Artvoice vol. 14 no. 25

free | vol. 14 no. 25 | june 25 - july 1, 2015 | artvoice.com | fb: artvoiceav | tw: @artvoice | ig: artvoiceav

NICKEL CITY OPERABRINGS THE MARRIAGE OF

FIGARO TO THE RIVIERA

>> PAGE 13

GETTING A GRIP ON OUR RACIST HISTORY >> PAGE 6

THE SWEET SCIENCE RETURNS TO NIAGARA FALLS >> PAGE 9

DANIEL NORRIS: NOT YOUR TYPICAL BASEBALL PRO >> PAGE 10

2 june 25 - july 1, 2015 | artvoice.com

��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■��

■��

��

��

��

��

��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■��

■��

��

��

��

��

Discover Buffalo Metropolitan Living

��

��

��

��

��

The contents herein are the property of ARTVOICE and not that of the customer. The customer has purchased the right of reproduction in Artvoice only and does not have the right to reproduce the ad or photo in any other publications. Contents of this publication are covered by Copyright and offenders will be prosecuted under the law. Due care and diligence is used in checking advertising copy for accuracy but no warranty is implied or given by the publisher. Advertisers and Artvoice are not responsible for typographical errors, mistakes or misprints.

810-812 main street, buffalo, ny 14202 | artvoice.com | advertising/general 716.881.6604 | classified advertising 716.881.6124 | distribution 716.881.6124 | fax 716.881.6682 |

EDITORIALeditor jamie mosesmanaging editor buck quigleytheater editor anthony chasefilm editor jordan canahaimusic editor jeffrey czumstaff writer peter sosciaasst. to the publisher anne muscatellocalendar editor sarah barry

COLUMNISTSjavier bustillos, jim corban, jan jezioro, andrew kulyk,

michael niman, george sax, chuck shepherd, rob brezsny

PRODUCTIONart director jessica schmelzinger

graphic designer jordan siefer

system admin. anthony dipasquale, greg mach

CONTRIBUTORSheather cook, jack foran, chris groves, paul marko, dave staba, eric wollschlager

SALESad coordinator judy sperryhouse accounts anne muscatelloclassified director vanessa harris

AD REPS. eric dacey, greg ipolito, jamie moses, anne smith

CIRCULATION circulation director sharon kaiser

PUBLISHED BY KHANSAMA PUBLICATIONS INC.editorial: [email protected] listings: [email protected] listings: [email protected] & artviews: [email protected] & production: [email protected]. & circulation: [email protected]

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH BARRY

COMMENTARY | LETTERS TO ARTVOICE

ECIDA FAILS TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF “NO” Mission creep.

Market rate housing, senior or otherwise, with IDA tax abatements is mission creep.

Nonetheless, the ECIDA has a new loophole laden policy on market rate senior housing guaranteed not to filter out one single project. The News called it a half step. I might call it a side step and if grading it would give the policy an A for creative writing and obfuscation and an F for public policy.

IDAs exist as public benefit corporations to undertake economic development for the benefit of the sponsoring municipality and its “inhabitants” as provided in law. Economic development is different than community development and is meant to create jobs and increase wealth in the community. That is the mission of IDAs. To induce or provide incentives to employers to create jobs and expand the economic pie. Housing projects, even large ones (100+ units) are not job engines and might at best create one full time job. A look at the pending projects on the ECIDA website will prove this to be correct.

In response to critics, local IDAs funded a study of market rate senior housing, undertaken by UB, to identify if IDAs should continue to approve incentives to senior projects. Good move. Implicit in commissioning a study is the consideration of its conclusions in defining future actions. However, the study refuted the funding premise cited in past approval of these projects and concluded there was no economic justification for continuance. Even the first ECIDA policy draft called for the elimination of assistance. But, multiple iterations and a year later, the policy calls for the furtherance of tax gifts via a new loophole of optional evaluation criteria, contrary to the plain language of the study just purchased, inconsistent with the mission of IDAs and seemingly in violation of the statute itself.

IDAs have been criticized for wanton gifting of tax revenue to any project that applies. And as opposed to changing behavior, they

SLOW DOWN THE TRAFFIC AROUND DELAWARE PARKI am a Parkside neighbor and a mother of twin toddlers. I have lived in the neighborhood for six years and proud to have moved to the city during this revitalizing time. Buffalo is in an upward swing with families flocking back to city living. It is an exciting time, but we need to have that same revitalization within our traffic patterns. Some may state “well, you moved to the city—traffic comes with the territory.” Yes, there is naturally going to be more cars in the city. I am not asking for the disappearance of traffic. I am asking for safety measures and common sense to take place.

Being two blocks from a historical zoo and gorgeous park, I want to feel comfortable walking there with my children. Unfortunately, I do not have that comfort. As more families are moving into my neighborhood, it is a growing concern. There are dangerous speeds and curves on Parkside Ave. Once we get into the actual park, there is a freeway crossing through. Thankfully, it has been reduced to 30mph—but as a result of a loss of a young life. The 198 truly needs to be removed or placed underground or within a tunnel. The park should not be split. In fact, traffic throughout the whole park needs to be reduced. New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, and even they have traffic controlled around their major parks. Just this week, it was announced that the majority of Central Park and Prospect Park will have no cars permanently. The purpose for this change was to protect pedestrians and return to the original vision for the park system. If a massive city like NYC can accommodate a traffic free park, Buffalo should have no problem following suit.

We don’t need additional lives to be lost before changes occur. Let’s focus on removing the freeway from the park, creating better pedestrian walkways, and placing a strong focus on the intersection of Florence and Parkside. This intersection is right in front of the park and has an abnormal accident rate. We all know a fatality is bound to occur there if changes aren’t made. Let’s be pro-active, not reactive.

> THERESA ROMA, BUFFALO

have apparently chosen the tactic that the best defense is a good offense. Well, mission accomplished. This policy is offensive.

Now is the time for the community including elected officials, taxpayers and school districts to take action to end the public largess gifted to developers on an entitlement basis for projects lacking public benefit.

> MICHELE F. MARCONI, AMHERST

ENOUGH WITH THE ANTIBIOTIC MEATSRecently, President Obama directed federal agencies to serve antibiotic-free meat and poultry in government cafeterias. The FDA will require animal producers to obtain authorization from a licensed veterinarian to use drugs to treat a specific disease, rather than just to promote rapid growth, as is current practice. As much as 80 percent of all U.S. antibiotics are used in animal agriculture.

The moves come amid growing concern about the link between routine antibiotic use in animal agriculture and human infections by bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotics because of their excessive use. The CDC estimates that antibiotic resistance causes two million illnesses per year in the U.S. and 23,000 deaths. It also adds $20 billion per year in health care costs and $35 billion in lost productivity. And we thought that animal products were just linked to heart disease, cancer, and stroke...

While government agencies reduce antibiotics in animal products, the rest of us can do better immediately with wholesome vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains and a rich variety of plant-based meats, cheeses, milks, and ice creams available in every supermarket. These foods contain all the nutrients we require, without the deadly pathogens, antibiotics, carcinogens, cholesterol, and saturated fats.

> BLAINE HAMILTON, BUFFALO

artvoice.com | june 25 - july 1, 2015 3

DAVID LIEBE HARTMohawk Place | 7pm | $12/$10

Tim and Eric cast member David Liebe Hart will stop by Mohawk Place as part of his summer tour to support the release of his recent album, Astronaut.

SEE YOU WHERE?

J. RODDY WALSTON

PAGE 27>>

103.3 THE EDGE PRESENTS: ROCK RADIO LIVE BAND KARAOKEStudio @ Waiting Room | 10pm | freeLive out your biggest fantasy of becoming a rock star at live band karaoke. Every Friday night you have the chance to sing all you favorite rack radio anthems on stage with a live band including Limp Bizkit, Foo Fighters, Blink 182, Black Keys and much more!

MICHAELIAN BLACK

PAGE 26 >>

SCHWERVON!

PAGE 26 >>

THE ATARIS

PAGE 28 >> 30TUE

MICK HAYES

PAGE 27 >> 26FRI

THE STEVE MILLER BAND

PAGE 28 >> 30TUE

SUGAR CITY PRESENTS: SOUL NIGHT Milkie’s | 10pm | $5

Sugar City’s Soul Night will be popping off at Milkie’s on Elmwood this Friday night at 10pm. For a $5 donation, you can dance along to great music and enjoy cheap drinks. All proceeds go to keeping Sugar City up and running

WURSTFEST Buffalo River Fest Park | 1-8pm | donations accepted

The Wurst Party in Buffalo w/ special guests Die Auslanders, authentic German cuisine, German Bier, raffles, games, and more. http://www.germanamericanmusicians.com/wurstfest.html

JOE DONAHUE BENEFIT Nietzsches | 3-8pm

Nietzsches is holding a benefit for Joe Donohue of the Albrights. There will be music and a performance by Thursday Afternoon Trio, Ann Philipone, Chris Kelly and Jimmy Janowski (as the Sweeny Sisters), The Stripteasers, and Randle and The Late Night Scandals. There will also be snacks, a potluck, and a 50/50 raffle.

FULL LIST OF VENUES Page 25 >>

THU

6/2

5FR

I 6/2

6FR

I 6/2

6SU

N 6

/28

HAIKU Sportsmen’s Tavern | 7pm | $5

This Buffalo quartet has earned the reputation of becoming one of the best super groups in Western New York. Jim Wyne, Hugh Arthur, Spencer Bolden, and the notable George Puleo perform a blend of rock and jazz that might just blow you away. Be sure to check them out on Wednesday night.W

ED 7

/1SU

N 6

/28

26FRI

25THU

TIM BARRY Studio @ Waiting Room | 6pm | $13-$15

Tim Barry has been making music for nearly 20 years now. He first graced the underground punk scene with his band heroes Avail, but recently he’s moved towards writing/singing folk music. You can catch Barry when he makes his way to the Studio @ Waiting Room this Thursday night with Northcote and Allison Weiss.

