What’s Good – September 14-20, 2023

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

Thursday, 9/14

What the Constitution Means to Me
(The Kavinoky Theatre, 320 Porter Ave, Thu/Fri 7:30pm, Sat 3:30pm, Sun 2:00pm, this week and next, $34)
Heidi Schreck’s terrific autobiographical show combines big ideas about America’s fundamental values, and a personal story about her years in high school debate clubs, arguing about the Constitution as a means to travel around the country (and pay for college).

Katie Weissman (AKG Art Museum, 1285 Elmwood Ave, 5:30-7:30pm, FREE)
Buffalo native Weissman took up the cello at age three, after seeing Yo-Yo Ma perform on Sesame Street. She now plays with the Buffalo Philharmonic, contemporary ensemble Wooden Cities, free jazz group Root Cellar, and more.

Agnostic Front w/Murphy’s Law, Grade 2 (Mohawk Place, 47 E Mohawk St., 7pm, $25)
These two hardcore bands were instrumental in forming the original NYC hardcore scene, and they’re still burning it down several decades later. Grade 2 are a younger band with an old-school british punk ethos.

A Short Walk to Pluto w/Tim Britt Band (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $20)
Short Walk to Pluto has a huge following online and a recent endorsement from Howard Stern. 

Mixtapes #2 w/Buffalo String Collective (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 8pm, $20)
Buffalo Music Club produces the Mixtapes series, to bring disparate artists together for a one-time-only show. This lineup includes Hook & Ladder Records founder David Cloyd, musician and actor Zak Ward, post-indie guitarist Brian Dubay, and the Buffalo String Collective.

Friday, 9/15

Friday 9/15-Sun 9/17

Borderland Music & Arts Festival (Knox Farm State Park, 230 Knox Road East, East Aurora, Fri/Sat/Sun 6-10pm, $80)
The three-day lineup of more than 20 bands on two stages includes Phish’s Trey Anastasio, local jam band legends Moe., Goose, Dawes, Farrow, and this being Buffalo, includes a Sunday afternoon tailgate party when the 1pm NFL games are on. Visit the festival’s web site for more info.

Now We’re Creating LIVE! (WNED Studios, 140 Lower Terrace, 9-11am, $80) 
Be part of the studio audience for Channel 13’s Now We’re Creating, as five talented artists demonstrate their craft and talk about tools and techniques: Lauren Pantos (Happy Little Paintings), Emma Brittain-Hardy and Erik Walter (The Foundry), and Lynn and Jerry Urban (Lulu Creations). Visit WNED’s web site for more information.

Evening with an Icon: Fred Smerlas (The Buffalo History Museum, One Museum Court, 6-8pm, $25) 
Smerlas anchored the Bills’ offensive line through the 1980s, and was always ready with a memorable quote for reporters, so he should have plenty of good stories to tell.

Godfrey (Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm, $25)
This veteran standup has also had recurring roles in everything from That Damn Michael Che to Lucha Underground to Steven Universe.  

Jane Bunnett and Maqueque
(Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center, 705 Renaissance Dr, Williamsville, 7pm, $25)
This all-female jazz group is made up of graduates of the Cuban Conservatory of Music, and led by Downbeat critics poll nominee for top soprano saxophonist Jane Bunnett.

Silent Disco (Canalside Roller Rink, 130 Main St, 6-10pm, $10)
Get down on the roller rink, where everyone has their own headphones and can groove to one of three channels — hip hop, DEM, and Top 40.

New Movies This Week

A Haunting In Venice (in wide release)
This sequel to last year’s Death On the Nile brings Kenneth Branagh back to direct and play detective Hercule Poirot, who leads an all-star ensemble that includes Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Ali Khan, and Michelle Yeoh.

Outlaw Johnny Black (Walden Galleria)

Cowboy Johnny Black tracks down the man who killed his father, but ends up as an outlaw, in Michael Jai White’s spiritual sequel to Black Dynamite.

The Retirement Plan (Elmwood Center, Market Arcade 8, Transit Center, Walden Galleria)
On one hand, we’ve had enough movies where an unassuming retired tough guy goes back into action when his family is threatened. On the other hand, Nicolas Cage plays the tough guy. We’re sold.

Camp Hideout (Transit Center)
A young troublemaker (Ethan Drew) chooses summer camp over juvie, only to find the camp’s owner (Christopher Lloyd) hates children, in this spirited kids’ movie.

Mark Antony (Elmwood Center)
SJ Suryah stars in this stylish, over-the-top crime thriller. In Tamil w/English subtitles.

Love at First Sight (Netflix)
Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy star in this romcom based on the 2011 book.

A Million Miles Away (Amazon)
A biopic of José Hernandez (Michael Peña), who went from migrant farm worker, to developing the first digital mammography machine, to flying on the Space Shuttle.

Saturday 9/16

BubbleFest (Buffalo Museum of Science, 1020 Humboldt Pkwy, 10am-4pm, $20)
Bring the kids to this annual celebration of bubble-related science!

Sunday 9/17

Stab Wounds (Mohawk Place, 47 E Mohawk St, 6pm, $20)
This gentle acoustic folk—ha, we’re just kidding. They called Stab Wounds, they’re going to rock hard and loud. With opener Snuffed On Sight, who was assume are a string quartet.

The Gold (Paramount+)
Investigators have the impossible task of tracking down millions in stolen gold bullion, in this crime series based loosely on the 1983 Brinks Robbery.

Monday 9/18

Ralph Wilson Park Ride (Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, 6:30-10pm, FREE)
The 10 mile roundtrip bike ride includes two stops, and ends with an afterparty with food, drink, and music.

Death From Above 1979 (Town Ballroom, 681 Main St, 7pm, $25)
This Toronto dance-punk band broke up and got back together, dropped the 1979 and put it back, but they’re still going after 20 years.

Tuesday 9/19

Nurse Blake (UB Center For the Arts, 8pm, $40)
Blake Lynch was a trauma center nurse when he started posting comedy videos about his job to deal with the stress. 3.5 million social media followers later, he’s an in-demand comedian, and comes to UB on his “Shock Advised!” tour.

Wednesday 9/20

Michelle Wolf (Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm, $42)
Political comedian Wolf made plenty of enemies headlining the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner for an administration that was not able to laugh at itself. Since then, she’s been a writer and on-air contributor to The Daily Show and Late Night with Seth Meyers, and continues to tour as a stand-up.

Daniel Champagne (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, $31)
Australian guitar virtuoso Champagne is on a 50-city tour of the US.

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