Arts - The Spectrum

February is known as a "dump month" in the film industry. The "Fifty Shades" trilogy reaches its climax with the release of "Fifty Shades Freed" on Feb. 9.

ARTS

February movie guide

By DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA | Feb. 19, 2018

February is traditionally known in the film industry as a dump month, the time in which studios take a steamy, hot, collective crap on the proverbial chest of theatergoers around the world. With Oscar season in full swing and winter weather keeping people indoors, studios put out unmemorable dreck and the movies they secretly hope nobody will see with only a handful of exceptions. Lay down the Seran wrap and avert your eyes, because this month is already prairie dogging.

Pop singer Lights will be hitting the Town Ballroom stage on March 6 for her We Were Here Tour. The singer talked with The Spectrum about the show, creating her own comic series and separating herself from her comic character.

ARTS

Pushing boundaries: An interview with Lights

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 19, 2018

In an industry where some regulars don’t write their own songs, Lights can write her own comic book series. The award-winning Canadian pop star is no stranger to venturing outside of the norm. Lights’ pure electronic pop sound has seen all four of her studio albums land on the Billboard 200. She’s won Juno Awards and pushed boundaries for what’s expected in the industry.

Arthur De Araujo, sophomore computer science major, poses next to the icon for his Lecture Buddy app. The app translates a lecture into text and highlights important keywords.

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Highlighting what’s important

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 8, 2018

Arthur De Araujo has improved on pen and paper with his most recent iOS application, Lecture Buddy. The app translates the lecture into text by using a continuous speech recognition program. Students can enter keywords to look for in the text, such as “important,” “remember” or any word of choice.

Ronald Funches, Alex Moffat, Anna Drezden, Streeter Seidell will be performers at this year's SA Comedy Series on March 30.

ARTS

Four comedians to share SA’s Comedy Series

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 6, 2018

Ron Funches, Alex Moffat, Anna Drezen and Streeter Seidell will headline the 17th annual Student Association Comedy Series. On Tuesday morning, SA announced the four comedians as this year’s lineup for the Friday, March 30 show at the Center for the Arts.

He’s back. Pop star Aaron Carter is set to release “Love,” his first album in 15 years, on Feb. 16. Carter chatted with The Spectrum about the upcoming record, the satisfaction of greater creative control and his March 8 concert in Niagara Falls.

ARTS

Welcome back, Aaron.

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 5, 2018

Selling 10 million albums worldwide is an accomplishment not many can celebrate. But at 15 years old, pop star Aaron Carter did just that. He had magazine spreads, concert films, his own doll and of course an unforgettable “Lizzie McGuire” appearance. Carter, now 30, is making his way back into the music industry after a 15-year studio album hiatus. With the release of his upcoming record “Love,” Carter hopes to incorporate his new look and EDM sound into his comeback album.

Accelerated nursing student Kari Quimpo makes songwriting lok easy and makes multitasking look even easier. Quimpo manages to play open mics around Buffalo and work through the Accelerated Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing (ABS) Program, all while inspiring her peers.

ARTS

Nursing student makes noise

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 5, 2018

Kari Quimpo is an accelerated nursing student and for the last year, she’s been tackling 59 class credits, intensive studying and a seemingly never-ending workload. But she still finds time for her music.

Brockhampton, music’s current big boyband, is expected to drop it’s fourth studio album “Team Effort” sometime this semester. This project will be the follow-up to their popular “Saturation” trilogy, making it a must-listen this semester.

ARTS

Spring semester album guide

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET and BRIAN EVANS | Feb. 1, 2018

Spring semester just started, but spring is certainly not in the air. If anything, we haven’t seen the worst of Buffalo’s winter. So before your fully charged phone dies from barely stepping foot outside this semester, it’s time to explore some new music. Take our advice and keep an eye on some of our recommended upcoming releases this semester.

ARTS

Totally not 'Justified'

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 1, 2018

After 14 years, Justin Timberlake is making his return to the Super Bowl Halftime Show. But I don’t think he deserves it yet. He’s proven himself time and time again musically, except for his recent string of lackluster singles. But as a celebrity and public figure, Timberlake doesn’t deserve to grace the halftime show stage.

Beanie Feldstein stars in "Lady Bird" which was released in Nov. 2017. The film has grossed over forty million dollars has received five Academy Award nominations.

ARTS

Q&A with Beanie Feldstein

By BRIAN EVANS | Feb. 1, 2018

The future is Beanie Feldstein’s to own. The actress, who recently appeared in the critical sensation “Lady Bird,” is lending her talents to theatre with the Broadway incarnation of “Hello, Dolly!” Feldstein spoke with The Spectrum on Thursday regarding “Lady Bird,” her work with Netflix as well as her thoughts on working on Broadway.

"Restoration Stories," a collage exhibit from Buffalo's Restoration Society, Inc. Community, will be on display starting next Monday at the Medical Campus' Connect Gallery. The exhibit, which began this August, makes use of some members' personal documents like journals and photographs, transforming their life stories into works of arts.

ARTS

UB Art Galleries' 'Restoration Stories' takes visual journeys through mental health

By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Dec. 21, 2017

“Restoration Stories,” an exhibit featuring collage works from Buffalo’s Restoration Society, Inc., will be on display starting next Monday at the Medical Campus’ Connect Gallery. The work is an effort between the galleries, local artist Terri Katz Kasimov and Restoration Society, a mental health support and resource center.

Songwriter-turned-superstar Julia Michaels kept the crowd inspired at KeyBank Center Saturday night. Michaels, Kesha, and other pop artists put on an exciting and diverse show during Kiss 98.5's annual Kissmas Bash concert.

