What’s Good: November 7-13, 2024
Our weekly guide to what’s going on around Buffalo and in the world of sports and pop culture.
Thursday, 11/7
Ben Folds (Mainstage Theatre, UB Center For the Arts, 7:30pm, $50-$90)
The indie piano man takes requests all night, delivered via paper airplane.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Shea’s Smith, 658 Main St, 7:30pm, $19-$50)
Six quirkly adolescents compete in a spelling bee in this Tony-winning musical comedy. Through 11/17.
Bryan Callen (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 8pm, $28)
Callen is an original cast member of MADtv, and has appeared in The Hangover, Entourage, Sex & the City, and his stand-up specials Never Grow Up, Man Class, and Complicated Apes.
Cursive (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 7pm, $34, 16+)
Omaha 90s indie/emo band. w/Gladie
UB Women’s Soccer @ MAC Semifinals (Kalamazoo, MI)
The #2-ranked Bulls take on #3 Ohio in the semifinals, with the winner advancing to the finals on Sunday.
UB Swimming & Diving @ Zippy Invite (Akron, OH)
Buffalo Sabres @ New York Rangers
Svdden Death (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm, $40, 16+)
LA dubstep DJ best known for “Sell Out,” his collab with Marshmello. w/Kill Safari, yvm3, Pyke, Bejalvin
Teachers Are Writers (Just Buffalo Writing Center, 468 Washington St, 6:30-8pm, FREE)
Free workshop for teachers and other educators about their creative process and how to grow as writers.
K.E. Semmel (Fitz Books & Waffles, 431 Ellicott St, 7pm)
The established nonfiction author talks about his new novel, The Book of Losman.
Blue Grass All Stars (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, noon, FREE)
Doug Yeomans (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 6-8pm)
McCarthyism (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 7pm, $10)
Tina Williams and Ed Croft (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 6:30pm, $12/$15)
Everly Brothers tribute.
Improv Mixer (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 7:30pm, $5 suggested)
Join in some low-stakes improv comedy, or just sit back and watch!
Poetry Open Mic & Game Night (Twentysixallen, 26 Allen St, 6pm)
Co-hosted by Sara Ali and Meg Specksgoor
Friday, 11/8
Three Sisters (Rehearsal Workshop, UB Center For the Arts, 7:30pm, $22/$7 UB students, 14+)
Sarah Ruhl’s update to Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters.
Lucinda Williams (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm, $51, 12+)
Alt-country singer songwriter who won a Grammy for her 1994 song “Passionate Kisses.”
Grease (Shea’s 710, 710 Main St, 7:30pm, $26-$79)
Starring Buffalo performs the beloved 1950s-set musical.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Shea’s Smith, 658 Main St, 7:30pm, $19-$50)
Six quirkly adolescents compete in a spelling bee in this Tony-winning musical comedy. Through 11/17.
Friday Night Smackdown (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour Knox Plaza, 7:45pm, $44-$210)
WWE stars Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, LA Knight, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Bayley, and more step into the ring.
Bryan Callen (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30/10pm, $28)
Callen is an original cast member of MADtv, and has appeared in The Hangover, Entourage, Sex & the City, and his stand-up specials Never Grow Up, Man Class, and Complicated Apes.
UB Women’s Volleyball @ Ohio
Volleyball swept Northern Illinois in two games last week to advance to 14-13. They hope to repeat the feat on the road today and tomorrow against the Bobcats.
UB Women’s Basketball vs. Buff State (Alumni Arena, 8pm, $17-37 for women’s/men’s doubleheader)
Women’s hoops are off to a good start, winning their home opener against Troy. Now they take on crosstown rivals Buff State.
UB Men’s Basketball vs. Fredonia (Alumni Arena, 8pm, $17-37 for women’s/men’s doubleheader)
Men’s also started off on the right foot, winning their first game against Old Dominion. Now they host Fredonia for a home opener pajama party: pillowcases & popcorn for first 250 students.
UB Swimming & Diving @ Zippy Invite (Akron, OH)
Vague Questions (Squeaky Wheel, 2495 Main St, 7-9pm, FREE)
A screening of Nick Mas and Silas Rubeck’s experimental interview documentary, as part of the Big Picture Event series.
Castles & Creatures (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 7pm, $18/$12 students)
An improv comedy show inspired by (but in no way affiliated with) everyone’s favorite role-playing game.
Confessions (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 8:30pm, $18/$12 students)
An improv comedy show inspired by your anonymous secrets.
Lily Rose (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $15adv/$20, 18+)
The country music star is back on the road after a year off, with a new album, Runnin’ Outta Time. w/Payton Smith
Collaps (Area 54, 3234 Main St, 7pm, $15)
German Oi! punk w/Lost Legion, Badterms, Sweet Talker
JT3 (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 6:30pm, $16/$19)
w/Electrolyte
Mark Farina (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 9pm, $30)
Chicago house and acid jazz DJ. w/U Lock
The Skiffle Minstrels (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 6-8pm)
Western swing, country, jazz, and blues.
