House.

Back home, he's directed The Glass Menagerie and Godspell at the Lancaster Opera House. And over at the Alleyway Theatre, he's showcased his skills as choreographer for Kragtar!: An American Monster Musical and director for Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf.

Kevin's got a strong educational background too, with a BFA in Acting/Musical Theatre from Wright State University and an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies (focusing on Theatre and Arts Management) from the University at Buffalo.

Jen Karlis & James Brennan from Not Normal joined Rockabilly Greg In the Flamingo Lounge on June 12 2025 to share their story and music off of their first EP, "Furnish the World".

Not Normal is a high-energy rock band composed of four dynamic, multi-instrumentalist frontpeople-turned-family who embrace both an unpredictable future and a lovable sense of nostalgia. Driven by electrifying guitar riffs, powerful vocals, and an unapologetically goofy spirit, they’re on a mission to bring catharsis, beautiful mayhem, and fun back to the Buffalo music scene. Their debut EP, "Furnish the World", turns the chaos of a world falling apart into something raw, something loud, and something worth holding onto.

This week’s guest, Davey O., is a Buffalo -born songwriter whose work has been praised by Music Critic Jeff Miers as having "a journalist’s eye for detail and poet’s ear for the well-turned observation". For two decades, Davey has honed his craft, creating deeply introspective Americana that speaks to the human experience rather than political or social themes. His songs are raw, honest, and completely devoid of insincerity, each one a vivid soundtrack for the listener's imagination.

Armed with his Gibson guitar and a tireless work ethic, Davey brings his captivating stories and songs to audiences across the U.S. His dedication has earned him significant recognition, including a New Folk Finalist selection at the Kerrville Folk Festival and opening slots for esteemed artists like Ellis Paul and Suzanne Vega.

Davey joined Rockabilly Greg In the Flamingo Lounge on June 9, 2025 and shared his music and stories.

This week’s guest In the Flamingo Lounge, David Cloyd, is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, known for his emotive and intricately layered compositions. His upcoming record, Red Sky Warning, due June 6th, is highly anticipated, following the success of singles "Ocean Of Hours" and "Drive With Me," which garnered significant press and Apple Music placements.

A self-made artist, Cloyd recorded his 2009 debut, Unhand Me, You Fiend!, in his 9x9-foot Brooklyn apartment. This album reached #1 on eMusic and led to TV placements. His talent further blossomed with reinterpretations of Radiohead and Paul McCartney, expanding his devoted audience. Now based in Buffalo, where he also founded Hook & Ladder Records, Cloyd continues to carve out a unique space in indie music, with his work often drawing comparisons to artists like Radiohead and Peter Gabriel while maintaining his distinct artistic voice.

David sat down with Rockabilly Greg on may 28, 2025 to talk about his music, and share a few tracks off his latest record, Red Sky Warning.

Armand John Petri stands as a versatile figure in the music industry, excelling as a producer, engineer, and performer. His impactful work includes producing, engineering, and pre-producing five seminal Goo Goo Dolls albums, from Jed through the breakthrough Dizzy Up the Girl. Petri also lent his expertise to 10,000 Maniacs, engineering or producing Candy Everybody Wants, Love Among the Ruins, and Earth Pressed Flat. His diverse portfolio further encompasses engineering or production credits for The Splat Cats and a significant number of Manowar albums. With an impressive catalog of approximately 110 albums, his contributions have been recognized with five multi-platinum and three gold record awards, as well as a Dove Award.

Beyond these notable collaborations, Armand has worked with a wide array of renowned artists, including Sixpence None The Richer, where he served as both personal manager and producer for three of their albums, and the duo John & Mary. His dedication to nurturing local talent is evident in his production work with around 60 bands, and his global reach extends to collaborations in over 50 studios worldwide.

His foundation in music was laid at SUNY Fredonia, where he studied Music and Sound Recording. A year into his studies, he embarked on a full-time touring career as the drummer for the show group Life. Returning to Fredonia, his senior project album, aptly named The Rods, secured a recording contract with Arista Records. His performance experience includes European tours and engagements on cruise ships. Demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit, Armand assembled and produced his own group, Ara Nova, which signed with Refuge Music Group. He has also held the position of staff producer at Pure Metal Records and has directed numerous music videos, showcasing the breadth of his creative talents.

Armand joined Rockabilly Greg in the Flamingo Lounge on May 20, 2025 for an interesting conversation on his storied career.

Buffalo Music Hall Of Fame member Jim Wynne visited the Flamingo Lounge on May 14, 2025 where he shared his musical stories and some special music.

Jim studied music theory and composition at Villa Maria College while taking Bass lessons with Jim Kurzdoerfer and Piano lessons with Leola Erftenbech. He has performed with Dave Constantino, Jony James, Gamalon, Lance Diamond, Ike Smith, Richie Derwald, and Muse.

He is currently playing Bass with The Tony Tripi Band, The Grateful Dead All Stars, and The Jim Wynne Band. He also plays piano with JJ Swing.

Jim also produces and records music for vocalists, bands, and songwriters. He has been recording as a session musician for Robbie Takac and Justin Rose at GCR Studios since it opened.

He has participated in many Veterans Benefit concerts and Wings Of Hope concerts for the purpose of helping people in the community when they need it most.

Jim is also a music instructor available for guitar, piano, and bass guitar lessons. His curriculum is centered on technique, ergonomics, ear training and transcribing notation for the purpose of learning music that the students enjoy.