lifestyle: January 2009 Archives

Since its inception in the spring of 2004, the Allen Street Hardware Café has had an eclectic and broad range of musical performances.  In recent months, Hardware finds itself taking a stronger and more aggressive position into the world of jazz. 

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The Infinity Blues Project band is headed to Memphis for the 25th International Blues Challenge, with the support of the Blues Society of WNY.  Tomorrow, Infinity will give a preview of their Memphis performance at the Tralf at 2:00.
The band of 14 to 19-year-olds is newly formed last summer under the mentorship of Ron Graham and Steve Davis of Jamestown's Infinity Performing Arts School, but each one of the band members has years of musical experience to devote to this endeavor.  
Placers in this

Cummins Wide: Photographs from the Arkansas State Prison by Bruce Jackson opens at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery tonight.   The work of SUNY Distinguished Professor and Samuel P. Capen Professor of American Culture in the Department of English at the University at Buffalo, Cummins Wide="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:

By Huewayne Watson

If you're not too sure what to do this Friday, you should head on down to the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery in Downtown Buffalo, where some of Western New York's finest and talented musicians will be gathering for an evening of live music to help the hungry and to pay tribute to musician Tom Petty.  This celebration will mark the 1st annual "Damn the Torpedoes: A Tribute to the Music of Tom Petty". 

The Roaring 20's will make their snazzy return to the Town Ballroom on Sunday, February 8th, when Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller hosts his third-annual "Catwalk for Charity III" event at the former speakeasy. The event starts at 6:00 PM. Get your tickets at www.thesteadfastfoundation.com.

By Dan Creahan

In a world where Kanye West can put out an album like "808's and Heartbreak," one has to wonder about the future of hip-hop.  As labels and publishers rush to defend their copyrights, it seems that the days of classic sample-laden hip-hop tracks are numbered.  Enter a new wave of hip-hop youth, who have rejected

Last year, we saw a number of local churches get into the spirit of community events. Many of the events were a bit out of the ordinary - gatherings that were not typically related to what we might think of when going to church. That's why I was struck when I saw this cool-looking function to be held at the Unitarian Church on Elmwood. I mean, how many times do you see a church booking where a band named Bloodthirsty Vegans is playing? 

The monthly gathering turns out to be a potluck dinner and micro music festival. I asked singer/songwriter Kilissa Cissoko what the scoop was and

The (Grateful) Dead are back and they're heading to Buffalo, sans Jerry of course. This should prove to be quite the show for well-heeled deadheads as well as a new generation of bear boomers. To tell you the truth, The Grateful Dead hadn't even crossed my mind (or my iTunes) in quite some time. So when I saw the HSBC concert announcement pop up, it brought back a few concert flashbacks and prompted me to bring out some of the old live sets. Here are the details:

The Dead, featuring original members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann joined by keyboardist Jeff Chimenti

BRO viewer submission by Michelle Perkins

On January 10, three-time Artvoice Best of Buffalo award-winners the Skiffle Minstrels performed to a packed house--well, a packed warehouse--at Flying Bison Brewery. Buffalo poet Lisa Forrest called the event "uniquely Buffalo," saying, "Where else can you stand around in your winter coat with good friends, listen to honky-tonk, and drink beer straight from the tap?"

Local music supporter Susan Jaworski, echoed Forrest's sentiment, "This event was great. It not only showcased local talent, it showcased a local product. The

Entitled 3 X 3 @ AKAG, this new series of Thursday evening films is being organized and presented by University at Buffalo professors Bruce Jackson and Diane Christian.  Three films by three distinguished international film directors will be featured each month as follows:/lifestyle/2009/01/index.html

Buffalo's semi-pro basketball team took the court at the Canisius College Koessler Athletic Center for its season opener on January 3rd, and Head Coach John Fitzpatrick couldn't have been more proud.
Hired on December 21st, with just 5 practices to get in before the Premier Basketball League (PBL) team's first game, Fitzpatrick said, "I'm happy with the effort and pride of the team.  The loyalty, conviction, maturity and coach-ability is exactly what it needs to be."
Fitzpatrick pointed to the fact that the

The Ann Arbor Film Festival meets Squeaky Wheel on Friday, January 30th, for an evening of avant-garde films that provoke, challenge and inspire.  The longest-running collection of independent, experimental and artistically inspired film in North America, Variety magazine named it as one of its "Top Ten Festivals We Love".

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Internationally renowned and award-winning pianist, André Watts, will perform at a private home in Buffalo to benefit  AIDS Community Services of Western New York, Inc. (ACS).

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By Tony Astran

For those expecting an amazing concert Saturday night at the Town Ballroom, City and Colour did not disappoint. The sold-out show offered a few surprises, too--mostly good, some disappointing.

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In case you missed it, Jarkko Ruutu of the Ottawa Senators had an altercation with Andrew Peters during Tuesday night's game.  During the incident, Ruutu apparently bit Peters' thumb through his glove.  Now that's quality sports entertainment. 
The biting incident, which is not the first in the NHL, reminded Peters of the infamous Tyson-Holyfield ear chomp.  When questioned after the game about his actions, Jarkko Ruutu responded with an elegant denial - "I didn't bit (sic) him."  
Check out the Sportscenter segment on the incident.  
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After previously offering buyouts to about 10% of its staff, The Buffalo News has announced another round of buyout offers.  This time, the offer has been extended to up to 300 staffers including newsroom employees.  
The Buffalo News has a brief announcement while Reuters has a more lengthy analysis.  
Our local paper isn't unique, of course, as the Tribune

In case you missed it, the Seneca Gaming Corporation filed their 10K with the SEC on December 29th. In their filing, the Senecas revealed they generated $32,747,000 in 'net revenue' at the Buffalo Creek Casino for the 12 months ended Sept. 30, 2008.  Now, the Senecas deduct the cost of 'promotional allowances' (complementary food, beverages, etc) from gross revenue to arrive at 'net revenue,' so the Buffalo Creek Casino actually generated more revenue than the $32.7 referenced above.  But let's

Rent, written by Jonathan Larson and directed by Michael Greif, opened at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre, on April 29, 1996 following a history-making, sold out, extended limited engagement at off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop. It became one of the most loved and most acclaimed shows on Broadway, even spawning a major motion picture