[COUNTRY] Country music is nothing to fear, especially when it’s done well. Chris Janson and the Heritage both do it well. The Hometown Throwdown this Saturday, February 7 at Howdy’s might change the way some people feel about the genre. Saturday’s show featuring Buffalo’s The Heritage and national act Chris Janson
[METAL] It’s rare that a metal act hits the road on their own these days, but this Thursday, February 5, Buffalo will get an evening all to themselves with the almighty Machine Head at Town Ballroom. While the band is certainly worthy of mention among the greats, they are often glossed over. The band, based out of California and frontman Robb Flynn, brings that West Coast thrash a la Testament, Exodus and Metallica.
[ART] In using art to provoke questions and dialogue around the human condition, and the functionality of the collective memory, Millie Chen’s new installation, stain, is inspired by her recent visit to Tuol Sleng Cambodia, a site of genocide from 1975-79. Utilizing photographic imagery that is digitally collaged along with gouache and watercolor, an 80-panel wall piece composed of 13” by 13” uniquely created individual works will be exhibited, along with new and old wall drawings inspired by human hair.
As if things weren’t chaotic enough for the Buffalo Public Schools these days, they went ahead and dealt themselves a self-inflicted blow by not canceling schools after a foot of fresh snow fell onto the morning commute hours with more accumulation scheduled until 4 pm.
[TRIBUTE] A white Ford Bronco speeds down the 33. No, it’s not who you think it is; it’s just Buffalo’s favorite 1990s cover band, Soul Patch.
[HIP HOP] In May, the Huffington Post published an article titled “Is Fly Young Red’s Newest Track Revolutionary?” The conclusion: kind of. The track in question is called “Throw Dat Boy Pussy,” and it’s about gay sex, specifically between black men.
[ROCK] Sportsmen’s Tavern has been one of Buffalo’s best kept secrets, always booking quality acts in the rock, blues, jazz, and more. The small club located on Buffalo’s west side is a true gem and this week will be no different as they play host to Stephane Wrembel & His Band on Friday, February 6. While you might ask who these guys are, the better question is how does Sportsmen’s continuously find them?
[ART] When viewing the work of artist Julia Wald, it might not be immediately evident how the artwork was made. Her pieces—psychedelic collages—may make use of a few large cut outs to create a flowing piece, or hundreds of tiny pastes to create an intricate treat for the eyes. Wald will display her work at Dreamland on Saturday, February 7. Fredonia alt rock band Albert The Fish will perform an acoustic set at 9pm.
[ART] On Friday, February 6, the Carl Jung Center will be hosting a solo exhibition featuring the works of Buffalo based artist Kaitlin Frisicaro. Sensual, earthy, playful, and evocative, Frisicaro’s work evokes a sense of how the imaginative subconscious would appear on visual display; often featuring subjects suspended in a symbolic tapestry of colorful patterns congealed into elements of nature.
[COMEDY] On Friday, February 6, check out Friday Night Laughs at the Tralf Music Hall.
[TRIBUTE] “He rises high above all, and he’ll never be forgotten, even by persons not born yet—especially those persons—and that is forever.” Bob Dylan said it perfectly: Johnny Cash is amongst the most dignified in the pantheon of music gods. From his cutting, pathos-laden songs, to his mastery of every genre he stepped into (even in the face of a debilitating illness), Johnny Cash’s grandeur is unparalleled.
[ROCK] The last time Dirty Smile brought their red-hot energy to Buffalo Iron Works, they filled the venue, sharing songs off their latest EP Love Songs for the Damned: Volume 1, amongst others.
[POP] Joe Donohue’s bouncy vocals loom over the city of Buffalo with ethereal poise and a swagger tough as nails. Best known as the vocalist and keyboardist from the Albrights, his omnipresence in Buffalo’s music scene includes starring in MusicalFare’s production of the Who’s Tommy, and playing multiple piano solo (and often other instrumental) sets in various bars across town. Catch Joe Donohue at Nietzsche’s on Tuesday, February 10.
[PUNK] Three gals—Eva, Robin, and Shen—on bass, drums… and horn. Yup, horn. This relatively new local trio’s guitar-less brand of “feminist punk” (their words) might remind you of Erase Erata or Eagle & Talon—scrappy, super-pitchy, lo-fi fun with a defiant spirit—well matched for this Saturday’s gig at Mohawk Place with Jamie & the Debt.
[DANCE PARTY] They’re both big whiners for sure. But with The Smiths vs. The Cure dance party coming up this Saturday at Buffalo Iron Works, we’ve got a good excuse to revisit the “mope rock” kings (queens?) and see if we can discern a top contender for the biggest mope of all. In 1984, Morrissey called The Cure’s Robert Smith a “whingebag” in the defunct UK rock rag The Face. Collins Dictionary tells us a “whingebag” is someone who constantly complains about everything or anything.
[POETRY] The UB Poetics program is starting their 2015 calendar with a bang, hosting poet/performer/librettist Douglas Kearney for a double billing of town and gown readings this Thursday.
It should be a universally recognized unofficial rule in a city with about 100 years of experience to learn from: when there’s a foot or more of fresh snow on the ground, you need to cancel schools.
Buffalo News reporter Tiffany Lankes tweeted this capture from Wednesday night’s Buffalo Board of Education. Here’s her follow-up companion piece.
What we don’t see is any mention of the board minority members as the “4 Sistas of Soul.” Perhaps there’s more to it than just this image, and if there is, we at The Public would love to see it.
[DANCE] The Buffalo Contact Improv Community hosts the third annual Mission Improvable, which will be an evening of thought-provoking dance, led by Boston-based artist Neige Christenson. Joining her will be dancers from various places, including Toronto, Rochester, Michigan and California. The pieces showcased in the event include a contact improvisation trio informed by Christenson, “Light Solo” by Mariah Maloney and “Spirals” by Ashley Vita Verde.