What’s Good: November 21-28, 2024
Our weekly guide to what’s going on around Buffalo and in the world of sports and pop culture.
Thursday, 11/21
Fabulation or, the Re-Education of Undine (Drama Theater, UB Center For the Arts, 7:30pm, $22/$7 UB students, 16+)
Lynn Nottage’s social satire about an ambitious Black woman who has to rereat to her childhood home after her husband leaves, having embezzled her money.
UB Symphony Orchestra (Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall, 7:30pm, FREE)
EKOH (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 7pm, $31, 16+)
Electronica-infused rapper. w/Ryan Oakes
Jason Ladayne (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 8pm, $54)
Award-winning sleight-of-hand magician.
Drake Milligan (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $20adv/$25, 18+)
This Elvis and George Strait-influenced singe had back-to-back #1 hits on the iTunes Country Chart. w/Dawson Anderson
Donna & George Grace (Congregation Shir Shalom, 4660 Sheridan Drive, 7pm, FREE)
Buffalo Corner Reading Series features the two poets. Also simulcast on Zoom via shirshalombuffalo.org.
Righteous Villains (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
Chicago-style blues.
Vinyl Night (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9pm-mid, FREE)
Vinyl DJs, record trading, and more. Every third Thursday.
Eberwine & Friends (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 7pm, $12.50)
Chris Knight (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 7pm, $25adv/$30)
w/Mic Harrison
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
Blue Grass All Stars (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, noon, FREE)
A Man On the Inside (Netflix)
The Good Place and Brooklyn 99 creator Michael Schur reteams with stars Ted Danson and Stephanie Beatriz (a well as Always Sunny‘s Mary Elizabeth Ellis) for this comedy about a retiree who decides to become a private detective.
Friday, 11/22
Fabulation or, the Re-Education of Undine (Drama Theater, UB Center For the Arts, 7:30pm, $22/$7 UB students, 16+)
Lynn Nottage’s social satire about an ambitious Black woman who has to rereat to her childhood home after her husband leaves, having embezzled her money.
MFA Dance Showcase (Black Box Theatre, UB Center for the Arts, $22/$7 UB students)
Works in various stages of completion from UB’s current MFA dance students.
UB Jazz Ensembles (Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall, 7:30pm, FREE)
Ari Night Drag Show & Dance Party (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 8pm, $15adv/$20, 18+)
Drag night celebrating all things Ariana Grande, just in time for the release of Wicked. Performers include Willa DeWhisp, Vanna Deux, Jojo Zahoe, Neleh Slay, Fawn Deux, Carina Gunn, and Mister Mocktail.
Unobligated Bodies (Hallwalls, 342 Delaware Ave, 4pm, FREE)
A talk by writer Carlos Amador, about Latin American aesthetic traditions that stem from marginalized people in the wake of colonialism. Part of UB Humanities Institute’s monthly lecture series.
Buffalo’s Last Waltz (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 6:30pm, SOLD OUT)
The 7th annual (minus 2020) re-enactment of The Band’s final concert, immortalized in Scorsese’s concert film The Last Waltz.
UB Women’s Volleyball vs. Western Michigan (MAC Tournament, Bowling Green, OH)
The team waks away from the regular season with a winning record at 16-15, and now faces 4th-seed Western Michigan in the quarterfinal.
UB Women’s Basketball @ Canisius (Koessler Athletic Center, 1829 Main St, 6pm, $6-12)
Off to a 5-0 start, the women’s team has an “away” game just up the road, so show up and cheer them on!
UB Men’s Basketball vs. Morgan State (Alumni Arena, 7pm, $17-37)
The team tries to snap their 3-game losing slide at home in the Buffalo Classic. Kids Day, w/mini basketball hoops, and princess & superhero meet & greet.
Buffalo Sabres @ Anaheim Ducks
The 8-9-1 Sabres keep florting with a winning record but aren’t there yet.
Ian Bagg (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm/10pm, $40)
Bagg made the Last Comic Standing finals, has one-hour specials on Showtime and Amazon, and hosts the hockey podcast Enjoying Orange Slices.
Buffalo Philharmonic (Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, 10:30am, $16.50-$75)
The BPO perform Wagenaar’s Cyrano de Bergerac Overture, Tim Fain’s Edge of a Dream, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”, with Dutch maestro Otto Tausk conducting.
