thursday october 6th 2005
Tonight... Hallwalls presents Wayne Wang's "Smoke"
queenseyes
`Smoke" is a beguiling film about words, secrets and tobacco. It takes place among lonely men and a few women who build a little world in the middle of a big city, a world based on sadness, secrets, killing time and enjoying a good smoke. Like a few other recent, brave movies, it places trust in the power of words: These people talk, weaving pipe dreams into what they need to get by.
The center of the film is the Brooklyn Cigar Co., at the corner of Third Street and Eighth Avenue. For Auggie Wren, who owns it, the store is the center of the world - so much so that every single morning, he stands across the street from it and takes a photograph.
He shows his photo albums to Paul (William Hurt), a writer who is a regular customer: "That's my project. What you'd call my life's work." Paul observes that all the photos are the same. "They're all the same," Auggie says, "…
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queenseyes
In olden times, salt was an essential preservative in all households. It was also an important seasoning and was kept in a variety of containers, the earliest being small wooden tubs.
When, at the end of the eighteenth century, earthenware came to be used, the shape of the container used to store salt was particularly distinctive. It was known as the "salt pig"; a glazed, cylindrical, shouldered jar rising to a small knob for carrying, with a large hooded opening resembling the snout of a pig.
The jars were stored in niches by the cooking range so the salt was always near to hand. Now that's handy. As the saying goes, 'A little pinch'll do ya.'
The Salt Pig (sm. $28.50/lg. $38.50) can be found in a variety of colors at Spoiled Rotten, located at 831 Elmwood Avenue.
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...that this city-owned lot was aptly named, 'Needle Park.' That's right, where just a few years ago one would find relentless pan-handlers, there is now a refreshing air of city flare. Last evening, this small park which hosts small businesses the likes of Globe Market and East Meets West Yoga was alive with people venturing out for an evening snack. This stretch of Elmwood has recently attracted a series of ice cream shops that people can't get enough of. And you know…
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Without mercy, these radical community activists target overgrown patches of weeds throughout the city and turn them into future gardens. Last night the group hit a plot of land on Allen Street. The parcel had been overtaken by plastic cups, weeds, glass and lord knows what else. It took a of couple hours of digging through the weeds and debris before the soil could be properly navigated. The debris was removed and bulbs were planted. The lot is already looking 100% better…
queenseyes
Without mercy, these radical community activists target overgrown patches of weeds throughout the city and turn them into future gardens. Last night the group hit a plot of land on Allen Street. The parcel had been overtaken by plastic cups, weeds, glass and lord knows what else. It took a of couple hours of digging through the weeds and debris before the soil could be properly navigated. The debris was removed and bulbs were planted. The lot is already looking 100% better…
queenseyes
This up-and-coming gypsy-jazz quartet has been absolutely PACKING Allen St. Hardware Cafe on Wednesday nights for the last 6 months. It's probably fair to say they're the reason this venue has had to double its size! Traditional, acoustic, gypsy-jazz, played with 2 acoustic guitars, a violin, and upright bass. If you want real, honest-to-goodness gypsy music then this is the band to see! Every Wednesday Allentown Hardware comes alive with the…
wednesday october 5th 2005
Coming to a district near you?
queenseyes
How nice would it be to see these all over the city? They're smart, safe, attractive, and no... I'm not talking about the Rodeo 4X4. I'm talking about the walking-strip that they were laying down in front of the Sidway Building yesterday. Brilliant. Now that there are people living in downtown, the city should start to become more pedestrian (and bike) friendly...
queenseyes
Delish! is looking for an artist interested in displaying a new show in their space. The paintings need to be large in scale, and the available walls add up to a total of 10+. The business is open to all sorts of mediums, even though the works must be 'public viewing friendly'. The works are to be shown in a high visibility space that attracts varied crowds of people. Delish! supports the arts in Buffalo and is willing to work with the artist as far as requiring a minimal (maybe no) commission. Artist must hang their own work and must be able to fill all of the spaces. This a great opportunity for any local artist that is interested in showcasing their work on Elmwood Avenue in a space that quarantees traffic.
Delish is located at 802 Elmwood Avenue. The phon…
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The Preservation Hall Jazz Band derives its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable music venue located in the heart of New Orleansi French Quarter, founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe. The band has traveled worldwide spreading their mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz. Whether performing at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center, for British Royalty or the King of Thailand, this music embodies a joyful, timeless spirit. Under the auspices of current director, Ben Jaffe, the son of founders Allan and Sandra, Preservation Hall continues with a deep reverence and consciousness of its greatest attributes in the modern day as a venue, band, and record label.
The bu…
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This really is where the arts meets the architecture. Squeaky Wheel has officially moved from its long running space on Elmwood to a brand spanking new space in a downtown architectural treasure. This is a big move for Squeaky. The old space was a mysteriously cool location with its black painted windows, funky orange and blue colors and whimsical metal work.
Squeaky's new digs are located in the Art Nouveau style Ansonia Building (built around 1920), which is located at 712…
