Arts - The Spectrum

The vinyl cover for Cryptopsy's 1996 album "None So Vile."

ARTS

Haunting Halloween music picks

By ALEX WHETHAM , JUSTIN WOODMANCY and ISABELLA FORTUNATO | Oct. 20, 2019

The Halloween season consists of cutesy costumes, silly jack-o-lanterns and enough candy to induce a sugar coma, but what makes this time of year so interesting and unique is its underlying theme of terror. People get their kicks out of being scared s--tless and especially during Halloween. Why else would so many people come together every year to watch possession-infested films and visit haunted houses? Music around this time of year shouldn’t be any different, it should scare the hell out of you, too.

Jazz group Easy Life spoke to us after Governors Ball and is featured in this week’s Artist Spotlight.

ARTS

Artist spotlight: Easy Life

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Oct. 16, 2019

Brockhampton’s Kevin Abstract may follow Easy Life on Instagram, but the band still isn’t sure if he’s a fan yet. To be fair, he probably heard the horn section in their track “Nightmares” –– along with roughly 10 million other people –– and hit the follow button.

ARTS

Zodiaque prepares for ‘versatile’ fall performances

By JULIANNA TRACEY | Oct. 16, 2019

Versatility matters. Zodiaque Dance Company’s artistic director Kerry Ring know this. And she wants her students to know, too. Zodiaque, the long-running and highly praised on-campus dance company made up of 25 dance majors, is hosting its fall performance on the Center for the Arts Drama Stage from Thursday to Sunday. The company is known for its stylistic versatility and Ring wants the phrase “versatility matters” to be the main focus in every Zodiaque performance, every year.

The cosplay club eboard discusses upcoming meetings in front of the Student Union.

ARTS

Cosplay artform brings UB students together

By ANASTASIA WILDS | Oct. 16, 2019

When Jennifer Dudzinski started her freshman year at UB, she had one friend and a casual interest in cosplay –– an artform where people create and wear costumes of characters from movies, books, video games and other forms of media. After her friend persuaded her to join the UB Cosplay Club, Dudzinski, who had no prior experience making costumes, says she fell in love.

The town square of the 1998 film, Halloweentown.

ARTS

'Halloweentown' hits

By JULIANNA TRACEY | Oct. 13, 2019

As spooky season descends upon us, more people have been getting in the mood for Halloween movies, with one of the most popular franchises being Disney’s “Halloweentown.” “Halloweentown” has defined many of our childhoods. But with several sequels, it is time to answer the age-old question: Which is the best “Halloweentown” movie?

ARTS

Young the Giant brings high energy to indie rock Fall Fest

By JULIANNA TRACEY and REILLY MULLEN | Oct. 13, 2019

Fall Fest was Verzache’s first time performing for a live crowd. Ever. And although Young the Giant has performed at UB before, Saturday was the first time students bowed at the lead singer’s feet. The night of firsts wasn’t shaky, however, as fans and newcomers alike put on a stellar indie-themed Student Association Fall Fest at the Center for the Arts.

Young the Giant performing at Spring Fest 2015.

ARTS

Fall Fest playlist: A quick guide to Young the Giant and Verzache

By ALEX WHETHAM | Oct. 9, 2019

The Fall Fest Concert Series continues Saturday with its “Indie-Rock Showcase,” the second show of the three-part series. Rockers Young the Giant –– who headlined Spring Fest 2015 –– will headline the show as relaxed crooner Verzache opens the show. To get hyped up for fest, here’s a list of seven songs (three by Verzache and four by Young the Giant) to familiarize yourself with before heading to the Center for the Arts Saturday night.

ARTS

From ghosts to 1980s China: The best upcoming video games

By ANASTASIA WILDS | Oct. 9, 2019

Video games can be a welcome distraction from university life, whether you game alone or with friends. Some people turn to the classics: Mario Kart, Dark Souls, Halo. But for those who are bored of their usual gaming go-tos, some interesting titles are hitting shelves soon.

Albright-Knox is one of the many art galleries students can enjoy in the Buffalo area.

ARTS

Art around town

By JULIANNA TRACEY | Oct. 6, 2019

Buffalo is home to some of the greatest outdoor fall activities. But you’re not really a Buffalonian if you can’t enjoy the great indoors, too. For those of us who enjoy a nice thermostat and even nicer art pieces, Buffalo offers plenty of art galleries to weather through the rainy –– and soon to be snowy –– days.

ARTS

DaBaby settles for average on 'KIRK'

By ALEX WHETHAM | Oct. 6, 2019

In a time when lyrical rappers rarely make the XXL Freshman list, DaBaby was a breath of fresh air. He made a name for himself spitting catchy and smart bars over trendy instrumentals on his 2019 debut record “Baby on Baby,” and through features on some of the biggest records of the year so far.

ARTS

Four women speak their truths through UB Art Gallery

By AMAL ELHELW | Oct. 2, 2019

Women were not allowed into art school until the late 1800s. Almost 200 years later, UB’s Department of Art created an exhibit to help give women in art a voice.

Rapper and songwriter Dom Brown opens for Nelly during his Aug. 10 performance at Canalside.

