Embrace Diversity
A Celebration of Diversity - A Plea For Peace

Wednesday, January 20

In light of the appalling hate crimes recently reported in the city, which appear to have been targeted at members of the LGBT community or those perceived to be associated with that community, United We Stand: Buffalo is presenting an event called “Embrace Diversity,” to unite people of all backgrounds in an effort to make our entire city safer.

Event organizer Yvonne White, owner of Adonia’s on Allen Street, says the event will be “a peaceful, organized protest, and an opportunity to present our case to our leaders, and see how they are going to help us.”

The two incidents both occurred within a one-day period. The Cheektowaga police captain who investigated an attack at the Walden Galleria told the Buffalo News that “this is pretty much a coincidence. This is something we rarely see”—but there are many who would differ. Artvoice theater editor Anthony Chase says, “I have personal experience of being gay-bashed in Buffalo, and at the time, I didn’t even bother to call the police. I find it comical when people say it’s a rare event—that’s just ignorance and smug complacency.”

In an effort to create a community liaison program between the Buffalo Police Department and the LGBT community, a petition has been posted online and will be available to sign at Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) event at Asbury Hall. The petition requests “equitable police surveillance and the addition of a police camera system on the corner of Main Street and Allen Street (pictured) to further discourage acts of this heinous nature and to protect each and every individual in a healthy and safe manner.” It also requests “an LGBT/Police Liaison program with which to certify our concerns and develop strong and sensible solutions to avoid such issues in the future.”

Ani DiFranco and Scott Fisher donated the space at Babeville for this event. Police Chief Donna Berry will speak, along with government and LGBT community leaders, and there will be a performance by the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus. Visit http://www.petitiononline.com/UWSB2010 to sign the petition online, or sign it at the event on Wednesday night.

—k. o’day

7-9pm. Asbury Hall @ Babeville at the Church, 341 Delaware Ave.

Thursday, January 14

Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers

Brooklyn based Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers visit Buffalo this Thursday (Jan. 14) at the Mohawk Place. Lead vocalist and harmonium player Ray leads what amounts to a super group of recent NYC artists from bands such as Creaky Boards, Soft Black, Kapow!, and The Negatones. The resonant sound produced by the harmonium and her deep yet dynamic voice is heavily layered with other punk, pop and blues influences to create an original and approachable sound. The blending of the older standards, blues and jazz with their more modern influences of punk and pop converges well in their cover of “I only Have Eyes for You” and allows Ray to demonstrate the power of her and her harmoniums wind pipes. Having released their debut album A Fish Hook, An Eye Open this past spring, and being warmly accepted by audiences at the SXSW festival in Austin, the band has been on a nationwide tour spreading their music and receiving much critical acclaim. Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers go on at 8pm this Thursday with special guests TBA.

—jack burns

Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St. / 8pm / $10 / 855-3931 / mohawkplace.com

Friday, January 15

Artvoice BOOM Bash

It’s time for another live installment of our ongoing Battle of Original Music—or BOOM, for short. This is where four bands that won the right to compete in front of a frenzied crowd of local music lovers will strut their stuff in the hope of garnering the most votes, and a spot on the bill for our upcoming Battle Royale—the Artvoice BOOM Grand Finale. Past winners include Dali’s Ghost and TypeRelevant. This week features Photos of Wagons, the Gavin Petrie Band, Leon and the Forklifts, and Iceberg. These acts got here by generating the most votes in our weekly online contests, where we shine a light on some of the best original music our area has to offer. Friday, every audience member through the door will receive one ballot to cast for his or her favorite artist, and when those votes are counted by the end of the night, we will announce our winner. That winner will join the Albrights and Hunger Anthem, who’ve already taken a similar honor at our two previous live shows. Come out and support our great local original music scene, and don’t forget, if you’re in a local band, your picture could be on this page in just six short weeks. The first step is to enter. Visit boom.artvoice.com to find out how.

(Bands from top; left: Leon The Forklifts, Photos of Wagons; right: The Gavin Petrie Band, Iceberg)

Nietzsche's, 248 Allen St. / 10pm / $5 / 886-8539 / nietzsches.com, boom.artvoice.com

Saturday, January 16

Time To Polish Your Balls!

Like the laid-back, passive “Dude,” played by Jeff Bridges, and his tightly wound sidekick Walter Sobchak, played by John Goodman, “The Big Lebowski” kind of grows on you. Ten years after this Coen Brothers film first opened it has developed into a cult classic among those who appreciate its whacked out plot, its hilariously off color dialogue, and, of course, its unforgettable characters. Now the wacky, memorable masterpiece hits the big screen locally once again, as part of a multi faceted event at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda where a Big Lebowski party will take place on Saturday (Jan. 16). Whether it’s the cool costumes, brilliant dialogue, or tremendous soundtrack (...?), Big Lebowski parties have been sprouting up all over the country. This one just happens to be in our own back yard. The festivities will benefit the beautiful, historic Riviera Theater. The evening begins at 6:30pm with a cash bar—Including, of course, White Russians and Cold Ones. Live comedy starts at 7pm. and the movie screens at 8. Enjoy the party and movie for $10. A $17 ticket then entitles the bearer to two hours of open bowling after the show at the Tonawanda Bowling Center ( 574 Young St., Tonawanda).

—eddy dobosiewicz

Riviera Theater, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda / 6:30pm / $10-$17 / 692-2113 / rivieratheatre.org

Thursday, January 21

Prefuse 73

Giullermo Scott Herren, international music producer and artist, has been based out of various cities from Atlanta to New York to Barcelona, releasing music under various aliases—most notably Prefuse 73, but also Savath y Savalas, Delarosa & Asora, and Piano Overlord. His DJ career began in the Atlanta club scene of the 1990s where Herren learned his trade, but he moved to NYC in order to ply it, releasing his first recording Sleep Method Suite (1997) under the name Delarosa & Asora. The moniker Prefuse 73 came about with the release of 2001’s commercially and critically successful Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives. Now with his fourth LP as Prefuse 73, Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian, Herren has made a name for himself not just as a DJ but in hip hop and avant-rock circles as well. Ballads, noise-jams, and techno beats make unlikely bedfellows on his latest album, but it serves as a good launching pad for Herren’s latest incarnation, Diamond Watch Wrists, which explores new sounds within the realm of classic singer-songwriter fodder, 60s European acid-folk, and krautrock. Herren will be performing next Thursday (Jan. 21) at Soundlab with two acts out of Los Angeles: DJ Gaslamp Killer and the femalo duo Voices Voices.

-k. o’day

Soundlab, 110 Pearl St. / 9pm / bigorbitgallery.org/soundlab