After the cancellation of his “Roaring ‘20s Tour” that had a stop at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom in April, Jack Harlow still heard some good news last month. And it wasn’t just good. It was gold.
From SXSW to Justin Bieber’s “Changes” tour, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the postponement and cancelation of music performances across the world. While many fans are coping with FOMO and hundred-dollar ticket losses, local musicians, promoters, labels and small venues –– the backbone of Buffalo’s music community –– have stopped their operations entirely. Without a realistic date in place for a return to normalcy, members of the Buffalo music community are adapting to stay relevant, productive and in business. They can’t do what they love right now, and in some cases, they’re up against a financially uncertain future.
With muffled samples of paranormal television, lo-fi hip-hop beats and the occasional 16-bit synthesizer comprising his signature sound, no one sounds quite like DJ Rozwell. The West Virginia hip-hop producer gained notoriety in 2014 with “None of This is Real,” a mix meant for playing on shuffle with a five-six second crossfade to replicate the randomized elements of old ‘80s text-based and rogue-like role-playing games.
Artist: The Strokes Album: “The New Abnormal” Label: RCA Release Date: April 10 Rating: 6/10
Rapper Marc Mighty had everything all set up. While finishing his new EP “The Iliad,” he planned release shows in his hometown, photography sessions and even new recordings.
Album: “Need Boost” Artist: Hundred Plus Club Label: Admirable Traits Release Date: April 3 Grade: 8/10
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic preventing in-person gatherings and concerts, the music department's “Brown Bag” concert series will go on as scheduled online Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. on the department’s Facebook page. Eric Huebner, UB music department’s director of undergraduate studies, will host the concert, which will run approximately an hour in length. As per the conventions of the concert series, the performers and pieces will not be announced until the concert is in progress.
It’s been roughly a month of quarantine and you’ve already binge watched all of your favorite television shows, some possibly more than once. Before you resort to rewatching “Rick and Morty” for the tenth time, be sure to check out this list of marathon-worthy shows.
Album: “Future Nostalgia” Artist: Dua Lipa Release Date: March 27 Label: Warner Records UK Rating: 6/10
Going into quarantine may feel like losing access to some of the most fulfilling forms of entertainment. It means saying goodbye to watching movies with friends, rock concerts and even visits to the zoo, right? Wrong. There are still plenty of ways to stay in touch with the boredom-busters you’ve been missing while still being safe and maintaining distance from others. Sit back, relax and make the most of your quarantine with these unconventional ways to stay entertained.
Ariana Ross, or A.R.I., has an all-encompassing spectrum of talents, but she doesn’t only balance her talents.
The Weeknd the world knew and loved four years ago is shifting his image yet again. In the nearly four years since his last full length record, “Starboy,” Abel Tesfaye has been relatively quiet. Aside from his 2018 EP “My Dear Melancholy,” the only other art-related project he involved himself in was the Safdie Brothers-directed thriller “Uncut Gems,” which starred Adam Sandler.
Jay Electronica has been in the public eye for so long that people began to doubt he would ever release an album. But the New Orleans rapper proved doubters wrong as he finally released his debut “A Written Testimony” on March 13.
Students in UB’s Theatre and Dance department sent letters to the department chair, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, provost and president asking for an exception to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s newly implemented “distance-learning” class model.
Buffalonians got a taste of absurdity Saturday night when three blue men stormed the stage at Shea’s. The Blue Man Group performed at Shea’s Buffalo for its “Speechless Tour” as the four performers -- Meridian, Mike Brown, Steven Wendt and Adam Zuick -- showed audience members why the performance art company has remained popular ever since it was first started in 1987.
Crack the Sky is still able to rock the stage 45 years into its touring career. The West Virginia-based progressive rock and art rock act has a career-spanning, rotating cast of 17 musicians and 18 studio albums, a catalog which sold out the Tralf Music Hall on Friday. While they never reached the heights of Prog-giants like Yes, Rush or King Crimson, they continue to satisfy their dedicated fanbase.
Kane Brown, one of the biggest artists in country music, touched down at the KeyBank Center Saturday as he secured another accolade: his song “Homesick” had just hit No. 1 on country radio. The song, dedicated to members of the armed forces, is a country ballad at its finest.
Amanda Bernardini enjoyed baking sugar cookies with her mother and grandmother as a young girl in Rochester. Now she bakes and sells penis-shaped and lingerie-clad ass cookies at Mundy Cakes, her bakery on Allen Street in Buffalo. Since opening Mundy Cakes in the summer of 2018, she has stayed unabashedly true to her no-filter business model –– a model she certainly adopted since her youth.
Julia Erbacher was always sure that she wanted to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. But her college journey didn’t go as she expected. After starting at Niagara County College Community College, changing her major three times and finally deciding to study Spanish education at UB, she still couldn’t shake her vigor for vogue.
Mopelolade Ogunbowale has dedicated her life to studying different cultures. And when she took over UB’s popular Hip Hop and Social Issues class, she decided to carry over her own international focus to teaching one of the world’s most popular genres.
Solutions by The State News