Tommy Z Band (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 5pm, $10)
Sunshine & Co (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 8pm, $10)
The Nighthawks (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 9pm, $20)
Who’s Bad (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 7pm, $12-$75)
Michael Jackson tribute.
Live Band Karaoke (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 10pm, $8)
Belt out your favorites in front of a live band.
New Movies This Week
Heretic (in wide release)
Two Mormon missionaries try to convert a reculsive Englishman (Hugh Grant) and get more than they bargained for in A24’s latest elevator horror film.
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point (in wide release)
As a family spends their final Christmas at their ancestral home, two younger members escape for teenage rebellion in this holiday comedy.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (in wide release)
Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, and Lauren Graham start in this remake of the 1983 film, in which six bratty siblings inadvertenly star in the town’s Nativity play.
Elevation (in wide release)
Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, and Maddie Hasson have to leave the safety of home to face a monster and save a child in this post-apocalyptic thriller.
The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington star in this adaptation of August Wilson’s 1987 play, about the lives of a Pittsburgh family at the end of the Great Depression.
Appudo Ippudo Eppudo (Elmwood Center, 2001 Elmwood Ave.)
iThe latest from writer/director Sudheer Varma. n Telugu with subtitles.
Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom (Walden Galleria)
The Sorcerer Kingdom and Sacred Kingdom unite against Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth in this animated film. in Japanese with subtitles.
The Trophy Bride (Walden Galleria)
A family attempts to pass their daughte off as a trophy bride to an elite family. In Vietnamese with subtitles.
Saturday 11/9
BPO 90th Anniversary Celebration (Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, 7:30pm, $16.50-$116.50)
The Philharmonic recreates their inaugural concert from 1934, featuring Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, and Debussy’s Nocturnes.
Three Sisters (Rehearsal Workshop, UB Center For the Arts, 7:30pm, $22/$7 UB students, 14+)
Sarah Ruhl’s update to Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters.
Grease (Shea’s 710, 710 Main St, 2pm/7:30pm, $26-$79)
Starring Buffalo performs the beloved 1950s-set musical.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Shea’s Smith, 658 Main St, 8pm, $19-$50)
Six quirkly adolescents compete in a spelling bee in this Tony-winning musical comedy. Through 11/17.
Bryan Callen (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30/10pm, $28)
Callen is an original cast member of MADtv, and has appeared in The Hangover, Entourage, Sex & the City, and his stand-up specials Never Grow Up, Man Class, and Complicated Apes.
The Glam Vamps (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, 9pm, $10adv/$15)
Celebrating 6 years of Glam Vamps burlesque, who performed their first show at Milkie’s.
UB Wrestling @ Wranglemania (Bethlehem, PA)
The Bulls take on Sacred Heart and Cal Baptist.
UB Women’s Volleyball @ Ohio
The second game in this week’s doubleheader against the Bobcats.
Buffalo Sabres vs Calgary Flames (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour Knox Place, 1pm, $5-$62)
The good news is, the Sabres aren’t in last place. The bad news is, they’re in second-last place.
Wild Pink (Mohawk Place, 47 E Mohawk St, 7pm, $24, 16+)
NYC indie rock band. w/Braden Bales
Games We Play (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 7pm, $22)
Pop-punk band on Fall Out Boy’s record label. w/Braden Bales
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm, $42, 12+)
Funk jam band from Baltimore. 2-night passes available.
You Should Smile More (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 7pm, $12 suggested)
An all-female and gender-noncomforming improv comedy show.
November Int’l Open Poetry Reading (Centro Culturale Italiano, 2351 Delaware Ave, 1-2:30pm, $5)
Share a poem or two with the theme of gratitude, and/or an international theme. Socializinga nd refreshments.
Kulpability (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 6:30pm, $15/$17.50)
Bassist Jack Kulp’s solo project.
Megan Kyle (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 1-2pm)
Oboist who performs solo and orchestral music throughout WNY.
Neville Francis w/Sly & Rob Band (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 7-9pm)
Reggae rhythms.
Argyle Street Band (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 3pm, $10)
Spencer Mackenzie (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 8pm, $20)
Disintegration & Dead Letter Office (The Cave, 71 Miliary Rd, 8pm, $24)
Cure and REM cover bands.
Bidwell Parkway Farmers Market (Bidwell Parkway, 8am-1pm)
Fresh produce and locally-sourced goods, Saturdays through 11/23.