Zingara (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 8pm, $22-$44)
Zingara’s sound weaves together diverse elements from all forms of bass music. w/Gardella
Ariel Yelen/Laura Marris/Whitetails (Just Buffalo Literary Center, 468 Washington St, 7:30pm, FREE)
Poet Ariel Yelen, writer and translator Laura Marris, and musician Whitetails read and perform.
Righteous Villains (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
Chicago-style blues.
Scripps Acoustic Trio (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9pm, $5)
w/Henry’s Summer Kitchen
The Arcade (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 7pm, $12.50)
80s music tribute.
Kensingtons (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 5pm, $10)
The Talking Dead Heads (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 9pm, $15)
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
Wicked (in wide release)
Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, Step Up 2 the Streets) is the rare director of movie musicals who understands that a big-screen spectacle is different from a stage spectacle and moves the camera accordingly. In doing so, he gets the most out of strong performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the 30-something college students who will grow up to be The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
Gladiator II (in wide release)
Ridley Scott returns to Rome for a retread of the original in which a grown-up Lucius (Paul Mescal) is now the person-of-import-turned-slave-turned-gladiator who fights back against corrupt authorities. With Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, and a returning Connie Nielsen.
Spellbound (Netflix)
A young girl must break a spell that split her magical home in two and turned her parents into monsters, in this animated film that switched titles and studios several times before landing at Netflix.
Out of My Mind (Disney+)
Based on Sharon M. Draper’s bestselling YA novel, Phoebe-Ray Taylor stars as a sixth grader with severe cerebral palsy who’s able to communicate for the first time with new assistive technology and starts to embrace life.
Mechanic Rocky (Market Arcade 8, 639 Main St.)
A mechanic uncovers a sinister plot, as gangsters feud over ownership of his father’s garage. In Telugu with subtitles
Zebra (Market Arcade 8, 639 Main St.)
Two rivals face off in this financial crime thriller. In Telugu with subtitles
Saturday 11/23
Fabulation or, the Re-Education of Undine (Drama Theater, UB Center For the Arts, 2pm/7:30pm, $22/$7 UB students, 16+)
Lynn Nottage’s social satire about an ambitious Black woman who has to rereat to her childhood home after her husband leaves, having embezzled her money.
MFA Dance Showcase (Black Box Theatre, UB Center for the Arts, $22/$7 UB students)
Works in various stages of completion from UB’s current MFA dance students.
UB Chamber Singers (Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall, 7:30pm, FREE)
Disco Biscuits (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm, SOLD OUT)
Philly jam band that incorporates electronic music and rock.
UB Women’s Volleyball MAC Semifinals (MAC Tournament, Bowling Green, OH)
A win Friday means a trip to the semis today.
UB Wrestling @ Cornell
Wrestling hopes to bounce back after two rough home losses last week, with a two-day trip to Cornell.
Buffalo Sabres @ San Jose Sharks
Disco Biscuits Afterparty (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 11:30pm, $15adv/$20, 18+)
Baba G and DJ Brownie of the Disco Biscuits DJs this afterparty.
Buffalo Philharmonic (Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, 7:30pm, $16.50-$75)
The BPO perform Wagenaar’s Cyrano de Bergerac Overture, Tim Fain’s Edge of a Dream, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”, with Dutch maestro Otto Tausk conducting.
Stemm (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 7pm, SOLD OUT, 16+)
w/Loveboxx, Cloning Betty
Coco Montoya & Ronnie Baker Brooks (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 6pm, $42.50adv/$48.50)
Inventive guitar virtuoso Montoya and blues royalty Brooks perform together.
Ian Bagg (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm/10pm, $40)
Bagg made the Last Comic Standing finals, has one-hour specials on Showtime and Amazon, and hosts the hockey podcast Enjoying Orange Slices.
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 8pm, $30-$90)
Grammy-winning bluegrass singer.
Student Showcase (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave. #207, 6pm, $8 suggested)
Improv comedy by BIH’s level two improv class, and level four Harold ensemble.
Behind Bars (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave. #207, 7pm, $8 suggested)
Improv comedy by BIH’s level one improv class, followed by improv musical Behind Bars.
Community Night (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave. #207, 8pm, $8 suggested)
Local improv groups, including People’s Republic of Improv, Moosestache, and Cheese & Slackers.
Musical Improv Mixer (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave. #207, 9:30pm, $5)
Improv musical comedy that anyone can join in. No experience necessary.
