Nyckel City, LLC is a new local organization founded this year to help promote local music acts in Western New York.  It was started by local musician and writer Charles G. Smith, a Buff State graduate.  The company plans to get local musicians more exposure, as well as help bring national acts to come perform in Buffalo, by organizing shows at venues across town.

Their website states that " Nyckel City was established to help improve the economic standing of the City of Buffalo and introduce new and regional musicians to Western New York's

By Kait Munro
The Community Music School will present two free neighborhood concerts, featuring Carol McLaughlin with Magnitude. 
McLaughlin performs Big Band music with his group Magnitude. He studied jazz composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston, as well as classical performance on flute and saxophone at SUNY Buffalo. He has worked as a studio musician, music director for the Eastern Steamship Line and band leader with Carnival Cruise Ship. McLaughlin has appeared with the Buffalo Jazz Workshop, and has performed with Magnitude

As an added treat to First Fridays, Campieri's Gourmet Pizza at 888 main is offering an All You Can Eat Penne Party (with Dan's homemade red sauce)for $8.  Right around the corner from the First Friday happenings, imagine filling up on Penne before, during or after your gallery romp.  

Though most galleries serve wine, Campieri's also has a new wine list, with several offerings

To help celebrate the July 4th weekend, we're happy to offer our first Buffalo Rising t-shirt sale.  If you order anytime from now until midnight Sunday (July 5th) and use the gift code FIREWORKS, you'll be able to buy any Buffalo Rising shirt for just $15.00 plus shipping. 

This sale allows you to save a couple bucks on all of the Buffalo Rising shirts including Queen City, Lake

On Sunday, July 5th, Buffalo Tours will present a cruise along the Niagara River on the Miss Buffalo. Relax and enjoy the scenic view while learning about the ecology and history of this unique area from knowledgeable tour guides. 
Boarding will begin at 9:30 AM at the Miss Buffalo dock in the Erie Basin Marina, located at 79 Marine Drive. This exciting tour costs $20 per person or $15 for Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper and Buffalo Tour members. Some proceeds will support the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper.
For reservations,

Tonight at 9 PM, Mode restaurant on Elmwood will begin its weekly stand-up comedy showcase featuring the best comedians Buffalo has to offer--for only $5.  And, of course, there will be outstanding drink specials.  Performers will include experienced comics working on their act--you won't see just anybody walking in off the street. 
Each week, BRO's own Dan Fisher will host and present his own brand of stand-up.  As coworkers, we can attest to Dan's excellence in entertaining, which we are witness to on a regular basis.  The guy is just plain

I thought it was funny when everyone was excited about "Bruce Almighty" taking place in Buffalo but then it turned out that Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston were never actually here.  Well, not funny, I guess the right word would be "typical."  That's okay!  "The Savages" was shot here!  Some other movies were too, sort of. 

But, as the saying goes, "If you want something done right, you must do it yourself."  Leave it up to one of our own to understand that. 

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Starting next week, Buffaloians will have the opportunity to join the 27 million individuals from around the world who have experienced the only exhibition of donor bodies. That's right, human specimens. 

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Here's a brief listing of what's happening this weekend in Buffalo. 
On Friday, July 3rd...
Buffalo Tours presents "Queen City Downtown," a guide through beautiful, historic landmarks with stories from knowledgeable tour guides. The journey begins at the Visitor Center, located at 617 Main Street, at 10 AM. The cost is $10 ($5 for students). 

The College Street Gallery Co-Op, located at 244 Allen Street, will open its July exhibit from 8 PM until 10 PM. Works

On what was supposed to be a quiet day according to Darcy Regier, the Sabres went ahead and signed Steve Montador, the 6 foot, 211 pound defenseman who played for the Calgary Flames during the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals.  He also played for the Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, and most recently, the Boston Bruins.

Montador's contract is for $3.1 million over 2 years.

Buffalo Rising will have more as details emerge.

