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Williamsville Gets Defensive

I received word over the weekend that food trucks were having a tough go of it in Williamsville. A proposed statute had been crafted that would have imposed very heavy fees and untenable restrictions on food trucks, effectively banning them from operating in the Village of Williamsville, which is a separate taxing entity overlapping the towns of Amherst and Cheektowaga. 

Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa

[ROCK] The unfortunate feuding between the older and younger Zappa siblings over the Zappa Family Trust has been in the news lately, but that hasn’t stopped the greatest Zappa tribute show from mounting its annual tour. Dweezil Zappa Plays Frank Zappa is the new name. Apparently, under the former moniker, copyright infringement fines would start at $150,000 per song performed, despite Dweezil being Frank’s direct descendant.

Joe Jackson

[ROCK] Over the course of a career that began in the early 1970s, Brit singer-songwriter Joe Jackson has proven to be inscrutable and enigmatic. His first two releases reveled in the new-wave-y “angry young man” spirit that also defined the early work of Elvis Costello, to whom Jackson is often compared. The similarities don’t end there, either—both artists have taken wild turns into instrumental jazz and classical music, sporadically returning to the pop ethos that defines the core of their respective catalogs.

Independence Day Celebrations (July 2-4)

[CELEBRATION] As a famous Kwiki Mart employee once stated, the best way to celebrate the independence of your nation is to blow up a small part of it. Buffalo is never short on fireworks displays to celebrate Independence Day, and you can also expect a few bumping beach parties again this year too. Here we’ve compiled a list of some of the best Independence Day celebrations happening this weekend.

No Labels Co-Op: We're Launching - Let's Party!

[PARTY] The No Labels Clothing Co-op, a clothing company that aims to cater to the LGBTQ community with a focus on the transgender community, will have a launch party at Glow Gallery in Allentown on Saturday, July 9. Artists include the experimental noise project, uncertain, Dana Mcknight, and Lara Buckley, as well as a DJ set by Florian Ayala Fauna accompanied by avant-garde film projections.

Never Shout Never

[POP] Indie rock band Never Shout Never makes their return to Buffalo with a show at the Studio at the Waiting Room on Wednesday, July 6. The Joplin, Missouri-based band, which formed in 2007, released their latest record, Black Cat, on Warner Brother Records in 2015—which marks a move further into the pop-music realm.

Brandi Carlile

[FOLK] Inspired at an early age by musicians like Johnny Cash, Elvis, and Elton John, singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile has developed a unique sound that combines folksy instrumentation with poignant lyricism.

Sinbad

[COMEDY] Jingle All the Way. Good Burger. Houseguest. What do these works of cinematic genius have in common? Sinbad. The 59-year-old comedian who starred in these goofy, off the wall, cult-favorite films is still at it, touring the country doing his stand up act. The TV and film star will bring his tour to Helium Comedy Club on Friday, July 8 through Saturday, July 10 for five shows.

Outer Circle Orchestra

[WORLD] Outer Circle Orchestra (OCO) brings its out-of-this-world beat to the Elmwood Village Association’s Picnic in the Parkway series for an outdoor concert on Tuesday, July 12. Named for the “outer circle” of musicians surrounding dancers in African tradition the eight-piece band lives up to its namesake, bringing a smooth blend of structured and improvised music that prefers live performance and promises you won’t be able to keep your feet still.

Kyau and Albert

[ELECTRONIC/DANCE] Trance music producers Kyau and Albert have been at their craft since the early 1990s. The German duo, formerly known as Kyau vs. Albert, are celebrating twenty years as music makers, known for singles like “Made of Sun,” and “Velvet Morning, and as heads of the Euphonic record label. They’ll celebrating by embarking on a world tour which brings them to the roof at Sky Bar on Friday, July 8. Local Heroes will perform in support. 

The Heavy Pets

[JAM] The Heavy Pets have been called a “living, breathing, force of nature” by Relix Magazine, and it’s not hard to see why. Starting with a base of traditional rock and roll, the band effortlessly blends in rhythm & blues, jazz, disco, funk, reggae, and anything else in between. The band released their debut double-disc album Whale in 2007, and instantly became SiriusXM radio sensations.

Buffalo Batik

[FASHION] Beyond the eclectic flavors of food, fashion represents one of the main tenants of a culture. First time fashion show and culture fest Buffalo Batik capitalizes on this, showing fashions, fabrics, and jewelry hand-crafted by Indonesian artist and owner of Sasmita Batik, Novi Paluch. Hosted at the Karples Manuscript Library Museum, Buffalo Batik will also feature a backdrop of live performance including showcases by Fleuron Rouge Belly Dance and the Muhammad School of Music.

Dirty BBQ VIII

[BBQ] The eighth annual Dirty BBQ is back at The Hive with six wicked bands to heat up your summer, this Friday, July 1 at 6pm and going into the early hours. This year the lineup consists of Fox 45, Second Trip, MeNyou, Doctor Mister Scientist, Heavy Temple, and Bold Folly. There will be plenty of BBQ and other food provided.

Valient Thorr

[ROCK] Venusian rock gods, Valient Thorr, will grace the Waiting Room next Friday, July 8 for a night of hard rock, heavy metal ,social critique and intergalactic observations. After crash landing on Earth in the 1950s, the Venus space gods, all appropriately taking the sur-name “Thorr,” decided to bide their time as a rock group hailing from North Carolina.

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