The pavement was still warm and the paint not yet dry when this 1962 photograph was taken of the NY-198. Named for the creek it would scenically and ecologically diminish, the Scajaquada Expressway was extended that year from Grant Street to the Niagara Thruway as a final link in a transportation dream: “a crosstown expressway all the way from Buffalo Airport to the Niagara River,” per a 1954 Buffalo Courier-Express account.
[ROCK] Buffalo psychedelic rock band Chylde will reunite for a good cause on Sunday, October 16 at Mohawk Place. The show is a benefit for a young girl named Miriam, who has been diagnosed with Actue Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Miriam is the niece of Patrick Stephen “Thor” Johnson, bassist of Chylde, as well as Pine Fever and Malarchuk, two of the other bands that fill out the line up which also includes The Soft Love, Deadwolf, and Passed Out.
[HIP HOP] Most hip hop fans know Chali 2na as MC for the classic hip hop group Jurassic 5. Now the serious rhyme spitter has teamed up with Naughty Professor, a New Orleans-based hip hop funk group. The two forces have combined to create something greater than either—an amalgam of hip hop, funk, New Orleans jazz, and rap. They’re also joined by vocalist Sasha Masakowski, who adds just the right amount of soulful flare to the performance. The band performs a combination of original songs by Chali 2na and Naughty Professor, as well as some fan favorite Jurassic 5 selections.
[CREEPY] For one night only Mohawk Place will host the traveling witchy themed burlesque and sideshow troupe Hexwork alongside Buffalo’s own stripteasing undead, The Zombettes. The performances revolve around all things horrific, mythical, and sensual—with witches, gods and goddesses, and monsters galore. Storytellers, circus performers, burlesque dancers and stellar costume designers create a terrifying and intriguing atmosphere for the curious and strange.
[JAZZ] Bria Skonberg knows jazz because she lives like the music she performs. The 33-year-old hot jazz musician studied trumpet performance at university while on the road with her two bands and clocking in hours at her weekend job. Her versatility and discipline has translated into her tight musicianship, which combines pop sensibilities with vocal and instrumental mastery. Skonberg has performed in over 100 music festivals, has cofounded two foundations, a summer camp and a jazz festival, and in the meantime has been recognized for her vocal and trumpeting talent.
[PARTY] Give your senses to the performers. Let them twist, shock, excite your every notion of the sensual and the tactile. The drag burlesque troupe will combine elements of the grotesque with pure hedonism, indulging in the perverse nature of skin-crawling horror. The performance line-up is sure to please: Max Darling, Vidalia May, Cat Sinclair, Fifi LaFlea, Another Lopez, and Juicy Lucy are going to get dirty, creepy and most definitely effing pumped. The beats will be loud, the costumes will be stimulating, and you may possibly go insane. Are you ready?
[JAM] Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad seems to have found their niche, hitting the top five on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart twice since 2012. After adding guitarist Dan Keller from North Tonawanda in 2011, they’ve also released two albums of Americana, thus earning the distinction of being embraced by the acoustic roots and reggae roots communities despite their origins in the North American jam scene.
[JAM] Featured as one of Relix Magazine’s “On The Verge” artists, Buffalo’s homegrown jam quartet, Aqueous, returns to Nickel City for a two-night stand at Buffalo Iron Works this Thursday and Friday, kicking off a run that goes straight through New Year’s Eve in Albany.
[EXPERIMENTAL] Here comes WSADA 16, and it’s at the WASH Project’s new 593 Grant Street location, which is at the corner of Bradley (close to the West Side entrance to Buff State). These ongoing showcases always feature some edgy performance hybrids, and the upcoming event on Monday, October 17 looks to be no exception.
[FUNDRAISER] The link between boxing injuries and risk of Parkinson’s disease is well established, but the newer science linking the disease and the sport suggest that boxing training is beneficial to Parkinson’s patients in retaining their physical and mental quality of life. This Thursday, October 13 the gloves, mitts, handwraps, and bell will walk across the street from KC’s Fitness to Resurgence Brewing for its usual 6pm class that is open to all.
[ELECTRONIC/DANCE] Buffalo underground party collective Strange Allure returns with another party this month, Saturday, October 15, at an undisclosed location, and they’re bringing another member of the Discwoman squad with them. Umfang, a.k.a. Emma Olson is co-founder of the feminine-focused record label and booking agency. The New York City-based producer and DJ tends to tackle minimal techno on her various releases, mostly out on the Vancouver-based label 1080p.
[TRIBUTE] Dark Star Orchestra is a well known Grateful Dead tribute band that has toured the world. Formed in 1997 the band is dedicated, almost to a fault, to recreating the “Grateful Dead concert experience.” In some cases the band seven-piece band performs exact set lists from particular Dead shows; in other cases they simply cobble together a set of their favorite songs on that night. Check out Dark Star Orchestra at the Rapids Theater on Friday, October 14.
[MEMORIAL] If she hadn’t died at the end of August, Thelma Lee Ballard (a.k.a. Penny, with the prefix “Good” or “Bad” added as appropriate) would be celebrating her 40th birthday this Friday. For the 18th time. Instead, her many friends will celebrate her birthday, her life, and her no doubt peaceful passing at the house of a dear friend on Saturday, October 15, with a daylong memorial, all of which she’d be angry (with words to match) about her inability to attend.
UPDATE: This event has been canceled.
[LAUNCH] Stone & Saw, the handmade jewelry line created by Buffalo’s Megan LeGasse, is being launched at Ms Eye Candy Boutique located at 292 W. Utica Street on Saturday, October 15 from 1pm to 6pm. LeGasse repurposes wood scraps as part of the process of constructing her unique designs, which are all one of a kind pieces. She is also open to working with people’s requests and designs in order to make their custom made visions a reality.