Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Passion Pit live in Buffalo 6/17/09

Dude WTF. I had this fuckin date set in my phone for literally two months. Well, apparently so did 1,000+ other people cause the concert sold out, I didn't get in and at least 50 other people ran into the same problem. I ended up drinking at electric avenue for about 3 hours trying to find someone anyone with an extra ticket. Believe me, I wasn't the only one.

You pretty much had three options. Give up and go home, find somewhere that also had the orange wrist bands that night, or three sneak through the back door. Trying all three, your chances weren't great.

Honestly though, listening in the back alley wasn't half bad. The band sounded decent and after the first song the lead signer ( one of the mother fuckers graduated from Nichols ) said "yeah i talked to my band manager and he said why the hell would you wanna go to Buffalo" Well evidently we in Buffalo love good music, and especially from people that have ties to the area. Hot under ground, blog drool inducing indie rock bands take note. We can fill up a concert room quickly and easy.

Only regret is that this doesn't happen more often. PS Passion Pit, see you at Lollapalooza [sic]

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Fuck the West Seneca town board

This is absolute bullshit. These pieces of shit board members who I have no idea who they are just fucked us again. What is the point of a politician other than to continue to secure his/her job and continue to get reelected. They don't care about the citizens they care about them selves.

If you haven't heard the news... the appellate judge, who ever that was, decided the wording on the sheets to collect signatures was misleading. So instead of being able to exercise our rights as citizens to vote and determine how our government is run we get kicked in the ass and pissed on.

THE VOTING ISN'T HAPPENING UNTIL THE SPRING NOW. If ever at all. Not to mention all of our money the town wasted to appeal this decision not once but twice. At this point I want to dissolve the town. Get all of these asshole politicians fired, out of office and in the unemployment line with 7%+ of the population around here. WOW I am beyond furious.

Thank you Kevin Gaughan, we'll win.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Buffalo 3rd cleanest city


According to Readers Digest Buffalo is the 3rd cleanest city in America. Holy Moley


#3 Buffalo, New York
(Erie and Niagara counties)

Background: Long known as a Rust Belt city where steel was king, Buffalo was hit hard when that industry went into steep decline more than two decades ago. As steel plants shut down, Buffalo was forced to rebuild its economy from the ground up. But by leveraging its assets, including a low cost of living and cheap, clean hydroelectric energy generated by nearby Niagara Falls, Buffalo has begun luring new, nonmanufacturing businesses to the area.

Problems: After the shuttering of its steel plants and oil refineries, the region was left with the residue of its industrial past: A heavily polluted Buffalo River and acres of brownfields and Superfund sites, including the notorious Love Canal. By the 1990s, Buffalo's dwindling population, shrinking tax base and fiscal problems meant drastic cuts in city services -- including sanitation. As a result, huge trash piles often accumulated in front of homes, sometimes going uncollected for days on end. At the same time, Buffalo was struggling with a sizable rat infestation.

Solutions: With the help of environmental quality bonds and Superfund dollars, Buffalo has made great strides in containing and cleaning up brownfields and contaminated sites. Meanwhile, plans are underway to turn part of the former Bethlehem Steel site -- an 1,100-acre brownfield on the shores of Lake Erie -- into a wind farm that will generate clean power for businesses and residents. The state is also overseeing a Buffalo River cleanup, already successful enough to draw boaters and fishermen back to the waterway. As for the trash problems, Buffalo undertook an award-winning restructuring of its garbage collection system. A fleet of 13 high-tech street sweepers, deployed 24 hours a day during non-winter months, now helps keep the streets clear of debris. And the city has dramatically curbed the rat problem by distributing large, securely covered garbage bins to every residence in the city.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Thursday at the Square week 1

Of course I went to the first Thursday at the Square downtown May 29th. It was great getting back down there with summer staring me in the face and drinking outside while people watching and dime watching. Then things went down hill, kinda.

