What’s Good – September 21-27, 2023

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

Thursday, 9/21

What the Constitution Means to Me (The Kavinoky Theatre, 320 Porter Ave, Thu/Fri 7:30pm, Sat 3:30pm, Sun 2:00pm, $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).

The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers (Alleyway Theater, 1 Curtain Up Alley, Thu-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm, thru 9/30, $30-60)
Summers hosted Double Dare, the gross-out game show that was central to every GenXer’s childhood. Now he has a one-man show that recounts his career — and recreates the messy fun of his old show.

Murder Ballad (Road Less Traveled, 456 Main St, Thu-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm, thru 9/30, $24-50)
This off-Broadway love-triangle thriller, with indie rock music by Talking To Animals’ Juliana Nash, comes to Buffalo. 

Soul Asylum (Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St, N. Tonawanda, 8-10pm, $49)
This 90s alternative mainstay famously won a Best New Artist grammy for their sixth album, but they’ve been steadily touring and releasing albums before and after the moment when “Runaway Train” and “Somebody to Shove” were inescapable hits.

Dirty Blanket (Wadsworth Homestead, 4 South St, 5pm, $10)
The Sunset Concert Series wraps up for the season, with this fast-paced improv bluegrass band.

Hank Williams 100th Birthday Bash (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9pm, $8)
Local artists pay tribute to the country music legend

Sex Education (Netflix)
The British comedy returns for a fourth season.

Friday, 9/22

Peter Gabriel (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour H Knox III Plaza, 7pm, $65+)
The onetime Genesis frontman-turned thinking fan’s pop star performs music from his new album and his storied career. 

Belfast Girls (Irish Classical Theatre, 625 Main St, Thu/Fri 7:30pm/Sat 3pm & 7:30pm/Sun 2pm, through 10/15, $48/$23 student) 
Five young women board a ship from Ireland to Australia, to escape famine in 1850. As they head for their new home, they each hope they can outrun their past, in this play from award-winning director Kyle LoConti.

Run for Rhinos (Buffalo Zoo, 300 Parkside Ave, 6-8pm, $40)
This race through Delaware Park, starting and ending at the Zoo, raises money to support the Zoo, and includes a free pass for Saturday, once you’ve recovered from the race! 

Old First Ward Arts & Heritage Festival (Old First Ward Community Center, 62 Republic St, Fri 5-10pm/Sat noon-10pm, FREE)
Two days of art, music, food and craft vendors. Lineup includes Leroy Townes Band, Ten Cent Howl, Brothers Blue, Yellow Jack, Crickwater, and more.

Curtain Up! 40th Anniversary (Theatre District, Main St & Tupper St, 5:30-7:30pm, $75)
Celebrate four decades of live theater in Buffalo, as Roslyn Ruff is given a star on the Plaza of Stars, and The Bijou hosts a kickoff party with hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, followed by 8pm theater performances all over town, and an outdoor party on Main St. with live music from 10pm-1am.

Curtain Up! Cabaret (Street Light Brasserie, 5 E Huron St, 8-10pm)
An evening of songs with a lineup singers from Buffalo and Broadway.

Twilight at the Museum (Buffalo Museum of Science, 1020 Humboldt Pkwy, 8-11pm, $18)
This all-ages evening event offers talks with astronomers, observations of the night sky from the roof deck, and full access to the museum.

Scott Seiss (Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm, $75)
Baltimore comic Seiss has blown up on social media, opened for the likes of Patton Oswalt and Roy Wood Jr., and was in Cocaine Bear.

Jacobo Vega-Albela Quintet (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 7-9:30pm, $10)
This modern jazz quintet plays its own original music, with a few of the classics thrown in for good measure.

Fear of Sleep w/Elemantra, West Ferry (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9pm, $8)
Fear of Sleep are a Bay Area punk band (with no connection to the Strokes song of the same name).

Workingman’s Dead (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 8pm, $15)
Two full sets of Grateful Dead covers.

The Continental (Peacock)In this John Wick spinoff series, a chain of luxury hotels is a cover for the criminal underworld.

New Movies This Week

Expend4bles (in wide release)
This series about long-in-the-tooth action stars assembles an unlikely crew including Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, 50 Cent, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, and Tony Jaa.

Spy Kids: Armageddon (in wide release)
The original Spy Kids are in their 30s now, so the series reboots with young stars Connor Esterson and Everly Carganilla, although Robert Rodriguez remains behind the camera.

