What’s Good – May 25-31, 2023

Our weekly guide to what’s going on around Buffalo and in the world of pop culture.

Thursday, 5/25

Cottage District Walking Tour (Richmond Ave. & Jersey St, 11am-12:30pm, $7)
This tour explores “Little” Summer Street, home to a row of charming brick cottages built in the 1850s and ’60s, and beautiful English gardens. Reservations required.

Beers, Bikes and Barges (Canalside, 44 Prime St, 6pm, $25)
This 15-mile bike ride follows the Erie Canal and explores the canal’s important place in Buffalo’s history. Also includes multiple stops for a pint of beer, and proceeds to go help Slow Roll Buffalo develop more inclusive community bike rides.

Luenell (Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi St, 8pm, Fri/Sat 7:30 & 10, $35)
This bold, bawdy comic does storytelling-style stand-up when not acting in films like Borat, Hotel Transylvania, and American Hustle. Shows all weekend at Helium.

Friday, 5/26

Up All Night Showcase (Stamps The Bar, 7pm, $15, $20 day of)
A staggering lineup of music including The Yoda Baby, Duce MG, Big Snacks, Guy House, 12:03, OJ Blu Buccs, Juliene Grey, Melly Fluous, Arzyk, SaDaGreat, and Pharo Vibes.

John Bacon Quintet (PAUSA Art House, 7pm, $10)
This modern jazz quintet plays all original music, and are releasing their first recording later this summer.

Red, White, & Blue Balloon Festival (Letchworth State Park, Fri/Sat/Sun 6pm & Sat/Sun 6am, FREE)
The annual Memorial Day hot air balloon fest launches a fleet of airships over Letchworth gorge throughout the weekend, weather permitting.

Totally Buffalo Festival (RiverWorks, 359 Ganson St, Fri 3-8pm & Sat/Sun 10-4pm, FREE)
Shop local at this three-day convergence of local vendors on the waterfront, including live music, family-friendly activities, and food and drinks.

Creators at Sunset (The Boardwalk at Canalside, 6-10pm, FREE)
Why go to one waterfront local market when you can go to two? Creators at Sunset also features food and music alongside local vendors, and will return on 6/9, 7/7, and 8/18.

Patriotic Pops Day (Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, 10:30am, $44-67)
Join the Philharmonic in a patriotic Memorial Day show with a selection of tunes celebrating America, ranging from Battle Hymn of the Republic to God Bless the USA, to John Williams’ score for Saving Private Ryan.

New Movies This Week

You Hurt My Feelings (Transit Center)
Director Nicole Holofcenter specializes in stories of women fed up with life’s indignaties, and she reteams here with Julia-Louis Dreyfus (who also started in 2013’s Enough Said), who plays a novelist who feels betrayed when she overhears her husband say her last book wasn’t great. 

The Machine (in wide release)
Bert Kreischer somehow got a full-length movie made out of his stand-up routine about the true story of the time he and his father were kidnapped by people he crossed 20 years earlier while drunk during a semester abroad in Russia. With Kreischer as himself, and Mark Hamill as his father.

The Wrath of Becky (Elmwood Center, Transit Center)
In this sequel to 2020’s Becky, Lulu Wilson must again fight off a violent right-wing hate group.

Kandahar (in wide release)
Gerard Butler plays a CIA operative stuck behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. While a look at America’s longest war is still timely, has Butler ever done a non-dumb action movie?

The Little Mermaid (in wide release)
Right-wingers already hate the movie because Ariel (Halle Bailey) is black; but it’s also hard to love yet another unnecessary live-action remake of a perfectly good Disney animated film.

Saturday 5/27

Buffalo Marathon 5k (267 Pearl St, 8am)
If the marathon itself is too daunting, or you just want a warm-up for the big event, this 5K is a family-friendly event with awards in 5-year age groups, and benefits Children’s Hospital. Register at BuffaloMarathon.org.

Buffalo Kids Mini-Marathon (Niagara Square, 10:45am)
Kids can run their own marathon, with different starting lines for ages 6-8, 4-5, 3 and a “Diaper Dash” for the 2-and-under crowd, all of whom finish at the marathon finish line in front of the Convention Center. Register at BuffaloMarathon.org.

Fire Points West Side Bike Tour (Five Points Bakery, 44 Brayton St, 10-11:30am, $17/$7 students)
Take a bike tour through the West Side and visit neighborhood landmarks, community organizations, and parks. Helmets required.

Cabinet (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 8pm, $20)
Roots rockers Cabinet come to Iron Works.

West Ferry w/Neon Fantastic (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, 8:30pm, $10)
Local emo group West Ferry has a new EP, Out of Reach. With rock trio Neon Fantastic, and another opener TBA.

Happy Hour Cruise (Grand Lady Cruises, 275 Ganson St, 4:30-6:30pm, $25)
Grand Lady kicks off their 25th season of cruising Buffalo’s waterways with this 90-minute cruise

Sunday 5/28

Buffalo Marathon & Half Marathon (267 Pearl St, 6:30am, $140)
This relatively fast and flat race is an official Boston Marathon qualifier, and takes a scenic route past Lake Erie, LaSalle and Delaware Parks, and Forest Lawn Cemetery. Water and Gatorade are available every 2 miles in the front half of the race and every mile in the back half, with bike support and medical assistance throughout the race. Register at BuffaloMarathon.org.

Rival Sons w/The Record Company(Town Ballroom, 681 Main St, 7pm, $40)
Soul-influenced Rival Sons are touring behind two albums they’ve released this year, Darkfighter and Lightbringer.

Heart Attack Man w/Super American, Arm’s Length, Photocopy (Rec Room, 79 Chippewa St, 6pm, $20)
Cleveland punk rockers Heart Attack Man headline, with a bunch of local punks backing them up.

Monday 5/29

Memorial Day Ride (Buffalo Naval Park, One Naval Park Cove, 6:30pm, FREE)
This week’s Monday night community bike ride starts at a Memorial Day-appropiate locale for a 10-mile round trip.

Tuesday 5/30

I Think You Should Leave (Netflix)
The terrific sketch comedy series (even if you haven’t seen the show, you’ve definitely seen the “we’re all looking for the guy who did this” meme) returns for a third season.

Wednesday 5/31

Declan McKenna (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St. 6pm, $20)
English singer-songwriter McKenna won the 2015 Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition at 17, and “Brazil,” a song he wrote protesting FIFA’s management of the 2014 World Cup hit #1 on Sirius XM’s alt-rock chart.

Demun Jones w/Dusty Leigh & Brandon Hartt (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St. 6pm, $20)
Georgia native Jones mixes country and roots music with hip-hop beats.

Subject Board of Directors Meeting (5:15pm, 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.