What’s Good 3/31-4/5
Our weekly guide to what’s going on around Buffalo and in the world of pop culture.
Friday, 3/31
Tom Green (Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm, $28)
The boundary-pushing comedian of Freddy Got Fingered and The Tom Green Show fame comes through town on a stand-up tour.
Roller Derby (Buffalo RiverWorks, 359 Ganson St, 7pm, $15)
The Devil Dollies and Alley Kats fight it out as Queen City Roller Girls returns to RiverWorks!.
Caracas Trio (PAUSA ArtHouse, 19 Wadsworth St, 7pm, $13)
This Venezuelan trio’s music is steeped in AfroVenezuelan tradition, but played through a contemporary lens.
J#tet Trio (Days Park Tavern, 253 Allen St, 9pm, $5)
No idea how to pronounce this group’s name, but we do know they’re a jazz group that plays original music in the mold of the Miles Davis Quintets.
The Power (Amazon Prime)
Toni Collette leads this series in which every teenage girl on Earth gains the power to electrocute people at will, based on Naomi Alderman’s bestselling 2016 book. With Auli’i Cravalho (Moana), John Leguizamo, and Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso). The first three episodes release today.
New Movies This Week
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (in wide release)
There have been a few attempts to turn the venerable role-playing game into a film franchise, and none of those previous efforts had the winning combination of Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez.
Spinning Gold (Elmwood Center, Market Arcade 8, Transit Center, Walden Galleria)
This biopic of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart (Jeremy Jordan) is guaranteed to have a great soundtrack, as the supporting cast includes Qiz Khalifa as George Clinton, Jason Derulo as Ron Isley, and fictionalized versions of more 70s luminaries including KISS, Donna Summer, Bill Withers, and Gladys Knight.
A Thousand and One (Elmwood Center, Maple Ridge 8)
Teyana Taylor plays a woman recently released from prison, who tries to raise her estranged son, but finds it hard to escape poverty and her own past, in writer-director A.V. Rockwell’s debut. Buoyed by strong performances from Taylor and Josiah Cross, who plays the son at 17 in the film’s last act.
Tetris (Apple TV+)
As much as we wanted to see Hollywood try and somehow squeeze Tetris’ simple concept and universal name recognition into an action movie, this is the story behind the game, with Taron Egerton playing Henk Rogers, the game’s publisher, who has to navigate legal battles and life in the Soviet Union.
Saturday 4/1
Organ Fairchild (Duende at Silo City, 20 Buffalo River Place, 8pm, $15)
Silo City unveils its new upstairs room, Duende, with the help of Organ Fairchild.
Star People (Kenan Center Campus, 433 Locust St, 8pm, $15)
Star People take their name from Miles Davis’ pioneering 1983 album of the same name, and will perform songs from the album to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Mann Town’s Tribute to Motown (Milkie’s On Elmwood, 522 Elmwood Ave, 9pm, $5)
Soul singer Mann Town and opener Nelquan Rashad play homage to some of the best music of the 1960s.
Zed’s Dead w/Of the Trees, NotLö, Saka (RiverWorks, 359 Ganson St, 8pm, $39.50)
Juno-nominated electronic duo Zed’s Dead headline a night of dance music.
Pierogi Fest (The Terrace, 199 Lincoln Parkway, 1-5pm, $30)
The annual festival of Buffalo’s delicious Polish heritage returns after a few years off for the pandemic. Tickets include a dozen “pierogi tickets” for food, plus live music, and craft beer and spirits.
Pamela Walck Book Signing (Pathways Christian Bookstore, 6718 Lincoln Ave, Lockport)
This local author reads from her new book, Bridge of Love: 30 True Stories of Faith in Action, which recounts her grappling with her father’s death, managing Crohn’s disease, and exploring her faith.
Sunday 4/2
We Ain’t Done Wild’n Out Yet (Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm, $27)
Jay Lewis and Mope Williams, cast members from MTV/VH1 improv comedy show Wild ‘N Out put on a two-man improv show. We just want to point out that Lewis is nicknamed both Lil JJ and Big JJ. He contains multitudes.
The Suitcase Junket (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 8pm, $15)
“Doom-folk” singer Matt Lorenz goes it alone, playing solo and building his own instruments from scratch.
Acoustic Sunday (42 North Brewing Co, 25 Pine St, East Aurora, 4-7pm)
42 North hosts and acoustic open mic night the first Sunday of every month.
Monday 4/3
Strawberry Girls w/Body Thief, Standards, Tang (Mohawk Place, 47 East Mohawk St, 6pm, $20)
Why is every band with “Girls” in the name all-male? At least Boygenius is out there fighting back.
Tuesday 4/4
Buffalo Bisons vs. Worcester Red Sox (Sahlen Field, One James D. Griffin Plaza, 2pm, $16-20)
Opening Day for our local minor league team. See baseball’s rising stars, or just enjoy a nice day at the ballpark.
Subject Board of Directors Meeting (9pm, Google Meet)
Subject is student-run and managed by a non-profit. Our board meetings are open to the public, in case you want to make suggestions or see how the sausage gets made. You can also join our Discord channel to learn more about the site and pitch an article, radio show, or podcast, or otherwise get involved.
Wednesday 4/5
The Mid-Week Vibe (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 8pm, $30)
Why should the weekend have all the fun? Babeland kicks off a new concert series the first Wednesday of every month that includes comedian Julian “The Mayor” Russell, singer Carlton Wilcox, an acoustic performance by Jaymarr, a house band, and free pizza and wings (while supplies last!)
Bass Drum of Death (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $20)
The project of Mississippi native John Barrett, Bass Drum of Death have a new album out on Fat Possum records, Say I Won’t, produced by The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney.
An Evening of Buffalo Baseball Storytelling (Buffalo History Museum, One Museum Court, 6-8pm, $5)
Baseball historian Paul Langendorf and Centre for Canadian Baseball Research co-founder Brian Martin recount the Queen City’s long history with America’s pastime.
The Good Mothers (Disney+)
This UK/Italian co-production from the directors of The Crown and Chiara Ferragni: Unposted tells the true story of the women who took down the Calabrian mafia from the inside.
Thursday 4/13
Napoleon Dynamite Live! (UB Center For the Arts, 7:30pm, $38)
A little advance notice on this screening of the endearing 2004 indie film, followed by a discussion with cast members Jon Heder (Napoleon), Efren Ramirez (Pedro), and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico). VIP tickets available that include a meet and greet with the cast and a poster.
