Oui*73 Returns to Nietzsche's July 11

Oui*73, one of the best original Buffalo bands from the 1990s-early 2000s, will get back together for a show with its original lineup Friday, July 11, at Nietzsche's, 248 Allen Street in Buffalo.
The band, made up of Tony Christiano on guitar and vocals, Rich Coffman on bass and vocals, Holly Ann on guitar and Craig Voigt on drums, will bring its thunderous, glammed up, poppy and noisy sound for what appears to be a first class, dare I say it, rock show, and I will have more on it here when it becomes available.
But damn, it will be good to see and hear Oui*73 live again.

Dining Out for Life - Buffalo 2008

Val and I will be joining thousands of people eating out for dinner tonight as part of the annual Dining Out for Life - Buffalo 2008 event to help raise finds for AIDS Community Services of WNY and AIDS Family Services.
We don't know which of the more than 100 participating restaurants we will be eating dinner at yet, but no doubt we will be at one of the many on the West Side/Elmwood Village/Allentown area. For more information and a list of the participating restaurants, please click here.

Music Is Art LIVE@The Center ... With Val

Season 6 of Music Is Art LIVE@The Center, combining original Buffalo/Western New York musicians with visual artists, has started its sixth season, and this week's show is special around here.
At 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29, the Music Is Art cable television program, taped and produced at the State University at Buffalo Center for the Arts, will feature my wife, blog contributor here and author of her own blog and photographer Val Dunne, as well as Carolyn McNamara, and the music of David Kane's Them Jazzbeards and Andy Mac. The program will be shown on Channel 21/WNED Thinkbright TV.
From my point of view, besides being a great idea and very good program, the professionalism of the staff and students working on the show, a brainchild of Robbie Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls and Chameleon West Studios, is excellent, and the artists and musicians are treated very well. Val was quite excited and pleased with the interview conducted with her that will be shown during the program, as well as getting a new opportunity to create art.
For those who miss the first broadcast, it will be rebroadcast at 1 a.m. Sunday.

The Emerald Isle Runs Deep

At work today, the body I work for honored the Rince Na Tiarna School of Irish Dance, particularly the four dancers who just returned victorious from the World Championships of Irish dance in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and their leader, Mary Kay Heneghan.
As part of this honor, three of the four dancers (Kevinah Dargan, the first Buffalo dancer ever to win an international gold medal in Irish dancing; Fiona Dargan and Erin Lynch) were able to attend and performed, wonderfully, I might add, for the legislators. As they danced, I first smiled in appreciation of their talent, and I noticed my eyes first misting up and then tearing.
Admittedly, I was wearing my green and navy striped tie that was made and purchased in Ireland and a green and white Ireland lapel pin I bought in Galway when Val and I visited Ireland on our first anniversary in 2003.

The Flames Extinguished

Maybe I should stop rooting for specific NHL teams this season.
The Calgary Flames, the only team in this year's NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs I am/was specifically rooting for (and have for years, AFTER the Buffalo Sabres), lost to the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of their series, 5-3.
Former Sabres Brian Campbell and Mike Grier actually played close to their alleged value and quality last night, and the Sharks took full control of the game with a 4-goal second period. Who I root for next is undetermined, possibly for the best. For the record, Val was rooting for San Jose.

Yard Work: Results? Hmm

Val and I joined many, if not most, Western New Yorkers taking advantage of the great weekend weather to do some yard work around the Dunne-Hosey Estates.
Despite weeds, ornamental grass and vines being cut from and garbage and leaves being cleaned from the garden, as well as eight bags and two wheelbarrows full of leaves being raked and cleared from the yard, it seems like we have to squint to see any difference.
Being a rather busy weekend (Walker Evans got to visit both Squaw Island and the Lasalle Park dog park), we didn't get to do as much around the yard as hoped, but it always feels good to get some of the work done, despite the soreness in my back thighs (hamstrings?).

Out of the Panhandle and into the Fire

We see that Buffalo Pundit has returned from the family vacation in Florida, and just in time; there seems to be a political issue or two going on in his neck of the woods as well as nationally.

I Feel a Vein Closing

Val and I saw a delicacy of almost overwhelming proportion as we shopped at Wegmans last week, but apparently laughed so hard we forgot to write about it. We saw it again this week, so I am noting it before I forget.
In the frozen breakfast aisle, there is a most amazing edible offered: Jimmy Dean's Pancakes and Sausage on a Stick. My Lord, is this the Wal-Martification of grocery shopping and breakfast as we know it? Has anyone reading this blog ever eaten this, er, um, frozen treat?

No Hockey Tears For Me

So, is anyone crying that the Ottawa Senators were swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4 games to 0, in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, losing 3-1 last night? Nope, I didn't think so.
Yes, the Buffalo Sabres did not make it to the playoffs, but the Senators being swept in the first round takes away a little bit of the pain.

