Buffalo Rising | Your Guide to Buffalo NY News, Arts, Events & Buffalo Restaurants

City May 23, 2013 6:45 PM

"FOUR LITTLE GIRLS: Birmingham 1963"

Jeff Wilber 0

"FOUR LITTLE GIRLS: Birmingham 1963"Written by Christina HamDirected by Kelly BeuthFeaturing student actors of Buffalo's Performing Arts High School.
Reviewed by Jeff Wilber:
It was HOT last night! The last place I wanted to be was in a stuffy, hotter, little black box theater with no A/C and very little ventilation watching some high-school kids perform. But my wife, in her infinite wisdom, coerced me by promising ice cream afterwards. So I went. And I am so glad that I did!
The events that this show documents were among the most heinous of tragedies that the chaotic times of the early 60's bred. Four little girls were killed in a church bombing on a Sunday. It was a racially motivated crime. It went unanswered and unresolved until the early 2000's.

City May 23, 2013 2:59 PM

The Breakup Game

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There's a push in the Queen City by the Lake to get a new board game off the ground, and brother and sister team Alex (Boston) and Rachel DiNunzio (Buffalo) are close to raising the necessary funds to The Breakup Game to take their dream from concept to reality. Their company, Xander Gaming, has launched a Kickstarter campaign to attract enough pledge supporters so that they can manufacture the product, and the last time that I took a look they only needed to raise an additional

City May 23, 2013 11:37 AM

The Lodge - "The evolution of Chippewa has begun."

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As other parts of the city continue to reinvent commercial districts, there is a growing number of people rethinking the future of Chippewa - restaurateurs who want to see the street as an up-and-coming anchor in the city, not just for partiers, but for people who have an appreciation for good food and tasteful atmosphere. At this moment, four partners are planning an overhaul of the former Bayou, and are investing a considerable amount of money to not only change the image of the building, but the entire block. The team of /var/www/vhosts/buffalorising.com/httpdocs/index.html

City May 23, 2013 9:30 AM

Buffalo PorchFest?

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A BRO reader sent me link to the Somerville PorchFest event, hoping that someone would see it as a good fit for Buffalo, and roll it out in the future. After taking a look at the logistics, I believe that our reader might be onto something. Basically, PorchFest sounds like a great way to get live music out onto the streets of Buffalo... with musicians playing from their porches. Not only does Buffalo have some incredible musicians, there are also a ton of sweet porches (right Steel?). The following is a description of the event, as seen on the PorchFest

City May 23, 2013 8:39 AM

Sounds of Buffalo: The Andrew J. Reimers Country-Punk Extravaganza!

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List your band members and the instruments that they play.
Andrew J. Reimers: Vocals, Acoustic GuitarKatie Panfil: Vocals, Fiddle, MandolinJosh Mullin: Drums, VocalsEric Rovner: Electric GuitarJames Warren: Bass Guitar
What is the name of your group?
Long version - The Andrew J. Reimers Country-Punk Extravaganza!Short version - The CPX
How did the name of the band come about? When did it form?
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Real Estate May 23, 2013 12:01 AM

Steve Carmina Plans 500 Block Move

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One of downtown's biggest boosters will soon be calling it 'home.' Architect Steve Carmina, a principal at architecture, engineering and design firm Carmina Wood Morris, is purchasing a commercial building on Roosevelt Square to convert it into commercial space and his residence.

Steve and his wife Brenda are ditching their suburban home for something he is deeply involved in- repurposing an historic building. Carmina has 9 Genesee Street under contract and received Buffalo Planning Board and Preservation Board approvals for his redevelopment

Continue reading Steve Carmina Plans 500 Block Move.

City May 22, 2013 3:43 PM

Food Truck Tuesdays @ Larkin Square

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Starting next week, Tuesday May 28, Larkinville will be launching Food Truck Tuesdays (5-8pm). This is a great initiative being taken by district promoters - the food trucks are an important piece of the Buffalo summertime mix, and given the amazing grounds at Larkin Square, visitors will be able to grab some of their favorite foods, and then sit down and relax at myriad recreational spots. People will also have an opportunity to grab a beer or a wine to go with their food truck favorites. "We enjoy hosting Buffalo's beloved food trucks in Larkinville, and it'll be fun to have so many

City May 22, 2013 3:05 PM

So long Woodson Houses: One down...

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Moments ago I received and email from William (Bill) Kresse, Principal City Honors School, notifying me that the first of the Woodson Houses has been demolished, and that the rest of the units will come down within a month's time (learn more).
Along with the news of the demolition, Bill also relayed some of his thoughts regarding the need for the return of Fosdick Field to the school. "My perspective is that this is coming from the ingrained assumption that city kids should

City May 22, 2013 2:13 PM

River Rocks!

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If you were to host a clam bake on the waterfront, with live music and dinner included, there's no better location than at the West Side Rowing Club (WSRC). On Saturday, June 29th from 4:00pm to 9:30pm, Road Less Traveled Productions (RLTP) will be celebrating its ten year anniversary by throwing a clam bake at one of the most scenic and sought after locations in Buffalo - the front lawn of the rowing club, overlooking the mouth of the Niagara Rivera, with the Peace Bridge as the backdrop.
The time range of the party means that guests will be able

City May 22, 2013 11:43 AM

#Rapper Problems Tour at DBGB's

Buffalo Rising 4

By Ann Marie Trietley, Music Columnist:
On Thursday May 30, DBGB's will host the #RapperProblems tour, featuring Dao Jones of Saratoga Springs, accompanied by AirlineJay, A.M.J, Austin and Nick Lyon. DBGB's has hosted a variety of up-and-coming hip-hop acts to date, and the #RapperProblems evening will highlight a group currently on tour from Philly to NYC. I spoke with 25-year-old Dao Jones, aka Cole King, about his latest projects and his outlook on today's music scene.
BR: Can you tell me about your latest release, "Dao