THU

6/2

5


ONLY AT BUFFALO’S BEER STORE

CONSUMER’S

CRAFTCRUISER

W.N.Y.’SPREMIERPEDAL BIKE

CONSUMERSBEVERAGES.COM/CRAFTCRUISER

716.249.1499• FOR RESERVATIONS •

CONSUMER’S CRAFT CRUISER @CRAFTCRUISER

W E G U I D E Y O U R E P I C R I D E

ONLY AT BUFFALO’S BEER STORE CRAFTCRUISER

W.N.Y.’SPREMIERPEDAL BIKE

• FOR RESERVATIONS

FIND GREAT DEALS ONCRAFT IN CANS THROUGHOUTTHE MONTHOF JUNE

LET’S GET CRUSHABLEBeers to have when you’re having more than one

BEER | TAP THIS

great and be less fi lling.

The history of the session beer is even more diffi cult to nail down. Several sources, both American and British, indicate that the term came from both a type of beer, and a time of day. Around the commencement of WWI, Britain was in the midst of preparing for war. In order to best do so, restrictions had to be placed on two things: ABV and the time spent at the pub. The Queen’s men set two standard “sessions” that public houses could open—lunch session and dinner session. Each lasted only a few hours, and so Brits took to the oak to down as many pints as possible. Parliament was one step ahead, though, and restricted the strength of the beer, so even though the men set their minds to taking full advantage of the session, they were still able to function at the munitions plant after 8 pints (which are 20oz across the pond!) Next time you’re enjoying your favorite session with some friends around a fi re, raise your glass with a nod to Jolly ol’ England and their clever policies.

As craft brewing continues to rise in the US, most breweries understand that drinkers are often looking for a session option. National juggernauts like Founders and Stone each have delicious session IPAs that rival the fl avor of some full IPAs. Anderson Valley’s Highway 128 is an entire series dedicated to sessionable beers—perhaps the most popular of the series are their gose selections, most notably, the Blood Orange Gose. Locally, breweries are throwing their hat into the session ring, as well. Big Ditch Brewing released their collaboration with FC Buffalo (our professional soccer team) called, fi ttingly, FC. FC stands for “Fantastically Crushable,” and at 3.5% ABV, FC is a crisp, slightly sweet wheat ale that is perfect for a hot day on the Kan Jam circuit. CBW’s Frank weighs in at 4.7%, has a great dry-hopped fl avor that betrays the low ABV.

The grills are fi red, the coolers stocked, and the volleyball nets are raised. Buffalo summer is upon us. As you enjoy your favorite session beers this summer, be sure to do so safely. Here’s to our favorite season! Let us in drink it in—the sun, the fun, the food, and the games. Here’s to a crushable season with friends and family.

Beer coverage done in partnership with Buffalo Niagara Brewers Association. Visit www.BuffaloNiagaraBrewersAssociation.org.

> BY ERIK WOLLSCHLAGER

It is commonly thought that the differences between macro-beer drinkers and micro-beer drinkers rival the Grand Canyon

in their width and depth. There are commonalities, though, and more than one might think. For instance, in both cases, those who consume these beverages love beer. One might argue that macro beers barely approach the actual defi nition of beer, but this is not the place for such an argument. These friendly pages are here to promote one of the greatest aspects of beer: the communion of beer drinkers. Whether your brewery of choice buys Super Bowl ads, owns hockey teams, or has their kettles boiling just over the fence in your back yard, there are few things better than getting together with your tribe for a day of sharing beer, food, friendly competition, and merriment.

Traditionally, the macrobrewers had a leg up here. Often, the ingredients and processes that make craft beer so tasty also give the beer a higher alcohol content, which makes it tough to spend a day knocking them back with friends. Macros are designed to be consumed in quantity, though. They are mass-produced, mass-packaged, and quaffed en masse. Craft beer lovers may have sat sadly on the sidelines as endless beer pong games dragged on, afraid to enter into a world where 7% ABV was the difference between victory and certain defeat.

Thankfully, craft brewers, being craft beer drinkers themselves, recognized the plight of the common beer geek. They vowed that craft beer drinkers would no longer be banned from the party games that have entertained the light beer world for ages on end. Much to the delight of the fl ip-cup wallfl ower, the session beer is back. Those who enjoy a bit more fl avor in their beer could join the party, and even take part in all of the drinking game splendor they’d previously been left out of.

So, what is a session beer? How did they fi rst come to be? These are great questions—neither of which really has an exact answer. Most session drinkers have come to agree that a session beer is one that has an ABV 5% or less. They also believe that the price should match—no one wants to spend too much money on a beer they’ll be “crushing” throughout the day. And fi nally, a session beer should be tasty. To tip the cap to a famous macro, a session beer should indeed taste

PEARL STREET GREEN TEA ALE &PAN-AMERICAN GREEN TEA SAISONABV: 4.5% & 5.5% > REVIEW BY PAUL MARKO

Although we’ve had a decent spring in WNY, we certainly have been looking forward to summer arriving—especially after the long, notorious winter we’ve all endured. Well,

the equinox has passed! It’s now time to offi cially push the stouts and porters to the back of the shelf and start enjoying beers that pair perfectly with the season. For many, these include lighter bodied beers, often wheat based, and sometimes lightly spiced or fruit enhanced. Pearl Street Brewing and its sister brewery, Pan-American, have released their respective takes on the summer quencher, both with a green tea twist. Pearl Street’s Green Tea Beer (4.5% ABV) and PanAm’s Green Tea Saison (5.5% ABV) were both brewed with whole leaf Tazo Zen tea. Green Tea has been described as the healthiest beverage on planet earth. I’m not sure if it transforms beer to the level of this lofty claim, but it’s certainly worth a try! The tea addition for both these brews is at near perfect subtlety, providing a quenchingly light, yet balanced fl avor profi le in each. The highly active saison, brewed with White labs saison yeast is particu-larly complex, with a nice clove fi nish that is augmented by a snappy Wakatu hop fl avor addi-tion. Green tea provides clean, fresh grass notes and these blend swimmingly in a craft saison. Shuffl e off to (downtown) Buffalo, sit by lake and watch the world go by...with one of these cleanly crafted, Asian infl uenced beers in hand.

BEER | WHAT’S BREWING? presented by

FOUNDERS BREWING CO.—ALL DAY IPAABV: 4.7% > CHRIS GROVES CERTIFIED CICERONE ®

If theres one beer I’ve had more of this year than any, it has to be Founders All Day IPA. It hits me in all the right places with its supreme crispness, wonderfully sharp citrus nose and medium

body. It’s at almost every outdoor gathering I’ve been to and for good reason; It’s damn good. All Day, as a session ale, pulls out just

enough malt character to give it body and fl avor, while being balanced by just enough bitter-ness and aroma to let you know it’s in IPA fl avor territory. At 4.7% ABV, you can keep a level head while your afternoon picnic paddle is underway. If price is any factor, it’s about the best deal going for such a quality pack. You get FIFTEEN rather than twelve for the price of a typi-cal 3 beer bar tab. Lets talk about the packaging for a sec.: The Jeep Grand Wagoneer with the red canoe on the roof really does it for me...not just cause I have a red canoe but the fact that an early 80’s Wagoneer is an absolute dream vehicle. It’s a sexy combo. Leather AND Cordu-roy upholstery, V8 engine, 4 Wheel Drive, 5 speed manual transmission, power windows and AM/FM radio!?! It’s the perfect vehicle for hauling you, your friends and your gear to almost any destination, summer or winter. Just remember, you can’t drink all day unless you start in the morning.

enough malt character to give it body and fl avor, while being balanced by just enough bitter-enough malt character to give it body and fl avor, while being balanced by just enough bitter-

the equinox has passed! It’s now time to offi cially push the stouts and porters to the back of


The difference between healthcare and true careTM ecmc.edu ©2015 ECMC

ECMC-9392 ACS VERIFICATION AD | 10.875 X 10 | CMYK

HIGHEST QUALITY TRAUMA CARE. HIGHEST QUALITY TRAUMA CARE.

VERIFIED.

ECMC recognized as a Level 1 Trauma Care Center ECMC is proud to be verified as a Level 1 Trauma Care Center by the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons, and prouder stillof the dedicated physicians, nurses, clinicians, and first responders who made this distinction possible.

With a longstanding commitment to excellence in trauma care and dedication proven by thousands of trauma patient success stories, we are honored to have ECMC’s legacy of the best care matched by this extraordinary designation.

And from the most critical trauma care to the rehabilitation care that gets patients back to living their lives to the fullest, we look forward to continuing to lead our area with the highest standards of trauma care.

ECMC-RET-9392-2015-ACSVerificationPrintAd_10.875x10_M3.indd 1 6/12/15 4:34 PM


Experience the Sights and Sounds of Summer!

Valley Community AssociationWellness on the Water: YogaMondays, July 6, 13, 20 & 27(5:30pm)Buffalo River Fest Park

Exercise Like the AnimalsExercise Body & Mind: Buffalo River Style9:30-11am July 6-9, 13, 14, 16,20-23, & 27-29 (9:30-11am);Buffalo River Fest Park

Valley Community AssociationHistoric Tours of theBuffalo River (Shuttle Tour)Thursdays, July 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30;August 13 (6pm), Start atMutual Riverfront Park

German AmericanMusicians

WurstfestSunday, June 28

1-8pmBuffalo River

Fest Park

Blues Society of WNY

BuffaloNiagara Blues

FestivalSaturday, July 11

12:30-10pmSilo City

Emerging Leaders in the Arts Buffalo

City of Night Saturday, July 18

Old First WardNeighborhood

Administered by: Visit asiwny.org/programs/buffalo-river-programming

AS_Ads_ASI_ArtvoiceAd_5.15x2.45 6/23/15 10:41 AM Page 1

GREGv14n25NEW

LAST WEEK IN BLACK AND WHITE

There are no Lone Wolves

FEATURE | GETTING A GRIP

a black population between two and two and a half percent. Making this story even more obscure is the fact that the NAACP historically has had white leaders, nationally and locally, making Dolezal’s declared Black identity even less of an issue.

