Dance Your Art Off

Friday, April 1

It’s time to Dance Your Art Off this Friday (April 1) at the Town Ballroom. This Give For Greatness event is a benefit for Buffalo’s cultural institutions. Mixmasters John Ceglia and DJ Cutler will be spinning a non-stop mix of deep house and mashed up old skool beats in a spectacular, artistly concieved environment of simulated fire, LED lighs, and flowing fabrics. AV caught up with Ceglia to discuss his musical marriage of disco, funk and deep house.

AV: How did you get into DJing?

Ceglia: I started DJing in 1978. I played Buffalo for two years and then went to New York City where I saw some of the top DJs in the world. It really inspired me because I saw all of the energy they were able to create. The clubs were huge, the crowds were huge, the music was progressive and I loved all of that. I played at Studio 54, the Underground, the River Club, and Fire Island. Fire Island was one of the birthplaces of club culture. It was the first place where an extended remix was played. Having the opportunity to play there on a regular basis was really an honor and a lot of fun. I still play there every summer.

Can you talk about the music you like to spin?

I’ve been doing this for a long time so I like to play all kinds of music. A lot of people in Buffalo associate me with playing older music because I played at the very first World’s Largest Disco in 1979, and other shows like that, but when I travel I play newer music. I’ve played in Miami and I recently played at the Bellagio in Vegas where I did some high-energy electronic stuff and some groovy, soulful deep house music, which I really like. I got a call from Tony Billoni to do this Dance Your Art Off event and he said he wanted to do some cutting edge stuff in Buffalo. I was thrilled.

What do you like about deep house music?

I like the energy loop that’s created between the DJ and the crowd. You feed them, they feed back to you and it’s just a wonderful continuous loop. I also enjoy creating new music with existing music; taking pieces of songs and putting them on top of each other to create something completely different—a different rhythm, a different melody—and the crowd really responds to that. One of the reasons I like deep house is because a lot of it reminds me of the old disco stuff. It’s like an extension. It’s where the music we danced to back then has evolved to.

How does it feel to be involved in this give for greatness event?

I feel honored that I can help out and do something fun here. When I went to New York my wife Darleen came with me to dance professionally. The arts are important to us. We have two dance studios and we’ve been running them for 19 years. We’re bringing up aspiring dancers, so we’ve been involved in that side of the performing arts community in Buffalo for a long time. It’s a vital part of our community. There is a domino effect. If we didn’t have theaters, if we didn’t have these companies it would be devastating for the restaurants and bars and to our community. It’s really important for all of us to have this opportunity to pitch in and keep one of the best parts of Western New York alive and well.

—cory perla

9pm. Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / www.townballroom.com). Donations $15.00 advance, $20.00 day of show. www.giveforgreatness.org.

Friday, April 1

Lightning Bolt

On Friday (April 1), Soundlab will live up to its name as a venue, hosting progressive sonic experimentation that will bury listeners beneath waves of fierce mind-altering noise. The organized chaos of Providence, Rhode Island based duo Lightning Bolt curb stomps traditional assumptions of what a drum and bass set-up sounds like, spewing forth distorted, triumphant forays to the border between apocalyptic fury and mystic bliss. Vocalist and drummer Brian Chippendale, his microphone built into his ominous hood, and bassist Brian Gibson, armed with pedal effects that launch his instrument into the next dimension, disassemble rock music and reform it according to their own ferocious vision. Lightning Bolt’s 2003 album Wonderful Rainbow was declared one of the “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” and remains the quintessential American noise rock album of the past decade. Their live performance has been lauded as even more ecstatic and engrossing. Bathed in fiery fuzz and frenetic fervor, Lightning Bolt is an electrifying shock to the system that may not strike in the same place twice: catch them while they’re here. —ryan wolf

8pm. Soundlab. 110 Pearl St. (440-5907 / bigorbitgallery.org/soundlab). $10.