Celtic Sessions (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 4-7pm, FREE)
Sunday 11/10
BPO 90th Anniversary Celebration (Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, 2:30pm, $16.50-$116.50)
The Philharmonic recreates their inaugural concert from 1934, featuring Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, and Debussy’s Nocturnes.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Shea’s Smith, 658 Main St, 2pm, $19-$50)
Six quirkly adolescents compete in a spelling bee in this Tony-winning musical comedy. Through 11/17.
Choir! Choir! Choir! (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, $25adv/$30)
An Epic Queen singalong, as directors Daveed Goldman & Nobu Adilman teach you, the audience, to be the performers.
Buffalo Bills @ Indianapolis Colts
Let’s keep that win streak going!
UB Women’s Soccer @ MAC Finals (Kalamazoo, MI)
If the #2-ranked Bulls beat #3 Ohio on Thursday, they play the winner of the #1/#4 match for the crown.
UB Wrestling @ Journeymen Classic (Bethlehem, PA)
This all-day event will be televised on FloWrestling
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm, $42, 12+)
Funk jam band from Baltimore. 2-night passes available.
Steve Hofstette (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm, $33)
The host of Laughs has also appeared in Quite Frankly, White Boyz in the Hood, and On the Road in America.
Buffalo State Philharmonic (Buff State Performing Arts Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave, 7:30pm, FREE)
Susan Peters Jazz Band (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 4-6pm)
Anne Philippone (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
Barrelhouse blues and boogie piano.
Jazz Cache (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8:30pm-mid, FREE)
Live music from a rotating cast of Buffalo jazz musicians.
Monday 11/11
LoVid (Room 112, UB Center for the Arts, 6:30pm, FREE)
The experimental locative video artist speaks as part of the Department of Art’s Visiting Speaker Series.
UB Men’s Basketball @ Notre Dame
Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour Knox Place, 12:30pm, $5-$62)
The good news is, the Sabres aren’t in last place. The bad news is, they’re in second-last place.
Sonreal (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 10pm, $36, 16+)
Canadian rapper. w/Skillie Vanillie
Songwriter Showcase (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8pm-mid, FREE)
Singer-songwriters from 8-9, and then an open mic for the rest of the evening.
Tuesday 11/12
UB Football vs. Ball State (UB Stadium, 7pm, $16-64)
The Bulls won big in Akron last week, now they face another MAC rival. Televised on ESPN2.
UB Swimming & Diving @ Zippy Invite (Akron, OH)
Ocie Elliott (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 7pm, $25-$65)
Modern amplified folk. w/The Bones of J.R. Jones
Buffalo State Jazz Ensemble (Buff State Performing Arts Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave, 7:30pm, FREE)
Chess at the Silos (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 6-9pm, FREE)
All skill levels welcome, prize awarded.
Terry Savastano (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, noon, FREE)
Wishbone Ash (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 7pm, $35-85)
Steam Donkeys (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8:30pm, FREE)
Long-serving “cosmic Americana” group
Rust Belt Comedy Showcase (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9-10pm, FREE)
A rotating cost of some of WNY’s best comics.
The Stripteasers (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 10pm-mid, $4)
Weekly burlesque show.
Open Mic (Cucina @ Hotel Richardson, 444 Forest Ave, 6-8pm)
This weekly open mic features music, poetry, and comedy. Register at jkonze@douglasdev.com.
Karaoke (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, 8pm)
Wednesday 11/13
UB Women’s Basketball @ Maryland Eastern Shore
Buffalo Sabres Alumni @ Shorsey Fall Classic (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour Knox Place, 7pm, $22-$57)
The cast of hockey-themed TV show Shorsey take on NHL alumni.
Tommy Orange (Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony. Circle, 8pm, $16.50-$106.50)
The author of National Book Award longlisted and Pulitzer Prize finalist novel There There and this year’s Wandering Stars speaks as part of Just Buffalo Literary Center’s BABEL series.
The Diary of Black Men (Shea’s Buffalo, 650 Main St, 7:30pm, $47-$137)
The play deals with male/female relationships from an African-American perspective.
Mal Blum (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, $17adv/$20)
Singer/songwriter. w/Allison Weiss
Joe Baudo Quintet (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, noon, FREE)
Buffalo Dead Allstars (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 7pm, $10)
Fireside Collective (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $16adv/$20, 18+)
Originals and Grateful Dead covers. opener TBA
Comedy Open Mic (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, sign up 7pm, show 9:30pm)
Bad Sisters (Apple TV)
The five Irish siblings who teamed up to kill the firstborn’s abusive husband return for season two, presumably with a new target. Look for reviews here on Subject.
Friday 11/15
David Cross (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, $49.50, 18+)
Jumping ahead a few days so you don’t miss your chance for tickets to see the Mr. Show and Arrested Development star perform stand-up on his The End of the Beginning of the End tour. w/Shane Torres
