Nightlife Review: The Vibe Garden
The Vibe Garden is an outdoor gathering of Buffalo residents hosted by Stacy VanBarclom and James Levy Jr. in collaboration with The Wash Project, a community arts center also based in downtown Buffalo. The Vibe Garden started back in 2022, with its first event held in May. In the following 3 years, they held parties twice a year: one in May and another in August.
Under the watchful eyes of the tallest building in Buffalo, Seneca One, nestled in the courtyard outside an industrial-chic brewery of Other Half, tonight’s August edition of the Vibe Garden was set to be a magical one. The DJ booth was set up under a tent, surrounded by graffiti art, with disco lighting and flower wall decorations, designed by Iza Ponce, also known as “IzaDoesIt”.
This event was a celebration of the world’s two universal languages: music and dance. Its emphasis on these two central ideas provided means for expression and creativity not only from the performers, but the guests as well. Attendants were in the clear to dance and let loose to the sounds of various genres mixed by local DJs.
At 9:00, I was welcomed to the Vibe Garden by MC Afternoon, whose buoyant energy lit up the courtyard of Other Half Brewing. Call and response were the name of the game, as the crowd hollered “Viiiiiiiiiibe Garden” in return to his calls.
With the community properly warmed up, DJ SC-One then took the decks to spin a masterful blend of hip-hop, which were mostly offshoots of hits from the 2000s. The crowd warmed their way up to the floor, a concrete platform with wooden planks laid above to give room for folks to breakdance their hearts away.
I got my first drink at around 9:30, a strawberry vodka mix. Shit was disgustingly great, though some people might say cloyingly sweet, but most folks were not in the Vibe Garden. This was one of my first times ordering a drink for myself, so I was nervous. I ended up telling the bartender it was my “first time drinking”.
Into the night we go, and fireworks begin to light up the scenic views of corporate Buffalo. Behind this patio, you have Sahlen Field, the first of the “classic retro” ballparks, home to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. My eyes started to gleam at the sight of the fireworks while my ears were lauded by the sounds of 50 Cent and Fat Joe. This is what dreams are made of.
In terms of the attendees, the crowd was diverse. Many attendants were Buffalo residents, while there were a few exceptions, like the [insert name of dance group here], who asserted their dominance of street dancing and breakdance proficiency on the floor.
At 10:00, the crowd, which magnified in size, was graced by the sounds of local rapper Puh-Geez and friends. Their style was unconventional, laden with optimism, something I believe many rappers—mainstream or underground—lack today. They played 3 songs: one boom-bap, one trap-infused and one minimal tech inspired. I ended up speaking with Puh-Geez and his crew briefly after his performance about his sound, Nigerian music and what’s next for the future.
It’s now 10:30, and DJ Painkiller has hopped on the decks, running through a set of neo-soul, new jack swing, R&B edits and hip-hop. This was when I believe the night took a 180. The crowd broke into a spontaneous electric shuffle, sliding their way through the set. Who knew white people had enough rhythm for that?
Speaking of rhythm, many of the dancers appeared to be trained in the arts. As I mentioned before, there was a breakdance crew, James, who’s a professional dancer part of the OMEGA Crew, and Stacy, who’s part of the B-Girl crew B. Flo-Girls. Styles were ample, from jazz to hip-hop, contemporary and even voguing. I had to grab water at this point; it was getting too hot.
At 11:00, Saranaide performed. I unfortunately missed much of her performance, but she has a great voice, suited for vocals of a house/EDM track. Speaking of house, shortly after she exited the stage, DJ DigiRamm became the last orator of the decks, with his blend of soulful house music and disco. The once restless crowd slowly began to turn itself down and disperse into the afterhours. His set was so good, he got a 30-minute extension to the original closing time at 12:00.
If there’s one thing I’ve observed tonight, it’s that music and dance can bring people together. The power of community cannot be understated. Watching different creeds of humans being brought together by the power of a sound system (and a couple of good drinks) is one of the most remarkable feelings in the world. There are not many mantras I can say I live by, but after my experience at the Vibe Garden, I can say I live by these words: Vibe, Dance, Let Go.