There’s a long history of people of color passing for white in order to escape oppression and reap the institutional benefi ts of whiteness. Dolezal, however, went the other way, which for the media made this a man-bites-dog story. More so, it’s a story that supports right-wing racist tropes. For closeted and not so closeted (hello Fox) racists in the media, the

The week began with a national media obsession with Dolezal, the “NAACP president” who started life as a little blond white girl in Montana. The real story here is not that one person out of 319 million Americans migrated across our ridged politically constructed racial boundaries, but that her doing so dominated the national media, and for no apparent reason.

As the story developed, “NAACP president” became the more accurate “Spokane Washington NAACP chapter president,” which later reports identifi ed as a very part time volunteer position in a small city with

There are no Lone Wolves

> BY MICHAEL I. NIMAN

Two stories dominated the national discussion on race relations last week. The fi rst was a story about an obscure woman named Rachel Dolezal who was born white, but went on to claim Black identity. The

second story was the most recent installment of our nation’s sickeningly long history of domestic terrorist attacks against Black communities. How the press and the culture processed these two stories demonstrates the persistence of the racism and double standards that still dominate our society.


To learn more about PrEP, call Evergreen at 716.541.0676 or visit takeprep.com.

Prep for tonight.PrEP IS A DAILY PILL FOR HIV PREVENTION.

��

��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■ ��

■ ��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

story of this one race bender infers that white folks are now the oppressed people, with our Liberalnazi Black supremacist government making conditions so hard for Arians like Dolezal, that they now must pass for Black in order to succeed in life. So the story instantly got wings, turning a non-story about a no one from nowhere (sorry Spokane, but look out the window) into international news.

It also had wings because once this became a national story, people wanted to talk about it. People want to talk about race. It’s fascinating stuff. Race is a somewhat fl uid social and political construct that historically has been used to provide economic and social advantage to one group at a cost to others. Identity also encompasses the construction of gender, making this conversation even more salient. How identity is constructed and what it means is an important discussion, no matter what its genesis. But just as the conversation got interesting, it also got trumped when a white supremacist massacred nine Black people in a historic Charleston, South Carolina church.

This was a brazen act of terrorism. It involved the assassination of an up and coming South

Carolina State Senator, Reverend Clementa C. Pinckney, and eight fellow congregants at The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. This attack follows a long established American pattern of white supremacist terrorists targeting Black churches. The terrorist, Dylann Roof, left three witnesses alive to convey his message that Black people, any and all Black folks, had to die.This is how terror works. Black people cannot feel safe. Not in the refuge of a church. Not anywhere. This is the crux of terrorism. Roof prayed with his victims in their bible group, then massacred them. When a curious world fl ocked to his social media presence, they saw photos of Roof with a Confederate fl ag, and read his stated desire to start a race war.

Central casting couldn’t give us a better terrorist, but here’s where the closeted and not so closeted racist biases in the media come into play. Roof, you see, is white. So the dominant narrative reads, not “terrorist,” but “disturbed,” and part of a racist culture, but a “lone wolf.” Of course someone who prays with people for an hour and then preys on and kills them, is disturbed. I get it. So is someone who blows themselves up in a

crowded market or café, or fl ies a plane into a building. But they’re also terrorists, like Roof, whose deranged racist mind fanaticized that his action would trigger a race war, with terrorized blacks reacting violently to his strategic provocation. Instead we saw powerfully inspiring acts of forgiveness and reconciliation on the part of the victims’ families.

The “lone wolf” trope is drawn even more thinly than the “disturbed” trope. Repeating this idea of a lone isolated actor perpetuates white denial about the extent and endurance of racism in our society. Roof grew up in a state that historically and currently suppresses the black vote. He was nurtured in a region that still names streets, highways, buildings

Dylann Roof is not a lone wolf. He is the predictable product of an unrepentant culture that glamorizes and celebrates its racist history.

and bridges not just for Confederate “heroes,” as Jon Stewart recently pointed out, but in the same vein, for leaders of the KKK as well. He was not a lone wolf. He is the product of a world where the banner of the white supremacist pro-slavery Confederate States of America still fl ies over government buildings. He is not a lone wolf. In the days after his massacre at The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, his state, South Carolina, lowered the American fl ag to half mast, but they kept the Confederate fl ag on the statehouse grounds fl ying defi antly at full mast.

Dylann Roof is not a lone wolf. He is the predictable product of an unrepentant culture that glamorizes and celebrates its racist history. He is the product of a dominant society struggling to preserve its racial privilege. He’s the son of a nation that, in branding him an outlier, hides and denies its own racist heritage.

Dr. Michael I. Niman is a professor of journalism and media studies at SUNY Buffalo State. His previous columns are at artvoice.com, archived at www.mediastudy.com, and available globally through syndication.


��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

SUNDAyBRUNCHBRUNCH

��

��

��

��

RICH BASEBALL NY-PENN LEAGUE TEAM BEGINS IN MORGANTOWNJamestown Jammers relocation completed this weekend

SPORTS | PLAYBALL

and made the move to Morgantown with the franchise’s relocation, which for him meant coming back to his hometown. “Jamestown is a nice little town that just didn’t have the population, the ticket sales, or corporate businesses anymore to keep a minor league baseball team profitable in that area. They have a nice historic ballpark, and we wish a lot of luck to them, but this follows a trend with other small New York towns that have lost their teams—Oneonta and Elmira among them.”

Bisons VP/general manager Mike Buczkowski agreed. “Mayor (Samuel) Teresi was great to us the whole time we were there. We made friends there over the years and that made it tough to move. That much tougher when you consider that Jamestown probably won’t get another shot at another pro baseball team anytime soon, given the stadium and the market size.”

Morgantown became the default relocation site when the University of West Virginia needed to upgrade their baseball facility. “Oliver Luck (WVU athletic director) kind of followed the model done at State College, where you build a stadium for the college team for use in spring and fall, then share the facility with a short season minor league team for use during the summer. Then you have a nice marriage here and that’s how it worked out well for us so far,” said Drayer.

> BY ANDREW KULYK AND PETER FARRELL

It may have gone unnoticed by most Bisons and baseball fans locally, but this past weekend was a big one as far as baseball operations go

within the Buffalo Bisons organization.

Bob Rich Jr., owner of the Buffalo Bisons, actually owns three minor league baseball teams. His “AA” team is based in Springdale, Arkansas in the Texas League, and the short season “A” team, which has been playing in Jamestown since 1994, is now no more. Last Friday the curtain was raised on the West Virginia Black Bears, the newest in the NY-Penn League family, and they play at a spanking new ballpark just outside Morgantown, West Virginia.

The team actually has a history before that, founded as the Niagara Falls Rapids in 1989. They played there for five seasons before moving to Jamestown.

The franchise had suffered declining attendance in Jamestown over the past few years, and rumors had abounded for a while that the team was a prime relocation candidate. On the field, their best success was back in 2008, when the team made it to the NY-Penn League playoffs, then losing to their WNY rivals the Batavia Muckdogs in the championship series.

Matthew Drayer has served as the General Manager of the team for 15 years in Jamestown,

Named Monongalia County Ballpark, it is a 2500 fixed seat facility that can accommodate up to 3500 fans counting standing room and planned berm seating areas. It is located just off I-79, and getting there means snaking through a massive shopping center to the back of the property. The building is actually built onto the side of a hill, with a splendid view of the West Virginia countryside.

One of the most interesting elements of the ballpark is that the entire field is turf. That includes the basepaths, home plate and the warning track. “The only dirt in the whole ballpark is the pitcher’s mound, and of the 160 minor league ballparks we are the only all turf stadium in the country,” said Drayer. “It plays a bit differently. No tarps to pull.” Drayer admits that the decision for the turf field was made by West Virginia athletics, who start their season in March when weather in the region could be a challenge. “Players have to practice sliding into the bases, and starting their slide earlier, that’s how the field works,” Buczkowski added.

Much of the influence and branding surrounding the Black Bears came right from the Buffalo Bisons organization. From team president Jon Dandes to all senior management, all made the trip to set up all aspects of the operation, from marketing to ticket sales to concessions to game ops.

“Our leadership team was very involved,” said Buczkowski. Mind you, there were only three staffers during the entire process of planning and putting it all together, so our people augmented their efforts, and that involved several trips to get them up and running.”

Dreyer added, “Buffalo was great. We got so much support from them, and many of the game day elements here were put together in the front offices at Coca Cola Field.”

Elements such as West Virginia pepperoni roll on the concession menu, a local food staple consisting of sliced peperoni, meat sauce, cheese and nacho sauce, a takeoff from the days local coal miners packed those for lunch. And that inspired the pepperoni race, where three mascot pepperonis run the warning track for bragging rights. With tongue in cheek, Dreyer declined to offer any hints if one of their mascots will reach the futility of Buffalo’s famed Celery.

The Black Bears have already sold 1,100 season tickets. And despite a rainy opening weekend and one rainout, fans turned out in droves. “This is a great baseball town,” said Dreyer. “I grew up here and fans are ready to embrace the Black Bears. Being a Pirates affiliate right down the road helps. And it’s a splendid venue. We know fans will enjoy it.”


Where The City SmokesRocky Patel Lounge, "57" Wide Screen TV, Free Coffee, Great Service, Unmatched Selection

VotedBuffalo’s BestTobacconist

6 Virgil Avenue, (just off Hertel)873-6461

11AM - 10PM Mon.-Sat.12PM - 8PM Sun.

