[ROCK] It can be tough to find quality musicianship and honest songs that harken back to the roots of what define American music these days. The radio is over saturated with manufactured songs that are rife with a marketing appeal and the goal of mass popularity. This Friday, January 30, Buffalo Iron Works will be the place to be to catch some music that has power behind it in its authenticity.
[COMEDY] There aren’t many people who don’t know the name Wayne Brady. The actor/comedian has made appearances on many different television shows; most notably his entry into the mainstream with the wildly popular and hilarious Whose Line is it Anyway?. The longstanding hit started in the UK, and upon entering the US with host Drew Carey, exploded in popularity with many fans gathering religiously around their televisions to catch the off-the-cuff humor.
[ART] Lukia Costello, an Ukrainian-American photographer will be revealing photos from a recent trip to the Ukraine, along with family photos and cultural artifacts that explore her connections to her roots, through an emotional lens that is torn by the struggles of life. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to also meet this artist at the opening on Friday, January 30 at CEPA Gallery, and hear more about her travels and plans for the commission she was recently awarded by NYSCA.
[ART] Starting from a point that is influenced by movement, color fields of infinite lines stretch over the landscape of paper. Sehr’s compulsive drawings pull you in to more closely explore the terrain that she has beautifully carved out with ink. Don’t miss the opportunity to see her work in person at the Western New York Book Arts Center on Friday, January 30, because the internet does not fully do justice to this it, and you might want to purchase one that night before they sell out.
[COMEDY] As inspiring as he is hilarious, Josh Blue is a breath of fresh air. A victim of cerebral palsy, in one routine he attributed it to the fact that he was born in Africa. His quirky view on life helped him win season four of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and he continues to break down stereotypes of people with disabilities one laugh at a time. Catch Josh Blue at the Helium Comedy Club on Thursday, January 29 through Saturday, January 31.
[POP] Cherub boasts electrified pop music with racy lyrics that are always sexy and never smutty, thanks to Jordan Kelley’s honey-sweet vocals. The Nashville duo spent three years surfing the club scene, warming the crowd with their velvet-smooth electro-funk and their dazzling stage presence.
[ROCK] After shedding the Frank Smith moniker under which he’s performed for over a decade, Aaron Sinclair flexes his rock muscles on A.Sinclairs’ debut EP, Pretty Girls. Helmed by Sinclair, the Austin by way of Boston rock outfit kicks off their latest EP with “Suit Up.” It’s an energetic rocker that plays in the same vein as an Arctic Monkeys’ cut, and introduces a fresh brand of Sinclair.
[ROCK] Fleetwood Mac frontwoman, Stevie Nicks, is Rolling Stone Magazine’s cover story this week, so let’s give some ink to the architect of Fleetwood Mac’s multi-platinum selling sound, Lindsey Buckingham, who “would be the undisputed star” of any other band had he not had the “mixed fortune to join with his beautiful girlfriend (Nicks)”, according to Rolling Stone.
[DANCE] “B-boying is for everybody” said Ken Swift of the well-known breakdancing group, Rock Steady Crew. Last month’s Battle @ Buffalo proved that true, as they gave even the tiniest and youngest b-boys and b-girls a chance to cut their styles loose. This month marks the beginning of Battle @ Buffalo’s tenth year, and the format for this battle is “All Styles two vs two”—which will be limited to eight teams—and a standard b-boy/girl 2 vs 2 battle.
[ROCK] Virginia jolt rockers, Gang of Thieves will be stopping Nietzsche’s this Saturday, January 31 as part of a winter tour in support of their album their latest album Thunderfunk, recorded in Berkeley California by Grammy award engineer Michael Rosen.
Last week, the US Supreme Court announced that it would hear four new cases this term—an otherwise unimpressive announcement. The cases to be heard, however, are sure to decide whether the right to same-sex marriage is guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. As of January 19th, the Obama administration announced, through Attorney General Eric Holder, that they will file a brief supporting equal access to marital rights in all of the states.
Recent years have demonstrated that extreme weather is the new normal. The Australian heat wave, Hurricane Sandy, the Buffalo Snowvember, and the blizzard currently hammering the Eastern seaboard, can all be attributed to climate change.
The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of the climate change crisis. It is a manmade phenomenon and will, if not abated, lead to ever-greater destruction of the environment of this planet. Working and poor people will be impacted by climate change more than anyone. On this fact, there is literally no scientific debate.
The first round of the Upstate New York amateur Golden Gloves tournament returned to the cozy confines of the Tralf Music Hall in downtown Buffalo Saturday night. A total of 44 fighters competed for the chance to advance into the next stages of the tournament, to be held in the coming months at the Tralf.
[SCREENING] A panel of speakers including Geoff Kelly, editor, The Public, Howard Zemsky, managing partner of Larkin Development Group, and Buffalo State Professor Joelle LeClaire will discuss the financial services industry with the backdrop of the film classic It’s a Wonderful Life. The screening and discussion are part of a series of screenings, lectures and conversations titled Ideas Prime, which aims to create a platform for the discussion of local, global, and cultural issues and their relationships.
[SPORTS] I like to sit and watch The Big Game. Like, in a chair. I will not stand in the corner of my friend’s crowded apartment this year struggling to see who has the ball, disappointingly trying to scrape the remnants of some hastily made chicken wing dip out of an old tupperware container. I will go to Savoy for Lift-Off at Kick-Off on February 1—hosted by Spooky Stephen and The Victory Gardens—to sit in a comfortable booth in front of a big TV and order whatever the hell I want.
If you just squint your eyes and concentrate deeply enough, you may be able to imagine the sound of a jump rope rhythmically beating against a floor in gyms all across the state. That’s the sound of amateur boxers getting ready for the show. The Golden Gloves are back on Saturday at the Tralf at 5pm, and the pulse of the sweet science abides.
A rave is rarely called a rave these days. But what is a flower by any other name? The people who put together Just Rave 3.5 are calling it like it is, and they’ve put together a great line-up to back it up. Big time local names like SwaggleRock, Notixx and Local Heroes headline this event presented by BuffaloRAGE Community and #Tutlife. Brother Bear, Brian Lech, Daggz, Fro$h, Jillie Wags, Kage b2b Feetwerk, Kitz b2b Miosi, Roou, Rufus Gibson, and Sunglasses Mike round out the the line up. Those with a ticket to Just Rave 3 will enter for free.