Friday, April 1

The Books

Electronic found-sound artists the Books will appear at Babeville’s Asbury Hall on Friday (April 1). The duo from New York City don’t just perform live music, they integrate electronic samples with chopped up video sequences to create a multimedia performance that blurs the line between electronics and acoustics. They do this by syncing complex samples, usually from found sources, with video clips that blend with live folk-cello and guitar, creating a hypnotizing atmosphere. Which is exactly what guitarist and vocalist Nick Zammuto and cellist Paul de Jong intended to do on their latest studio album the Way Out. Formed in 1999, the group have released four critically acclaimed albums, including their most recent, 2010’s the Way Out, on which they sampled sounds from a variety of sources found in thrift stores and garage sales, like decade old hypnosis and hypnotherapy tapes. Those hypnotic samples are the foundation of an album that concentrates more on feeling and reactions, rather than actual instrumentation. Though there are also complex rhythms present on the Way Out, the duo rarely use traditional drum sets, opting instead to use children’s toys, pots, pans, or anything that makes a unique sound. —cory perla

7pm. Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave. (852-3835 / babevillebuffalo.com) $15 advance, $17 day of show.

Saturday, April 2 - Saturday, April 9

Bamberg: A City Built on Beer and Buffalo's Craft Beer Future

Starting this Saturday (April 2) through next Saturday (April 9) the creators of the documentary Bamberg: A City Built on Beer will be bringing a taste of Bamberg, Germany to Buffalo. The documentary explores Bamberg, a cathedral city on the river Regnitz with a striking beer history. A town with 70,000 inhabitants, Bamberg is home to almost 50 different beers, 10 historical breweries, innumerable seasonal bock-beer keg tappings, and the Bamberg beer war. Director Jörg Hoffmann and writer Lisa Luginger are bringing their documentary to Buffalo along with famed Bamberg beers like Schlenkerla, Mahrs, and Spezial with hopes of cultivating a cultural and brewing exchange between the two cities. The event kicks off in Rochester on Saturday (April 2). On Thursday (April 7) Cole’s Restaurant will screen the film and provide a buffet dinner and Bamberg beers on tap for $25. But before that, on Tuesday (April 5), Pizza Plant on Main Street in Williamsville will offer Bavarian style pizza with Franconian style Kellerbier on tap. Wednesday (April 6) Buffalo brewing historians Dave Mik and Peter Jablonski will speak about historical Buffalo beer styles at the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery along with Bavarian Helles beer on tap. The Blue Monk will have Bamberg beer and food on Friday (April 8) evening and Saturday (April 9) afternoon. Finally, on Saturday (April 9) meet the director and film crew who will speak about the parallels between Bamberg and Buffalo at the Buffalo Museum of Science’s Beerology event. Bamberg beer will be on tap and copies of the film will be for sale. For more information on these events, visit bierfilm.com/events. —jill greenberg

7pm. Cole’s, 1104 Elmwood Ave. (886-1449 / colesbuffalo.com). $25.

Saturday, April 2

Dotsun Moon CD Release Party

Everyone knows that 4am is closing time in Buffalo, but it’s also the title of Buffalo outfit Dotsun Moon’s debut album, which is easily the type of music you could find yourself listening to in those drunken hours of the morning. Carrying the flame of 1990’s trip-hop and shoe-gaze, Dotsun Moon is a group of NYC expats who have a serious predilection for solid beats and hooky melodies. This Saturday (April 2), Dotsun Moon celebrates their CD release party at Merge, a great venue to showcase the ambient sound that the band produces. 4 am may be Dotsun Moon’s first album, but nothing about this band suggests that they’re newcomers. While bands like Portishead, Massive Attack, and New Order immediately come to mind, Dotsun Moon completes their sound with a remarkable originality that makes it seem more like something you’re hearing for the first time. Their electro-pop style lends itself to clever programming, which allows synth lines and drum beats to be generated electronically from a computer and musical software. What results are ultra-catchy, electro-heavy tunes with a driving seamlessness as if the music can’t stop, or refuses to stop, which is just fine by Dotsun Moon and anyone who is lucky enough to see them perform live. Frontwoman Mary O. brings an almost hypnotic vocal quality to the mix, with both powerful and beautifully understated lyrics. Next time you find yourself in one of those 4am stupors, listen to Dotsun Moon, and stay awake a little longer. —jon wheelock

8:30pm. Merge Restaurant. 439 Delaware Ave. (842-0600 / mergebuffalo.com) Free.