��

��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■ ��■

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■��

■��

��

��

��

��

Kurt Springs, Price of Vengeance (fiction)UB graduate retuns to read from fist novel

Thu, 7/9, 7 pm, Main St store��Nancy Reisman, Trompe L’Oeil, area native returnsto celebrate publication of acclaimed second novel

Thu, 7/30, 7 pm, Main St store

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

RICH BASEBALL NY-PENN LEAGUE TEAM BEGINS IN MORGANTOWNJamestown Jammers relocation completed this weekend

SPORTS | PLAYBALL

and made the move to Morgantown with the franchise’s relocation, which for him meant coming back to his hometown. “Jamestown is a nice little town that just didn’t have the population, the ticket sales, or corporate businesses anymore to keep a minor league baseball team profitable in that area. They have a nice historic ballpark, and we wish a lot of luck to them, but this follows a trend with other small New York towns that have lost their teams—Oneonta and Elmira among them.”

Bisons VP/general manager Mike Buczkowski agreed. “Mayor (Samuel) Teresi was great to us the whole time we were there. We made friends there over the years and that made it tough to move. That much tougher when you consider that Jamestown probably won’t get another shot at another pro baseball team anytime soon, given the stadium and the market size.”

Morgantown became the default relocation site when the University of West Virginia needed to upgrade their baseball facility. “Oliver Luck (WVU athletic director) kind of followed the model done at State College, where you build a stadium for the college team for use in spring and fall, then share the facility with a short season minor league team for use during the summer. Then you have a nice marriage here and that’s how it worked out well for us so far,” said Drayer.

> BY ANDREW KULYK AND PETER FARRELL

It may have gone unnoticed by most Bisons and baseball fans locally, but this past weekend was a big one as far as baseball operations go

within the Buffalo Bisons organization.

Bob Rich Jr., owner of the Buffalo Bisons, actually owns three minor league baseball teams. His “AA” team is based in Springdale, Arkansas in the Texas League, and the short season “A” team, which has been playing in Jamestown since 1994, is now no more. Last Friday the curtain was raised on the West Virginia Black Bears, the newest in the NY-Penn League family, and they play at a spanking new ballpark just outside Morgantown, West Virginia.

The team actually has a history before that, founded as the Niagara Falls Rapids in 1989. They played there for five seasons before moving to Jamestown.

The franchise had suffered declining attendance in Jamestown over the past few years, and rumors had abounded for a while that the team was a prime relocation candidate. On the field, their best success was back in 2008, when the team made it to the NY-Penn League playoffs, then losing to their WNY rivals the Batavia Muckdogs in the championship series.

Matthew Drayer has served as the General Manager of the team for 15 years in Jamestown,

Named Monongalia County Ballpark, it is a 2500 fixed seat facility that can accommodate up to 3500 fans counting standing room and planned berm seating areas. It is located just off I-79, and getting there means snaking through a massive shopping center to the back of the property. The building is actually built onto the side of a hill, with a splendid view of the West Virginia countryside.

One of the most interesting elements of the ballpark is that the entire field is turf. That includes the basepaths, home plate and the warning track. “The only dirt in the whole ballpark is the pitcher’s mound, and of the 160 minor league ballparks we are the only all turf stadium in the country,” said Drayer. “It plays a bit differently. No tarps to pull.” Drayer admits that the decision for the turf field was made by West Virginia athletics, who start their season in March when weather in the region could be a challenge. “Players have to practice sliding into the bases, and starting their slide earlier, that’s how the field works,” Buczkowski added.

Much of the influence and branding surrounding the Black Bears came right from the Buffalo Bisons organization. From team president Jon Dandes to all senior management, all made the trip to set up all aspects of the operation, from marketing to ticket sales to concessions to game ops.

“Our leadership team was very involved,” said Buczkowski. Mind you, there were only three staffers during the entire process of planning and putting it all together, so our people augmented their efforts, and that involved several trips to get them up and running.”

Dreyer added, “Buffalo was great. We got so much support from them, and many of the game day elements here were put together in the front offices at Coca Cola Field.”

Elements such as West Virginia pepperoni roll on the concession menu, a local food staple consisting of sliced peperoni, meat sauce, cheese and nacho sauce, a takeoff from the days local coal miners packed those for lunch. And that inspired the pepperoni race, where three mascot pepperonis run the warning track for bragging rights. With tongue in cheek, Dreyer declined to offer any hints if one of their mascots will reach the futility of Buffalo’s famed Celery.

The Black Bears have already sold 1,100 season tickets. And despite a rainy opening weekend and one rainout, fans turned out in droves. “This is a great baseball town,” said Dreyer. “I grew up here and fans are ready to embrace the Black Bears. Being a Pirates affiliate right down the road helps. And it’s a splendid venue. We know fans will enjoy it.”

atmosphere. It’s easy to imagine yourself at Sunnyside Garden in Queens in 1950, though with fewer fedoras and without the haze of cigar smoke hanging over the ring.

Friday’s card at Seneca Niagara Casino also features heavyweight Excell Holmes of Buffalo. After a stellar amateur career, Holmes turned pro with two wins and a draw, but has since lost five straight. He has a chance to reverse course in a hurry when he faces unbeaten prospect Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, who has weighed in at more than 270 pounds for each of his three wins in 2015 to run his professional record to 13-0-1 with 10 knockouts.

Two area fighters—lightweight Daniel DeJesus of Buffalo and Rochester 130-pounder Hashuan Sambolin—are also scheduled to make their professional debuts.

The night’s most accomplished participant is Tony Luis of Cornwall, Ont., who lost a tight 12-round decision to Derry Matthews for the interim WBA lightweight title in Liverpool, England in April. Luis returns in an eight-rounder against Edward Valdez.

Tickets for “Championship Boxing on CBS Sports Network” are priced at $35 and $45, and ringside seating is $75 and can be purchased with a major credit card by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at Ticketmaster.com or through the Seneca Niagara Casino Box Office: (716) 501-2444.

A NICE COMBINATIONBoxing Returns To Falls On Friday

SPORTS | BOXING

channels to compete with ABC’s athletic sibling, ESPN, programmers find themselves with hundreds of hours to fill every week, without excessive resources to do so.

Enter boxing.

In television’s early days, fight nights were staples of weekly schedules. The limited technology of the time easily captured and conveyed the action in a small ring on an even smaller, black-and-white screen. And without helmets, hats, or even shirts, combatants like Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson and Carmen Basilio quickly became household names and faces.

The growth of screens and steady increase in picture definition makes modern viewing almost painful in its vividness, but regardless of format, watching at home is a completely different experience than seeing it live.

The spectacle of seeing two men (or increasingly, women) who should have no real beef with each other trying to punch each other in the face as hard as they can has no real equivalent in sport. The unfiltered sound of punches landing, the instant enemies exhaling and grunting as they throw and receive them delivers a primal appeal that does not necessarily bear up well to intellectual scrutiny or conscience.

Then there’s the crowd. Celebrities of varying levels, depending on the fight’s magnitude, mix with wannabe high-rollers and the fan bases of participants to create a decidedly retro

> BY DAVE STABA

From mob ties to overexposure to the incredible toll it takes on many of its participants, the death of boxing has been forewarned and diagnosed for decades.

And yet, here it is again, blooming into a staple of the basic-cable television schedule, including a CBS Sports Network broadcast emanating live from Niagara Falls on Friday night. The promotion at Seneca Niagara Casino features eight scheduled bouts, starting at 8pm. Undefeated Dennis Hogan (21 wins, no losses and one draw) meets veteran Kenny Abril of Rochester (14-7-1, six knockouts) in a 10-rounder for something called the World Boxing Association/North American Boxing Association USA Super Welterweight title in the main event.

The proliferation of sanctioning organizations, weight divisions and title belts has been another long-running problem, but that’s another column entirely.

While the long-awaited meeting between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao on May 2 (which grossed $410 million between the live gate and pay-per-view sales) felt a little like boxing’s last hurrah, with no likely successors ready to step in with the name recognition or selling power to create such a super-fight, the sport has been enjoying something of a rebirth on free television. With traditional networks CBS, NBC and Fox spinning off sports-only

Undefeated Dennis Hogan

Veteran Kenny Abril


Your Homeownership Partner

1-800-382-HOME(4663)www.sonyma.org

��

��

STREET

EXILE ON ALLEN STREET

��

��

��

��

��EXILE ON ALLEN STREET��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

THE GUY ON THE BOARD Top prospect Daniel Norris pitches in around Buffalo

LIFESTYLE | FEATURE

who is currently playing for the Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons. The guy on the board is also the same guy who made national news earlier this spring for his choice to live off $800 per month while living in a 1978 Volkswagen Westfalia microbus, which he dubbed “Shaggy,” during Major League Baseball’s Spring Training.

Norris, who at one point collected a $2 million signing bonus, is known just as well for his action on the field—where he hurls the baseball at speeds close to 95 miles per hour—as he is off the field. Between surfing along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean during the offseason to skateboarding around Buffalo, he’s certainly a man who has a multitude of passions in life.

One of those off-the-field passions—photography—brought him to his encounter with Barraclaugh.

“It was one of the days where there was a lot of fog around here,” Norris said. “So I got on my skateboard and started running around, taking some photos.

“But then it was pretty cool. I rode past this guy right over here by the stadium and he kind of just caught my eye. He said, ‘Cool board, dude,’ so I stopped and started talking to him a bit and asked if I could take his photo. And he said: ‘Sure. No problem.’”

From there, Norris’ curiosity turned to generosity.

“He was just so nice and such a gentleman, and I wanted to help him out a bit. But I was in workout stuff and didn’t have anything on me except my camera,” Norris said. “So I asked

> BY CHARLES H. ROBERTS III

Alan Barraclaugh is pocket-poor but rich at heart. At least that’s how he came across to a photographer in Buffalo who

is just the opposite—poor at heart but deep by way of pocket.

