What’s Good: December 5-11, 2024
Our weekly guide to what’s going on around Buffalo and in the world of sports and pop culture.
Two notes: as our staff takes a break for the holidays, we’ll run listings next week and then not again until the new year. And we’re waiting to see which bowl game the 8-4 Bulls football team gets selected for; we’ll add it to the schedule once it’s announced.
Thursday, 12/5
Candlelight Holiday Concert (Clement House, 786 Delaware Ave, 5:30pm, $100)
Buffalo Philharmonic flautist Natalie Debikey Scanio and harpist Madeline Olson perform to benefit the BPO’s education programs. Wine and cheese reception before performance; space very limited.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Winnipeg Jets (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour Knox Plaza, 7pm, $49-$236)
The Sabres remain maddeningly close to .500, as they go into the week 11-12-2. This is the first of four home games this week.
Cult Mother (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, $8/$6 students)
Experimental music and video ensemble performs “Faded Rainbow,” a deconstruction of The Wizard of Oz.
Tape B (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm, 18+, SOLD OUT)
Classic OG dubstep and hip-hop remixes. w/Easybaked, VCRE, b2b, OkayJake
Choro-Samba (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 6-8pm)
Traditional Brazilian choro, and modern choro-samba, performed by Stephen Guerra and Titus Stevens.
I Feel the Earth Move (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 6:30pm, $19/$25)
Christina Custode performs the music of Carole King.
Bumpin Uglies (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 6pm, $23adv/$25, 18+)
Reggae-punk-ska band. w/Pasadena, Joint Operation
The Hollow Society (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 7pm, $10)
w/Insincere, Take
McCarthyism (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 7pm, $10)
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)
Black Doves (Netflix)
Ben Wishaw and Keira Knightley are terrific in this British spy series.
Creature Commandos (Max)
The James Gunn era of the DCU kicks off with this animated series about a black ops team of monsters.
Friday, 12/6
Holiday Fundraiser Squeaktacular (Squeaky Wheel, 2495 Main St #310, 7-10pm, $20adv/$25/$40 VIP)
Costumes, dancing, raffles, live music, a drag show, art auction (and an open bar for VIP tickets) to benefit Buffalo’s irreplaceable film & media arts center.
The Nutcracker (Shea’s Buffalo, 646 Main St, 7pm, $36-$107)
Neglia Ballet and the Buffalo Philarmonic’s 15th annual performance of the holiday classic.
Unsubscribe (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, $30)
A live recording of the comedy podcast.
UB Track & Field @ Akron Haynes Lancaster Open (Akron, OH)
The track team’s season opener, and only meet until their season resumes in mid-January.
UB Wrestling @ American University (Washington, D.C.) @ George Mason University (Fairfax, VA)
The 1-4 squad hopes to turn things around on a road doubleheader.
Buffalo is Burning (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 7pm, $30-$90)
Fetish ball with kinky fun, demonstrations, fetish gear vendors, and live DJs from Buffalo’s legendary goth club The Continental.
Selfish Act (Amvets Post 13, 25 Review Pl, 6pm, $10 suggested)
Wellness Check EP release. w/Holdout, Hard To Know, Juggernaut
Tab Benoit (Town Ballroom, 681 S Main St, 7pm, $42, 16+/12+w/parent)
The Grammy-nominated guitarist performs as part of the Big Easy in Buffalo series.
Unplugged: A Tribute to MTV (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm, $20, 18+)
Back when MTV used to play music (ask your grandparents), Unplugged featured all-acousting performances, and this tribute re-creates Stone Temple Pilots’ 1993 episode. w/Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute act Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and a tribute to Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album Jagged Little Pill.
William Montgomery (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm/10pm, $32)
This Texas comic is the longest-running regular on Kill Tony and hosts an eponymous podcast.
Dr. M Jazz Combo (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 6:30pm, $15/$19)
Jazz holiday favorites.
