Artvoice B.O.O.M! Live Show

Friday, January 17

It’s time for the first of four live showdowns in this year’s Artvoice Battle of Original Music—or, BOOM, for short. This is the eighth year we’ve hosted this contest, which is free to enter and open to all local original music acts by visiting boom.artvoice.com. Along the way, we’ve given away around $50,000 in cash and prizes to those bands that have risen to the top by collecting online votes and capturing the most audience ballots at our live shows. In order to gain a spot in this year’s live BOOM Grand Finale (scheduled for June 6), a band must first win one of our weekly online contests, and then prove its mettle before a live crowd at Nietzsche’s. On Friday (Jan 17), each audience member will receive a ballot to cast for his or her favorite act. The band with the most votes at the end of the night will win a slot in the finals and a shot at the $5,000 Grand Prize. This quarterfinal round features Fountainhead, Folkfaces, INLITE, and AjamajA in a fiery cauldron of original music—with only one act emerging sweaty and victorious, winning a coveted slot in the BOOM Grand Finale. Come see what the buzz is all about and support the great original talent right here in our midst.

- buck quigley

10pm Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St. (866-8539 / nietzsches.com) $5, 21+

Thursday - Saturday, January 16 - 18

Steve-O

Steve-O: The Great Slambino, The Sultan of Splooge, the Behemoth of busting a rib, the Babe Ruth of hurling himself off of a roof. It’s hard to believe it’s been 12 years since Steve-O’s main creative vehicle, Jackass, went off the air, but since then we’ve still been able to enjoy Steve-O’s aka Stephen Glover’s outrageous and disgusting antics in the trilogy of Jackass movies that have followed, his short lived Jackass spinoff WildBoyz, and even on a few drunken talk show appearances. Now, at the age of 39, the heavily tattooed, completely soberd-up stuntman is bringing a stand-up comedy show to live audiences. God only knows what Steve-O, with his distinctly hi-pitched raspy voice, will talk about in front of a captive audience—perhaps he’ll tell the story of the origins of the “whale shark gummer” or describe the various items he has shoved up his own butt—but one thing is for sure, it’ll be a one-of-a-kind show. Steve-O will perform live at Helium Comedy Club on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (Jan 16, 17, and 18).

- cory perla

8pm Thursday, 7:30pm and 10pm Friday and Saturday Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi St. (853-1211 / heliumcomedy.com) $22, Thursday; $25, Friday & Saturday

Saturday, January 18

Winterfest

It’s that time of the year when the post-holiday winter doldrums set in. If you’re looking to escape your temporary state of hibernation, venture out to Winterfest this Saturday (Jan 18) at BCC Arts & Entertainment in Williamsville. Festivalgoers can expect a family friendly, multi-media winter wonderland of music, dance, comedy, art exhibits, DJ’s and more, all celebrating the rich arts culture that Buffalo is known for. With two main stages and eight “breakout” rooms offering a variety of activities and performances, there’s something to stimulate the eyes and ears around every corner. The event features dozens of local and national artists, with a musical lineup that includes the Hypnic Jerks, symphonic rock band Symfinity, the Buffalo Folk Heroes, Random Nation (pictured) and Tim Britt, among others. Mone Dance Company, BCC Steppers, and B.A.D. Dance Company are also set to perform, along with mind-bending mentalism from Danny Mac “Mindscapes.” The “breakout” rooms are designed to deliver a more up close and personal experience, with stand-up comedy, spoken word, rap, mixed media interactive art displays, and a kid’s zone. The Black Market Food Truck, The Cheesy Chick, Lloyd’s Taco Truck, Knight Slider, Gelato Gypsy, McCullagh Coffee Roasters, and Code Blu Juice Bar will all be on-hand to keep people nourished during the event. For the full schedule, visit bccartsandentertainment.com.

- jon wheelock

4pm to midnight BCC Arts & Entertainment, 4660 Sheridan Dr., Williamsville (bccartsandentertainment.com) $10, all ages

Saturday, January 18

6th Annual Big Lebowski Event

“I am not Mr. Lebowski, you’re Mr. Lebowski. I’m The Dude. So that’s what you call me, you know, uh that or, uh, his Dudeness or uh Duder or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.” In The Big Lebowski, the word dude is used approximately 161 times, and The Dude himself drinks nine White Russians during the span of the film. The cult classic film-noir comedy will be relished on Saturday, (Jan 18) during the 6th annual Big Lebowski Event at the Riviera Theatre. The Dude abides. The White Russians and other various cocktails will start flowing at 6:30pm followed by live comedy acts from 7pm to 8pm. A screening of the Coen brothers’ legendary film will begin at 8pm, so come and celebrate comradery, man, with your fellow Achievers (the term coined to Lebowski fans and aficionados). In honor of the Dude and all of his dudeness, a bowling package will be available to purchase as well. Two hours of bowling will be held after the movie, at Classic Lanes located at 1840 Military Road in Kenmore. OVER THE LINE!