On a recent Thursday afternoon, the almost-summer sun was beating down on the crest of Barraclaugh’s bald head—sweat beading and dripping into the salty-colored, horseshoe-pattern of hair that stretched backward from one ear to the other.

He was outfitted in older tennis sneakers, shorts, a light jacket and a V-neck T-shirt that exposed a bit of white chest hair and a hemp necklace with a crucifix. A backpack was draped over his left shoulder—overflowing with what appeared to be a survival kit of sorts, including a heavier coat and a bottle of water.

As Barraclaugh walked along Pearl Street in downtown Buffalo, he mumbled quietly to himself—seemingly a bit agitated. It was approaching noon, and he’d yet to secure enough money for lunch, he said later.

But then he was reminded of a friend he made recently: a tall, muscular, bearded photographer who was out cruising around on an oversized skateboard, stopping to capture moments in time that caught his eye.

“The guy on the board,” Barraclaugh recalled, flashing a bright smile from behind his weathered grey beard. “What a great guy.”

The guy on the board was none other than the top prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system—Daniel Norris, a 22-year-old pitcher,


FREE THURSDAYS

JUNE25TH

FREE THURSDAYS25TH

VISIT CANALSIDEBUFFALO.COM FOR EVENT INFORMATION AND VIP TICKETS. THE SHEEPDOGS

JULY2ND

SPOON

him if he’d stay there for a minute, and I went back to the clubhouse [at Coca-Cola Field] to grab some money and Peter Pan Peanut Butter crackers for him. He was just really happy.”

Norris took an image that will likely live forever on the internet—it’s posted on his Instagram account (@DanielNorris18)—while the image of the “guy on the board” is one that Barraclaugh has stored in the internal hard drive within his own mind.

“He was on his skateboard and he saw my sign—and he obviously wasn’t from around here,” Barraclaugh recalled with a smile. “The sign just says: ‘Broke. Please help.’ And then he helped me out, and I was just so thankful. He was a pretty cool guy, and he made me laugh.”

The two had a conversation about life, and while each of the men are in an entirely different phase—Barraclaugh, living meal-by-meal and likely in his 60s—there was a deep-rooted level of respect established that day.

Norris, who lives by sayings such as “Just keep livin’,” seemed truly moved by Barraclaugh’s positive attitude, despite his less-than-desirable position in life.

That curiosity about the world and the way people live is one that Norris expresses through his photography, a decent amount of which he shares on social media—including photos of the homeless and panhandlers in other cities.

“A lot of times [while I’m on a road trip], you’ll be out to breakfast or something—and I like to people watch—and you’ll see people and wonder what they’re doing in life,” Norris said. “And, you know, we’re pretty blessed to be doing this, so it kind of keeps things in perspective. And even though I got sent down [from major-league Toronto to Buffalo], we’re still very blessed to be here.”

A conversation with Norris left little doubt that his eyes are always open to the world around him.

Whether it’s from the pitcher’s mound, glancing out the windows of “Shaggy” or through the lens of his camera—a Cannon 5D Mark III, on which he uses an 85-millimeter lens for portraits—Norris, who stresses that life is about balance, seems pretty even-keeled for a multi-faceted guy.

Pitcher Daniel Norris doing a little cooking by his Volkswagen microbus “Shaggy”

Alan Barraclaugh / Photo by Daniel Norris


��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■ ��■ ��

��

��

��

��

the patio is open!

41 VIRGINIA PLACE 887.2971 WWW.FATBOBS.COM

celebrate summer! Fat Bob�s smokehouse

ARTVOICE: BEST OF BUFFALO 2015 BEST BBQ

Saturday, July 4thLeaves 12:30 p.m. returns 2:30 p.m.Sunday, July 19thLeaves 12:30 p.m. returns 2:30 p.m.Saturday, August 1stLeaves 12:30 p.m. returns 2:30 p.m.SatuSaturday, August 15thLeaves 12:30p.m. returns 2:30 p.m.Sunday, August 16thLeaves 12:30 p.m. returns 2:30 p.m.Saturday, September 5thLeaves 12:30 p.m. returns 2:30 p.m.Monday, September 7th (Labor Day)LeLeaves 12:30 p.m. returns 2:30 p.m.

TICKETS

Adults $18

Child 4-11 $12

Child 3 & Under FREEFREE

For Boat TourReservations

Call (716) 856-6696

2015 SCHEDULE

POETRY AND THE PARKKen Feltges open reading / A children’s book about Buffalo

> BY HEATHER COOK

BOOKS | GET LIT

years, teaching, writing and shooting award-winning photography. He is a past winner of the Just Buffalo Writer-in-Residence competition and he was honored by Kenmore West High School with the establishment of the Kenneth Feltges Poetry Award, which is presented annually to talented young poets at the school.

Feltges is dedicated to encouraging writers of all ages and believes, “Good poetry is probably the truest voice out there about how people behave, why they behave a certain way. It’s a true voice because it’s a private voice, and it’s an honest voice. When you read a good poem, there’ll be a line that’s so good that it cuts to the bone. It makes you wince in pain, or it makes you blink in joy that they got it. That’s what it felt like. It’s the truest voice out there if people can get by the fact that they don’t need to be intimidated by it.”

Poetry isn’t typically written to be understood but written to make you feel. So, don’t be intimidated, come on out to listen and participate in this open reading at Empire

OPEN LITERARY READING WITH KEN FELTGES7:30 pm at Empire State College, 2875 Union Road. Free

On Tuesday (6/30), SUNY Empire State College is hosting an open literary reading featuring Ken Feltges. Feltges has been actively involved in the poetry and art scene of Buffalo for over thirty

State College, Appletree Business Park, 2875 Union Road, Cheektowaga. There are 10 open spots. Readers sign in at 7pm. This event is free and open to the public. There will also be refreshments.

WALKING THROUGH BUFFALO IN THE COURSE OF A BOOK6:30pm to 8pm at The Paisley Peacock Boutique and Studio, 225 Highland Pkwy, Kenmore

On Wednesday (7/1), a book signing with the author and illustrator of the new children’s, Buffalo-based book will take place at The Paisley Peacock Boutique and Studio in the Town of Tonawanda on July 1 from 6:30 to 8pm. The book is written by Williamsville native Melinda

Sippel and illustrated by local artist, John E. Kennedy, Jr. The book also includes artwork by Giacomo Balla, Piet Mondrian, Vincent Van Gogh, Georges Seurat, Charles E. Burchfield and Larry W. Griffis, Jr.

Released at the Buffalo Zoo’s BuffaloveFest last month, the 88 page illustrated book includes a clear, uncolored character named Barty who takes his dog for a walk through Frederick Law Olmsted’s historic Delaware Park. The book touches many of Bufalo’s most loved places: the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, The Buffalo Zoo, the Darwin Martin House Complex, The Buffalo History Museum, the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the Richardson Olmsted Complex.

According to the author, Melinda Sippel, she “could never find a book about Buffalo for her three young children, so she wrote one.” You can now grab your copy and share Buffalo’s beauty and history with the children in your life. They can walk through and muse over Buffalo’s historical history with Barty and his dog by their sides.

Published by Arty Books, “A Sunday Afternoon in Sunny Buffalo,” is available in glossy paperback and retails for $21.95. The book is also available at Buffalo Adore, Dog Ears Bookstore and Cafe, The Buffalo History Museum, Burchfield Penney Art Center, on Amazon.com and arty-books.com.

Photo of Ken Feltges by Rose Mattrey


THE MAGIC OF MOZART COMES BACK TO TOWN

The Marriage of Figaro at Nickel City Opera

COVER STORY | OPERA

opera-world savvy, gained through a couple of decades of hard-earned practical experience.

When it comes to producing opera, it’s just as much all about the money as it is about all the many artistic components necessary to make an opera production come alive and engage the audience fully enough to make them want to come back “next year.” Ruminski is a firm believer in providing a genuinely quality experience, with high-caliber professional singers and musicians in an effectively staged production. If you can’t do it the right way, don’t do it. Generating a loyal following is crucial to the survival of the kind of opera organization that Ruminski describes as “festival opera,” that is an opera company, such as the NCO, which consistently puts on one or two opera productions, around the same dates, every year.

There is no arguing with success, and Ruminski has demonstrated the success of his low-budget, yet ever increasingly high artistic quality approach, beginning with his company’s initial production, The Barber of Seville in 2009. Ruminski cannily selected the last weekend in June to present his annual, main NCO production. As he writes in his The Nickel City Solution: Festival Opera for Under $100,000, published this past March, “June was the month because, in the opera industry, June was down time. Companies

> BY JAN JEZIORO

The Nickel City Opera (NCO) is returning for its seventh season to its home in the historic Riviera Theatre in North

Tonawanda for two performances of its new production of Mozart’s Operatic supreme masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) on Friday June 26 at 7:30pm and Sunday June 28 at 2:30pm.

So, why should Western New York opera lovers go to see Nickel City Opera’s Figaro? When asked that question, Valerian Ruminski, a Metropolitan opera bass-baritone and the founder and artistic director of the NCO, didn’t hesitate: “Because it will be the first genuinely professional production of a Mozart opera in the area in more than two decades.” Ruminski has worked hard to make the first six seasons of his opera company a success, and based on the results that he has achieved, the confidence of his statement is fully justified. Looking back, it seemed to be an act of reckless bravado, if not one of sheer lunacy, to attempt to establish a new opera company in Western New York in 2009, two years into the severest recession—which hit our area particularly hard—since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Yet Ruminski has managed to successfully do so, using his own

Rehearsal photo from NCO’s The Marriage of Figaro

rarely staged operas in June. With that in mind I could hire industry professionals to work for less than half of what they were usually paid because a paycheck is a paycheck. If they want to make something in June, they might as well work for the NCO.”

