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Week 4 Articles: |
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| Music - |
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| Take A Drive - |
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| Dianne Baker Plays With Garbage |
| 12/10 by laura |
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Dianne Baker's work speaks on forgotten pasts and discarded mediums. She utilizes things that others call garbage... and displays the urban litter in and around her Victorian home.
Some objects that can be discovered in the mix: gutter, guards, recycled film, mattress springs, stereo wires, paint ladders and washed up parts of the Great Lakes. "I spend a lot of time looking through trash bins and hardware stores. I do assemblage, put together urban d'etre. It's what our consumer society has done. We throw away everything, we don't recycle, we abuse our environment and this is the consequence," Baker said.
If you met this woman on the street, it is virtually unbelievable that she would rifle through anything having touched mold, rust or germ infested plastic. She is surprising at every corner, a spunky women without boundaries. Her work is meant to make the viewer rediscover the objects themselves, but also rediscover a moment in their life that they may have discarded.
882.1753
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| Buffalo's Besnyo Releases New EP |
| 12/11 by laura |
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We attended Besnyo's EP release party on Friday night at Soundlab and were delighted with the sounds that they seem to be perfecting with every show.
If you are at all familiar with the band members, than it comes as no surprise that during the mingling portion of the party, the backlight was classic, 50's style porn with men dressed in Renaissance attire and women being gently whipped than caressed in the plush-ness of grass and dirt. Becca from Fredonia preceded Besnyo with a performance we were completely enamored with (more to come on her Friday) - a perfect contortion of folk and funk.
Before we knew it, Besnyo began, and our ears were filled with a sweet familiar sound. It may seem to some that their work remains consistent, but those who are avid followers will protest. The music is ambient and ethereal like normal, but they've added horns to the mix to create a jazzy, yet progressive trance meant to ease listeners into their evenings and give them reason to explore their carpet from their bellies for a few moments before drifting off to sleep.
On the first album, the vocals were a bit washed behind the influx of a stream of riffs, but on this new EP, Sean has maintained his foreboding vocals while adding a more chipper blend of lyrics obviously taking the forefront. They have been concentrating on melding the synth with keyboards for a more refined, confident feel and Besnyo's newest addition, Bindu has evident talent on the guitar and in his stage presence. This new 5-song album has clearly succeeded the last.
What we want to say is envious about this band is that they will surely alienate you and put you at ease at the same time. The new album is $5 - less than a cup of Mocha Java from Starbucks, so don't waste your money on supporting the yuppies, cool-ize your record collection.
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| Buffalo's Best Places To Sketch |
| 12/12 by laura |
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City living has many advantages and one of them - people watching. This is a list, which we racked our brains for, of the five most useful places in Buffalo to sketch.
1 M&T Plaza
This bank, by far, receives more daily traffic than any other bank in the downtown area that I have observed. It is almost the safest place to be in all of Buffalo because of the amount of police patrolling the area. The crowd is diverse enough to include: children, housewives, blue collar workers, suited men and of course, the staff. Make friends with the guards and they'll probably let you pop a squat wherever you please.
Café Aroma/Talking Leaves or Spot Coffee
In a coffee house/bookstore atmosphere, people are sitting or standing for lengthy periods of time, entirely absorbed in whatever local paper or latest paperback they happen to be handling. It is discreet enough and almost expected, that there will be some characters present.
Bobby McGees
This club has live jazz every Tuesday night and usually free tables where you can spread out and relax. The music is fast and slow, which will aide in better gesture drawings and the musicians are not rocking out, but are fairly static.
3500 Main Street #3
Allen Street Dance Studios
A sketch of a dancer allows an artist to capture movement without thinking too much about his line or the figure, but the movement itself. Dancers are artists at work as well, so do not be rude and just drop by, call ahead and ask if it is ok to observe a session or two. Most instructors are welcoming.
85 Allen Street
876.6291
Broadway Market
On Saturday mornings, this Buffalo fixture is crawling with people from all ethnic backgrounds, browsing for food and socializing. For those artists less interested in people, and more interested in still life, artful platters are conceived here as well.