April 15 and My Father

It's been four years today since my father, the late Edward William Hosey, died on Holy Thursday, April 15, 2004, at age 75. He was a great husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, Buffalo Bills and Sabres fan, history buff/expert (especially the Civil War), Korean War U.S. Army veteran, punster who rivaled Clip Smith on the groan scale and all-around great man.
Except for this year, when Easter came earlier than normal, this season has been a bit of a downer lately; my sister Heather's birthday is April 11, so the added joy we used to feel around now is rather diminished.
As bad as I feel and as much as I miss my father, the worst part of his death was that my mother, Sheila, had to bury her husband and her oldest son, my late brother, Brian, less than nine years apart. My mother had only recently fully retired, and recovered from a minor stroke and cancer, when Dad died, and Mom deserved to enjoy more time with him, even for the performances of what we called the "Ed and Sheila Show," when their idiosyncracies, opinions and tempers would blend over absolutely non-essential issues to the bubbling point, which was eased over when us kids and in-laws would have to burst out laughing.
I cried for the first time in years when the military bugler (an Iraq War veteran, by the chestful of ribbons he wore) played "Taps" at Dad's funeral. I am more numb and dejected now.

Don't Dog a Dog

Walker Evans and I went down Norwood Avenue from our house across Bryant Street on our way to Summer Street during our afternoon walk. A couple of houses past the Norwood/Bryant intersection, he stopped to sniff a lawn.
Suddenly, from the left, three dogs in a car started barking at Walker, two of them in an annoying, yippy manner. A few seconds later, the dog in the house whose lawn Walker Evans was sniffing, a Labrador retriever, joined in the barking with his/her deeper bark.
Walker looked at the car, looked up at the window the other dog was in, assumed the position and produced a magnificent poo, and gave the barking dogs a disdainful "bark at me, will you?" look while I bagged his art work.

Another Mark Freeland Tribute

The death and loss of musician extraordinaire and artist Mark Freeland last summer are still being felt. We here at Buffalo Roots were fortunate last month to receive a comment from Scott Simon of Our Daughter's Wedding, an influential and popular New York City new wave band from the 1980s that Freeland was a member of for a while.
Because Simon's comments were to a post from last June, I wanted to give them a separate post so people get the chance to read his comments and to thank Simon for commenting on our blog.

From: scott odw
Date: March 23, 2008 9:41:49 AM EDT
To: barkloud@mac.com
Subject: [buffaloroots] New comment on Mark Freeland, RIP.

I had the good fortune to work with Mark in NYC between 1983-84. He played with my band "Our Daughters Wedding" and shared vocal duties with the late "Chief" Keith Silva. We did some touring and recording during those days but one piece of music still stands out. It was a session that featured some of the best performers in town Mars Williams, (Liquid Soul,Waitresses) Ken Lockie, (Cowboys International,Dominatrix) David Spradley, (P-Funk,Atomic Dog) Jay Burnette (Planet Rock, Afrika Bambatta) but it was Mark's groundbreaking rap that made the electro R&B tune"Love Machine" a classic.

a sample:

"Well give me a jump to let me know I'm alive, My stick shift will put you in overdrive, I've got a digital brain that spells out my name my driveshaft tastes like a candy cane. I've got a video screen instead of a spleen I'm a well oiled overhauled love machine. I've got lady mechanics to grease me up, got gasoline drippin from my lovin up, inside of me I got technology the bionic man is afraid of me cause I'm a Love Machine

"Check me over under my hood cause only you can do me up so good, take a look down at my spark plug and if it's weak just give it a tug,I've got a piston like Sonny Liston and it goes just up and down, The majesty of my love machine has spread from town to town, I got a girl mechanic and she goes into a panic when she rides the love machine that she calls the Titanic, I got batteries on my inside, my ass is made of Naugahyde,I'm the one the love machine with the guts and gears that goes so mean cause I'm a love machine."

It speaks for itself. I also remember a very interesting exchange between Mark and Heavyweight Contender Gerry Cooney outside of Gleason's gym on 33 st. I 'll save that for another day.

Mark was a wild free soul and I hope his mold is not broken because we need more Mark Freelands

scott
our daughters wedding

Newest CD Purchase

While running a bunch of errands Saturday, Val and I stopped at New World Record at Delaware and Hertel, which is sadly in the midst of its closing sale.
Currently, all CDs, DVDs and most other items are 30 percent off; I then noticed that there is a new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' CD out, "Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!" on Anti Records, so I bought a copy. With the discount, the price was a ridiculously good $11.89 plus tax.
We got to talk to New World Record owner Govindan Kartha, who Val and I have been friends with for about 20 years, and he seems both a bit tired and resigned to the closing after years of hard work and commitment, and happy and optimistic as he looks toward the future and new opportunities. He was the happiest of the 30 minutes or so we talked with him when his wife, Elizabeth Eisenhower, and his daughter, Asha, came into the store.
We will no doubt have more on New World Record here soon.