Ruminski says that he wrote his book, which is available both in a paperback edition and in an electronic Kindle edition on Amazon, for people in the “opera industry” who might be thinking about launching a new opera company. Even if you have no intention of ever producing an opera, however, the book is a good read for anyone who loves attending and listening to opera, as it provides an invaluable insight into just how much blood, sweat and tears go into every live opera production. Especially noteworthy is Ruminski’s description of his continuing effort to ensure complete financial transparency for the NCO, in particular by continuing to post the company’s complete tax returns on line yearly.

Ruminski will be singing the title role of Figaro, which is somewhat of a rarity for him. The only previous time that he gave himself a title role was in the NCO’s 2013 production of Donizetti’s delightful comedy, Don Pasquale, where he displayed a nuanced comic sensibility, in what was probably the first local production of the opera since the end of the 19th century.

“Singing a role in Figaro is almost a spiritual experience for me and it is one of the few operas that’s makes me emotional,” says Ruminski. He has only sung the role of Figaro once previously, in a 1998 production, though he also appeared in the role of Dr. Bartolo in an Opera Hawaii production about six or seven years ago. “Although we look like we’re emotional when we are singing in an opera, we have to be emotionless to facilitate the technique of singing. I’ve been almost brought to tears during the finale of Figaro, since it’s as if you are in the eye of a sonic hurricane that you and the other singers are generating. It is a very powerful experience.”

Ruminski is continuing with his effectively proven method of recruiting singers with an emerging national reputation, like soprano Amy Grable for the role of Susanna, Figaro’s betrothed. At the same time, he continues to promote such gifted local talent as the rising young baritone James Wright, who will sing the role of Count Almaviva. Wright is a singer equally at home on the opera stage and in a lieder recital, as he has demonstrated most recently last month in a complete performance of Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch. Eastman School of Music soprano Jena Abati, who offered a memorably poignant interpretation of Musetta in the NCO’s La Bohème returns for this production as Barbarina.

In a creative twist, the role of Cherubino, usually sung by a soprano, will be sung by counter tenor Ray Chenez, a Lockport native. Chenez has had to miss the early rehearsals, since he was called in at the last minute to replace an ailing singer at the Versailles Festival, in Louis IV’s palace complex outside of Paris, where he is singing the role of Marzia in Vinci’s Catone in Utica. Mark Freiman is the stage director, and Michael Ching, who has demonstrated the breadth of his talents on the podium in several previous NCO productions, will conduct.

Ruminski has long wanted to put on the world premiere of Shot!, an opera based on the assassination of President McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901, a newly commissioned work by Persis Vehar, a nationally recognized, award-winning composer and a longtime Buffalo resident. The project has been reluctantly placed on the back-burner for the past two years, due in large part to the much higher costs associated with having to build completely new sets for the premiere, and Ruminski’s fiscal prudence, one of the main reasons that the NCO has continued to thrive and grow for seven seasons. Ruminski has recently been in talks with the management of Shea’s Performing Arts Center, who feel that the premiere of an opera about one of the most significant events in the history of Buffalo should take place in our city, and he now feels confident that he is in a position to make his dream come through in 2016.

Tickets: $59/49; Senior (62+) $57/47; Youth $20. Information: 692 2413 or visit: www.nickelcityoperaco.com

Ruminski (left) and Grable (right)


JULY/JUILLET 4-5 2015www.centrefrancais.ca

JULY/JUILLET 9-12 2015www.itsyourfestival.ca

JULY/JUILLET 17-19 2015www.hamiltonworldmusicfest.com

ONE PARK • THREE FESTIVALS • THREE WEEKENDS • ALL FOR FREE

UN PARC • TROIS FESTIVALS • TROIS FINS DE SEMAINE • TOUS GRATUITS

@gage_fest facebook.com/gagefest gagefest .cagagefest .ca

the HAMMER experience | Vivez l'expérience

��

��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■ ��

■ ��

��

��

��

��

��

��

THEATER | OPENING SHOTSTHEATER | OPENING SHOTS

ROMEO AND JULIETSHAKESPEARE IN DELAWARE PARK


- Anthony Vitello, Jr., New York Theatre Guide

FINAL PERFORMANCES!THEATER | ON THE BOARDS presented by

OPENINGROMEO AND JULIET, tragedy by Shake-speare presented by Shakespeare in Dela-ware Park, directed by Tom Loughlin, star-ring Saul Elkin, Kathleen Denecke, Jonas Barranca, Peter Palmisano, Lisa Ludwig, Gerry Maher, Eileen Dugan. Through Jul 12, Tue-Sun at 7:30. Shakespeare Hill in Dela-ware Park (856-4533).

CLOSING

BETSY CARMICHAEL’S LATE NITE BIN-GO, original comedy conceived & written by Mary Kate O’Connell & Joey Bucheker, presented by O’Connell & Company, di-rected by O’Connell, starring Bucheker, Jerry Mosey, Adam Matthew Wall, Corey Bieber, Ryan Kaminski. Through Jun 28, Thu-Sat at 7:30, plus Jun 21 at 7 & Jun 28 at 2:30. The Park School, 4625 Harlem Rd., Snyder (848-0800).

LORD ARTHUR SAVILE’S CRIME, play by Constance Cox adapted from the short sto-ry by Oscar Wilde, presented by The Irish Classical Theatre Company, directed by Josephine Hogan, starring Vincent O’Neill, Alan Trinca, Eliza Vann, David Oliver, Kelly Meg Brennan, Pamela Rose Mangus, Chris Kelly, Ben Michael Moran, Andrea Gollhar-dt, Brian Mysliwy. Through Jun 28, Thu & Fri at 7:30, Sat at 3 & 7:30, Sun at 2. Andrews Theatre, 625 Main St. (853-ICTC).

THE WILD PARTY, musical by Andrew Lippa presented by Second Generation Theatre, directed by Michael Walline, star-ring Matt Witten, Steve Copps, Arianne Da-vidow, LauRen Nicole Alaimo. Through Jun 28, Thu-Sat at 8, Sun at 2. The New Phoenix Theatre, 95 Johnson Park (508-SGT0).

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES, comedy by Neil Simon directed by Jay Desiderio, starring Alley Griffin, Marc-Jon Filippone, Cate Werynski. Through Jun 28, Thu, Sat & Sun, evening shows at 7:30, matinee shows at 2:30. Desiderio’s Dinner Theatre, 5827 Broadway, Lancaster (683-7767).

UPCOMING

OUR TOWN, classic play by Thornton Wilder presented by Chautauqua Theater Company. Jul 3-12. Bratton Theater, Chau-tauqua Institution (357-6250).

SISTERS OF SWING: THE ANDREWS SIS-TERS MUSICAL, conceived and written by Beth Gilleland & Bob Beverage, directed by Doug Weyand, starring Philip Farugia, Wendy Hall, Nicholas Lama, Renee Land-rigan, Michele Marie Roberts. Jul 8-Aug 9, Wed & Thu at 7, Fri at 8, Sat at 4 & 8, Sun at 2. Musicalfare Theatre, 4380 Main St., Am-herst (839-8540).

Scene from Romeo and Juliet | Photo by: Christopher Scinta


��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

ROMEO AND JULIETA gallery from the current production at Shakespeare in Delaware Park

ENTERTAINMENT | THEATRICALLY SPEAKING

> BY ANTHONY CHASE

Saul Elkin (top), founder of Shakespeare in Delaware Park, is currently appearing as Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet. The production marks the start of the 40th season of the popular festival. Now in his 80s, as Friar Lawrence, Elkin proves that he can still command the stage with a deftly nuanced performance. His other roles on the Shakespeare stage run the gamut from Lear to Falstaff to Prospero. The festival has just announced a $1.3 million campaign to replace its stage, now 20 years old, with a structure that will be easier to assemble and disassemble and more flexible to use. You can see Elkin in Romeo and Juliet through July 12th.

Photos by Christopher Scinta


PLAY IS THE THINGAn engaging show at Buffalo Arts Studio

VISUAL ARTS | ARTSCENE

together. Another kind of building blocks.

Other playthings, on tables, include some smaller-scale dovetail strips, and some pretty hard to manipulate pseudo-toys, little plastic triangles that look like you could make some sort of geodesic structure of them, but how do you get them formed and stabilized into a structure? Little metal clips in perforations on some of the triangle points are more frustrational than functional when you try to work them. Also, little cones of Teflon material that you might try to make something of, but hard to imagine what, beyond a slightly different jumble mass of little cones of Teflon. Another table features some more or less banana forms of a kind of plastic screen material. For what play purpose, though?

More interesting are some oddment materials presented together with a magnifying glass for close inspection. A little pile of rock salt chunks about the size of the end of your thumb, a little pile of silkworm cocoons, a tangled mass of tailor’s measuring tape, another tangle of tickertape paper.

> BY JACK FORAN

The common theme of the two-artist show at Buffalo Arts Studio is play. Play materials in a play environment in the

case of artist Alicia Marván. And kid art—which is to say, pre-conceptual art—in the case of artist Barbara Buckman.

More to it than just pre-conceptual in the Buckman case, but the pre-concept concept is at the core of the matter. And more to it than just play in the Marván case—just because play isn’t all that simple—but about play first and foremost.

The play environment is like a kindergarten classroom at the end of the school day, just before cleanup time (whoever might have the cleanup task). The floor strewn with yellow foam plastic strips cut along the edges in large-scale dovetail patterns such that strips can be fitted together ad infinitum. You could make a wall-to-wall carpet of this stuff. Then have the visceral satisfaction of tearing it apart again when you’re finished. Playing to learn, about feathers, or zippers, or DNA, how that goes

Signs all around tell you to have fun with this stuff. “The artist invites you to engage the artwork—play.” And if you can’t figure out how, some sketch illustrations on the wall of people playing with the foam yellow strips.