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Just Buffalo Literary Center has announced its July events. Here's a look at what's happening in the upcoming month. 
On Wednesday, July 1st, the JBLC and The Center for Inquiry Literary Cafe will present "Open Reading: Hot Summer Nights" at 7:30 PM at the Center for Inquiry, located at 1310 Sweet Home Road in Amherst, to celebrate summer. Guests are welcome to read two or three pages of writing during the 15 open slots for approximately five minutes with time for socializing afterwards. As an added attraction, readers will be able to display and sell books,

It's summertime in the Elmwood Village tonight marks the start of the annual Summer Concerts at Bidwell Parkway.  Each Tuesday from June 30th to August 11th the Elmwood Village Association will stage a free concert.

 

Summer

By Kait Munro
The Sorrento Cheese Italian Heritage Festival committee named restauranteur and philanthropist Michael Militello as this year's Gran Ceremoniere. He will be the ceremonial head of the Festival, and will oversee all ceremonial events at Buffalo's Italian Fest this year. 
Militello is President and CEO of the MRM Hospitality Group, which includes the Bijou Grille in Buffalo and the Sonoma Grille in Amherst. Also, he is well known throughout Western New York for his contributions to various local charities. 
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Been paying attention to sports at all lately?  The United States defeated top-ranked Spain last week, and narrowly lost to Brazil on Sunday.  American soccer is on the rise! 

Keep that in mind as Buffalo City Football Club continues to defeat teams in the NPSL.  On June 28th they faced National Champions Pennsylvania Stoners with fantastic results.  By winning the game 4-1, their goal differential is up to an impressive +11, and they're only one point behind

Most of us are already familiar with Frida Kahlo's self portraits, her long elegant neck, striking eyebrows and wise, watching eyes. However, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Nickolas Muray Archives, is giving us a different look at Kahlo, through the lens of Muray's camera. 
Kahlo and Muray met in 1931 in Mexico.  The exhibition contains 50 photographs from the Nickolas Muray Archives taken by the portrait photographer of the exotic Mexican painter during their ten-year love affair

This morning I took my car to Delta Sonic on Main Street for a wash and inside detail, a 45-minute event.  I often think Delta Sonic is a microcosm of the world where you can observe the most mundane errands like grocery shopping, picking up the paper and filling up on gas to the most extreme heartaches like poverty, addiction and despair.  I walked over to the plaza, looking for the most mundane--a breakfast

I've never been a musically oriented person.  Don't get me wrong - I love music just as much as the next person; I've got almost 15,000 songs on my external hard drive (none of them were illegally downloaded, I swear).  It's just that I've never picked up the hobby of playing any instruments or singing, except when I'm alone in my car and imagining the driver next to me isn't looking.  The truth is I'm just a fan, but part of being a real music fan is having respect for the people who do make music, and giving them their dues.  So, I'm writing to tell you about a local band

Do you love Buffalo? This Sunday is your chance to proclaim that sentiment for all to hear with the "We Are Buffalo" parade. Hosted as part of the city's homecoming "Citybration" weekend, the parade will kick off at approximately 11:20AM at Delware Park's Meadow Ring Road near the corner of Parkside Avenue and the Scajaquada Expressway. The parade will then make its way down to the Buffalo Zoo, arriving at about noon for the Buffalonians Making a Difference Awards Luncheon, which will honor several notable Buffalonians.

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And now for some homemade Buffalo art. This weekend marks the opening of the Locust Street Neighborhood Art's 49th annual art show! Come down to 138 Locust Street from 2-5 PM this Sunday, June 28th to see some great art and mingle over refreshments.
Drawing students from various Buffalo schools, including such institutions as Futures Academy and the Martin Luther King School, Locust Street Art is an independent, not-for-profit organization with a highly diverse student body. And talk about an activity for all ages - this past year, Locust Street boasts having students ranging

Tomorrow's monthly Party on the Portico at The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society features Babik, performing upbeat gypsy jazz in the vein of Django Reinhardt.

This fourth-annual summer happy hour series features live music, Flying Bison