It Lives Inside (in wide release)
Megan Suri stars as a high school student who rejects her Indian heritage in order to assimilate, but has to re-embrace it to fight a demonic spirit.

Cassandro (Amazon)
Gael García Bernal stars in this biopic about gay Texan lucha libre wrestler Saúl Armendáriz, who found fame when he embraced his sexuality in the ring.

Reptile (Netflix)
Benicio del Toro, Justin Timberlake, and Alicia Silverstone star in this thriller in which a hard-boiled detective tries to solve a brutal murder.

Flora and Son (Apple TV+)
This musical comedy-drama is about a Dublin single mother (Eve Hewson) who tries to reconnect with her teenage son (Orén Kinlan), with the help of a beaten-up old guitar and supporting player Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

No One Will Save You (Hulu)
Kaitlyn Dever fights off alien home invaders in this sci-fi thriller.

Antarjal (Elmwood Center)
The youth of Bangladesh fight against an invisible source creating social crises online. In Bengali with subtitles.

Sukhee (Elmwood Center)
Middle-aged wife and mother Sukhee relives her teenage years in the span of seven days. In Hindi with subtitles.

Saturday 9/23

Empire State Wrestling (Frontier Fire Hall, 2176 Liberty Dr, Niagara Falls, 5pm, $20)
WWE vet Scotty 2 Hotty joins ESW, taking on “The Inspiration” Gregory Iron, headlining at least eight other matches.

World’s Largest Polka (Niagara Square, 65 Niagara Square, noon-9pm, $10)
Celebrate Buffalo’s Polish heritage and join in an attempt to break the decade-old record of 802 polka dancers at 3pm. But the day starts at noon with the 85th Annual Pulaski Parade, and leads into the Pulaski Festival, with live music, a beer tent, kids zone, food trucks, and WNY’s Largest Dessert Tent. 

Smokey Robinson (Fallsview Casino Resort, 6380 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls, 9pm, $81)
We don’t usually list casino gigs, but the casino doesn’t usually get a legendary figure like Robinson, whose smooth-as-silk voice floated over countless hits songs, even as he was also writing hits for his fellow Motown artists. At 83, he’s still performing the classics and hasn’t lost a step.

Kim Mitchell w/Coney Hatch (Riviera Theater, 67 Webster St, North Tonawanda, 8pm, $49)
Canadian rock icon Mitchell has sold over a million and a half albums in Canada alone, and is one of the biggest stars in their classic rock firmament. Opener Coney Hatch is making their first US appearance since 1996.

Pictures at an Exhibition (Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, 7-9pm, FREE)
This opening night performance of the BPO’s fall season features violin virtuoso Gil Shaham, performing the “technically dazzling” Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.

Tiago Souza (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 7pm, $15)
Souza is one of Brazil’s best performers on the bandolim (mandolin) and violão tenor (tenor guitar), and performs a night of choro, samba, and jazz. 

Jake Miller w/Hariz (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $20)
Rapper/singer Miller has released three albums and seven EPs of his own, while also writing songs for other artists. 

10 Year Anniversary (Gypsy Parlor, 376 Grant St, 9pm-4am)
Gypsy Parlor celebrates their 10th anniversary with DJs, dancing, and free food!

Sunday 9/24

Meatball Street Brawl VII (Osteria 166, 166 Franklin St, 11am-5pm, $30)
Mohawk St. shuts down as the best meatball purveyors in town go head to head, alongside bear, wine, bread, and some necessary antacid, as the Bills game plays on a big screen.

Buffalo Bills Block Party (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 11:30am, $10)
Chippewa between Delaware and Franklin shuts down, so Bills Mafia can gather and watch the game on two wall-sized screens, with DJs during commercial breaks, and access to several participating bars.

Monday 9/25

Good Neighbors Ride (Buffalo Maritime Center, 90 Arthur St, 6:30-10pm, FREE)
The 10 mile roundtrip bike ride includes two stops, and ends with an afterparty with food, drink, and music.

Tuesday 9/26

Helmet w/Soul Blind (Rec Room, 7pm, $30)
The iconic alt-metal band is touring behind their ninth album, Left, out this November.

Wednesday 9/27

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.

Broken Social Scene (Town Ballroom, 7pm, $35)
Pitchfork called this influential Toronto-based baroque indie pop group one of the most important artists of the last 25 years.