ARTS
From Bull to 'Big Brother'
By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Oct. 30, 2017Some stars are born. Others are self-made. Mark Jansen, a UB alum and “Big Brother 19” contestant, was built in Alumni Gym.
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Q&A with comedian Tom Segura
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Oct. 30, 2017Tom Segura’s comedy travels a myriad of avenues. From podcasts to multiple stand-up specials on Netflix, the Ohio-born comedian spreads jokes in any way he can. His upcoming tour, “No Teeth No Entry,” will continue to cast his line out in the comic sea, hitting the Center for the Arts (CFA) on Nov.
ARTS
Scare Quotes: Q&A with author Michael Okon
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Oct. 26, 2017Michael Okon is no stranger to scares. The rapid rise from author of self-published books, to published author, to creator of a possible Hollywood film franchise would intimidate anyone.
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Q&A with singer-songwriter Chastity Brown
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Oct. 26, 2017Singer-songwriter Chastity Brown is coming to Buffalo, fresh off the release of her latest album “Silhouette of Sirens.” The artist, known for her blending of roots and folk music, will be touring the nation – stopping in Babeville on Nov.
ARTS
Regina Mason explores family’s past with “Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes”
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Oct. 23, 2017Regina Mason’s quest to discover her ancestry started as a child. Today, her journey has been transformed into an award-winning film. Mason presented a screening of “Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes” on Thursday night to a crowd of nearly 100 attendees at the UB Jacobs Executive Development Center.
ARTS
The Grapevine
By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Oct. 19, 2017The weekend before “Hallo-weekend” can be pretty lame. Nobody’s dressing up, nobody’s handing out free snacks and worst of all, nobody’s playing “Monster Mash” all night at their headache-provoking basement party. But who needs “Monster Mash” when you can listen to other songs for an hour and a half?
ARTS
Cuban cinema takes over Burchfield Penney Art Center
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Oct. 16, 2017From prose poems to musical performances, the 2nd annual riverrun Global Film Series escaped the big screen at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. The series focused on Cuban cinema and culture from Thursday through Saturday, bringing nearly 600 people for nights of screenings and readings.
ARTS
'Bob Dylan was not booed'
By BRENTON BLANCHET | Oct. 16, 2017It’s hard to dismiss a 52-year-old story but Professor Bruce Jackson isn’t afraid to try. When Bob Dylan played his first-ever electric set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, legend insists that the crowd booed him. Dylan’s decision to go electric infuriated the crowd, according to this popular belief.
ARTS
Research, rehearse and rock
By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Oct. 12, 2017Bobby MacDonell attended a narcotics anonymous meeting. The performer didn’t need help with an addiction; he went to prepare for the lead role in an upcoming musical. MacDonell, a senior music theater major, is working hard to develop his characterization for the UB Theatre and Dance production of Green Day’s “American Idiot”musical.
ARTS
Bill Murray enters new territory with 'New Worlds'
By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Oct. 12, 2017It's never “Groundhog Day” for actor and comedian Bill Murray. When the legendary 67-year-old actor wakes up every day, he’s always doing something different. He’s starred in films of different genres and worked with many types of creatives, so it was no surprise when he explored new territory at Kleinhans Music Hall Wednesday.
ARTS
Coates’ 'We Were Eight Years in Power' examines Obama presidency, his own writing
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Oct. 12, 2017Author Ta-Nehisi Coates draws parallels between the end of the Reconstruction era and the Obama administration right off the bat. “We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy” begins when Coates quotes South Carolina congressman Thomas Miller and his 1895 address to S.C.’s constitutional convention. “We were eight years in power. ... We had reconstructed the State and placed it upon the road to prosperity,” Miller said.
ARTS
Filmmaker Korey Green explores black experience with “The Blackness Project”
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Oct. 12, 2017Korey Green wants to open up a racial dialogue with his latest film “The Blackness Project.” The film, slated for release later this year, takes a comprehensive look at the opinions and conversations of the black population in the United States.
ARTS
Kelela forms a sonic forestry of breakups, makeups on “Take Me Apart”
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Oct. 12, 2017Forward-thinking dance music is a hard sound to achieve, especially for a 34-year-old singer who has yet to peak. Kelela’s debut full-length project, “Take Me Apart,” makes the task look effortless. The album pushes heavy futurism in the form of R&B. It’s the first big-time record since the singer’s mixtape “Cut 4 Me” in 2013. Four years later, she takes her past work’s basic elements and builds them up to skyscraper heights.
ARTS
Demetri Martin delivers laughs and rhythm at the CFA
By HARUKA KOSUGI | Oct. 8, 2017Martin and opener Erin Harkes performed their latest sets to a packed house Saturday evening at the Center for the Arts (CFA). The comedian performed as part of his latest stop on his ongoing “Let’s Get Awkward” tour.
ARTS
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Marcus Yam returns to UB
By WANLY CHEN and ALEX MOSKOWITZ | Oct. 8, 2017Yam presented his collections in the Student Union Theater on Friday. His collection featured photos of California wildfires, mass shootings in America and the battles between the Iraqi forces and Islamic state. His work led him to win numerous awards, including an Emmy and two Pulitzer Prize-winning articles for breaking news reporting.
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Zodiaque Dance prepares for another versatile season
By DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA | Oct. 6, 2017The Zodiaque Dance Company is an elite group, only accepting 28 of the 90 dance students at UB, according to program director Kerry Ring.
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Best small art galleries in Buffalo
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Oct. 6, 2017The Buffalo art scene is no joke. Galleries like the Albright-Knox and Burchfield-Penney host some of the best international and national artists around. But there are smaller galleries in the city that are just as noteworthy as their large-scale counterparts.
ARTS
October Movie Guide
By DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA | Oct. 2, 2017The season has changed and so have the offerings at the box office. Unlike the summer weather, the season’s blockbusters don’t seem to be sticking around.
ARTS
“On Your Feet!” dazzles at Shea’s Performing Arts Center
By MADDY FOWLER | Sep. 24, 2017The National Tour of “On Your Feet!” opened at Shea’s Performing Arts Center on Sept. 22 and will play through Sept. 30. The musical, which opened on Broadway in 2015, tells the story of Cuban-American musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan and how they overcame adversity and achieved success.
ARTS
David Schirm’s “All The Glad Variety” covers array of artist’s life
By BENJAMIN BLANCHET | Sep. 24, 2017More than 100 people attended the opening of David Schirm’s “All The Glad Variety” on Friday, a survey of his work at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center in Buffalo.