First off prices have been jacked up. Instead of two beers for $5 it is now $3 a ticket which will get you either a draft Blue/Blue light or a slice of pizza or something. Not that I am actually wasting tickets on food, but I figured I would tell the whole story. So yea, $.50 increase in ticket prices, which isn't terrible it is less than ideal.

Secondly it was a lot colder than I thought it was going to be. In my driveway in the the 'burbs it was like 70 and kinda hot. Down in Laffeyette square it was something like 30 degrees and 80 mph winds. Well not that bad but it was jacket weather down there.

And lastly, there weren't that many people. Don't get me wrong when I first arrived it seemed pretty packed, but the crowd died down exponentially as the temperature dropped. This is probably due to a number of reasons much of which had to do with the temperature. However, other reasons have to do with the times change, it goes from 6-10 in stead of 5-9 now. This means it is later, it is darker, and there really isn't enough light to see what is going on in the pitch dark at 9:30 at night.

Whatever, it was still pretty fun and worth the 8 month wait, kind of. Hopefully in subsequent weeks more sets are flopping skirts short shorts balmier weather etc with commence. After the square of course the destination was Chippewa. Again not as many people out and it was cold there too unsurprisingly. Went to basically every where copped some free drinks didn't pay any covers. Visited Liars, no one there i think it was getting raided, Eddie Brady's, nice place before heading down the street, Level, free drink, Sub Zero, no idea but they did have a bubble machine, 67 west/Bottoms up, why not. Next week, skybar?

Thursday, May 15, 2008

thursday at the square line up

The 2008 lineup includes:

  • May 29 - Galactic with The New Deal
  • June 5 - The Disco Biscuits
  • June 12 - Yonder Mountain String Band
  • June 19 - The David Sanborn Group with Gamalon
  • June 26 - Martin Sexton and the Mike Doughty Duo
  • July 3 - Jakob Dylan and the Gold Mountain Rebels
  • July 10 - Jimmie Vaughan with JJ Grey and Mofro
  • July 17 - The Mickey Hart Band with Tea Leaf Green
  • July 24 - The Gin Blossoms with the Common Kings and Dan Erickson
  • July 31 - Spirit of the West with Babik and Penny Whiskey
  • Aug. 7 - Zappa plays Zappa and the Whigs
  • Aug. 14 - Mike Gordon of Phish with Samantha Stollenwerck
  • Aug. 21- Salvia with Klear
  • Aug. 28 - Candlebox with Agent Me
  • Sept. 4 - Big Head Todd and the Monsters with Indigenous

Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor schedule is:

  • Aug. 15 - Great Big Sea
  • Aug. 16 - The Robert Cray Band with Keb' Mo'
I pretty much can't name any of these bands or any songs they have. A couple bands that were popular in the grunge-ish era of the early 90's like candlebox and gin blossoms. Surprised there is no violent femmes as per 06 and 07.

Whatever I'll still be there any sunny thursday drinking beers then walking to chippewa. The problem with music acts is casinos are able to pay better bands more money in smaller venues because of the gambling money they make up for the loss of paying bigger acts. This obviously hurts outfits like TATS. Oh well, but never really gets good bands any way. And when they do, Tokyo Police Club, it sells out before I can even get in. Damn Soundlab mother fuckers. Whatever, as long as the canadians come and spend their loot err loonie

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Happy 176th Birthday Buffalo

Holy mole-y who knew 4/20 was Buffalo's birthday. No wonder it is a party town. So today is the 176th birthday of the city of Buffalo. I wonder why there isn't something planned each year to celebrate the cities birthday. True we don't need another reason to drink and celebrate, but then again who couldn't I guess.

Here is hoping the next 176 years goes at least as good as the last 176 if not better. Maybe a renaissance of the city a Superbowl and a stanley cup? Or I guess I would just settle for a return to the growth and development that once stood at the foot of main street on the water front. Is that really too much to ask?