Buffalo Spree

(REMINDER: these listings are curated and definitely not intended to list ALL the live music out there! If you have a cool concert or interesting event, email info and links to jeffmiersmusic@gmail.com to be considered for inclusion in Where the Bands Are. Thanks!) Buffalo Place announces “The Hiker Music Series” Every Wednesday and Friday from 5-7 p.m. through October 2, at Roosevelt Plaza, Downtown Buffalo, NY.

UB Assistant Professor of Music Stephen Guerra leads Buffalo Choro’s weekly jam at Caffe Aroma on Elmwood Avenue, Saturdays from 2-4 p.m. Guitarist, composer, and Assistant Professor in University at Buffalo’s Department of Music, Stephen Guerra has a musical and academic origin story as improvisational as the Brazilian choro music he plays, teaches, and espouses. Besides choro, he teaches guitar and music theory, publishes sheet music, and is a recording artist.

Over the Mooncakes owner Kiyomi Juillerat specializes in the traditional Chinese pastries that are a beloved part of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. Falling on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival—this year September 25—is a Chinese celebration of harvest. The tradition originated during the Tang Dynasty, with its rituals and activities becoming part of Chinese culture by the Song Dynasty.

Mood board by Monarch Kitchen Design Studio Just in time to spark your holiday spirit, a roster of local design talent is transforming the Forbes Theater at 500 Pearl into a masterclass of tablescaping. “Think the most designer wedding in the whole world,” says Lauren Schulte owner of Monarch Kitchen Design Studio and member of Interior Design Association of Western New York (IDA), who was inspired after attending a similar event in Rochester.

It’s been a while since I spent a late night on my college campus, but that’s exactly what I did recently. I should probably mention: by late, I mean about 9 p.m. Still. After a week of various orientation events for new faculty, I wanted to attend a ceremony that has become a beloved tradition at the university. It’s something that didn’t exist when I was a student there more than 30 years ago.

Hossam Abdallah, Falafel House Bakery & Grill owner, at his new location on Niagara Street Imagine biting into a crispy patty with bold, savory flavor. A fluffy light interior delights your taste buds with a burst of fresh herbs, warm spices, and a nutty, earthy taste. For me, the falafel at Falafel House tastes like home and reminds me of my mother cooking over a hot stove, forming the soft mix with a pressing tool before gently placing it into hot oil.

Alex Lifeson, Anika Nilles, and Geddy Lee of Rush “September is the new August” certainly could have implications concerning shifting weather patterns—which are not all positive, to be sure—but for live music fans, it means “back to school” no longer signifies the end of the summer concert season. Instead, extended warm weather grants bonus time for more outdoor shows and relatively painless regional road trips for gigs of note.

New York State is the second-largest producer of apples in the U.S., but, over the past two decades, climate change has introduced unpredictability. Early buds and blooms caused by warmer winters can be threatened by late spring frosts, while extreme weather like rainfall and heatwaves can ruin fruit as it’s ripening. At the same time, the market for processing apples—into sauce, juice, and baby food—has been squeezed by the dominance of lower-priced imports from China.

Laird Robertson poses with his finished work—the colorful limewashed dining room walls of a West End Interiors project that celebrates the home’s mid-century modern aesthetic. Painting has always been Laird Robertson’s way. An artistic soul with threads tracing through his mother, a watercolorist; grandfather, optical artist and muralist Donald C.

We’ve been rolling out some episodes the last few months (a soft launch) and are ready to present our new podcast devoted entirely to RUSH—Why Rush Matters—with 6 episodes ready for your consumption! Welcome friends, to “Why Rush Matters.” I'm a musician, music journalist, and since a January evening in 1980 at the Palace Theater in Albany, a devoted Rush fan who has never once looked back.