Barrel Rider (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 6-8pm)
Holiday Opry (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 6pm, $10)
Miller & the Other Sinners (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 5pm, $10)
Groove Train (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 9pm, $10)
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
Y2K (in wide release)
We’re not sure why writer/director (and SNL alum) Kyle Mooney is coming to Y2K panic 25 years late, but his new comedy imagines an alternate history in which things go very, very wrong on New Year’s 2000.
The Order (Elmwood Center, Transit Center)
Jude Law is an FBI agent who takes on a white supremacist terror group in this based-on-a-true-story thriller. With Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, and Marc Maron.
Werewolves (in wide release)
A year after a supermoon turns everyone into werewolves, humanity prepares for the same disaster to strike again.
The Return (Elmwood Center, Walden Galleria)
Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche star in this retelling of The Odyssey.
Oh, Canada (not screening in Buffalo)
Worth seeking out the latest from Paul Schraeder (director of American Gigolo and First Reformed, and writer of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ), in which Richard Gere plays a terminally ill writer who fled to Canada during the Vietnam War, and tells his story to a documentary crew, who soon discover his memory is failing. With Jacob Elordi, Uma Thurman, and Michael Imperioli.
The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)
Tyler Perry switches to drama to tell the story of WWII’s all-black, all-female 6888th Postal Directory Battalion.
Mary (Netflix)
This Biblical epic tells the Nativity story from the virgin mother’s point of view.
Solo Leveling: Reawakening (Maple Ridge 8, North Park Theatre, Walden Galleria)
Left for dead, a hunter with superhuman powers embarks on a quest in this animated feature. In Japanese; English dub or subtitles, check listings.
Pushpa 2: The Rule (Elmwood Center, Transit Center, Walden Galleria)
Pushpa and Bhanwar Singh continue their rivalry in the conclusion of this two-part action epic. In Hindi, Tamil, or Telugu (check listings) with subtitles.
RM: Right People, Wrong Place (Walden Galleria)
A candid documentary look at BTS leader RM, as he works on his second solo album. In Korean with subtitles
Saturday 12/7
The Nutcracker (Mainstage Theater, UB Center For the Arts, 1pm/6pm, $27-$37)
A child-friendly performance of the holiday classic, which has the bad timing to be opposite…
The Nutcracker (Shea’s Buffalo, 646 Main St, 2pm, $36-$107)
Neglia Ballet and the Buffalo Philarmonic’s 15th annual performance of the holiday classic.
Pleasure P (Showplace Theater, 1065 Grant St, 7pm, $28.50-$45.50)
Grammy-nominated R&B singer, formerly of Pretty Ricky.
Hail Fredonia Records Showcase (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 7pm, $12.50)
SUNY Fredonia’s student-run record label presents Modyst Vibes, Spiria, and HitGRL.
UB Men’s Basketball @ St. Bonaventure
The 5-4 men’s team are coming off a monster 100-65 home win over Pitt-Bradford, as they begin a run of four road games.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Utah Hockey Club (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour Knox Plaza, 7pm, $49-$236)
The Ha Ha Show (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 11am, $8)
All-ages improv comedy show, with sketches, made-up songs, and audience interaction.
Student Showcase (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 6pm, $8 suggested)
Improv comedy from BIH’s Level One students.
Various Factors (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 7pm, $12)
Broadway-inspired improvised musical comedy. With live piano karaoke afterparty.
Krampus Art Market (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, noon-5pm)
20+ local vendors, food & drink, and photos with Krampus.
Goth Night (Amvets Post 13, 25 Review Pl, 6pm, $10, All Ages)
Featuring DJs Melpirebat, Osiris, Killedbygracerock, Rinsux
William Montgomery (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm/10pm, $32)
This Texas comic is the longest-running regular on Kill Tony and hosts an eponymous podcast.
Cheryl Ferris (PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St, 6:30pm, $15/$19)
Jazz holiday favorites.
Organ Fairchild Plays Grateful Dead (Iron Works, 49 Illinos St, 7:30pm, $15adv/$20, 18+)
The local instrumental groove trio returns to their roots (they were all previously in a Dead tribute band).
