[VINYL] Long before there was Vinyl Mania, there was the Record Baron and his stand-alone shop on Delaware Avenue in Kenmore, which is a mainstay for Buffalo-area vinyl collectors. Twice annually, the Baron helps organize these Sunday afternoon vinyl conventions held at the Leonard Post, which is located on Walden Avenue right by the Galleria (exit 52E).
[PUNK] The “Reverend” Jim Heath makes his way through Buffalo once a year or so, leading his cow-punk trio with equal parts earnest vigor and tongue-in-cheek amusement.
[HARDCORE] They’ve said it before and now they’re saying it again… but it’s for real this time: Worcester, MA hardcore mainstays Bane are calling it a day. Back in 2014 they released Don’t Wait Up, saying they weren’t going to record anymore but that they would continue to tour.
[ALT ROCK] The Ithaca-based quintet, X Ambassadors surfaced in 2009 with a self-released self-titled debut, featuring “Litost.” Their knack for sticky melodies has been rightly thwarted into the mainstream airwaves in the last year, with Jeep’s use of the gentle, yet uplifting “Renegades” and Beats’ use of their gritty, Black Keys-esque “Jungle” in multi-million-dollar ad campaigns.
[LECTURE] Kevin Spacey doesn’t spend the majority of his time making Hollywood blockbusters, but when he does, he does it well. Starting out in theatre, Spacey made his move to television in the late 1980s before landing roles on the big screen.
[LIT] Combining fiction, autobiography, travel writing, cultural criticism, literary theory and a comical English griping, British author Geoff Dyer mercilessly bends the laws of fiction at his will. Such flagrant disregard for genre could easily result in a hodgepodge mess, but Dyer’s outlandishly beautiful works—which date back to the mid-1980s and have earned several awards—prove him to be a wordsmith worthy of the name. His new book White Sands is set for release in May.
[PUNK] Buffalo band The Slums, comprised of Ryan Schlia (drums), Steven Floyd (guitar, vocals), Matt Zych (lead guitar) and Jake Strawser (bass) , just released their first full length, Sorry, on April 22. The group members have known each other for years and first came together two years ago when, coincidentally, all of their other bands broke up at the same time. While it took them about a year to write their first album, they’re extremely proud of what they’ve created and the evolutionary route their music has taken.
In Erie County, Hillary Clinton eked out a slim victory against Bernie Sanders; 50,199 to 49,387. The knives are out for Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner:
“The Erie County Democratic Party is once again the laughingstock of the state,” said James J. Eagan, secretary of the New York State Democratic Committee. “Jeremy Zellner is an embarrassment to the loyal Democrats of this county. When are the party leaders going to realize that it’s time for a change?”
[JAZZ] The Gypsy Parlor will be welcoming the Holy Crow Jazz Band on Sunday, May 1 at 9pm. The Holy Crow Jazz Band is a traditional American jazz band from the Big Apple. The band consists of: lead vocalist Jessy Carolina, her husband and clarinet and tenor saxophone player Mario J. Maggio, trumpet player and part-time singer Jesse Selengut, trombone player Tim Vaughn, Joe Exley also known as “TubaJoe,” guitarist Adam Brisbin, and drummer Curt Garey. A night filled with old school jazz tunes, is one not to miss!
[LECTURE] Lynne Stewart, a former attorney, now advocate for justice, will be speaking at Burning Books this Thursday, April 28 at 7pm. Stewart, best known for her role in defending the “guilty” or “unpopular” people in cases, was convicted on charges of conspiracy and providing material support to terrorists in 2005. She served a 28 month sentence in October 2006, which later became a 10-year sentence in 2009. However, she was freed from prison in December of 2013 due to the terminal breast cancer.
[JAZZ] With Miles Ahead, the Miles Davis documentary recently released, what better way to remember his music than by seeing some of Buffalo’s top local jazz artists present their “forward-looking treatment” of Davis’ music. Spanning his entire career, George Caldwell, John Bacon, and Bobby Militello play the music of Miles Davis in a way you won’t hear anywhere else.
[COMEDY] The third installment of DROLL will be held this Saturday at its usual home of Milkies. DROLL is a comedic showcase which spotlights local comedians, but with the unique twist that each month the comedians have to perform a piece based around one central theme. This month’s theme is EXODUS: BURNING BUSH, a theme that lends itself to drugs, God, sex, or any combination of the three. Appearing this month will be Sean Marciniak, Andrea Singer, William A. Cragun II, Bruce Wilson, and B.C. Garvey.