With a possessive yet inclusive slogan–”Our Winter. Our Waterfront.”–downtown Buffalo’s shiniest, newest attraction, The Ice at Canalside, opened with festive pomp on December 18. Timed for winter holidays and sport, the grand opening program was a mix of two-minute speeches by electeds from atop one of the span bridges over the icy representative canals, booming live (Neon Trees) and recorded music, and sporty demos.
Sony Pictures has just announced that it will screen The Interview at Houston’s Alamo Drafthouse Theater on Christmas Day. This is presumably in response to a petition from the Alamo, which was supported by other independent cinemas including our own North Park. Will the film open here this week? And will you see it if it does? Stay tuned!
UPDATE: The North Park reports that, due to a contractual obligation to run its current feature Wild, they will not show The Interview on Christmas.
[DANCE] The Final Battle @ Buffalo of the year is this Saturday, December 27. For those unfamilar with Battle @ Buffalo, it’s a breakdancing competition that gives local b-boys and b-girls the chance to show off their stuff. DJs Sike and Trevthorn will step up to the decks one last time with their a variety of funk and hip hop. $1 to enter the battle, $50 prize for the all styles competition, and $100 prize for b-boy/b-girl 1v1 competition.
[Hip Hop] Breaking into the game as a break dancer in the early 1980s, Tony Touch knows hip hop from all angles. The Puerto Rican DJ, producer, and MC who hails from Brooklyn has made his mark by releasing hundreds of mixtapes over the last 20 years. Touch has collaborated with rappers like Kool G Rap and Beatnuts and has DJed for acts like Cyprus Hill and Eminem. He’ll come to Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar on Saturday, December 27 for a special edition of Saturday Night Meltdown.
[ROCK] Buffalo’s own Willie Nile will make a triumphant return to his hometown for a show The Tralf New Year’s Eve. The folk rock, singer-songwriter has been around now for 30-plus years and though he established himself in New York City at the beginning of his career, he has always stayed true to his Buffalonian roots. Over the course of his career, Nile has shared the stage with many artists and is considered one of the best of his kind.
[JAM] Space Junk and Sonder are two newer acts that have been playing around as of late, but don’t let that deter you from making the outing. Sonder recently had their album release party with DrFameus, drummer for the Disco Biscuits, and Space Junk has won several awards the past couple of years for their music that spans the jam and electronic soundscapes.
[Hip Hop] A young, but talented emcee known as Jaycee will bring a cast of characters to The Forvm on Sunday, December 28. The 16 year old who hails from Buffalo weaves lyrically with the best of them despite his newness to the game.
[JAM] Fans of jam music can rejoice because the best Buffalo has to offer is coming together for a New Year’s celebration that will not only be one of the best parties in the area that night, but also a show that will be truly memorable to both bands. Aqueous and Funktional Flow have been deeply entrenched and anyone who’s been around the city knows why the two will come together at Buffalo Iron Works next Wednesday, December 31.
Who needs a well-timed Hollywood blockbuster on Christmas weekend when you could return to one of the great films of yore, all while force-feeding a younger generation what a good adventure movie looked like during the cold war and before the internet. The North Park will be screening the classic first installment of George Lucas’ other never-ending 100% American franchise on both days this upcoming weekend. Nothing says late December comfort like popcorn and Harrison Ford circa 1981 decked out in earth tones.
[HOLIDAY] Call it the anti-Christmas Christmas party: a collection of musical black sheep having absconded from their relieved relatives to join hands and sing the praises of nacho cheese. “A bunch of weirdos doing weird shit,” Buffalo arts handyman Kevin Cain describes it, “set to music, of course.” There will be dancing, and costumes, and props. “We really can’t emphasize the presence of props enough,” Cain adds. Escape from the cookies and cheer and get back to basics, like dancing to an experimental performance in the stairwell of a hostel.
[JAZZ] Art and music collective Bourbon and Coffee have just released a new record titled Dolorous Orc. The record, an ominous mixture of spoken word poetry and improvised instrumentals, features a tribute to the late artist Phil Durgan, and also a cover of a song by famous jazz music composer Ornette Coleman.
[ROCK] Party like it’s… 2004? On Wednesday, December 31, Theory of a Deadman—a rock band that rose to popularity in the early 2000s after signing to Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger’s record label 604 Records—will take the stage at the Hard Rock Café in Niagara Falls to ring in 2015 along with Hard Rock Rising local winners, Dirty Smile.
[ROCK] Four great Buffalo bands will rock out Hot Mama’s Canteen on New Year’s Eve. Everett Lonesomes Nightmare, a three piece country band will kick off the night followed by punkabilly band Shaky Stage. Jamming rock band Second Trip will bring some psychdelic indie rock to the stage before headliners Folkfaces finish off the night with their brand of edgy Americana folk music.
[ROCK] This New Years Eve, Aircraft will be transforming Nietzsche’s into a spaceship and hosting a future-themed celebration to ring in 2015. For one night only, the venue will play vessel to a myriad of lights, lasers, and of course, live music. Alongside the four-piece psychedelic band, the lineup will include the Tins, Lesionread, and Equality Light and Knowledge. A photo-booth will be set up for all to use and champagne will be offered to cap off the year.
[ROCK] Gypsy Parlor will be hosting their very own New Years Eve celebration on the upper west-side. 30 bucks will get you an all inclusive prime rib dinner. And after you get your feast on, enjoy a live performance from Buffalo’s acclaimed feedback indie-rockers, Sleepy Hahas accompanied by Deadwolf and DJ Miosi. Music and drinks ‘til 4am.
[ROCK] “I think people ought to know that we’re anti-fascist, we’re anti-violence, we’re anti-racist and we’re pro-creative. We’re against ignorance,” said the late Joe Strummer of The Clash. It sounds like the world could use a few more Strummers right now. Get reaquainted with the sounds of Strummer this Friday, December 26 at the Town Ballroom at I’m So Bored With The USA: the 13th annual tribute to Joe Strummer and the Clash.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have hit many speed bumps in their 30-year career, but their music remains just as solid as ever. Their 1997 release, Let’s Face It, demonstrated their strong capacity for melodic punk, and was a huge success. Though, through the years, their brand of ska music has progressed from hard rock to a more reggae, pop-punk sound, which plays very nicely with their ska melodies. Their latest album, The Magic of Youth, is a jaunting collection filled with dynamic crescendos and unique, yet beautiful instrumentation.
[ROCK] What better way to ring in the New Year, than by getting down to Rusted Root’s highly instrumental grooves? The Rapids Theatre’s New Years Eve Bash will feature Rusted Root with fellow genre mixologists, Hypnotic Clambake. Rusted Root is living proof that different is awesome. The Pittsburgh based band tends to incorporate sounds and styles from all over the globe, most prominently Africa and the Middle East, into American folk.