ARTS

Relatable raps: Rapper and former UB student Dom Brown talks about his music and family

By JULIANNA TRACEY | Sep. 29, 2019

Dom Brown was nervous the week leading up to his Canalside performance. The rapper was preparing to perform in front of 8-10,000 people at his biggest concert yet.

ARTS

The grapevine

By JULIANNA TRACEY | Sep. 29, 2019

The transition to fall means a lot of things for students in Buffalo. The weather is getting colder, classes are getting harder and students are getting understandably stressed. But the cooler weather doesn’t mean the Buffalo music scene is cooling down any time soon.

Dr. Seuss characters Sally, Conrad, Thing 1, Thing 2 and The Cat in the Hat on stage.

ARTS

Students perform first children’s theater production at UB

By ANASTASIA WILDS | Sep. 29, 2019

Coloring pages and Dr. Seuss books covered tables outside of the Katharine Cornell Theatre Friday, as children and families waited in line to see the first-ever UB-led performance from an iconic cat. UB students performed a theater production of Dr. Seuss’s “The Cat in the Hat” at the theater on Sept. 27-28 as part of the Department of Theatre and Dance’s annual Student Directed Series. The series gives students the opportunity to produce and direct a show on their own and this production was the first-ever children’s theater production at UB, based on the 1957 children’s book of the same name by Dr. Seuss.

SHAED will perform in Buffalo on Sept. 28.

ARTS

Throwing SHAED: Budding group SHAED discusses rise to fame and Buffalo show in exclusive interview

By REILLY MULLEN | Sep. 25, 2019

SHAED hasn’t quite hit household name recognition yet, but that may not last much longer. The D.C.-based electro-pop group’s new single, “Trampoline,” overtook Billie Eilish’s “Bury a Friend” for the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Alternative Radio chart this summer. With a musical style that BlackBook described as “infectious, magnetic charisma,” the group’s elaborate sound design, whimsical tone and deeply meaningful lyrics leave listeners craving more.

The UB Gospel Choir rehearses the song Perfect Praise by Walt Whitman.

ARTS

Soulful sounds

By JULIANNA TRACEY | Sep. 22, 2019

Temara Cross, the vice president of UB Gospel Choir, says she believes gospel music is not exclusive to a specific race. And she doesn’t think it’s exclusive to a set of skills or someone’s faith, either.

From “Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat” to Zodiaque Dance Company, The Spectrum compiled a list of on-campus performances that students shouldn’t miss.

ARTS

UB’s fall performance radar

By JULIANNA TRACEY | Sep. 22, 2019

At the beginning of the semester, it’s hard to know all of the entertainment opportunities the Buffalo area can offer. And for some students, it can be difficult to make it downtown to enjoy a play or musical performance. But excellent performances may be closer than students think.

Country singer Eric Van Houten grew up in Buffalo with no initial plan to move to Nashville.

ARTS

Nashville-bound: Buffalo-native Eric Van Houten chases his country music dream

By BRITTANY GORNY | Sep. 22, 2019

Country singer Eric Van Houton didn’t always want to play country music. It wasn’t until he was asked to play country one day –– and went home to listen to Ketih Urban’s 2002 record “Golden Road” for four days straight –– that he realized his passion.

ARTS

Haley Reinhart talks Anderson .Paak, “Lo-Fi Soul” and October show

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Sep. 22, 2019

There’s something magical about Haley Reinhart’s aura. It’s in her ‘60s appeal, it’s in her free-spirited live shows and it’s in her band, which once included the now Grammy-winning hip-hop heavyweight Anderson .Paak. Reinhart, quite like her former drummer-turned-performer extraordinaire, has evolved her sound over her career. Her new record, “Lo-Fi Soul,” is a coverless call to the ‘60s, full of organs, lovely backing harmonies and vocal effects that carry the record throughout. Unlike her previous effort, “What’s That Sound,” Reinhart’s originals run her latest and feel straight out of The Monkees’ or The Doors’ organ-heavy catalog. It’s vintage, but it’s her.

Drag Queens performing at Sheas Smith Theatre Friday night. From left to right Nicki Monroe, Cece Vergara, Sasha Storm, Keke Valasquez-Lord, Winter Storm, Chyna Dior, Bebe Bvlgari and Armani.

ARTS

Say ‘More w--re:’ A celebration of feminine expression

By VINDHYA BURUGUPALLI | Sep. 22, 2019

The crowd chanted “more w--re” and dropped dollar bills as Keke Valasquez-Lord entertained the audience to “Last Dance” by Donna Summer. Club Marcella held “Curtain Up’s a Drag” in collaboration with Shea’s Performing Arts Center at the Smith Theatre Friday night. The 237-seat Black Box Theater was nearly full –– surprisingly with an older audience. It featured individual performances from Sasha Storm, Cece Vergara, Chyna Dior, Nicky Monroe, Valasquez-Lord, Winter Storm, Bebe Bvlgari and Armani, along with a group act at the end. Reigning Miss Gay Buffalo Icon Valasquez-Lord –– an entertainer in the Buffalo drag community for the past 13 years –– hosted the show.