Social media has been a boon for musicians. Starting with MySpace a decade ago and growing to include Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the musically inclined have used the internet to promote their wares.

Now a Lockport musician has taken to YouTube to promote a concert being held Friday night at the Tuscarora Inn via a tongue-in-cheek campaign for mayor.

Aaron Anson, guitarist for the band Dark Eyes 55, says he was trying to think of a way to drum up support for the show and thought the recent resignation of Mike Tucker would be a unique way to do so.

"I really just wanted to promote this show," the 2004 LHS graduate said. "I just wanted a lot of people to come out of the show ... I thought I would capitalize on the mayor's resignation."

Anson's video says all of Lockport's problems can be summed up in one word: potholes. The video even suggests that recent crime — including the stabbing at Big Lots and the string or armed robberies — can be attributed to potholes.

"These potholes are bringing this city to a slow crawl. We're here to speed things back up. Vote for me for mayor of Lockport," Anson says in the video, which also features him playing "pothole hopscotch" on Chestnut Street.

Another gem in the spoof video features Anson getting out of a barber's chair and reciting the line, "Do you like haircuts? Well I do, too. So vote for me for mayor of Lockport."

Anson's "opponent" in the race is Charles "Chaz" Whitbourne, who has his own not-safe-for-work video promoting his campaign. His campaign calls for "more potholes" and "more smoke stacks."

Whitbourne, a bass player from Rochester, is Dark Eye's 55 newest member.

Anson said he's overwhelmingly pleased with the reaction to the video. "I did not intend for it to be this viral, but obviously it took off and a I got a bigger response than I anticipated."

The "election" will be held at 9 p.m. Friday at the Tuscarora Inn when Dark Eyes 55 takes the stage with Buffalo band Whiskey Reverb. Anson says there will be a voting booth at the show and that all voters will get a copy of a Dark Eyes 55 CD.

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