Buckman’s works start with maps as often as not. Vague, obscure, washed out as to particulars, but just enough remaining sometimes to identify not the map as locational instrument but the map genre. Civil War maps in a couple of instances, showing troop battle line arrays, blocky residential areas, terrain, hills, watercourses, not in anything like regular and consistent map layout, but such features sprinkled here and there about the artist’s canvas. Then oversprinkled with a scatter array of formally regular—for the most part—shapes and forms. Pure geometrics, grids of one sort or another, conduits, connections, disconnections, some of what look like Lego blocks. In pleasant pastel colors. Orange to yellow, green to blue.

And over the top of all this—not in all the works, but in a large number—and this is the feature you go away remembering, the

pre-conceptual but rational feature amid the otherwise jumble array—kid scribbles, in heavy pencil, like a carpenter’s pencil. Just the way a kid would do it—little kid, not an eight-year-old, maybe a four-year-old. Not scribbles for the sake of scribbles—not tornado scribbles, made to make a mark but also make a mess—but first time trying to draw scribbles. So no concept of how to draw, except to imitate, not other drawing, but some form, maybe some object. With whatever implement, but a pencil—thick pencil—is probably easiest to come by and easiest to manipulate.

Beautiful art underneath, the maps and sprinkle additions, even if inscrutable—a little like looking at a computer chip, trying to see what’s going there, but messier—and authentic-looking kid scribbles on top. Primitive art not of the past but the present. Art as initial impulse to art. Beautiful and most interesting.

The Alicia Marván and Barbara Buckman exhibits run through July 1.

Alicia Marván Exhibit Barbara Buckman Exhibit


��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

artvoice.com | june 25, 2015 19

TOWNBALLROOM 681 MAIN ST . BUFFALO, NY . 716-852-3900 . WWW.TOWNBALLROOM.COM

GO TO TOWNBALLROOM.COM EVENTS FOR TICKETING. TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE AT TOWN BALLROOM BOX OFFICE OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY 12-5PM. PRODUCED BY FUNTIME PRESENTS

JUNE 28 - SOLD OUT!

AWOLNATION AUGUST 1

FATHER JOHN MISTY AUGUST 18

SOCIAL DISTORTIONSEPTEMBER 21

BUILT TO SPILLOCTOBER 2

TIMEFLIES WITH KALIN AND MYLES

OCTOBER 13

SUICIDE GIRLSNOVEMBER 5

CASH CASHNOVEMBER 24

KAMELOT

FRIDAY JUNE 26FRIDAY JUNE 26 TUESDAY JULY 14

FRI AUGUST 21

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 21 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18JUNE 28 - SOLD OUT!

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 4

SAT AUGUST 8

FRIDAY JUNE 26FRIDAY JUNE 26 TUESDAY JULY 14

b e a c hh o u s e

TUESDAY JULY 14TUESDAY JULY 14TUESDAY JULY 14TUESDAY JULY 14 SUNDAY JULY 26

b e a c hb e a c hSUNDAY JULY 26SUNDAY JULY 26 TUESDAY JULY 28

MON AUGUST 10

theNEWDEAL

THE CHRISROBINSON

BROTHERHOODthe airbornetoxic event

THURS AUGUST 6

THISFRIDAY!

ON SALE FRIDAY

AT NOON!

THE CHRISTHE CHRIS

ON SALE FRIDAY

AT NOON!

ON SALE FRIDAY

AT NOON!

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��


FILM | REVIEW

time that Riley’s loving mother (Diane Lane) and father (Kyle MacLachlan) move her from their comfortable home in Minnesota to a

> BY JORDAN CANAHAI

here’s a delightful hubris motivating Pete Docter’s Inside Out, drawing on a

premise that seems inspired by the ingenious screenwriting of Charlie Kaufmann and made up of images which recall the elemental humanist power of Spielberg or Miyazaki. The latest from Pixar studios, and their best since Docter’s previous Up, offers an ambitious and comic take on the inner workings of a child’s mind. The film centers on a loveable group of five colored humanoids who represent the emotions of Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), managing the preteen’s thoughts via a control panel in the center of her brain. Led by the effervescent Joy (Amy Poehler), the group—which includes Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling)—guides Riley through her days, creating memories, symbolized by shiny orbs colored to match the emotion associated with them (red is angry, yellow is happy, blue is sad, etc.) and which, when examined, play back the captured moment like a home movie. Defining memories are carefully stored, but the majority get collected each day and sent into Long-Term Memory, a maze of shelves containing an orb for each moment in Riley’s life, where they may or may never be accessed again.

As the film begins, all has been going well for the group, as their leader Joy manages to put a happy spin on almost everything that comes Riley’s way, successfully subduing the other four emotions, especially Sadness. About the

cramped little space in San Francisco, strange things begin to happen. At first, the formerly passive Sadness is found touching joyful yellow memories, turning them blue. Then, on Riley’s first day of school, as she introduces herself to her new class, Sadness strikes again, and Riley is left crying as she realizes her previous life is no more. This becomes the first core memory in Riley’s life dominated by sadness, and Joy’s attempts to dump the memory send her, Sadness, and all of Riley’s other core memories shooting out into the outskirts of Riley’s brain.

From here Docter successfully cross-cuts between the odd-couple quest of Joy and Sadness to make their way back to the control room with Riley’s core memories; the attempts of Fear, Anger, and Disgust to handle Riley’s day-to-day life, and Riley’s immediate experience of this mismanagement. The opposing interplay between Joy and Sadness takes on a familiar rhythm, while the antics of the increasingly overwhelmed Fear, Anger, and Disgust are madcap and amusing. Most intriguing, however, is how this split in Riley’s emotions affects her daily existence, as the formerly winsome and carefree Riley falls sullen and silent, confusing both herself and her parents, and bringing about knowing recognition in the audience. Who hasn’t felt those moments of doubt in life

when joy seems gone, one’s self feels unstable, and one’s personality, once so familiar, seems to be slowly slipping away?

Docter’s inspired attempts to visualize various facets of the mind’s function are many, from explaining how annoying songs come to get stuck in one’s head, to literalizing a train of thought running from memory to the control room, to a brain freeze that turns the control room to ice, to an amusing sequence that finds Joy and Sadness stumbling into the place where Riley’s dreams are made (a movie studio, obviously). Between long-term memory and the elevated control room where Joy and the others work lie Riley’s Personality Islands—theme park-like structures representing her love of family, hockey, honesty, and goofiness. In one scene Riley tries out for a local hockey league, but with her emotions out of sync, she misses a shot, falls flat on the ice, and storms off in a tantrum, causing the personality island devoted to hockey to crumble into the void below. Children will be able to respond to moments like this, even if they might not fully grasp them. Adults on the other hand are likely to reflect on their own inner lives, likely filled with crumbled islands, whether eroded by fate, luck, or our own weakness and inability. Life, suggests Inside Out, is destined to include disappointment.

It’s also meant to include loss, as Joy and Sadness learn when they come across an unlikely ally in the magenta colored, elephant-like Boing Boing (Richard Kind), Riley’s forgotten imaginary friend, wandering lost in the halls of long-term memory. In a sequence that ranks as one of the most radical in American animation since Fantasia, Boing Boing leads them on a shortcut through Abstract Thought, which finds our heroes in a blank white space and morphed into cubist figures, flat 2D forms, and then, finally, simple colored lines as they rush to the exit before being rendered into nothingness. Boing Boing’s bittersweet end in the story finds Sadness comforting him through his acceptance that he has no place in the life of an eleven year-old girl.

Pixar’s usual trademarks are on display here; charming, imaginative animated worlds, character arcs which conclude with self-acceptance and personal actualization, villains that aren’t so villainous once seen up close, a climactic chase scene. Inside Out contains all these things, yet feels not like it’s geared toward children, but rather the child inside every adult, concerned as it is with the vital coming-of-age moment when one realizes that joy and sadness need not be two opposites constantly clashing, but rather they coexist as necessary dualities of life. It’s a lovely lesson from a lovely film. Pixar may never make a movie aimed exclusively at adults, but Inside Out comes as close as they’ve gotten to date.

T

INSIDE OUT


resembling an eye poke, pressure and “a bit of sand”—but “no pain.” Mr. Cobra urged young people to get their jobs before trying eye tats, since “you’re going to look frightening forever to the majority of people you encounter.”

■ Baffling Perversion: Some men are compelled to express unrequited love for women by ejaculating onto them or into their beverages. The Minnesota legislature is working to upgrade its law (since a recent defendant, John Robert Lind, was acquitted of adulterating his co-worker’s coffee on the ground that current law requires actually touching the victim). However, Lind (who admitted a total of six climaxes against the co-worker) is an amateur compared to Tetsuya Fukuda, 40, who was finally apprehended in April, at which time he admitted “more than 100” semen attacks on women on trains near Kinshicho, Japan, dating back to 2011. He told police, “I get excited when in close contact with a woman on a crowded train.”

UPDATES ON PREVIOUS NEWS OF THE WEIRD■ News of the Weird has remarked on modern, over-the-top versions of the centuries-old tradition in China of making funerals entertaining, to attract mourners and thereby signify that the deceased did not die “faceless.” In the recent past, festive song-and-dance acts were hired, and soon, in the competition for attendees, some families took to hiring strippers to perform—even “obscene” acts, “severely pollut(ing)” the culture, according to a critic. In April, the Ministry of Culture, previously somewhat tolerant because of sensitivity for the families, formally denounced the practice and began detaining the traveling performers.

■ Backyard firing ranges are legal in Florida (as News of the Weird reported last year), and in March a Florida House committee voted to keep it that way, shooting down legislation to outlaw them even in urban and residential areas. (Firing on private property is legal except if shooting over a public right-of-way or an occupied dwelling, and “negligent” gunfire, though illegal, is only a misdemeanor.) In 2014, one Florida legislator, originally from Alaska, said even in that liberty-conscious state, residents in urban Anchorage do not have rights that Floridians have.