Saturday, April 2

Buffalo Wine Festival

This Saturday (April 2) is a big day for any wine lovers living in the Buffalo area because it is the second annual Buffalo Wine Festival at the Buffalo-Niagara Convention Center. The festival will feature wine tastings and purchasing from over 35 of the New York Region’s premiere wineries including Hickory Hollow Wine, Lakewood Vineyards, Montezuma Winery, and many more. There will also be local vendors like the Bavarian Nut Company and Visit Erie bringing unique gifts, crafts, and local restaurants. Admission is strictly for 21 and up. Tickets are on sale now at their website buffalowinefestival.com. Admission also comes with a souvenir wine glass. The event runs for one day only with two tasting sessions:

Session I: 1pm-4pm. $30 at the event, $25 if you buy advance online.

Session II 6pm-9pm. $35 at the event, $30 if you buy advance online

See a full list of wineries attending and other vendors at buffalowinefestival.com. —rachel good

Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, 153 Franklin Street. (855-5555 / buffaloconvention.com). Session info above.

Sunday, April 3

Speakeasy Sundays

This Sunday (April 3), Erie Lackawanna Railroad and Reverend Soapbox and the Rabble Rousers will be taking their talents to Brawler’s Back Alley in the basement of the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery as the first part of their Speakeasy Sundays series, which will benefit the Give For Greatness campaign. While both bands feature a largely acoustic sound, the similarities end there. Erie Lackawanna Railroad has a predominantly bluegrass feel and their setlist leans on classic bluegrass tunes like “Rocky Top” and “Dark Hollow.” Anyone who has heard the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack will get a big kick out of their sound. Reverend Soapbox and the Rabble Rousers on the other hand, have a style largely indebted to old-school gypsy style music, which is evident on numbers like the dark lament “Devil of a Devil.” Their themes tend to be melancholy but Reverend Soapbox’s wacky, exaggerated vocals let us know that it’s all in good fun. For those unfamiliar with the gypsy sound, the Kinks’ “Alcohol”, off their Muswell Hillbillies album, would give a solid impression of what Reverend Soapbox is like. While the bands’ respective styles may be different, their shared love of call-and-response vocals, skilled acoustic strumming, and just plain old-fashioned musicianship should make for quite an entertaining affair. —john hugar

7pm. Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, 76 Pearl St. (856-2337 / pearlstreetgrill.com). $5.

Monday, April 4

The Fools and Sean Hanratty

The back room at Allen Street Hardware is fast becoming one of the city’s most interesting venues. Just a few steps past the bustle of the bar, the back room has hosted community meetings and DJs, dance parties, and art exhibits. On Monday (April 4), the small, bright space will be visited by a couple Brooklyn-based acoustic acts. The Fools—Jen Tobin on vocals and guitar and Uchenna Bright on bass—make music that has been described as “a foot massage for your ears.” They’re joined by the gravel-voiced Sean Hanratty, who, with his band the Mighty Mighty, churns out bucket-beating blues of the rawest kind. The Brooklyn contingent are joined by a local acoustic act as well, guitarist Jon Herr. It’s an unusual show for Buffalo, in a space that’s likely to become a mainstay for unusual fare. The Fools and Sean Hanratty will also appear at the Clarence Center Coffee Company on Sunday (April 3). —frances boots

9pm. The Back Room at Allen St. Hardware Café. (882-8843 / allenstreethardware.com) Free.

Wednesday, April 6

Young the Giant

Young the Giant, the California youngsters formerly known as the Jakes, will take the stage at Mohawk Place this Wednesday (April 6). The alternative rock band will be stopping off in Buffalo as part of a three month tour, taking them from St. Louis to New York, promoting their self titled debut album. The band gained notoriety after they won an online competition, earning them the privilege of opening for the Kings of Leon at the House of Blues in Chicago in 2009. The alt-rockers have played at SXSW in 2010 and 2011 and have opened for bands like Steel Train and Minus the Bear. Joining Young the Giant will be local up and coming indie-rockers Inlite, who list their influences as Interpol and Muse. Also taking the stage will be the California based, three piece indie-pop band Kitten and local act Larrabee. —justin sondel

6pm. Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St. (465-2368 / www.themohawkplace.com). $10 in advance, $12 the day of show.