999 Broadway
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| Hertel's OddBall |
| 12/13 by laura |
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This past weekend, we took our Cleveland friends exploring on Hertel Avenue, a treat for us as well. We become easily trapped in the small corner of the world called Elmwood Avenue and don't often realize that there is a whole world full of AFFORDABLE things only a few miles north.
We were disappointed that many of the storefronts were closed on Sunday afternoons? especially this close to Christmas, but found our spirits aroused at the sight of warm, open retailer where we could reapply some chapstick. The sign above the door read ?OddBall?; in we went with the intention of fitting in quite nicely.
Shop owner, Lynn Perillo, greeted us with a smile and a spread of questions - she had a very neighborly demeanor so we spilled the beans as to why we chose a cold, slushy day to wander the antique district. While we dipped into her candy bowl and munched on peanut butter and chocolate bells, our eyes indulged in vintage home décor that could set the stage for a 70's key party.
We scurried to the far left corner where racks of plaid pants, floral print retro slips and boots with the original tags still attached. Drinking glasses were etched with gold and silver and accordion sided satchels playfully ducked into the drawer of kitchen hutches and buffets. Children's toys lurked behind carnival bowls and fluted vases...
Ok, so the store was a far removed from the musty smelling antiques that usually cluttered these types of stores. And as a side note, the items have been cleaned, repaired and repolished, so that any traces of dust have been consumed into the Black Hole. Your mom? She'll reminisce about her childhood. Your Grandma? She'll ask where Uncle Frank is hiding - don't tell her we lost him in 'Nam. And your boyfriend? Well if he's any sort of man, he'll crawl into those plaid pants and give you a jingle for Christmas.
OddBall
1446 Hertel Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14216
479.1315
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| Geneseo: Pub Grub, Tattoos & Pissers |
| 12/14 by laura |
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No one in their right mind is going to drive 3 hours out of town when the weathermen are calling for a few feet of snow. But the need to skip town is not quelled easily, so Geneseo seems like a good place to plant feet for a day or two and get inked as well.
Start by grabbing a cup of coffee the Bank Street Bagel Café. Everyone in town will tell you that they make the most robust cup of coffee and that their bagels are boiled then baked. Bank St. Bagel has a bistro atmosphere and affordable grub.
You can visit from 8-3 PM on Saturday!
Where? 72 Main Street
How much? Cheap!
After you've reawaken, take a walk down Main Street and stop in the stores. It has a small town atmosphere, so a lot of the retailers are "mom and pop" sort of places, but the town's two bookstores are equivalent to our own Rust Belt Books, with the same sort of used and discarded feel. The guys that own them will chat for hours about their burro's tail plant and the books themselves are odd finds that no Barnes and Nobles employees is going to handle.
You can visit anytime!
Where? Main Street
How much? That depends how much you want to carry!
When your toes go numb, stop off for some pub grub at The Big Tree Inn. Their menu is extensive enough to cover tavern style fare, cater to vegetarians and offer Prixe Fixe. It's a down to earth sort of back-woods place that allows consumers to wear jeans and order wine all at once. Get an extra glass, cause the Tattoo Parlor is next.
You can visit from 4-10PM
Where? 46 Main Street
How much? They are fairly reasonable. I'd say that per person costs about $20.
Enough with the wholesome family fun, Extreme Graphix is only a block away. These guys are dead on with their needles; smooth lines, flawless shading and sterile. The shop is in a smallish house with hardwood floors and comfortable couches to relax on while you take a gander through their portfolio.
You can visit from noon till 9 PM!
Where? 43 Main Street
585.243.9270
How much? How big?
Lastly, stop off at Kelly's Saloon. The walls are graffiti laden and with the sign behind the bar reading "Kelly's Saloon Serving the Scum of the Earth Since 1980", it is the epitome of a dive bar.
Pool tables line the south wall, they don't have a fancy array of beer and the bathroom sign says "pisser" not ladies, making this my absolute favorite corner of the historic town. The bar staff isn't fond of the frat-minded college crowd, but prefers townies and tattooed cage rattlers. Leave your kids in the car. And crack a window for them.
You can visit at night!
Where? 71 Main Street
How much? Trust me, don't try to out drink the barmaid.
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