Morgano/Kincaid Combo (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 3pm, $10)
Tom Hambridge & the Rattlesnakes (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 8pm, $25)
Almost Queen (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 7pm, $35)
Tribute band.
Celtic Sessions (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 4-7pm, FREE)
Sunday 12/8
The Nutcracker (Shea’s Buffalo, 646 Main St, 1pm, $36-$107)
Neglia Ballet and the Buffalo Philarmonic’s 15th annual performance of the holiday classic.
Handel’s Messiah (St. Mary’s Church, 6919 Transit Rd, East Amherst, 3pm, $33/$65)
The Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and members of the Philharmonic Orchestra performe the timeless choral masterpiece.
Buffalo Bills @ Los Angeles Rams
The Bills’ West Coast jaunt continues, after a drubbing of the 49ers that saw Buffalo rise to 10-2 and clinch their 5th straight AFC East title.
Don’t Call Me White Girl (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm, $39)
A recording of insight, advice, and commentary from the audio-visual podcast.
Junior Jerry Jam Holiday Market (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 11am-2pm, $10, kids free)
Holiday market with performance by Buffalo Dead All-Stars. Proceeds support Buffalo String Works.
Susan Peters Jazz Band (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 2-4pm)
Miwi La Lupa & James Hatem (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 6-10pm)
Eaglelize (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 4pm, $10)
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 12/9
Buffalo Sabres vs. Detroit Red Wings (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour Knox Plaza, 7pm, $49-$236)
Vinyl Happy Hour (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 7pm, $20)
w/Jeff Miers & Strictly Hip
Jungle Steve (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.
The Great British Baking Show: Holidays Season 7 (Netflix)
We could all use some holiday comfort food, and the Brits are always happy to deliver.
Tuesday 12/10
Swan Lake (Shea’s Buffalo, 646 Main St, 7:30pm, $36-$92)
The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine performs Tchaikovsky’s classic.
Troupe Vertigo Holiday Show (Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, 7:30pm, $16.50-$124.50)
The Philharmonic performs holiday favorites, as Troupe Vertigo performs cirque acrobatics.
Shawn Gardini (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 8pm, $28)
This Philly comic is the producer of Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast, and a veteran of sketch show Gilly and Keeves.
Vomit Forth (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 10pm, $21, 16+)
w/No Cure, Cemented In Fear, Wasted Space, Pale Hell
Chess at the Silos (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 6-8pm)
All ages and experience levels welcome. Boards provided.
Terry Savastrano (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 Comedy 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 12/11
Buffalo String Works (Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave, 6pm, FREE, donations encouraged)
Four groups of students from the local music education nonprofit perform their Winter Community Concert.
Buffalo Sabres vs. New York Rangers (KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour Knox Plaza, 7pm, $49-$236)
Roast Battle (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm, $20)
Battles include Jake Samson vs Josh Prygon, Don Johnson vs John Lockwood, Kyle Turner vs Greg Bauch, Katie Scanlon vs Paul Herberger, Rick Matthews vs Jameel Key, Ryan Fay vs Chris Plumer.
Armor (Area 54, 3234 Main St, 6pm, $15)
w/Disintegration, Academy Order, Exhibition, B&W Cat/B&W Cake
Thorgy Does Christmas (Shea’s 710, 710 Main St, 7:30pm, $36-$84)
The RuPaul’s Drag Race vet puts on a holly jolly variety show.
Crown Magnetar (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 10pm, $21, 16+)
w/Extortionist, Etermination Dismemberment, Larcenia Roe
Brains & Grains (Duende, 85 Silo City Row, 6-8pm, $10)
Trivia in the shadow of the old grain silos.
A Swingin’ Christmas at the Cave (The Cave, 71 Military Rd, 7pm)
Baudo Jazz Quintet (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, noon, FREE)
Buffalo Dead All-Stars (Sportsmens Tavern, 326 Amherst St, 7pm, $10)
Comedy Open Mic (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, sign up 7pm, show 9:30pm)