ARTS

Julia Michaels and Kesha give standout performances at Kissmas Bash

By MADDY FOWLER and BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Dec. 11, 2017

Pop music is for all ages. Parents, children and even solo grown men took to KeyBank Center Saturday night to see some of pop’s rising stars. With a lineup including Kesha and other masters of stage presence, the artist who stood out the most is most comfortable with a pen in hand.

Oren Sadeh, a senior exercise science major, confidently strolls over beats as rapper Sade Cinco. Sadeh, alongside rappers Sammy K and BNLVY, released “Markelle Fultz” in mid-October - a feel good cut with an infectious hook from Sadeh.

ARTS

Free flow: Sade Cinco brings no restraints to the rap game

By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Dec. 9, 2017

Oren Sadeh took the stage in front of a crowd of 800 people over the summer. It was his first time performing for a crowd. The senior exercise science major and SoundCloud rapper wasn’t nervous. He barely broke a sweat. Sadeh embraces spontaneity. His carefree attitude is reflected in his infectious hooks and carefree persona.

ARTS

Holiday blues: a playlist for coping with sadness around the holidays

By MADDY FOWLER | Dec. 8, 2017

Memories of Christmas spent with the person I thought I would spend every holiday with for the rest of my life. A friend stolen away from me in her youth. The death of a grandmother who practically raised me. An aunt and godmother lost to early-onset Alzheimer’s. The ever-present absence of a father who didn’t know how to love me. I carry this pain with me always, but the holidays bring it into sharp, unavoidable focus –– and I think the sadness I feel at this time of year is often exacerbated by the idea we’re supposed to be cheerful. I know I am not the only one who struggles with feelings of sadness during the holiday season. So, I made this playlist to say it is OK to be sad at Christmas time. I hope these songs can help to soothe your holiday blues.

R&B singer Snoh Aalegra opens for Daniel Caesar at Danforth Music Hall in Toronto for five straight nights starting Dec. 16. Aalegra talked to The Spectrum about these shows and the vision behind new album "Feels."

ARTS

A discussion with Snoh Aalegra

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Dec. 7, 2017

Aalegra dropped her debut and second independent project “Feels” on Oct. 20. Her self-described “romantic soul record,” executively produced by Grammy-nominated producer No I.D., is already making waves. Aalegra will open for rising R&B star Daniel Caesar from Dec. 16 through Dec. 20 at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall. The soul singer spoke with The Spectrum about her upcoming shows, her debut album and her friendship with the late, great Prince.

Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" is a must for the holiday season and a highlight of McCartney's solo work. Other holiday tracks may triumph over it, but McCartney's Christmas will never feel over-played.

ARTS

Underrated holiday hits

By SPECTRUM EDITORIAL STAFF | Dec. 7, 2017

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, unless your family insists on forcing “White Christmas” and “The Christmas Song” down your throat. We at The Spectrum believe that holiday music is a sacred art that shouldn’t be soiled by repetition or unavoidable air-play. Here are our picks for the season’s best underrated classics.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” will be the biggest film of the year, despite losing Carrie Fisher before the release. December also brings us a few gems along with Spielberg’s latest dad-fare.

ARTS

December movie guide

By DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA | Dec. 7, 2017

The holidays are a time to stay home and spend time with family and friends. It’s also a time to trek to the nearest movie theater and pay to sit in silence with a bunch of strangers for a few hours. At first glance, December appears to be a light month for releases but a closer look reveals a few gems hidden among whatever dad-movie Steven Spielberg is putting out these days. Oh, and the biggest movie of the year.

Jazz legend Archie Shepp formerly taught in the Black Studies (now African and African-American Studies) program in the late '60s and early '70s. Shepp, now retired but still on the performance circuit, talked with The Spectrum about his ethnomusicology course along with his album "Attica Blues."

ARTS

Archie Shepp looks back on rich past at UB

By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Dec. 4, 2017

Jazz great Archie Shepp arrived at UB in 1969, with very few references for his ethnomusicology course. The class, “Revolutionary Concepts in African-American Music,” marked the beginning of Shepp’s career in college education. Shepp, known for albums like “Four For Trane” and “Mama Too Tight,” taught a performance course and an ethnomusicology class at UB from 1969-1971.

The 60th Annual Grammy Awards, which take place on Jan. 28, boast a myriad of major R&B and hip hop nominations. From Childish Gambino to "Despacito," here are some of Arts Desk's big winners (and snubs) for music's biggest night.

ARTS

60th annual Grammy Award predictions

By BENJAMIN BLANCHET and BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Dec. 4, 2017

The Grammy Awards are back in the Big Apple for the first time in 15 years. The nominations for next year’s Grammys were announced on Nov. 28. As the ceremony next month approaches, we’re sharing our predictions on who will be crowned some of music’s top dogs.

ARTS

Q&A with Olivier Pasquet

By EMA MAKAS | Nov. 30, 2017

Pasquet is a world-renowned music producer, sound and visual artist. Pasquet recently arrived in Buffalo as a visiting artist part of UB’s Creative Arts Initiative. He’s making his return to the Queen City to work on a project for June in Buffalo, a festival that honors contemporary music and artists. Pasquet talked to The Spectrum about his previous work, preparation for his current project and his personal inspirations in the arts.

ARTS

UB Choir and Chorus under new management

By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Nov. 30, 2017

The UB choral program is under new direction for the first time in 20 years. Claudia Brown, a clinical assistant professor of voice and choral music, began directing the program this semester after the previous director, Harold Rosenbaum, stepped down from the role. The program consists of UB Choir and UB Chorus and explores a myriad of choral works both new and old, sharing their musical conversations in rehearsal and on-stage.