She's Still Young ... Younger Than Me

I'd like to wish a happy ... birthday to my sister, Heather, a regular Buffalo Roots reader and commenter. Blogs come in handy like this, especially when you notice as you are about to send your sister a birthday card that you have lost her new address (she and her family recently moved but remain in Wayne County, NY).

Cake, Snowflakes and Tardiness

Will the Bryant Street Cake Company business ever open? I am one of those looking forward to this new business located about a block and a half from our house, but the progress seems to have slowed to a crawl.
In fact, one thing I notice as Walker Evans and I stroll by the business on Bryant Street between Ashland Avenue and Elmwood Avenue several times a week (last time Thursday) is that the front door still has in large, basically stencilled letters, "Let It Snow," with a couple of snowflakes on the door. Fortunately, larger, plastic snowflakes were removed from the large windows last week.
I strongly hope that the investors are not having trouble raising enough cash to open the business, which is a major concern with any new business owner.

Hockey Talk: Minor Yay So Far

Last night was the first night of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs, and happily, the only team I will be directly rooting for throughout the playoffs was victorious, as the Calgary Flames defeated the San Jose Sharks in game 1 of their series, 3-2. I am certainly glad that the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Ottawa Senators, 4-0, but that is at least 50 percent me rooting against Ottawa.
And yes, I know that some of you and other hockey fans are shocked, I say shocked, that San Jose, with former Buffalo Sabres Brian Campbell and Mike Grier (and even Curtis Brown) in the lineup, not only lost to Calgary, but lost at all, because Campbell will now not only lead the Sharks to something like a Stanley Cup championship but maybe an undefeated season and a cure for cancer.

Good Music: Not Falling Far From the Tree?

While the flow of music CDs recorded by Western New York bands has slowed down here at Buffalo Roots, both the web site and this blog (partly through the lateness in reviewing some, and I apologize and vow to improve on that), one recently came this way that is breathtakingly good.
"Broken Hearts and the Human Response," the new CD by Jungle, is simply fantastic. I have had the chance to listen to it for about two weeks, and from the first time I heard it I was amazed. Not only are the songs very good, the musicianship and singing are sharp, the production is of high quality, the variety is amazing (melodic rock, funky rock, bluesy rock, pop rock, progressive rock) and on the whole, the CD sounds like a work by a band that has been recording for years and had some success. I will publish a full review of it soon.
And referring to the title of this entry, one of the musicians in the band and also supplier and designer of the CD artwork is Jeffrey Vincent, who is the son of guitarist Don Vincent of Pine Dogs and Shaking Hands fame.

A Shift in Hockey Viewing Habits

Now that the Buffalo Sabres have ended their NHL season by coming close but not qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs, I will be changing my viewing habits for the playoffs.
Obviously, with my favorite team not in the playoffs, I will not be dedicating every other night for at least a couple of weeks to watching the Sabres, but I will be watching hockey playoff games, mainly on CBC.
I will watch Versus when possible or necessary, but I won't be carving out parts of my schedule to hanker down with Val and the crew from Bfloblog to view the action, and I may end up paying more attention and rooting for teams from the West, having trouble finding anyone I can root for back here.

Too Familiar Ending

The Buffalo Sabres ended their chances for qualifying for the NHL playoffs by losing to the Montreal Canadiens Thursday night, 3-1.
The game went as too many other games went this season: The Sabres gave out less than stellar efforts during too much of the game, fell behind 3-0, got way too little quality play from their stars/best players and waited too long before attempting a rally.
No doubt there will be more on the Sabres' season here and elsewhere online, with Bfloblog as always a good place to start.

WNYMedia.net Moving?

Driving down Elmwood Avenue on my way home from work today, I drove by the WNYMedia.net offices on Elmwood Avenue a couple of doors down from Allen Street. The offices were emptied/cleared out, and "FOR RENT" was painted in green on the front window.
I hope that the offices have only moved, and that this doesn't mean that there are problems, financial or otherwise, with WNYMedia.net. I have not seen any explanatory notes on WNYMedia.net or any of its blogs.

The Agony and the Ecstasy Continue

The Buffalo Sabres remain in NHL playoff contenti0n after a come-from-behind, 4-3 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, with Max Afinogenov scoring the winning shootout goal; Ales Kotalik also scored in the shootout.
Now, the Sabres need some help from the opponents of Boston and Philadelphia to remain in the playoff hunt. Egad.