Travis Keller’s Fissure is part of an exhibit of work by eight Buffalo Arts Studio resident artists at the Kenan Center (433 Locust Street, Lockport), opening with a reception on Sunday, February 24, 2-5pm.
[VALENTINE] It’s Valentines Day and the emotions are running hot. I Love You, I Hate You Burlesque Show is a great place to explore those hot feelings. Burlesque dancers SugaTush, Sapphire SeaQueen, Fiona Fatal, Juicy Lucy, Cat Sinclair, and Kerry Fey will be dancing to songs about love and hate, and all of the feelings in between. Catch this steamy burlesque show at Milkie’s on Saturday, February 16.
[POLITICS] This could be a pivotal year for Buffalo’s Common Council: The Lovejoy and Fillmore district councilmen are both stepping down, and there are candidates considering challenging incumbents in each of the other seven district as well. Among those candidates are many who have never engaged the political process before, which makes their candidacies both promising (for city government) and daunting (for them and those who would support them).
[POLITICS] This could be a pivotal year for Buffalo’s Common Council: The Lovejoy and Fillmore district councilmen are both stepping down, and there are candidates considering challenging incumbents in each of the other seven district as well. Among those candidates are many who have never engaged the political process before, which makes their candidacies both promising (for city government) and daunting (for them and those who would support them).
[INDIE] A Minneapolis-born group, Bad Bad Hats (amusingly, named after a character in the Madeline series of children’s books) makes indie pop that’s built around Kerry Alexander’s breathy warble. The band has proven it’s capable of more than the generic sound of its debut, It Hurts, in the five years since it was released on the MN-based Afternoon label.
[R&B] Since the Grammys seem to often be an artistic kiss of death, perhaps it’s a backward compliment that celebrated R&B crooner Brian McKnight has been nominated 16 times and never once won. A Buffalo native on the cusp of turning 50, McKnight was inspired by his brother’s success with the pop-gospel group, Take 6, and proceeded to shop his demos until he scored a deal with Mercury at the age of 19. A subsequent deal with Motown in 1997 brought him into the limelight with string of platinum albums.
[POP] Remember Floetry? The Brit duo of Natalie Stewart and Marsha Ambrosius caused a stir in the late 1990s, building up to a signing with Dreamworks and the release of three albums, Floetic (2002), Floacism (2003) and Flo’Ology (2005).
[POP] D.C.-based electro-pop trio SHAED (as in, like, “throwing shade”) have been acquainted since high school when lead vocalist Chelsea Lee began dating Spencer Ernst who, along with his twin brother Max, now arrange Lee’s instrumental backdrop. Lee signed a solo deal with Atlantic in 2009, fresh out of high school, while the Ernst twins shopped their music around for a record deal (but eventually ended up going to college instead).
[INDIE] Proggy indie rock band Mosswalk will celebrate the release of their new record Mangata with a show at Nietzsche’s in Allentown on Saturday, February 16. They’ll be joined by Soular Plexus and Witty Tarbox.
If the idea of something called a Big Gay Sing makes you chuckle, that’s good. When the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus staged the first Big Gay Sing in 2009, they wanted it to be over the top. Now, it’s a copyrighted concept that they loan to other choruses all over the world as a fundraising tool that doubles as a loose, let-your-hair-down event that’s meant to foster group spirit. The idea is to bring people together and celebrate in a shared knowledge of songs, because—when you’re able to let go of the ledge—singing is fun. And freeing.
[POP] Andrew McMahon has never been afraid to transform. He’s that rare kind musician in a fickle music industry that has been successful as the frontman of three different bands; first as Something Corporate, then as Jack’s Mannequin, and most recently as Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. As he’s moved from project to project he’s evolved in many ways and stayed the same in many ways. His musical style has evolved from college-radio pop-punk to polished mainstream radio pop, but his intimately personal lyrics have weaved their way through his music since the beginning.