The Razzels (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8pm, $10)
The Razzels’ first show in 20 years! w/Soul Butchers, Deathtrip Idols
A Tribute to Joni Mitchell (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 7pm, $23adv/$25)
Performed by Lauren & the Good Souls. w/Sue Tierney, live painting by Claudia Carballada
The Informers (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 3pm, $10)
The Talking Dead Heads (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 8pm, $15)
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)
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (Apple TV)
The holiday season isn’t complete without a viewing of this charmingly simple holiday classic.
Sunday 11/24
Fabulation or, the Re-Education of Undine (Drama Theater, UB Center For the Arts, 2pm, $22/$7 UB students, 16+)
Lynn Nottage’s social satire about an ambitious Black woman who has to rereat to her childhood home after her husband leaves, having embezzled her money.
Disco Biscuits (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm, SOLD OUT)
Philly jam band that incorporates electronic music and rock.
UB Women’s Volleyball MAC Finals (MAC Tournament, Bowling Green, OH)
UB Wrestling @ Big Red Invitational (Ithaca, NY)
Florist (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, $16adv/$20)
Brooklyn indie folk band. w/Allegra Krieger.
Peter McPoland (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 7pm, $35, 16+)
Singer-songwriter
Pure Ink Poetry Slam (Lorna C. Hill Theater, 429 Plymouth Ave #2, 6pm, $5 poets/$10 spectators)
A monthly two-round spoken word and poetry competition w/cash prize. More info at pureinkpoetry.com
Dr. Jazz & the Jazzbugs (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 3:30-5:30pm, FREE)
We’re not sure, but we think he plays jazz.
Freighttrain Toy Drive (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St,3pm, $20)
Matt’s Music Fundraiser (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 4pm)
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 11/25
UB Men’s Basketball vs. North Carolina A&T (Alumni Arena, 7pm, $17-37)
Two home games in a week! You don’t have any excuse to miss them both!
Tom Robert (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
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 11/26
UB Football vs Kent State (UB Stadium, 7pm, $12-$46)
The Bulls wrap up the regular season at home against their division rival.
UB Women’s Basketball @ Niagara (Gallagher Center, 5795 Lewiston Rd, Niagara Falls, 6pm, $7)
Another close-to-home away game, with the possibility of a 7-0 start!
Real Friends (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 6pm, $37, 16+)
Forever and Ever and Ever and Ever and Ever and Ever and Ever Tour. w/Can’t Swim, Carly Cosgrove & Slow Joy
Geno & Frank (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, noon, FREE)
Twang Gang (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 6pm, $10)
Steam Donkeys (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8:30pm, FREE)
Long-serving “cosmic Americana” group.
Rust Belt C0medy Showcase (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9-10pm, FREE)
A rotating cast of local stand-ups.
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 11/27
Matt Bergman & Liz Reaves (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 8pm, $20)
Reaves’ career as a touring comic started with an improptu open mic in Buffalo in 2016; Bergman’s debut comedy DVD was released on the Goo Goo Dolls’ Robby Takacs’ record label.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Minnesota Wild (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour Knox Plaza, 7pm, $49-$236)
Buffalo Afrobeat Orchestra (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $20adv/$25, 18+)
Local supergroup bringing Afrobeat to WNY.
FINICK (9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, $16adv/$20)
Teenage Minneapolis singer/songwriter Josie Hasnik. w/Adelaide
Holiday House Party Pajama Jam (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 9pm, $38-$92)
DJ Spin, DJ Kholes, DJ Wire, and DJ Illmatic spin. Pajamas required! No exceptions!
The Strictly Hip (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 6pm, $26.50, 12+)
Tragically Hip cover band.
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!
Barrel Rider (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 7-9pm, FREE)
Joe Baudo Quintet (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, noon, FREE)
Jamie Holka (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 7pm, $10)
w/Out on the Tiles
Big Martha (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 7pm, $23)
Allman Brothers tribute.
Tyler Westcott Band (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9pm, $4)
w/Captain Tom & the Hooligans
Comedy Open Mic (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, sign up 7pm, show 9:30pm)
Wednesday 11/27
YMCA Buffalo Turkey Trot (Delaware & Tacoma Ave, 9am, $49)
The oldest consecutively-run footrace in the world, the Turkey Trot is a 5-mile/8K race through downtown, with runners in costume, and beer, water, and snacks at the Convention Center at the finish. Sign up at www.ymcabn.org/ymca-turkey-trot.