- alicia greco

6:30pm Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda (692-2413 / rivieratheatre.org) $13, comedy and movie; $20 with bowling

Sunday, January 19

Boyd Lee Dunlop Memorial

At this Sunday evening’s regular open jam session at the Colored Musicians Club, the jazz and blues players who frequent that place will bid good night to one of their own: the extraordinary Boyd Lee Dunlop, who died on December 27 at the age of 87. The pianist had been familiar to audiences at local jazz and blues clubs, which he’d been playing since he was a kid. Tough circumstances landed him in a nursing home, where he made the acquaintance of a visiting photographer, Brendan Bannon. Bannon, floored by the music Boyd coaxed out of an upright in the home’s cafeteria, got him into a recording studio, thus initiating a late-career resurgence: two CDs, national media coverage, standing ovations at concerts in Babeville’s Asbury Hall. Producer Allen Farmelo, who recorded Boyd’s two albums, called him “an incredible repository of the last century in music”—a supremely talented player who digested everything he heard and made of it something new. Dunlop was alternately sweet and hard, equally full of bravado and regret, and an artist through and through. He once told me that his life ended at 18 and began again at 85. Anyone who heard him play piano in the years between or after knows that just isn’t so: There was a life.

- geoff kelly

8pm Colored Musicians Club, 145 Broadway (855-9383 / coloredmusiciansclub.org)

Sunday, January 19

Reverend Horton Heat

If you’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing Reverend Horton Heat in concert, then you’ve sincerely earned our deepest sympathies. The Dallas trio has been making waves for over 25 years now and have released 10 killer studio albums. The Reverend plays a captivating medley of rock and roll, country, and rockabilly with a splash of some of the finer aesthetics of punk rock. The term “psychobilly” has been used to characterize the Reverend’s sound, but for those who hold the Reverend near and dear to their hearts, they’re just an amazing rock and roll band. Guitarist/vocalist Jim “Reverend Horton” Heath and Jimbo Wallace on the stand-up bass have been the two mainstays in the band since 1989. No one has ever made the stand-up bass so sensually appealing as Jimbo Wallace does—bar none. His fingers perched atop of his bass, he slaps the strings, perfectly complimenting Heath’s frantic, yet rigorous guitar riffs. Together they hold the audience hostage with their hypnotic rhythms. When it’s over, you’ll find yourself with a touch of Stockholm syndrome because you can never have too much heat. Reverend Horton Heat will perform at the Tralf Music Hall on Sunday (Jan 19) with support from Nekromantix and the Creepshow.

- kellie powell

7pm The Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main St. (852-2860 / tralfmusichall.com) $24 advance $27 day of show

Monday, January 20

Young Mothers

Whether he’s playing a standard Fender P-bass, a stand-up acoustic double bass, or something in between, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten is always finding ways to coax new grooves from his four-stringed instruments. The Norwegian bassist’s most recent project is a band called Young Mothers, a partnership with a group of musicians from Austin, Texas, Houston, and Chicago. The sextet, which includes drummers Frank Rosaly and Stefan Gonzalez, saxophonist Jason Jackson, trumpeter and rapper Jawwaad Taylor and guitarist Jonathan Horne, has set out to not only blur genre barriers but smash them to pieces. A band that combines jazz, indie rock, hip hop, surf rock, and soul—sometimes within one movement of one piece—can only be regarded as an entity beyond classification. Diversity is the key to unlocking those new grooves. Over his 20-year-long career Flaten has performed as bandleader of a variety of different groups including the Thing, Free Fall, and Atomic. Young Mothers’ highly anticipated debut record, A Mother’s Work Is Never Done, is a hip hop heavy project featuring Taylor, who shines as a gifted rapper and trumpet player. For Flaten, hip hop is an ideal foundation that allows him to explore the deeply funky aspects of his bass playing, while still allowing room for the entire band to delve into the type of abstract, improvisational free jazz sounds that his former projects have focused on. Known as “The Man with the Bass” Flaten and his band Young Mothers will kick off Hallwalls’ 40th year of art and music on Monday (Jan 20) at 8pm.

- cory perla

8pm Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, 341 Delaware Ave. (854-1694 / hallwalls.org) FREE ($10-15 suggested donation)