■ Convicted “satanic cult” day care operators Dan and Fran Keller were finally unconvicted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in May—23 years after being found guilty based in part on toddlers’ fantastical testimony (encouraged by counselors) telling impossible tales of molestation. Still, however, the judges could not bring themselves to rule the Kellers “not guilty,” thus preserving children’s narratives of the Kellers videotaping orgies, serving blood-laced Kool-Aid, kidnapping them to Mexico and more—yet somehow releasing them, unscarred, each day to parents at pickup time in Austin. (The Kellers spent 22 years behind bars.)

WHAT CANNIBALS CAN TEACH US■ Researchers studying the human-brain-eating Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea reported in a June journal article that they have identified the specific “prion” resistance gene that appears to offer complete protection against mad cow disease and perhaps other neurodegenerative conditions such as dementias and Parkinson’s. The tribe customarily dined on relatives’ brains at funerals (although has abandoned the practice) and consequently suffered a major 1950s epidemic that wiped out 2 percent of the tribe annually. According to the lead researcher, survivors, with the specific resistance gene, demonstrated “a striking example of Darwinian evolution in humans.”

RECURRING THEMES (ALL-NEW EPISODES!)■ India’s media reported in April yet another birth defect in which the surviving baby is treated as a representation of Hindu holiness. A four-armed, four-legged child (medical explanation: remains of an underdeveloped conjoined twin) is worshipped as the reincarnation of the multi-limbed Lord Ganesha, and pilgrims journey from all over India to the birthplace, Dumri-Isri in Jharkhand state. (In a nod to modernity, one witness told a reporter that initially he had thought a photograph of the child was “Photoshopped,” but now has seen the baby with his own eyes.)

■ The law of turkey-baster insemination took a turn in Virginia in April when mother Joyce Bruce was unable to keep sperm-provider Robert Boardwine out of her son’s life. Bruce relied on a state statute that seemed to allow her sole parenthood if the pregnancy was based on assisted-reproduction medical technology. However, the Court of Appeals of Virginia declared that a “kitchen implement” is not “medical technology” and, considering Boardwine’s genuine interest in fatherhood, ruled that he was entitled to joint custody and visitation rights.

■ Another “Human Right”: In April, London’s Daily Mail spotted Anna Broom of Gillingham declaring that despite her various disorders that keep her from working, she nonetheless imagines a first-class wedding with champagne, horse-drawn carriage and Mexico honeymoon—all at government expense—because that would be her “human right.” She told a reporter that a small ceremony at a government office would not boost her confidence, but that her “dream” wedding would be just the thing to get her back on a job search.

■ The most recent exposition of people who tattoo their eyeballs, at the International Tattoo Festival in Caracas, in February, featured the phenomenon’s founder, Mr. Luna Cobra, who said it all started when he tried to create “bright blue” eyes, as in the 1984 film Dune. (Pigment is injected, permanently, so that it rests under the eye’s thin top layer, the conjunctiva.) Asked what the process feels like, devotee Kylie Garth told BBC News, “It was mentally intense,”

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

READ THE FULL NEWS OF THE WEIRD DAILY AT WWW.WEIRDUNIVERSE.NET. OR SEND ITEMS TO

[email protected]

> BY CHUCK SHEPHERD

artvoice.com | june 25 - july 1, 2015 23ArtVoice 1-2pg JITV.indd 1 5/28/2015 10:37:44 AM

NEXTWAVE, AGENTS OF H.A.T.E.: THIS IS WHAT THEY WANTWarren Ellis (Author), Stuart Immonen (Illustrators)

Marvel Comics (Publisher)

> REVIEW BY GABRIEL ALLANDRO

For those of you out there who think that comic books—and, by extension, graphic novels—should be bright, colorful tales of the unexpected, check out Nextwave. At only two volumes, your wallet will be safe…although your

mind may never be the same again. Warren Ellis, that twisted master of the occa-sionally dark but always unexpected, has crafted a masterwork of insanity with his

co-conspirator Stuart Immonen. The plot: A group of C-list superheroes are hired by a government anti-terror-ist agency (H.A.T.E.) led by a Nick Fury pastiche named Dirk Anger. But the heroes—Monica Rambeau (Mighty Avengers), Tabitha Smith (X-Force), Aaron Stack, Elsa Bloodstone and the Captain (he doesn’t remember his real name)—fi nd out that H.A.T.E. is being funded and supplied by the Beyond Corporation, which is itself a terrorist group. And so our intrepid heroes go rogue to fi ght the Beyond Corporation’s plans to blow up chunks of America for fun and profi t. That’s just the beginning of the ride. What happens next is an insane thrill park populated by Ellis’ creative madness and Immonen’s brightly colored scenes. The thing is, you’re going to expect this to be a “superhero” book. And it is. Kinda. But one thing Ellis thrives on is making his audience think he’s going in one direction, only to take them somewhere they never saw coming (I repeat: psychotic broccoli men) until they run face-fi rst into the last page. And Immonen’s pencils add to the chaos. He likes his bright colors, and his images pop off the page, adding a hyper-reality to Ellis’ creative ravings, which includes sexu-ally frustrated giant lizards, psychotic broccoli men, metal-eating robot cops, “widdle cuddly bears of death,” combat pterodactyl suits and, of course, beer-deprived robot brains. And that’s just the fi rst volume.

TOP 10: VOL. 1Alan Moore (Author), Gene Ha and Zander Cannon (Illustrators)

DC Comics (Publisher)

> REVIEW BY MICHAEL HOFFERT JR.

Alan Moore is one of the most well-known and well-respected creators in the world of graphic fi ction, and mostly for his more brutal, realistic, violent, searing, deconstructive, and introspective works like Watchmen and From

Hell. What many don’t realize is that the English curmudgeon can also be witty and funny with the same verve, and this is where a book like Top 10 enters the scene. Part sitcom, part police procedural, Top 10 gives us a tour of the city of Neopolis,

where everyone is a superhero, from the cabby who drives through the power of Zen, to the no-nonsense police offi cer Smax who is big, blue, and can blast a bright light from his chest. One of the most fun parts of reading Top 10, however, is literally found in the art. Artists Gene Ha and Zander Cannon, aside from being master storytell-ers, pack every single page with lush backgrounds and fi gures that, when inspected closely, reveal pop culture references to things like the 1966 Batmobile or the Incredible Hulk, making the reader spend more time on each page, fi nding the little Easter eggs. It’s not all fun and games though, as Moore, Ha, and Cannon are able to craft three-dimensional characters in this world that, in the hands of lesser craftsmen, would be a one-note joke or string of absurdities. If you’ve only ever read Watchmen or just want a new and different super hero story, Top 10 should be at the top of your list.

BOOKS | GRAPHIC TRAFFIC presented by


Greg BrownSunday SEPT. 6TH

Fred EaglesmithSunday OCT. 18TH

Eilen JewellSunday JULY 5TH

Chuck MeadFriday August 7TH

Tia BrazdaSunday SEPT. 11TH

��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■��

■��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

DOORS: 8:00PM | SHOW: 9:00PM | TICKETS: $12 ADV/$15 DOS

��

��

DOORS: 7PM | SHOW: 8PM | TICKETS: $35 ADV/$40 DOS/$50VIP

��

��

DOORS: 8:00PM | SHOW: 9:00PM | TICKETS: $5

��

��

DOORS: 6:00PM | SHOW: 7:00PM | TICKETS: FREE

��

��

DOORS: 8:00PM | SHOW: 9:00PM | TICKETS: $10/$15DOS /$25 VIP

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��


��

��


��

��

DOORS: 6:00PM | SHOW: 7:00PM | TICKETS: FREE

��

��

DOORS: 8:00PM | SHOW: 9:00PM | TICKETS: $7 ADV/$12 DOS

��

��


��

DOORS: 3:00PM | SHOW: 4:00PM | TICKETS: $30 & MORE

��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■��

■��

��

��

��

��

��

WEEKLY EVENTS @ BROADWAY JOE’S

��

TUESDAY NIGHT

+ KARAOKE & TACOS

SUN JULY 19 .7PM+ PSYCROPTIC + ARKAIK + OVID’S WITHERING + THE KENNEDY VEIL +1 LOCAL TBA

+

FRI JUN 26 .7PM+ I’M FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND I’M HERE TO HELP+ UNITED BY HATE+ ASPIRED INFLICTION+ DEMONS WITHIN+ ORIUS

+

TUE JULY 14 .7PM

+ JUNGLE ROT + ARMAGEDDON+ ASPIRED INFLICTION + FRAILTYT

+

SUN JUN 28 .6PMSUMMER SKIRMISH: LEXINGTON & CONCORD+ SUBURBS+ URBAN REVERIE+ POCKETS+ THE NOBLE COMPANY+ BROOKE & THE BOYS

TUE JULY 7 .7PM

+ BEGAT THE NEPHILIM+ BRAVURA + GAWD + DIMENSION

��

��

■ ��■ ��■ ��

■��

■��

��

��

��

��

��

�� 341 DELAWARE AVE.��(716) 852-3835

Doors 7PM, Show Time 8PM unless otherwise notedGo to babevillebuffalo.com/events for complete event listings��

THURSDAY, 8/13KEB’MO’��

MONDAY, 9/14OF MONTREALW/ SURFACE TO AIR MISSIVE��

FRIDAY, 6/26MC ZILL AND KATIE ANN W/ PAUL ATHOE AND BOBBY ANGEL��

MONDAY, 7/6MAGS, THE ETCHINGS,THE FOXERY��

��

��


��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��


��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��


��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��


��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��


��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

�ayca�on��

��

��Monday��

��ursday

��

��

��

��ursday��

��

��

Date post:	22-Jul-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	artvoice
View:	219 times
Download:	2 times

Artvoice vol. 14 no. 25

Documents