What’s Good – November 16-22, 2023
Our weekly guide to what’s going on around Buffalo and in the world of pop culture.
Thursday, 11/16
The Rocky Horror Show (Kavinoky Theater, 320 Porter Ave, 10pm, Sat midnight, $47)
The campy cult classic midnight movie started off as a stage production, which Kavinoky revives. Special midnight performance on Saturday, and continues Thu/Fri/Sat through November 18.
Benji Brown (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, Thu 8pm/Fri 9:30pm/Sat 4:30pm, $20)
Brown is playing a string of solo gigs before re-joining Martin Lawrence’s Lit AF Tour, having previously toured with Lawrence in 2018.
AI and the Future of Everything (UB Center For the Arts, 8pm, $5)
Nita Farhany, legal scholar, ethicist, and author of The Battle for Your Brain, and Nicholas Thompson, former editor-in-chief of Wired and current CEO of The Atlantic, discuss the ethical and technological ramfications of the AI revolution, as part of UB’s Distinguished Speakers Series.
Holly Bowling (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $22adv/$27)
This virtuoso pianist is classicaly trained but touring behind her second album of reimagined Grateful Dead standards.
Luis Deniz Quartet (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 6:30pm, $13/$20)
Cuban-Canadian saxophonis Deniz has won awards at the Montreal and Halifax Jazz Festivals.
The Baggs Jazz Project (Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St, 7pm, $10)
With GlowStone, We Are 3, and Market Research.
The Crown (Netflix)
The first half of the royal drama’s final season takes the monarchy into the 90s, including the deaths of Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) and the Queen Mother (Marcia Warren) in the later years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton).
Friday, 11/17
Mike Birbiglia (Helium, 30 Mississippi, 7pm)
The peerless comedian and storyteller is in town to try out new material, now that his hit Broadway show The Old Man and the Pool has wrapped. Both Saturday shows are sold out.
Buffalo’s The Last Waltz (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 6:30pm, SOLD OUT)
For six of the last seven years, some of Buffalo’s finest musicians re-enact The Last Waltz, the guest-star-studden final concert by folk rockers The Band.
Empire State Wrestling (RiverWorks, 359 Ganson St, 6pm, $25)
Tonight’s card includes former WWE stars Heath Slater and Chris Adonis, plus a steel cage match between ESW heavyweight champion Kevin “The Remix” Bennett and challenger “Invincible” Vince Valor.
Golden Girls (Shea’s Buffalo, 650 Main St, Fri 7:30pm/Sat 2pm & 8pm, $60-76, 18+)
The classic sitcom is updated for the 2020s, as Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia get into modern mischief.
Comienzos (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 6:30pm, $10/$13)
This trio, featuring Jamie Sunshine on marimba, Jeremy Spindler on accordion, and Brian DeJesus on bass, makes their debut performance at PAUSA.
Third Friday (The Buffalo History Museum, One Museum Court, 10am-5pm, FREE)
Museum admission is free on the third Friday of every month, with bonus children’s activities and crafts.
Coffin Hook (Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St, 7pm, $10)
With Til Death, Cobratits, and Why the Fish.
Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift (500 Pearl St, 6pm/8:30pm, $37)
Couldn’t get tickets to the Eras Tour? Hear a string quartet play some of T-Swift’s greatest hits by candlelight.
Live Band Karaoke (Rec Room, 79 W. Chippewa St, 10pm, $8, 21+)
Belt out emo and pop-punk favorites in front of a live band.
Dirty Work (Town Ballroom, 681 S. Main St, 7pm, $20)
A Steely Dan tribute band.
Manic Daze w/Marvel Years (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $24.50adv/$29.50)
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (Netflix)
The entire original cast (Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson, Chris Evans, Ellen Wong, Jason Schwartzman, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh, Mae Whitman, seriously, everybody was in this movie) re-unites for this animated remake of the 2010 classic Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
New Movies This Week
Saltburn (in wide release)
Emerald Fennell follows up Promising Young Woman with this drama about an Oxford student (Barry Keoghan) who gets drawn into the orbit of a wealthy classmate (Jacob Elordi) and ends up spending an eventful summer with his eccentric family (which includes Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, and Carey Mulligan).
May December (in wide release)
Todd Haynes (Carol, Velvet Goldmine, I’m Not There) directs this dark comedy about an actress (Natalie Portman) who gets too attached to the woman (Julianne Moore) who’s life she’s portraying on film.
The Marvels (in wide release)
We missed this one last week, but don’t believe the anti-hype; this super team-up between self-serious Captain Marvel (Bree Larson), giddy fangirl Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and the resentful surrogate daughter she inadvertently abandoned (Teyonah Parris), is a rarity among recent Marvel fare: in between character drama and world-ending stakes, it actually remembers to have fun.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (in wide release)
We’re not sure we need this prequel, but it’s got a pretty solid supporting cast in Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis.
Trolls Band Together (in wide release)
We’re not sure we need this sequel, but it’s got a pretty solid supporting cast in Kenan Thompson, Eric Andre, Kid Cudi, Daveed Diggs, and RuPaul.
Next Goal Wins (in wide release)
The always-charming Taika Waititi directs this low-stakes inspirational sports movie about a disgraced soccer coach who tries to turn around the fortunes of the world’s worst team.
Thanksgiving (in wide release)
Another one of Grindhouse‘s fake movie trailers gets made into a real movie. It’s anyone’s guess whether Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving-themed slasher flick is going to be dumb, or gloriously dumb.
Saturday 11/18
Queen City Burlesque Gala (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 6:30pm, 21+, SOLD OUT)
Perhaps it’s no surprise that this showcase for a dozen of upstate New York’s best burlesque performers sold out in a hurry.
Dizgo & Yam Yam w/Chalk Dinosaur (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $22adv/$27)
Yam Yam is from central PA, but is inspired by New Orleans jazz, and ’70s funk and soul music.
Swing Street (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 6:30pm, $12/$15)
This quartet explores the long history of swing music.
Unplugged (Town Ballroom, 681 S. Main St, 7pm, $15/$20)
A tribute to the MTV series devoted to acoustic live performances.
Sunday 11/19
KFC Radio (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm, $37, 18+)
Barstool Sports’ podcast KFC Radio tapes an episode in front of a live studio audience.
Tuesday 11/21
Fargo (10pm, FX)
Noah Hawley’s Coens-inspired murder comedy returns with a new cast, as Juno Temple stars as a Minnesota housewife whose past abruptly catches up with her. With Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joe Keery, Lamorne Morris, Richa Moorjani, and Dave Foley.
Wednesday 11/22
Bush (Town Ballroom, 681 S. Main St, 7pm, SOLD OUT)
These 90s grunge rockers come to town on their Nowhere To Go But Everywhere tour.
Josh Potter (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 8pm, $22)
This Buffalo-born stand-up comes home after going from morning radio to stand-up in LA.
The Lizards (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $12adv/$15, 18+)
Canada’s premier Phish tribute band.