City May 22, 2013 10:15 AM

The re-purposing of Fireman's Park

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Buffalo booster Michael Farrell, along with Erie Community College and its students, has been working hard on beautification efforts on a long-abandoned park in downtown Buffalo. Once the site of a functioning water feature, Fireman's Park eventually suffered from lack of care, and became a symbol of much of the disinvestment in the surrounding area. Today Downtown Buffalo is shaping up, and thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of students, the park is being transformed into a place where the business community, residents and visitors to

City May 22, 2013 8:00 AM

Sounds of Buffalo: Genkin Philharmonic

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List your band members and the instruments that they play.
Jon Nelson - Director / Trumpet (interviewee)Tim Clarke - TrumpetLázara Nelson - ViolinJonathan Lombardo - TromboneSteve Baczkowski - SaxophoneJeff McLeod - GuitarWilliam Louden - KeyboardsMichael Wagner - BassTom Kolor - PercussionMatthew Felski - Drums
How did the name of the band come about? When did it form?
I founded the Genkin

Real Estate May 22, 2013 12:15 AM

Catholic Health Seeks Additional On-Site Parking

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Uniland Development Company and Catholic Health officials will be at the June 4 Planning Board meeting seeking permission to add over 200 additional parking spaces at the health organization's administrative center under construction at Genesee and Oak streets.
Catholic Health is consolidating 700 employees into the new building that will be owned by Uniland and leased to Catholic Health. Each office floor of the six-story building will have approximately

Continue reading Catholic Health Seeks Additional On-Site Parking.

City May 22, 2013 12:10 AM

Preservation Award Winner: The Lafayette

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Preservation Buffalo Niagara is recognizing outstanding preservation projects and those contributing to preservation efforts at its annual awards ceremony May 31, 11:30 AM at Kleinhans Music Hall. Buffalo Rising will profile this year's winners leading up to the event.
The Hotel Lafayette is a seven-story steel frame and concrete building designed in the French Renaissance style and constructed in several phases with five major periods of significance. The principle building, characterized by red brick with off-white terra cotta detailing above

Continue reading Preservation Award Winner: The Lafayette.

Real Estate May 21, 2013 8:00 PM

IDA Approves Incentives for Fairmont Creamery Re-Do

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The Erie County Industrial Development Agency (ECIDA) on Monday gave unanimous support for Ellicott Development's plan to overhaul the long-vacant Fairmont Creamery Co. building at 199 Scott Street. Built in 1920, the eight-story structure was most recently used by the Arctic Freezer Company for storage as a refrigerated storage site for Rich Product Corp. It has sat idle for the past two decades.
Easily seen from the I-190, the building still has the "Coffee Rich" logo painted on one side. The 5277 Group, a subsidiary of Ellicott Development, plans a

City May 21, 2013 2:37 PM

"Build with us... transform The Foundry!"

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Once again, The Foundry continues to beat the drum for artisans all over the city. It also continues to show proof positive that with the right mix of forward-thinking ingenuity and talent, we can do just about anything, anywhere. The Foundry has rallied the community to its doorstep, and brought together some of the most clever people to explore co-working habitat relationships that range from bike building to guitar making.
If you want to see an inspirational promotional tool that says it all, check out the video below. If you think that you've got a proficient grasp

City May 21, 2013 11:27 AM

The Pink Flamingo Project

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We've all seen the once tacky, now kitsch pink flamingo lawn ornaments that have dotted Western New York front lawns in years past. In fact, I bet that there are still a few fans out there who have a pink flamingo or two planted firmly into their lawns. For the lovers of all-things-kitsch and Buffalo history, check out what the gang at Broadway-Fillmore Alive (BFA) is up to. Christopher Byrd and friends are bringing back the pink flamingo, but instead of decorating

City May 21, 2013 9:56 AM

Time to Eliminate Lackawanna

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By Kevin Christner:
Yesterday's article in the Buffalo News makes one thing clear. Lackawanna, as a municipal entity, no longer has a reason to exist. When considering geography, there appears to be no reason for Lackawanna to exist as an independent municipality. Its borders are contiguous to large parts of Buffalo and its heritage is largely the same.
I was part of the group that worked with Dave Quackenbush on the Bethlehem Steel Administration Building (see

City May 21, 2013 8:40 AM

Buffalo Custom Art

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The grassroots art community continues to grow, with another public art studio, called Buffalo Custom Art (BCA), climbing its way up is search of higher grounds. Artist Amanda Hart has formed the studio, located at 887 Clinton Street in Buffalo, where she is rallying local artists to join her in establishing a space where they not only work on their art, but they take it to the streets. "We opened up our studio to the public and we have a growing clientele," Amanda told me. "On June 1st we are hosting a 'mural cookout' to raise money for our studio and our public art projects. On

Real Estate May 21, 2013 8:40 AM

Construction Watch: Houk Lofts

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Developer Rocco Termini has started the first of a pair of adaptive reuse projects north of Buffalo State College. Work is underway at 316 Grote Street to convert the former Houk Wire Wheel building into a mix of commercial and residential space.
The $6.72 million Houk Lofts project will contain 22 one and two-bedroom apartments and commercial space. A tattoo studio and hair salon are expected to be among the tenants in the 28,160 sq.ft. building.

Continue reading Construction Watch: Houk Lofts.

Catholic Health Seeks Addit

Time to Eliminate Lackawann

Real Estate Rumor: Delaware